New York State Test Prep Social Studies 5 (Grade 4) Local and State Government

The New York State Legislature is the branch of government that makes the laws in our state. The legislature is made up of two main groups, or houses. One house is the state assembly. The other house is the state senate. These houses have equal power. Members of the legislature have very important jobs. They pass bills which may then become the laws of our state.

New York State Assembly

The Assembly Chamber

There are 150 members of the New York State Assembly. They are elected by the voters in their area, or district, of the state. One member comes from each of the 150 districts. They are elected to serve two year terms. They meet each year in the New York State Capitol Building in Albany, New York, our capital city. The room they meet in is called the Assembly Chamber. It is the biggest room in the Capitol building.

The leader of the Assembly is called the Speaker of the Assembly. The Speaker is elected by the Assembly members. He or she appoints members of committees and directs the business of the Assembly.

To find your Assembly representative click on the hyperlink below:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

New York State Senate

View of Senate Chamber Sixty one representatives are elected by the voters of the state of New York to be members of the New York State Senate. These members are called state senators. They hold their meetings in the Senate Chamber in the New York State Capitol building in Albany.

State senators are elected to two year terms. The senators choose a leader to be their senate president. That person is known as

The Senate Chamber the Lieutenant Governor, and he or she is in
charge of the senate meetings.

Senators represent their areas or district of the state. To find out about the senate representative from your district, click on the hyperlink below:

http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sdlookup.nsf/search?OpenForm