About The Nebraska Legislature

Nebraska Unicameral

Return to On Unicameralism main page Facts Below, you will find the answers to a number of frequently asked questions about the unicameral system in Nebraska.
Q: What is a unicameral legislature?
A legislature is unicameral if it consists of only one house.
Q: How many unicameral legislatures are there in the United States?
Only one: Nebraska has the only unicameral legislature in the country. Since Nebraska's legislature only has one house, it also has the smallest legislative branch in the country - 49 senators.
Q: How long has the Nebraska Legislature been a one-house body?
Citizens passed an initiative to amend the Nebraska Constitution in 1934, and the first session of the Unicameral Legislature was held in 1937. The initiative was approved by a vote of 286,086 to 191,152.
Q: Which half of the original bicameral legislature still exists in Nebraska?
Although generally referred to as the "legislature" or the "Unicameral," the Senate is the legislative body that was retained following the 1937 reorganization. Consequently, members of the legislature are referred to as "senators."
Q: Have any other states had unicameral legislative branches?
Although other states have taken an interest in unicameral legislatures, Nebraska remains the only state in the country that has implemented a unicameral system.
Q: How many legislators are in the Nebraska Legislature? For how long do they serve?
There are 49 members of the Nebraska Unicameral, each serving a term of four years.
Q: How many legislators served in the Nebraska Legislature prior to 1937?
There were 133 members of the legislature prior to the 1937 reorganization.
Q: How many citizens does a Nebraska legislator represent?
Each legislative district in Nebraska serves about 35,000 citizens.
Q: What are the requirements for an individual to become a member of the Unicameral?
According to the Nebraska Constitution, an individual must be a registered voter and at least 21 years of age, and candidates must live within the district in which he or she is running for at least one year prior to being elected.
Q: How often is the Nebraska Unicameral in session?
The Legislature is in session every year. A session lasts 60 legislative days in even-numbered years and 90 legislative days in odd-numbered years. Sessions convene on the first Wednesday following the first Monday in January of each year.
Q: What are the steps in the lawmaking process in Nebraska?
Each bill introduced in the Nebraska Unicameral goes through a committee and is subjected to three rounds of floor debate before it can become a l

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