The first
representative assembly in America met at Jamestown in 1619.
The Capital was moved to Williamsburg in 1699 and then to Richmond
in 1780. The Capitol building was designed by Thomas Jefferson
and first used in 1788. The design was based on the Maison Carree
in France where Jefferson served as U.S. Ambassador. Wings added
to the Capitol in 1906 provided new chambers for the House of
Delegates and Senate.
The General
Assembly is made up of the House of Delegates and the Senate.
The people of Virginia elect 100 Delegates and 40 Senators
to represent them in the General Assembly. Each Delegate
serves a two-year term and represents approximately 71,000
people. Each Senator serves a four-year term and represents
approximately 176,000 people.
The Speaker
is the presiding officer in the House of Delegates. He is
a member of the House and is elected by the House in even-numbered
years. In the Senate, the Lieutenant Governor is the presiding
officer. He is elected in a statewide election and serves
a four-year term.
The General
Assembly meets every year beginning the second Wednesday
in January. In even-numbered years, it meets for 60 calendar
days. In odd-numbered years, it meets for 30 calendar days.
(This session can be extended up to 30 additional days.)
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