Legislative Council of the Fœderal Capital Territory

Legislative Council of the Fœderal Capital Territory
1st Legislature
Logo
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Governor	AABB Since 21 January 1733
President	AABB Since 5 Janurary 1733
President pro Tempore	AABB Since 5 January 1733
Administrator	Carter Poole Since 5 January 1733
Structure
Membership	187 Councillors 130 appointed 157 elected
Political groups	Government (63) 40 Liberal 23 Federalists Opposition (24) 20 Labor 4 Progressives
Elections
Voting system	FPTP (57) Appointed (24)
Last election	2 November 1732
Next election	7 November 1734
Meeting place
FCT Senate
FCT Senate 400 West Independence Street Fœderal Capital Territory
Website
link://council.fct.us.gov
Footnotes
↑ 8 years ↑ At the State’s pleasure. ↑ The Term of Office of elected Councillors (colloquially called “Commons”) is four Years, with all fifty-seven (57) seats filled at every quadrennial election. ↑ 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.

	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

The Council was created by an Act of the U.S. Congress, the Fœderal Capital Territory (Organic) Act, 1732. The first election under the FCT Organic Act was held on 8 November 1732 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 1728 to 1732, but had no legislative power, with a principal function of advising Congress on matters relating to the Territory.

Membership

Since its inception in 1732, 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 thirty (30) Members (“Regents-Councillors”) elected by the thirty 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 (Organic) 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 the [head of state]] of the Fœderal Capital Territory. However, he is represented in the FCT by the territorial Governor, who carries out the nominal tasks and responsibilities of head of state of the Territory; and all executive powers are vested in the 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 or coalition can form Government (known as the FCT Government). The Administrator, in turn, appoints the Heads of the various Departments and Agencies to form a cabinet, known as the Executive Cabinet of the FCT. The leader of the second-largest party or coalition in the Council usually becomes the Leader of the Opposition.

Election dates for the Council are fixed in the FCT (Organic) Act 1732, with elections held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every year divisible by four. The next election is due 7 November 1734.

Enactment of legislation

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Powers and functions

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 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, 1731 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

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

File:US-FCT map-Legislative Districts.svg

Legislative Districts used for the 1734 election.

Fœderal Capital Territory general election, 1732

Symbols

Emblems of the Fœderal Capital Territory Legislative Council
Corporate Emblem	Heraldic Emblem

Typeface

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

• FCT Government
• Fœderal Capital Territory general election, 1734
• 1st FCT Legislature § Members
• Legislatures of the United States