Alaska Senate
| Alaska State Senate | |
|---|---|
| Alaska State Legislature | |
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | Upper house |
| Term limits | None |
| New session started | January 18, 2011 |
| Leadership | |
| President of the Senate | Gary Stevens, (R-Coalition) since January 20, 2009 |
| Majority Leader | Kevin Meyer, (R-Coalition) since November 11, 2010 |
| Minority Leader | Charlie Huggins, (R) since November 8, 2010 |
| Structure | |
| Members | 20 |
| Political groups | Democrat-Republican Coalition (16) Republican (4) |
| Length of term | 4 years |
| Authority | Article 2, Alaska Constitution |
| Salary | $50,400/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election | November 2, 2010 (10 seats) |
| Next election | November 6, 2012 (19 seats, per redistricting proclamation)[1] |
| Redistricting | Alaska Redistricting Board |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
| State Senate Chamber Alaska State Capitol Juneau, Alaska |
|
| Website | |
| Alaska State Senate | |
The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Alaska. The Senate consists of twenty members, each of whom represents an equal amount of districts with populations of about 31,347 people (2000 figures). Senators serve four-year terms, without term limits. Half of the Alaska Senate is up for re-election every two years. With just twenty senators, the Alaska Senate is the smallest upper house legislative chamber in the United States.
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.
The Senate convenes at the State Capitol in Juneau.
Contents |
[edit] Current composition
| Affiliation | Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coalition | Non-coalition | ||||
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | |||
| End of previous legislature | 10 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 0 |
| Begin | 10 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 80.0% | 20.0% | |||
[edit] Leadership
The President of the Senate presides over the body, appointing members to all of the Senate's committees and joint committees, and may create other committees and subcommittees if desired. Unlike many other states, the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska does not preside over the Senate. Instead, the Lieutenant Governor oversees the Alaska Division of Elections, fulfilling the role of Secretary of State. Only two other states, Hawaii and Utah, have similar constitutional arrangements for their lieutenant governors.[citation needed] The other partisan Senate leadership positions, such as the Majority and Minority leaders, are (usually) elected by their respective party caucuses to head their parties in the chamber.[citation needed]
[edit] Current leadership
| Position | Name | Party | Residence | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Gary Stevens | Republican-Coalition | Kodiak | R |
| Majority Leader | Kevin Meyer | Republican-Coalition | Anchorage | O |
| Minority Leader | Charlie Huggins | Republican[2] | Wasilla | H |
[edit] Republican split
Shortly after the 2006 November election, a bi-partisan coalition was announced between all nine senate Democrats and six senate Republicans.[3]
Democrats chaired the Judiciary, Health, Education, & Social Services, Labor and Commerce, Community and Regional Affairs, and Transportation Committees, and co-chaired the powerful Finance Committee. The senate Republicans in the coalition also had a co-chair for the Finance Committee (the minority Republicans were given only one seat on the committee), and chair the State Affairs, Resources, and Rules Committees.[4]
Because of the Republican split, the Democrats controlled a majority of committee chairmanships while Republicans in the governing coalition chaired the others. In the beginning, the majority leader was a Republican who had joined the bi-partisan coalition, and the minority leader was head of the five-member Republican organization. Hence, all three listed officers of the body were Republicans, as different aspects are in the majority (with the chamber-wide minority Democrats) while others are in the official minority. Later on in the session a Democrat in the coalition took over as majority leader.
The split was largely viewed as over the senate presidency. The minority leader was the Republicans' suspected initial choice for Senate President.[4] The coalition commanded three quarters of the body.
A similar move to create a coalition was made in the 24th Legislature, on the House side, without success.[citation needed]
[edit] After 2008 elections
After the 2008 elections, Senate Democrats picked up a seat, holding half of the districts. They joined with 6 Senate Republicans to form a new coalition with Republican Gary Stevens as Senate President and Democrat Johnny Ellis as majority leader.[5] Therriault remained the leader of the four member Republican minority.
