COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

H. J. R. 6

(By Delegates Ennis, Manchin, Shelton,

Evans and Faircloth)


(Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary)

[February 25, 2003]


Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, amending section three, article six thereof, relating to increasing the terms of members of the House of Delegates from two to four years; and increasing the terms of members of the State Senate from four to six years; numbering and designating such proposed amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed amendment.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:
That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to the voters of the State at the next general election to be held in the year two thousand four, which proposed amendment is that section three, article six thereof be amended and reenacted, to read as follows:
ARTICLE VI. THE LEGISLATURE.
 §3. Senators and delegates -- Terms of office.
Senators shall be elected for the term of four six years and delegates for the term of two four years, beginning with the first general election after January 1, 2006. The senators first elected, shall continue to divide themselves into two classes, one senator from every district being assigned to each class; and of these classes, the first to be designated by lot in such manner as the Senate may determine, shall hold their seats for two years, and the second for four years, so that after the first election, one half of the senators shall be elected biennially with each Senator serving a six-year term commencing after the regularly scheduled expiration of each four-year term, after January 1, 2006. Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of article eleven, chapter three of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, such proposed amendment is hereby numbered "Amendment No. 1" and designated as the "Increase of Terms of Members of the Legislature Amendment," and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: "To increase the terms of members of the House of Delegates from two years to four years; and to further increase the terms of members of the State Senate from four to six years."