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Rhode Island State Senate

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Rhode Island State Senate

Seal of Rhode Island.svg.png
General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2012 session start:   January 3, 2012
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, (D)
Majority Leader:   Dominick Ruggerio, (D)
Minority leader:   Dennis Algiere, (R)
Structure
Members:  38
   Democratic Party (29)
Republican Party (8)
Independent (1)
Length of term:   2 years
Authority:   Art VI, Section 2, Rhode Island Constitution
Salary:   $13,962.55/year
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (38 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (38 seats)
Redistricting:  Rhode Island legislature has control

Contents

The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of Rhode Island.

It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the normal four-year term as in the majority of states. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve.[1]

Each Rhode Island state senator represents an average of 27,699 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[2] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 27,587 residents.[3]

The Rhode Island Senate meets at the Rhode Island State Capitol in Providence.[4]

The Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, commissions, boards, or justices to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

Sessions

Article VI of the Rhode Island Constitution establishes when the Rhode Island General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 3 of Article states that the General Assembly is to convene its regular session on the first Tuesday of January in each year.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate will be in session from January 3 through mid-June.

Major issues

The legislature will have to address a $120 million budget deficit. Legislators want to cut spending to close the gap while Governor Lincoln Chafee (I) is considering a tax raise. Major issues also include reducing municipal pension costs and reducing regulations to spur economic growth.[5]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 4 - July 1. The legislature is in recess until October, when a special session is planned to tackle the cost of public-employee pensions. [6]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 5 to June 11.[7]

Elections

2012

See also: Rhode Island State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Rhode Island State Senate will be held in Rhode Island on November 6, 2012. A total of 38 seats will be up for election.

The signature filing deadline is June 27, 2012 and the primary date is September 11, 2012.

2010

See also: Rhode Island State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Rhode Island's State Senate were held in Rhode Island on November 2, 2010.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was May 28, 2010. The primary election day was September 14, 2010.


In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $2,009,724 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [8]

Donor Amount
Tassoni Jr, John J $50,000
ONeil, Kevin R $49,166
Assalone, John R $42,617
ONeil, Edward J $35,100
Pinga, Michael J $22,715
Butera Noble, Linda $20,500
Rhode Island Senate Democratic Leadership $18,000
Colaluca, Anthony J $17,903
Ruggerio, Dominik J $17,825
Lanzi, Beatrice A $17,700

Qualifications

Article III of the Rhode Island Constitution lays out the requirements for officeholders of Rhode Island's state government.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
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If there is a vacancy in the Senate, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The Secretary of State must call for an election to be held anywhere from 70 to 90 days after the vacancy occurred. No election can be held if the vacancy happens after the first Monday in February during an election year[9]. The person elected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term[10].

Senators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2011, members of the Rhode Island Legislature are paid $13,962.55/year during legislative sessions. Legislators receive no per diem.[11]

The $13,962.55/year that Rhode Island legislators are paid as of 2011 is an increase over $13,098.44/year they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and 2007. There is no per diem.[12][13]

When sworn in

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

Rhode Island legislators assume office the first Tuesday in January.

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of May 2012
     Democratic Party 29
     Republican Party 8
     Independent 1
Total 38


Leadership

The President of the Senate serves as the presiding officer of the body. The President is elected to a two-year term by the entire Senate. Duties of the President include calling the Senate to order, deciding all questions of order, and appointing all standing committees. The majority and minority caucuses choose their party leaders. The majority and minority leaders serve as ex-officio members of all standing committees.[14]

Current leadership

Position Representative Party
President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva-Weed Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere Ends.png Republican

2010 Leadership

Position Representative Party
President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva-Weed Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Majority Leader Daniel Connors Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere Ends.png Republican

Length of terms

See also: Length of terms of state senators

The Rhode Island Constitution, in Article IV, Section 1, says that the length of terms served by the state's senators is two years:

