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Florida State Senate

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Florida State Senate


General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   2 terms (8 years)
2012 session start:   January 10, 2012
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Mike Haridopolos, (R)
Majority Leader:   Andy Gardiner, (R)
Minority leader:   Nan Rich, (D)
Structure
Members:  40
   Democratic Party (12)
Republican Party (28)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art I, Section 1, Florida Constitution
Salary:   $29,697/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (20 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (40 seats)
Redistricting:  Florida Legislature has control
Meeting place:

Contents

The Florida State Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, which is the state legislature of Florida. The Senate includes 40 state senators who are elected from single-member districts to four-year terms with term limits. However, in the election following reapportionment, some senators are elected to two-year terms, in order to maintain staggered terms among the senators.[1] Each member represents an average of 470,033 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[2] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 399,559 residents.[3]

In 2010, the Senate was in session from March 2nd to April 30th.[4]

Sessions

Article III of the Florida Constitution establishes when the Florida State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 3 of Article III states that the regular session of the Legislature is to convene on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each year. Regular sessions of the Legislature are not to exceed sixty days, unless extended by a three-fifths vote of each house.

Section 3 also allows for the convening of special sessions, either by the proclamation of the Governor of Florida or as otherwise provided by law.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate will be in session from January 10 through March 9.

Major issues

Lawmakers will have to address a $2 billion budget shortfall as well as complete new legislative and congressional district maps.[5]

In a rebuke to the Republican leaders of the Florida State Senate, nine GOP senators joined Democrats in voting against a plan to create private prisons that was a high priority of Senate President Mike Haridopolos. The plan, which aimed to replace a similar one struck down last year for being unconstitutional, would have been the largest privatization of prisons in the country. It was voted down 21-19.[6]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in session from March 8 through May 6.

Session highlights

In 2011, the legislature reduced government spending and avoided raising taxes. Spending will be reduced by $1 billion from last year, and $4 billion less than in 2006. Florida also removed 14,000 businesses from corporate tax income rolls. Areas that spending was cut include education and social programs. The legislature removed funding from a veteran's homeless support group, reduced payments to social workers by 15 percent, and will spend $2.5 billion less on education than last year. [7]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in session from March 2nd to April 30th.

Elections

2012

Elections for the office of Florida State Senate will be held in Florida on November 6, 2012. A total of 40 seats will be up for election. Although Florida senators typically serve four-year terms, they are elected to a two-year term during the first election of the decade. Thus, rather than only half of all senators being up for election, all sitting members will be on the ballot in November. The signature filing deadline for the 2012 elections is May 7 and the primary date is August 14.

Florida state senators are subject to term limits and may serve no more than two four-year terms. In 2012, 10 state senators will be termed-out.

2010

See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Florida State Senator were held in Florida on November 2, 2010. State senate seats in the even numbered districts were on the ballot in 2010.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was April 30, 2010, and the primary election day was August 24, 2010.


The partisan breakdown of the House before and after the election was as follows:


Florida State Senate
Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election
     Democratic Party 13 12
     Republican Party 26 28
     Vacancy 1 -
Total 40 40


In 2010, the total amount of campaign contributions raised in senate elections was $14,617,863. The top 10 contributors were: [8]

Donor Amount
Domino, Carl J $592,600
Florida Democratic Party $588,915
Florida Republican Party $525,959
Perniciaro, Charles $385,980
Dockery, Paula B $281,500
McGriff Jr, Perry C $150,500
Hospital Corporation of America $67,500
Burkert, Pete $67,315
Margolis, Gwen $65,000
Florida Chamber of Commerce $62,000


Qualifications

To run for the Florida State Senate, candidates must be 21 years old, have lived in Florida for two years and live in the district they intend to serve. [9]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
NevadaMassachusettsColoradoNew MexicoWyomingArizonaMontanaCaliforniaOregonWashingtonIdahoTexasOklahomaKansasNebraskaSouth DakotaNorth DakotaMinnesotaIowaMissouriArkansasLouisianaMississippiAlabamaGeorgiaFloridaSouth CarolinaIllinoisWisconsinTennesseeNorth CarolinaIndianaOhioKentuckyPennsylvaniaNew JerseyNew YorkVermontVermontNew HampshireMaineWest VirginiaVirginiaMarylandMarylandConnecticutConnecticutDelawareDelawareRhode IslandRhode IslandMassachusettsNew HampshireMichiganMichiganAlaska

If there is a vacancy in the Senate, a special election must be called to fill the vacant seat[10]. The Governor is responsible for calling the election and must consult with the Secretary of State to set the election dates and nominating deadlines[11]. The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term[12].

