HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 108
(By Delegate Andes)
[Introduced February 9, 2010; referred to the Committee on
Constitutional Revision then the Judiciary.]
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West
Virginia, amending sections two and three, article VI thereof,
relating to the Legislature; providing a reduction in the
number of delegates and senators; and doing away with the
requirement that two senators be elected from each district;
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 ten, which proposed amendment is that
sections two and three, article VI thereof be amended, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE VI. THE LEGISLATURE
§2. Composition of Senate and House of Delegates.
The Senate shall be composed of
twenty-four seventeen, and the
House of Delegates of
sixty-five fifty members, subject to be
increased according to the provisions hereinafter contained.
§3. Senators and delegates -- Terms of office.
Senators shall be elected for the term of four years, and
delegates for the term of two years.
The senators first elected,
shall 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.
NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to reduce the size of
the House of Delegates to fifty members and to reduce the size of
the Senate to seventeen members. The resolution does away with the
requirement that two senators be elected from each district to
allow for the proposed number of senators.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present constitution , and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added