Legislative Council of the Fœderal Capital Territory

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Legislative Council of the
Fœderal Capital Territory
1st Legislature
Logo of the Legislative Council of the Fœderal Capital Territory
Type
Type Unicameral
Leadership
Governor Tom Kirkman
Since 21 January 1722
President London Breed
Since 5 Janurary 1723
President
pro Tempore
Jason Granger
Since 5 January 1723
Administrator Carter Poole
Since 5 January 1723
Structure
Membership 181 Councillors
124 appointed
157 elected


1st Fœderal Capital Territory Legislative Council
Political groups

Government (52)

52Republicans

Opposition (29)

29Progressives

Elections
Voting system FPTP (57)
Appointed (24)
Last election 8 November 1716
Next election 6 November 1718
Meeting place
FCT Senate
FCT Senate
400 West Independence Street
Fœderal Capital Territory
Website
link://council.fct.us.gov
Footnotes
  1.  8 years
  2.  At the State’s pleasure.
  3.  The Term of Office of elected Councillors (colloquially called “Commons”) is four Years, with all fifty-seven (57) seats filled at every quadrennial election.
  4.  Elections for appointed Councillors (colloquially, “Regents”) varies by State, but in each State this is generally dependent on the outcome of that State’s elections for Governor and Legislature.
US-FCT flag-30stars(18,12)(bolder-stars).svg Fœderal Capital Territory
Legislative Council
File:US-FCT image-Legislative Council chamber.jpg
Chamber of the FCT Legislative Council

The Legislative Council of the Fœderal Capital Territory (known in short as the FCT Legislative Council) is the unicameral legislature of the Fœderal Capital Territory (FCT). It sits in the Senate building on Civic Square, close to the Central Business District in San Francisco County, Fœderal Capital Territory.

Creation[edit | edit source]

The Council was created by an Act of the U.S. Congress, the Fœderal Capital Territory (Constitution) Act, 1722. The first election under the FCT Constitution Act was held on 8 November 1722 and Council first convened on 9 January of the following year. Until this point, the FCT had been directly administered by the U.S Congress. It replaced the FCT Board of Supervisors, which existed from 1718 to 1722, but had no legislative power, with a principal function of advising Congress on matters relating to the Territory.

Membership[edit | edit source]

Since its inception in 1722, the Legislative Council has had fifty-seven (57) Members (“Commons-Councillors”) elected from the seven Counties of the Fœderal Capital Territory: Republic County, Presidio County, San Francisco County, Colma County, Castro County, Bayview County, and Daly County; and twenty-four (24) Members (“Regents-Councillors”) elected by the twenty-four States, with one Regent-Councillor from each State. Each of the fifty-seven (57) Commons-Councillors are elected in single-member districts to a four-year term, using a two-round variant of first past the post; whereas Regent-Councillors are elected to a six-year term, and, pursuant to the FCT Constitution Act, are chosen in and for each State “in accordance with their respective laws and customs”, but effectively by the Governor of the State, by and with the advice and consent of the upper house of the State Legislature.

The Governor-General of the United States who is ex officio the Governor of the Fœderal Capital Territory is the head of state of the Fœderal Capital Territory and all executive powers are vested in the Office of Governor; however, the Governor does not govern directly or on his own initiative. Instead, he invites a member of the Legislative Council who can command their confidence and supply to be the Administrator (the FCT-equivalent to a first minister) and to form a Government in his (the Governor’s) name for the duration of the four-year life of the Legislature, or until the Administrator loses the confidence or supply of the Legislative Council. In practice, the Governor chooses the leader of whichever party can form Government (known as the FCT Government). The Administrator, in turn, appoints Commissioners to form a cabinet, known as the Executive Cabinet of the FCT. The leader of the second-largest party in the Council usually becomes the Leader of the Opposition.

Election dates for the Council are fixed in the FCT (Constitution) Act 1722, with elections held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. The next election is due 3 November 1726.

Enactment of legislation[edit | edit source]

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Powers and functions[edit | edit source]

The FCT Legislative Council lacks the full powers of a State legislature. Article II-B, section 8, part A(4), of the U.S. Constitution Treaty grants to the Congress the plenary authority “[t]o exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of the Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States[.]” In exercise of that power, Congress have restated in the Territories (Disallowance of Laws) Act, 1721 that they reserve exclusively to themselves the right to legislate for the “Territory belonging to the United States” in all matters, including power to override laws passed by territorial legislative assemblies.

Local government functions[edit | edit source]

Unlike the legislatures of the other States and Territories in the United States, the Legislative Council also has the functions of a municipal council.

Current distribution of seats[edit | edit source]

File:US-FCT map-Legislative Districts.svg
Legislative Districts used for the 1722 election.

Fœderal Capital Territory general election, 1722

Symbols[edit | edit source]

Emblems of the Fœderal Capital Territory Legislative Council
US-FCT logo-Legislative Council.svg
Corporate Emblem
US-FCT logo-Legislative Council (FCTgov).svg
Heraldic Emblem

Typeface[edit | edit source]

The sans-serif, “San Francisco”, is used for all of the FCT’s Heraldic branding; whereas for the FCT’s Corporate branding, the serif, “Iowan Old Style”, is used.

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

Template:Members of the Legislative Council of the Fœderal Capital Territory Template:Government of the Fœderal Capital Territory Template:Fœderal Capital Territory elections Template:Governments of the United States Template:Fœderal Capital Territory