Georgia State Constitution
| Georgia State Constitution | |
|---|---|
| Created | September 25, 1981 |
| Ratified | November 2, 1982 |
| Location | Georgia Archives |
| Author(s) | Ethan Ramos |
| Purpose | State Constitution to replace Constitution of 1976 |
The Constitution of the State of Georgia is the governing document of the U.S. State of Georgia. The constitution outlines the three branches of government in Georgia. The legislative branch is embodied in the bicameral General Assembly. The executive branch is headed by the Governor. The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court. Besides providing for the organization of these branches, the Constitution carefully outlines which powers each branch may exercise.
The current Georgia State Constitution was ratified on November 2, 1982. It is the newest state constitution in the United States and is Georgia's tenth Constitution, replacing the previous 1976 constitution.
Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed in the Georgia legislature and must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of both the state House and state Senate followed by ratification by a majority of the electors qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly at the next general election which is held in the even-numbered years. The Constitution can also be amended by proposal at a constitutional convention, the calling of which must receive the support of a two-thirds majority vote by both houses of the legislature and a simple majority of state voters.
Georgia has had ten different constitutions in its history. Prior to having a formal constitution, a document entitled Rules and Regulations of the Colony of Georgia, drafted in 1776, was in effect. A year later, in 1777, the first formal constitution was drafted, followed by the constitutions of 1787, 1798, 1861 (after joining the Confederate States of America), 1865, 1868, 1877, 1945, 1976, and 1983. All constitutions up until 1945 were drafted by constitutional convention. That year, Governor Ellis Arnall appointed a twenty-three member commission, devised of all three branches of government, to write a new constitution.
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