The California State Legislature is composed of the State Senate, the State Assembly, and several other offices. The Legislat ... ure holds the principal lawmaking powers of the state, and on average, the Legislature will propose, analyze, and debate over 6,000 bills in a single two-year session. The State Senate is the upper house of the Legislature, consisting of 40 members elected from districts apportioned on the basis of population, one-half of whom are elected or re-elected every two years for four-year terms. read more