The legislative branch of Arizona is the most powerful branch of state government. Arizona has a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives. Since 1964, there have been 30 senators and 60 representatives from the 30 legislative districts in Arizona. It has seemed slightly more advantageous to serve in the Senate due to its smaller size, but both houses require the same qualifications for holding office, and both houses receive the same salary and allowances. The House of Representatives votes for their presiding officer, the Speaker of the House; likewise, the Senate votes for their presiding officer, and the Senate president. Both the Speaker and the president of the Senate appoint committee chairpersons and committee members. Both chambers also employ research analysts to help with bill writing and press secretaries responsible for media outreach.
The State Constitution requires that members of the Senate and the House of Representatives be at least 25 years old at the time they take office. Additionally, each Representative and Senator must be a resident of the state for the three years immediately preceding the person’s election and a resident of the county from which the person is elected for at least one year immediately before the election. The Legislature may not be under legally disabled and must not have been convicted of a crime. Additionally, no legislator may be employed by the state or any county, city or town.
This prohibition does not extend to public school teachers. As the most powerful branch of state government, the state legislature on top of lawmaking creates and funds government offices and agencies, approves appointments of the governor, impeaches officials, and controls budget appropriation and taxation. My state district is 30, and my representative in Senate is Robert Meza and in House representative is Ray D. Martinez and Tony Navarrete. In 2010 Robert Meza was elected as Senator in Arizona State. Currently, Robert committees are Commerce and Public Safety, Senate Ethics, Government. Senate Robert also concentrates his legislative efforts on many things such as immigration, and justice of opportunity despite race, health care.
Arizona House representative Ray D. Martinez went to Grand Canyon University, obtaining a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership. Martines committees are Government, Military, Veterans and Regulatory Affairs. In 2016 Tony Navarrete was elected to sever Arizona’s 30th District as Representative. Navarrete Committee Assignment is Federalism, Property Rights, and Public Policy, Health.One current event in Arizona is Red for Ed, teachers, students, and parents started a protest on April 26 for Red for Ed and stop on May 4. The reason for the protest is an against years of education budget cuts, for higher teacher pay and an increase in classroom funding. It comes despite a plan from Government Doug Ducey to increase teacher salary 20 percent by 2020, an extension of a permanent arrangement for yearly increases and a freeze on future tax cuts until per-pupil funding equals the general average.
