New session started January 6, 2015 | Term limits None | |
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Speaker of the House Brian C. Bosma (R)Since November 16, 2010 Majority Leader Matthew Lehman (R)Since October 6, 2015 Minority Leader Scott Pelath (D)Since November 8, 2012 | ||
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the United States state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits. According to the 2010 census, each State House district contains an average of 64,838 people.
Contents
The House convenes at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.
Terms & qualifications
In order to run for a seat for the Indiana House of Representatives one must be at least 21 years of age upon taking office, be a citizen of the United States, have resided in the state of Indiana for 7 years, and in the district to represent for at least 1 year.
Representatives serve terms of two years, and there is no limit on the number of terms a representative may serve.
Members of the Indiana House of Representatives
†Member was initially appointed to the seat.
History
The Indiana House of Representatives held its first session in the first statehouse in the original state capital of Corydon and the first speaker of the body was Isaac Blackford. Under the terms of the constitution of 1816, state representatives served one years terms, meaning elections were held annually. In 1851, the constitution was replaced by the current constitution and terms were lengthened to two years, but sessions were held biennially. A 1972 constitutional amendment allowed for a short legislative session to be held in odd numbered years.
2012 Election
On November 6, 2012, the Republican Party in Indiana expanded their majority in the House of Representatives from 60 members in the 117th General Assembly to 69 members, a "quorum-proof" majority. The Republicans were able to take 69% of the seats, despite having only received approximately 54% of the votes for the state's House of Representatives.
Of the 3 newly elected members of the U.S. House elected to the 113th Congress from Indiana, two are former members of the Indiana House of Representatives. Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) represented Indiana's 21st district from 2005-2011 and Congressman Luke Messer (IN-06) represented Indiana's 57th district from 2003-2007. Congressman Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) was re-elected to a second term, he is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives where he served Indiana's 52nd district from 2003-2009.