The Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature is the territorial legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The legislative branch of the territory is bicameral, consisting of a 20-member lower House of Representatives, and an upper house Senate with nine Senators. Both Representatives and Senators serve two-year terms without term limits. The territorial legislature meets in the commonwealth capital of Saipan.
Similar to the United States Congress, the Senate seats are divided into three districts (three seats each) whose "boundaries" are identical to those of the municipalities (except that the barely inhabited Northern Islands is incorporated with Saipan), and the House seats are divided according to population, with one seat each for Rota and Tinian and the rest belong to Saipan (with one of the districts including the Northern Islands).
The Legislature also has a youth congress, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Youth Congress.
Read more about Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature: History
Famous quotes containing the words northern, islands, commonwealth and/or legislature:
“‘What is the world, O soldiers?
It is I,
I, this incessant snow,
This northern sky;”
—Walter De La Mare (1873–1956)
“The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line—the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea. It was a phase of this problem that caused the Civil War.”
—W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt)
“The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“It seemed monstrous to our intolerant youth that “poor white folksy” men should have an equal right with gentlemen, born and bred, in deciding who should represent the county in the Legislature and the district in Congress.”
—Marion Harland (1830–1922)