As a legislative branch of government, a legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at the national level.
The seats or representation in both houses are usually apportioned on the basis of population. Nebraska is the only unicameral (or one-house) legislature among the 50 states. General Legislative Responsibilities The house and senate are the policymakers of the state government system.  A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 25 states, the legislature is simply called the Legislature, or the State Legislature, while in 19 states, the legislature is called the General Assembly. As a legislative branch of government, a legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at the national level. Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and the people. All state governments are modeled after the federal government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution mandates that all states uphold a republican form of government, although the three-branch structure is not required. Executive Branch. In every state, the executive branch is headed by a governor who is directly elected by the people. In most states, the other leaders in the executive branch are also directly elected, including the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and auditors and commissioners. Job Description of State Legislators. State legislators serve 2- to 4-year terms in their states' house of representatives or senate, creating and ratifying state laws and regulations. Their work closely mirrors that of legislators in the U.S. Senate and House, only on a smaller, state level. State legislators debate, vote on bills and work in committees. In many states, being a legislator is not a full-time job. A state legislator is an elected official who works for a lawmaking body in his or her state. The breadth of a legislator's duties varies by state, and for most of these professionals, legislating is a part-time job. The State Legislature. The Legislative Branch of the California State Government is composed of the State Assembly, the State Senate, and several other departments. This branch holds the principle lawmaking powers of the state. On average, the Legislature will propose, analyze, and debate over 6,000 bills in a single two-year session.  Under the new design, the role of the state government is to promote the state economy and to take operational control over most government programs for individuals, such as social programs and risk management.  Every state except Nebraska has a bicameral legislature, meaning that the legislature consists of two separate legislative chambers or houses. In each case the smaller chamber is called the Senate and is usually referred to as the upper house. As a legislative branch of government, a legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at the national level. President of the SenateWhen the New Mexico State Legislature is in regular, special, or extraordinary session, Lieutenant Governor Sanchez presides over the State Senate.Lieutenant Governor Sanchez has presided over all Legislative Sessions since assuming office in 2011.  The United States Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Learn more about the powers of the Legislative Branch of the federal government of the United States. Established by Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. The President may veto bills Congress passes, but Congress may also override a veto by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Article I of the Constitution enumerates the powers of Congress and the specific areas in which it may legislate.
http://www.acep.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=5376 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_legislature_(United_States) https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/state-and-local-government http://study.com/articles/State_Legislator_Job_Description_Duties_and_Requirements.html http://www.legislature.ca.gov/the_state_legislature/the_state_legislature.html http://www.laits.utexas.edu/~anorman/61N/Text/Government/node14.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_legislature_(United_States) http://www.ltgov.state.nm.us/Duties_and_Responsibilities.aspx https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/legislative-branch
what are the responsibilities of the state legislature