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Mississippi State Senate
| Mississippi State Senate | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Upper house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2012 session start: | January 3, 2012 |
| Website: | Official Senate Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Tate Reeves, (R) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 52 |
| Democratic Party (21) Republican Party (31) | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Art V, Mississippi Constitution |
| Salary: | $10,000./year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 6, 2007 (52 seats) |
| Next election: | November 8, 2011 (52 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Mississippi Legislature has control |
Contents |
Sessions
Article IV of the Mississippi Constitution establishes when the Mississippi State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to meet. Section 36 of Article IV states that the legislature is to convene in regular session on the Tuesday following the first Monday in January of each year. Section 36 limits the length of regular sessions to ninety calendar days, except for once every four years when the regular session can last up to one hundred twenty-five calendar days. The most recent one hundred twenty-five day session was in 2008, and the next session of this kind will be in 2012.
Section 36 also allows the Legislature to extend its sessions for thirty days by a two-thirds vote of both legislative houses. There is no limit on the number of times a session can be extended in this way. In 2010, the Legislature extended its session once, moving the date of adjournment from April 3rd to May 3rd.
Article V of the Mississippi Constitution gives the Governor of Mississippi the power to call the Legislature into extraordinary session. Section 121 of Article V enumerates this power.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the Legislature was in session from January 3 through May 3.[3]
Major issues
Republicans control the legislature and governorship for the first time since Reconstruction. They will have to deal with a spending gap of nearly $1 billion and are expected to consider cuts to education, public health, public safety, and nursing homes for veterans. New state legislative maps will also be on the agenda.[4]
2011
In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 4 through April 7. [5]
2010
In 2010, the Senate was originally scheduled to be in session from January 5th to April 3rd. However, the session was extended to May 3rd. Additionally, a special session was held that convened on April 22nd and adjourned on April 23rd.[6]
Elections
All 52 state senate seats come up for re-election every four years in the year that immediately precedes a U.S. Presidential election.[7] Mississippi is one of only four states to hold elections during odd years. While the three other states -- Louisiana, New Jersey and Virginia -- have specific instances that triggered the shift to off-year elections, a reason remains unclear in Mississippi.[8]
To run for the office of state senator, a person must have been a qualified elector of the state for four years, be at least 25 years old, and have been an actual resident of the senate district he or she will represent for at least two years prior to the election. § 42 of Article IV of the Mississippi Constitution governs eligibility.
Elections were held most recently in 2007, and will be held again, for all 52 state senate seats, in November 2011.
2011
Elections for the office of Mississippi's state senators will be held in Mississippi on November 8, 2011.
2007
In 2007, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $5,740,791 in campaign contributions.
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 119 | $5,740,791 |
| 2003 | 144 | $3,676,844 |
The top 10 contributors were:[9]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Lawyers Involved for Mississippi Betterment | $242,696 |
| Mississippi Republican Party | $175,000 |
| Billy Hudson | $120,000 |
| Mississippi Bankers Association | $96,170 |
| Improve Mississippi | $94,540 |
| Mississippi Hospital Association | $94,500 |
| Home Builders Association of Mississippi | $75,700 |
| Mississippi Medical Association | $74,000 |
| Mississippi Association of Realtors | $69,950 |
| AT&T | $53,400 |
Qualifications
In order to run for the Mississippi State Senate, a candidate must:
- Be 25 years of age or older.
- Be a qualified elector and resident of the State of Mississippi for four years.
- Be a resident of the county or district a candidate plans to represent for two years.
- If running as a Republican or Democrat, pay a $15 filing fee to the party's State Executive Committee the candidate is affiliated with.
- If running as an independent, submit 50 signatures to the Circuit Clerk or the Secretary of State[10].
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the Senate, a special election is required to fill the vacant seat. The Governor must call for an election no later than 30 days after the vacancy happened. After the Governor sets the election date, the counties conducting the election must give no less than 45 days public notice. All qualifying deadlines are 30 days before the election[11].
No special election is held if the vacancy happens after June 1st in an election year[12].
Leadership
The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi acts as President of the Senate and is given the right to cast a vote in the 52 member State Senate in case of a tie.[13]
There are no majority or minority leaders in the Senate.
Current leadership
| Position | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Tate Reeves |  Republican
|
| State Senate President Pro Tempore | Terry Brown | Republican
|
Constitutional basis
According to the current Mississippi Constitution, the Senate is to be composed of no more than 52 members elected for four-year terms. Elections to the Senate are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November during the state general elections.
The Senate is composed of 52 Senators representing an equal amount of constituent districts, with 54,704 people per district (2000 figures). Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments.
Senators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2011, members of the Mississippi legislature are paid $10,000/year. Per diem is $109/day tied to the federal rate.[14]
The $10,000/year that Mississippi legislators are paid as of 2011 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $91/day in 2007 to $116/day in 2010 and decreased to $109/day in 2011.[15][16]
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | |
| Total | 52 | |
When sworn in
Mississippi legislators assume office the first day of the regular session of the year following election. The Constitution requires the Legislature to convene yearly on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January.
List of current members
Senate Standing Committees
The Mississippi Senate has forty-three (43) standing committees:
- Agriculture Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Appropriations Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Business and Financial Institutions Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Compilation, Revision and Publication Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Congressional Redistricting Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Constitution Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Corrections Committee, Mississippi Senate
- County Affairs Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Drug Policy Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Economic Development Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Education Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Elections Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Enrolled Bills Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Environment Prot, Cons and Water Res Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Ethics Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Executive Contingent Fund Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Fees, Salaries and Administration Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Finance Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Forestry Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Highways and Transportation Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Housing Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Insurance Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Investigate State Offices Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Judiciary, Division A Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Judiciary, Division B Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Labor Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Legislative Budget Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Legislative Reapportionment Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Local and Private Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Municipalities Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Oil, Gas and Other Minerals Committee, Mississippi Senate
- PEER Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Ports and Marine Resources Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Public Health and Welfare Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Public Property Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Public Utilities Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Rules Committee, Mississippi Senate
- State Library Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Tourism Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Universities and Colleges Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Mississippi Senate
- Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee, Mississippi Senate
External links
- Mississippi Legislature official website
- Official list of Mississippi State Senators
- Vote Smart profile of Mississippi Senate
- Wikipedia:2004-2008 Mississippi Legislature
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ StateScape, Session schedules, accessed April 30, 2012
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "State budget decisions all up to GOP," January 2, 2012
- ↑ Mississippi State Legislature
- ↑ 2010 session dates for Mississippi Legislature
- ↑ Mississippi Blue Book, "Elections", p. 254
- ↑ Typepad.com, "Why do four states have odd-year elections?" August 25, 2011
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Mississippi Senate 2007 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State "Filing Fees and Qualifications"
- ↑ Michie "Code of Mississippi"(Referenced Statute 23-15-851 (1))
- ↑ Michie "Code of Mississippi"(Referenced Statute 23-15-851 (2))
- ↑ Mississippi State Senate 2008-2011
- ↑ http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=22490 Nation Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
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