Term limits

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Florida legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Florida Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Florida senators are subject to term limits of no more than two four-year terms.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.[13]

Senators

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of May 2012
     Democratic Party 12
     Republican Party 28
Total 40

Leadership

The President of the Senate is selected by the majority party caucus and then elected by the full membership of the Senate. The President Pro Tempore is selected by the President of the Senate and elected by the full membership of the Senate.[14][15]

Current leadership

Office Representative Party
President of the Senate Mike Haridopolos Republican
President pro tempore Michael Bennett Republican
Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner Republican
Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich Democratic
Senate Minority Leader pro tempore Arthenia Joyner Democratic

Members of the Florida Senate must be at least 21 years old, a resident of the district where they have been elected, and must have lived in the state for two years before running for election.

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2010, members of the Florida legislature are paid $29,697 per year. Legislators are allowed $133 per day for per diem, tied to the federal rate. Travel vouchers are required.[16]

The $29,697 that Florida legislators are paid as of 2010 is a decrease from the $39,996 that they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $126 per day in 2007 to $133 per day in 2010. The same per diem rules apply in 2010 as 2007 -- per diem tied to days in session and travel vouchers are required.[17]

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Florida legislators assume office two weeks following their election.

List of current members

District Representative Party Term expires
1 Audrey Gibson Democratic 2012
2 Greg Evers Republican 2014
3 Charles Dean, Sr. Republican 2012
4 Don Gaetz Republican 2014
5 Stephen Wise Republican 2012
6 Bill Montford Democratic 2014
7 Evelyn Lynn Republican 2012
8 John Thrasher Republican 2014
9 Andy Gardiner Republican 2012
10 Ronda Storms Republican 2014
11 Mike Fasano Republican 2012
12 Jim Norman Republican 2014
13 Dennis Jones Republican 2012
14 Steve Oelrich Republican 2012
15 Paula Dockery Republican 2012
16 Jack Latvala Republican 2014
17 J.D. Alexander Republican 2012
18 Arthenia Joyner Democratic 2014
19 Gary Siplin Democratic 2012
20 Alan Hays Republican 2014
21 Michael Bennett Republican 2014
22 David Simmons Republican 2014
23 Nancy Detert Republican 2012
24 Thad Altman Republican 2014
25 Ellyn Bogdanoff Republican 2014
26 Mike Haridopolos Republican 2014
27 Lizbeth Benacquisto Republican 2014
28 Joe Negron Republican 2014
29 Christopher Smith Democratic 2012
30 Maria Lorts Sachs Democratic 2014
31 Eleanor Sobel Democratic 2012
32 Jeremy Ring Democratic 2014
33 Oscar Braynon Democratic 2012
34 Nan Rich Democratic 2014
35 Gwen Margolis Democratic 2014
36 Miguel Diaz de la Portilla Republican 2014
37 Garrett Richter Republican 2012
38 Anitere Flores Republican 2014
39 Larcenia Bullard Democratic 2012
40 Rene Garcia Republican 2014

Standing Senate Committees

Florida Senate has 19 standing committees for the 2010-2012 session:

History

David Levy Yulee was the first Senator of the Florida State Senate. He was elected in 1845 when Florida joined the Union.[18]

External links

References

  1. ↑ Florida Constitution on term length for senators (see Article III, Section 15a)
  2. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  3. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  4. ↑ 2010 session dates for Florida legislature
  5. ↑ Miami Herald, "State lawmakers open session facing $2 billion budget shortfall," January 8, 2012
  6. ↑ Palm Beach Post, "Prison privatization proposal failure stings Fla. Senate President Mike Haridopolos," February 19, 2012
  7. ↑ Stateline.org, States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes, June 15, 2011
  8. ↑ Follow the Money: "Florida Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  9. ↑ Qualifications for Senate
  10. ↑ Florida Legislature "Florida Election Law"(Referenced Statute 100.101(2), Florida Election Code)
  11. ↑ Florida Legislature "Florida Election Law"(Referenced Statute 100.141 (1) (2), Florida Election Code)
  12. ↑ Florida Legislature "Florida Election Law"(Referenced Statute 100.111 (1) (a-c), Florida Election Code)
  13. ↑ State legislative term limits
  14. ↑ Florida State Senate Glosary
  15. ↑ Florida State Senate Leadership
  16. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  17. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  18. ↑ History of the Florida State Senate
v • d • e
Republican majority Current members of the Florida State Senate
Senate President: Mike Haridopolos (R) • Majority Leader: Andy Gardiner (R) • Minority Leader: Nan Rich (D)
Democratic (12) • Republican (28) • Florida State Senate • Florida House of Representatives
v • d • e
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