In March 2009 Democratic Juneau Senator Kim Elton resigned to take a job in the Obama administration.[6] Juneau Democrats recommended House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula to replace him, but Governor Sarah Palin instead attempted to appoint three other people to the seat, all of whom were rejected by Senate Democrats. Eventually former Juneau mayor Dennis Egan emerged as a compromise choice, and Palin appointed him and he was confirmed on the last day of the 2009 legislative session.[7]
After Palin's resignation, new Governor Sean Parnell appointed Republican Minority Leader Gene Therriault to his administration as an energy advisor.[8] South Anchorage Republican Con Bunde replaced Therriault as minority leader and Parnell appointed North Pole representative John Coghill to fill Therriault's seat and he was confirmed by the Senate Republicans and joined the minority caucus.[9]
[edit] Members of the 27th Senate
| District | Name | Party | Residence | Assumed office |
Next election |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Bert Stedman | Rep-Coalition | Sitka | 2003[10] | 2012 |
| B | Dennis Egan | Dem-Coalition | Juneau | 2009[10] | 2014 |
| C | Albert Kookesh | Dem-Coalition | Angoon | 2005[11] | 2012 |
| D | Joe Thomas | Dem-Coalition | Fairbanks | 2007 | 2012[1] |
| E | Joe Paskvan | Dem-Coalition | Fairbanks | 2009 | 2012 |
| F | John Coghill, Jr. | Republican | North Pole | 2009[10][11] | 2012[1] |
| G | Linda Menard | Rep-Coalition | Wasilla | 2009 | 2012 |
| H | Charlie Huggins | Republican | Wasilla | 2004[10] | 2012[1] |
| I | Fred Dyson | Republican | Eagle River | 2003[11] | 2012 |
| J | Bill Wielechowski | Dem-Coalition | Anchorage | 2007 | 2012[1] |
| K | Bettye Davis | Dem-Coalition | Anchorage | 2001[11] | 2012 |
| L | Johnny Ellis | Dem-Coalition | Anchorage | 1993[11] | 2012[1] |
| M | Hollis French | Dem-Coalition | Anchorage | 2003 | 2012 |
| N | Lesil McGuire | Rep-Coalition | Anchorage | 2007[11] | 2012[1] |
| O | Kevin Meyer | Rep-Coalition | Anchorage | 2009[11] | 2012 |
| P | Cathy Giessel | Republican | Anchorage | 2011 | 2012[1] |
| Q | Thomas Wagoner | Rep-Coalition | Kenai | 2003 | 2012 |
| R | Gary Stevens | Rep-Coalition | Kodiak | 2003[10][11] | 2012[1] |
| S | Lyman Hoffman | Dem-Coalition | Bethel | 1995[11][12] | 2012[1] |
| T | Donald Olson | Dem-Coalition | Nome | 2001 | 2012 |
[edit] See also
- Alaska State Capitol
- List of Alaska State Legislatures
- 26th Alaska State Legislature (2009–2011), the preceding legislature
- Alaska political corruption probe
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j The terms of nine senators were truncated by the Proclamation of Redistricting issued by the Alaska Redistricting Board on June 13, 2011. These members were last elected or reelected in 2010 and were to face their next election in 2014. See "PROCLAMATION OF REDISTRICTING" (pdf). Alaska Redistricting Board. June 13, 2011. http://www.akredistricting.org/Files/PROCLAMATION/PROCLAMATION%20OF%20REDISTRICTING.pdf. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ Alaska State Legislature. (2008-22-08). [1] Retrieved on 2008-22-08.
- ^ http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/8506646p-8399832c.html[dead link]
- ^ a b http://www.adn.com/front/story/8451289p-8345508c.html[dead link]
- ^ Stevens, Chenault to lead Senate, House Don Hunter. November 7, 2008. Anchorage Daily News.
- ^ http://www.adn.com/2009/03/02/708481/legislator-takes-job-on-obamas.html
- ^ http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?S=10210462[dead link]
- ^ Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – Gov candidate wants Parnell to dismiss energy adviser Therriault
- ^ play.adn.com | Alaska Politics Blog : Coghill confirmed, Bunde new minority leader
- ^ a b c d e Was originally appointed to the seat.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Served in the Alaska House of Representatives prior to this.
- ^ Also served in the Senate from 1991 to 1993. Returned to the House for a single term following redistricting before beginning his current Senate tenure.
[edit] External links
- Alaska State Senate official government website
- Project Vote Smart – State Senate of Alaska
|
||||||||||||||||
Coordinates: 58°18′08″N 134°24′38″W / 58.302198°N 134.410467°W
