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 Senate and House of Delegates.
The General Assembly
is made up of the Senate and the House of Delegates. The
people of Virginia elect 40 Senators and 100 Delegates to
represent them in the General Assembly. Each Senator serves
a four-year term and represents approximately 176,000 people.
Each Delegate serves a two-year term and represents approximately
71,000 people.
In the Senate, the
Lieutenant Governor is the presiding officer. He is elected
in a statewide election and serves a four-year term. 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.
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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