Membership and Apportionment of General Assembly

Checkout our iOS App for a better way to browser and research.

  1. There shall be 180 members of the House of Representatives, and such membership shall be apportioned among the representative districts provided for in Chapter 2 of this title.
  2. There shall be 56 members of the Senate, and such membership shall be apportioned among the senatorial districts provided for in Chapter 2 of this title.

(Ga. L. 1890-91, p. 192, § 1; Civil Code 1895, § 291; Ga. L. 1901, p. 51, § 1; Ga. L. 1906, p. 80, § 1; Civil Code 1910, §§ 333, 334; Ga. L. 1918, p. 84, §§ 1-4; Ga. L. 1921, p. 229, § 1; Ga. L. 1931, p. 48, § 1; Code 1933, §§ 47-101, 47-102; Ga. L. 1946, p. 42, § 1; Ga. L. 1962, Ex. Sess., p. 7, § 9; Ga. L. 1965, p. 127, § 1; Ga. L. 1967, p. 159, § 1; Ga. L. 1967, p. 187, § 1; Ga. L. 1968, p. 209, § 1; Ga. L. 1971, Ex. Sess., p. 22, § 1; Ga. L. 1971, Ex. Sess., p. 69, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 16, § 1.)

Cross references.

- Composition and apportionment of General Assembly, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. III, Sec. II, Paras. I and II.

Editor's notes.

- Prior to the legislative session of 1890-91, the provisions of law relating to the composition of the General Assembly were solely constitutional provisions, which were codified as follows:

Senate

Code 1863, § 4923

Code 1868, § 4917

Code 1873, § 5042

Code 1882, § 5040

House of Representatives

Code 1863, § 4927

Code 1868, § 4921

Code 1873, § 5046

Code 1882, § 5042

In the session of 1890-91, the first nonconstitutional provision relating to the composition of the House of Representatives was enacted by Ga. L. 1890-91, p. 192, § l, which was subsequently codified as § 291 of the Civil Code of 1895. In the session of 1906, the first nonconstitutional provision relating to the composition of the Senate was enacted by Ga. L. 1906, p. 80, § 1, which was subsequently codified as § 334 of the Civil Code of 1910.

As a result of the enactment of the nonconstitutional provisions, there appeared in the Code beginning with the Code of 1895 parallel constitutional and nonconstitutional provisions relating to the composition of the General Assembly, which were codified as follows: Senate Civil Code 1910 ........................................................... § 6411 (Const.) ..................................................................... § 344 Code 1933 .................................................... § 2-1301 (1877 Const.) .................................................... § 2-1401 (1945 Const.) ..................................................... § 2-801 (1976 Const.) .................................................................. § 47-102 House of Representatives Civil Code 1895 ........................................................... § 5747 (Const.) ..................................................................... § 291 Civil Code 1910 ........................................................... § 6413 (Const.) ..................................................................... § 333 Code 1933 .................................................... § 2-1401 (1877 Const.) .................................................... § 2-1501 (1945 Const.) ..................................................... § 2-901 (1976 Const.) .................................................................. § 47-101

JUDICIAL DECISIONS Senatorial districts are drawn, so far as possible, along existing county lines. Fortson v. Dorsey, 379 U.S. 433, 85 S. Ct. 498, 13 L. Ed. 2d 401 (1965).

Cited in Toombs v. Fortson, 241 F. Supp. 65 (N.D. Ga. 1965); Toombs v. Fortson, 275 F. Supp. 128 (N.D. Ga. 1966); Toombs v. Fortson, 277 F. Supp. 821 (N.D. Ga. 1967); Millican v. Georgia, 351 F. Supp. 447 (N.D. Ga. 1972); Dawson v. Smyre, 233 Ga. 758, 213 S.E.2d 658 (1975).

RESEARCH REFERENCES Am. Jur. 2d. - 25 Am. Jur. 2d, Elections, § 7 et seq. 63C Am. Jur. 2d, Public Officers and Employees, §§ 36, 40, 434, 450, 460, 462.

C.J.S. - 67 C.J.S., Officers and Public Employees, § 35. 81A C.J.S., States, §§ 94 et seq., 121 et seq., 133 et seq.

ALR. - Inequality of population or lack of compactness of territory as invalidating apportionment of representatives, 2 A.L.R. 1337.


Download our app to see the most-to-date content.