State legislature (United States) facts for kids

A state legislature is a group of elected people who make laws for one of the 50 U.S. states. Think of them as the "lawmakers" for a state, just like the United States Congress makes laws for the whole country.

How State Legislatures Are Set Up

Almost every state legislature in the United States has two parts, or "houses." This is called being bicameral. It means there is an upper house and a lower house.

For example, in many states, the upper house is called the Senate, and the lower house is called the House of Representatives. This setup is very similar to how the United States Congress works, which also has a Senate and a House of Representatives. The only state that doesn't have two houses is Nebraska; its legislature has only one house.

What State Legislatures Do

State legislatures have important jobs for their state. They do many things that are similar to what the U.S. Congress does, but their power is focused on their specific state.

Here are some of their main tasks:

• Making State Laws: They create and vote on laws that affect people living in their state. These laws cover many things, like education, roads, taxes, and public safety.
• Approving the State Budget: They decide how the state's money will be spent each year.
• Checking the Governor: They can approve or reject people the state governor wants to appoint to certain jobs.
• Ratifying Amendments: State legislatures have the power to approve changes, called amendments, to the United States Constitution. This is a very important power that connects state governments to the national government.

A Look at Their History

The idea of a state legislature in America is very old. The first group of lawmakers in America was created in 1619. It was called the Virginia House of Burgesses. This group met in the colony of Virginia and helped make rules for the people living there. This was long before the United States became a country!

Images for kids

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  The Iowa State Capitol building, where the Iowa General Assembly meets to make laws for Iowa.

See also

In Spanish: Legislatura estatal de Estados Unidos para niños