The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from an equal number of single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. There are no term limits.
The House of Representatives meets at the Massachusetts State House in Boston.
Representation
Historically, representatives were apportioned by community. For the first 150 persons, one representative was granted, and this ratio increased as the population of the town increased. This was ultimately changed to its current regional population system in the 20th century. Until 1978, there were 240 members of the house [1]; today there are 160. Each Massachusetts Representative represents about 39,682 residents.[1] Representative districts are named for the counties and former counties they are in, and tend to stay within one county, although districts occasionally cross county lines.
Leadership of the House
The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also its the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the House.
The current Speaker of the House is Salvatore DiMasi of the 3rd Suffolk District (Boston). The Majority Leader is John H. Rogers of the 12th Norfolk District (Norwood). The Republican Minority Leader is Bradley Jones, Jr. of the 20th Middlesex District (North Reading).
The Democrats hold a supermajority in the House, the largest of its kind in any state legislature over the Republicans.
Leadership information
| Position | Name | Party | Residence | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker | Salvatore DiMasi | Democratic | Boston | 3rd Suffolk |
| Majority Leader | John H. Rogers | Democratic | Norwood | 12th Norfolk |
| Minority Leader | Bradley Jones, Jr. | Republican | North Reading | 20th Middlesex |
The most recent election of members was held on November 7, 2006. See Massachusetts House elections, 2006. Representatives serve two-year terms.
Make-up of the House of Representatives
| Affiliation | Members | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 141 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | |
| Vacant |
0 | |
| Total |
160 | |
| Government Majority |
122 | |
The Sacred Cod
Within the House's debating chamber hangs the Sacred Cod. The five foot long pine carving of the cod was offered by Representative John Rowe in 1784 in commemoration of the state's martime economy and history. Two previous carvings of the cod existed during the legislature's colonial era; the first destroyed in a fire in 1747, and the second during the American War of Independence. Since 1784, the current Sacred Cod has witnessed nearly every House session, and moved to its current location when the House began convening in the State House in 1798.
In 1933, members of the Harvard Lampoon stole the cod carving as part of a prank. The result of the theft sparked a massive state-wide search by the Boston and Massachusetts State Police. Following near-outrage from Boston newspapers and the General Court itself, the cod was anonymously handed back.
Members
Source
- http://www.mass.gov/legis/repdis03.htm, accessed April 9, 2006
See also
References
- ↑ Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Article LXXXII.