Iowa General Assembly

The Iowa General Assembly (IGA) is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively. There are no term limits for either chamber.

The General Assembly convenes within the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

Composition

The IGA consists of 50 senators and 100 representatives. Each senator represents about 59,500 people and each representative about 29,750 people. The last redistricting was enacted on June 22, 2001 for the 2002 elections of the 108th U.S. Congress and 80th IGA. The IGA convenes annually on the second Monday in January.

As of 2011, the Senate of the IGA is controlled by Democrats, and the House of Representatives and the Governor's office are both controlled by Republicans.

Prior to the 2006 elections, Iowa had one of the most evenly divided state legislatures in the country, with a 25-25 split in the Senate and the House composed of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats.

Leaders in the Senate are President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, and President Pro Tempore Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls. Partisan Senate leadership includes Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, and Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton.

In the House, the Speaker is Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, and the Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton. Partisan House leadership includes Majority Leader......
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