Washington State Legislature
| Washington State Legislature | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses |
Senate House of Representatives |
| Leadership | |
|
President Pro Tem of the Senate
|
Tim Sheldon (D/MCC)
Since January 9, 2017 |
| Structure | |
| Seats |
147 49 senators 98 representatives |
 |
|
|
Senate political groups
|
Democratic Party (24) Majority Coalition Caucus (25) |
.svg) |
|
|
House of Representatives political groups
|
Democratic Party (50) Republican Party (48) |
| Elections | |
|
Senate last election
|
November 8, 2016 |
|
House of Representatives last election
|
November 8, 2016 |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
| Washington State Capitol, Olympia, Washington | |
| Website | |
| http://www.leg.wa.gov/pages/home.aspx | |
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators plus the Lieutenant Governor acting as President. The state is divided into 49 legislative districts, each of which elect one senator and two representatives.
The State Legislature meets in the Legislative Building at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia.
Currently the Washington State Legislature has split majorities, with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives and Republicans controlling the Senate. Democrats hold a 50-48 majority in the House of Representatives. Although Democrats outnumber Republicans 25-24 in the Senate, one "Independent Democrat" senator caucuses with Republicans, effectively resulting in Republican control of the Senate by a 25-24 margin.
The Washington State Legislature traces its ancestry to the creation of the Washington Territory in 1853, following successful arguments from settlers north of the Columbia River to the U.S. federal government to legally separate from the Oregon Territory. The Washington Territorial Assembly, as the newly created area's bicameral legislature, convened the following year. The legislature represented settlers from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to modern Montana.
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Wikipedia