The senators and representatives in the general assembly shall be elected on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, biennially in even numbered years, and shall severally hold their offices for two (2) years from the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and until their successors are elected and qualified.[15]

Current senators

District Representative Party Residence
1 Maryellen Goodwin Electiondot.png Democratic Providence
2 Juan Pichardo Electiondot.png Democratic Providence
3 Rhoda Perry Electiondot.png Democratic Providence
4 Dominick Ruggerio Electiondot.png Democratic Providence
5 Paul Jabour Electiondot.png Democratic Providence
6 Harold Metts Electiondot.png Democratic Providence
7 Frank Ciccone Electiondot.png Democratic Providence
8 James E. Doyle Electiondot.png Democratic Pawtucket
9 Michael Pinga Electiondot.png Democratic West Warwick
10 Walter Felag Electiondot.png Democratic Warren
11 Christopher Ottiano Ends.png Republican Portsmouth
12 Louis Dipalma Electiondot.png Democratic Middletown
13 M. Teresa Paiva-Weed Electiondot.png Democratic Newport
14 Daniel Da Ponte Electiondot.png Democratic East Providence
15 Donna Nesselbush Electiondot.png Democratic Pawtucket
16 Elizabeth Crowley Electiondot.png Democratic Central Falls
17 Edward O'Neill Independent Independent Pawtucket
18 Frank Devall Electiondot.png Democratic East Providence
19 Bethany Moura Ends.png Republican Cumberland
20 Roger Picard Electiondot.png Democratic Woonsocket
21 Nicholas Kettle Ends.png Republican Coventry
22 John Tassoni Electiondot.png Democratic Smithfield
23 Paul Fogarty Electiondot.png Democratic Harmony
24 Marc Cote Electiondot.png Democratic Woonsocket
25 Frank Lombardo III Electiondot.png Democratic Johnston
26 Beatrice Lanzi Electiondot.png Democratic Cranston
27 Hanna Gallo Electiondot.png Democratic Cranston
28 Joshua Miller Electiondot.png Democratic Cranston
29 Michael McCaffrey Electiondot.png Democratic Warwick
30 William Walaska Electiondot.png Democratic Warwick
31 Erin Lynch Electiondot.png Democratic Warwick
32 David Bates Ends.png Republican Barrington
33 Glenford Shibley Ends.png Republican Coventry
34 Francis Maher Ends.png Republican Exeter
35 Dawson Hodgson Ends.png Republican East Greenwich
36 James Sheehan Electiondot.png Democratic North Kingstown
37 V. Susan Sosnowski Electiondot.png Democratic West Kingston
38 Dennis Algiere Ends.png Republican Westerly

Standing committees

The Rhode Island Senate has 10 standing committees:

See also

External links

Wikipedia-logo-en.png

References

  1. ↑ List of state legislative term limits
  2. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  3. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  4. ↑ http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/RiConstitution/C04.html: Rhode Island Constitution, Article 4, Section 1]
  5. ↑ Boston.com, "Issues to watch in 2012 RI session," January 2, 2012
  6. ↑ Projo.com, R.I. lawmakers pass flurry of bills, recess until October, July 1, 2011
  7. ↑ 2010 session dates for the Rhode Island Legislature
  8. ↑ Follow the Money: "Rhode Island Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  9. ↑ Rhode Island Legislature "Rhode Island General Laws"(Referenced Statute 17-3-6 (a))
  10. ↑ Rhode Island Legislature "Rhode Island General Laws"(Referenced Statute 17-3-6 (b))
  11. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
  12. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  13. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  14. ↑ Rhode Island Senate Leadership
  15. ↑ Rhode Island Constitution
v • d • e
Democrat majority Current members of the Rhode Island State Senate
Senate Majority Leader: Dominick Ruggerio (D) • Senate Minority Leader: Dennis Algiere (R)
Democratic (29) • Republican (8) • Independent (1) • Rhode Island State Senate • Rhode Island House of Representatives
v • d • e
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