Unit 5 Georgia s Constitution Georgia Performance Standards SS8CG1 The student will describe the role of citizens under Georgia s Constitution Georgia s Constitution Georgia s Constitution is a written set of guidelines for operating the state s government It is the highest set of laws for the state The state has had 10 constitutions Georgia s Constitution outlines the following 1 Structure of government 2 Elections 3 Three branches of government 4 Taxes 5 Public Education 6 Local Government 7 Process for amending making changes to the Constitution State Motto Georgia s motto is Wisdom Justice and Moderation It is located on the state flag and seal Georgia State Government Executive Branch Legislative Branch Judicial Branch Georgia Performance Standards SS8CG3 The student will analyze the role of the executive branch in Georgia state government SS8CG2 The student will analyze the role of the legislative branch in Georgia State government SS8CG4 The student will analyze the role of the judicial branch in Georgia state government Branches of Georgia s Government Georgia state government is divided into 3 branches Executive Legislative Judicial This helps to ensure that one branch does not have too much power Checks and Balances Executive Branch Governor of Georgia Nathan Deal was sworn in as Georgia s 82nd Governor on January 10 2011 Qualifications for Governor A U S citizen for 5 years B Resident of Georgia for the 6 years preceding the election C 30 years old or older Role Enforces Georgia s laws Lieutenant Governor On November 7 2006 Casey Cagle made Georgia history by becoming the 1st Republican ever elected to the state s 2nd highest office He was re elected as the 11th Lt Governor on November 2 2010 Qualifications for Lt Governor are 1 Must be a U S citizen for 5 years 2 Lived in Georgia for six years 3 30 years old or older The Lt Governor of Georgia has no restrictions on the number of times he or she can hold the office Role the Lt Governor s primary job is to serve as President of the Georgia Senate Takes over as Governor if the Governor dies resigns or is impeached Georgia State Executive Branch Support Officers Dr John Barge State Superintendent of Education Oversees Georgia s public education Brian Kemp Secretary of State Oversees state elections official records Sam Olens Attorney General State lawyer Georgia State Executive Branch Support Officers Ralph Hudgens Commissioner of Insurance Oversees the insurance industry in the state Tommy Irvin Commissioner of Agriculture Oversees farming crop production agribusiness in the state Mark Butler Commissioner of Labor Oversees employment and Human Resources in the state Georgia s Legislative Branch The General Assembly s role is creating state laws It was established by the Georgia Constitution of 1777 This bicameral 2 houses legislature is divided into the House of Representatives 180 members the Senate 56 members Every 2 years Georgians elect these members Georgia s Legislative Branch The General Assembly meets for 40 days beginning the 2nd Monday in January During this 40 day session many bills proposals for laws are proposed Some bills are passed into laws by a majority vote from the House of Representatives and the Senate These laws will 1 Regulate people s behavior 2 Provide for local government 3 Allow the state to raise and spend money 4 Provide state services Georgia s Legislative Branch In the General Assembly Georgia s Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate The Speaker of the House of Representatives presides over the House of Representatives In the event that both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor cannot fulfill their terms the Speaker of the House of Representatives will become the Governor If the Governor does not support a proposed bill he or she can veto reject it Then 2 3 majority vote from the House of Representatives and the Senate can override the Governor s veto rejection of a bill Georgia s Judicial Branch Georgia s Judicial Branch Its role is to interpret and apply the laws that the General Assembly creates each year State courts handle two classes of disputes 1 Civil The court helps to settle disputes between two or more parties 2 Criminal The state takes legal action against someone who has been arrested for committing a crime breaking the law Fourth Branch This additional branch focuses on Georgia s citizens and their roles The roles of the citizens are 1 Voting Must be 18 years old or older 2 Paying Taxes Helps to fund run the government 3 Being a good citizen Obey laws volunteer in your community