• ziggurism@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    According to wikipedia, the Georgia general assembly already met from Jan 9th to March 29th of this year, and cannot meet for more than 40 days in a year per the state constitution. I’m assuming it must have a clause granting the governor the power to exempt the legislature from that time limit for a special session, or else this whole request is unconstitutional. But I didn’t find anything on wikipedia saying so.

    edit: I found it. Article V, section II, paragraph VII:

    Special sessions of the General Assembly. (a) The Governor may convene the General Assembly in special session by proclamation which may be amended by the Governor prior to the convening of the special session or amended by the Governor with the approval of three-fifths of the members of each house after the special session has convened; but no laws shall be enacted at any such special session except those which relate to the purposes stated in the proclamation or in any amendment thereto.

    (b) The Governor shall convene the General Assembly in special session for all purposes whenever three-fifths of the members to which each house is entitled certify to the Governor in writing, with a copy to the Secretary of State, that in their opinion an emergency exists in the affairs of the state. The General Assembly may convene itself if, after receiving such certification, the Governor fails to do so within three days, excluding Sundays.

    © Special sessions of the General Assembly shall be limited to a period of 40 days unless extended by three-fifths’ vote of each house and approved by the Governor or unless at the expiration of such period an impeachment trial of some officer of state government

    is pending, in which event the House shall adjourn and the Senate shall remain in session until such trial is completed.