Kansas. Legislature

The first House of Representatives in the Kansas Legislature consisted of 75 members who were chosen for one year, and the first Senate consisted of 25 members who were chosen for two years. An amendment to the state constitution in 1873 raised the number of Representatives to 125 and the number of Senators to 40. In 1875 another amendment allowed Representatives to hold office for two years and Senators for four years. The State Legislature meets every year between January and May (for many years, it met biennially). The Governor can call special sessions as deemed necessary. The Legislative Council, established in 1933, is composed of ten senators and fifteen representatives appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and approved by a majority vote. The Council collects information concerning the government and general welfare of the State, makes investigations and studies of problems of State, and submits recommendations to the Legislature at least 30 days before each session. The Research Department under the Council was established in 1934 to conduct research on State problems under the direction of the Council. [Secretary of State. Kansas Biennial Report. Topeka: Secretary of State, 1962.] [Wilder, Bessie. Governmental Agencies of the State of Kansas, 1861-1956. Lawrence: University of Kansas Publications, 1957.]