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What's happening
Each of the 50 states has its own legislature with its own rules, procedures and priorities, and they determine everything from tax rates to criminal law to how you can vote.
Why it matters
What happens in state legislatures isn't just relevant to state residents -- it often has effects that ripple nationwide, including on highly contentious issues.
Congress grabs much of the spotlight in political news coverage, and there are good reasons for that. From confirming Supreme Court justices to passing the federal budget, it considers hugely important matters. But the Senate and House of Representatives aren't the only elected bodies in the US making big decisions. Legislatures in the 50 states tackle issues that directly affect your life, often considering even more critical topics than what comes out of Washington, DC.
CNET
Remember that under the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution, powers not delegated to Congress are reserved to the states. Legislatures determine tax rates, mlb shirts decide how and when you can vote, establish family and criminal law, make zoning and workplace regulations, choose presidential electors and a lot more. They also regularly delve into hotly contentious issues like abortion access, LGBTQ equality and educational standards. And whatever they're considering, legislatures typically pass more laws and with more fervor than Congress can ever muster (one reason they move faster is that the filibuster is rare at the state level).
But just as the 50 states vary widely in culture, geography and history, the 50 legislatures differ sharply from each other in their structure, schedule and scope. From Alaska to Florida and everywhere in between, here's an overview of the state legislatures and what you need to know about how they operate.
![Looking up at the interior of the California State Capitol rotunda]()
The rotunda of the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
Kent German/CNET
Who are my state reps?
You can find your state representatives either through your legislature's website or through a third-party group like Common Cause. And it's important you do so. You can keep tabs on how your members vote, and you can contact them when you have something to say. Not only that, but politicians often use a as a launching pad for higher office, whether it's the governor's mansion, Congress or even (eventually) the White House.
When they meet and how often
All state legislatures hold annual sessions, with four exceptions. Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas, the nation's second most populous state, with 29.1 million residents, meet only in odd-numbered years.
When legislatures do meet, the session length varies widely across the map. Thirty-nine states set a fixed length, usually through the state constitution. That means they must adjourn either after a certain length of time, like 30 calendar days in New Mexico in 2022, or on a specific date. But whatever the method, most states in this group commence their sessions in early January, similar to the US Congress, and wrap up by June.
Exceptions abound, though. Oklahoma, Louisiana and Connecticut (to name a few) can start as late as February or March.
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