Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. The name "General Court" is a holdover from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, when the colonial assembly, in addition to making laws, sat as a judicial court of appeals. Before the adoption of the state constitution in 1780, it was called the Great and General Court, but the official title was shortened by John Adams, author of the state constitution. It is a bicameral body. The upper house is the Massachusetts Senate which is composed of 40 members. The lower body, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, has 160 members; until 1978, the state house had 240 members. It meets in the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill in Boston.Since 1959, Democrats have controlled both houses of the Massachusetts General Court, often by large majorities. The Democrats enjoyed veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers for part of the 1990s (i.e., enough votes to override vetoes by a governor) and also currently hold supermajorities in both chambers.
State senators and representatives both serve two-year terms. There are no term limits; a term limit was enacted by initiative in Massachusetts in 1994 but in 1997 was struck down by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which ruled that it was an unconstitutional attempt to provide additional qualifications for office by statute, rather than constitutional amendment.
The legislature is a full-time legislature, although not to the extent of neighboring New York or some other states. Provided by Wikipedia
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by Prentice, John
Published 1735
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1735
Printed by S. Kneeland, printer to the Honourable House of Representatives, for D. Henchman in Corn-Hill
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by Danforth, Samuel
Published 1714
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1714
Printed by B. Green: sold by Samuel Gerrish, at his shop on the north side of the town-house
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by Baxter, Joseph
Published 1727
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1727
Printed by B. Green. Sold by Samuel Gerrish, at the lower end of Corn-Hill
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by Colman, Benjamin
Published 1719
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1719
Printed by B. Green, printer to His Excellency the governour and Council, for Samuel Gerrish, at his shop
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by Rogers, John
Published 1706
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1706
Printed by B. Green: Sold by Benj. Eliot under the west end of the Town-House
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by Williams, William
Published 1726
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1726
Printed by B. Green, printer to His Excellency the governour & Council, for Daniel Henchman at his shop
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by Russel, Jonathan
Published 1704
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1704
Printed by Bartholomew Green, for Benjamin Eliot, at his shop under the west end of the Town-House
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by Mayhew, Jonathan
Published 1754
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1754
Printed by Samuel Kneeland, printer to the Honourable House of Representatives
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by Stevens, Benjamin
Published 1761
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1761
Printed by John Draper, printer to His Excellency the governor and the Honorable His Majesty's Council
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by Sewall, Joseph
Published 1762
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1762
Printed by John Draper, printer to His Excellency the governor, and the Honourable His Majesty's Council: and, by Edes and Gill, printers to the Honourable House of Representatives
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by Tappan, David
Published 1792
“...Massachusetts General Court...”Published 1792
At the State Press, by Thomas Adams, printer to the Honourable the General Court