Rhode Island Senate
41°49′52″N 71°25′02″W / 41.8310574°N 71.4171443°W
Rhode Island Senate | |
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Rhode Island General Assembly | |
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Type | |
Type | |
Term limits | None |
History | |
New session started | January 5, 2021 |
Leadership | |
President pro tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
Structure | |
Seats | 38 |
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Political groups | Majority
Minority
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Length of term | 2 years |
Authority | Article VI, Constitution of Rhode Island |
Salary | Senator: $15,958 per year President: $31,917 per year |
Elections | |
Last election | November 8, 2022 (38 seats) |
Next election | November 5, 2024 (38 seats) |
Meeting place | |
Senate Chamber Rhode Island State Capitol Providence, Rhode Island | |
Website | |
Rhode Island Senate |
The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. 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 most states. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Rhode Island Senate meets at the Rhode Island State Capitol in Providence.
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, commissions and boards and Justices to the Rhode Island Judiciary.
Senate 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 most other states, the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island does not preside over the Senate, and is instead active in other areas such as state commissions on health and businesses. In the Senate President's absence, the President Pro Tempore presides.
The current President of the Senate is Democrat Dominick J. Ruggerio of District 4 (Providence). The current Senate Majority Leader is Michael McCaffrey of District 4 (Providence). The Senate Minority Leader is Jessica de la Cruz of District 23 (Burrillville, Glocester).
Democratic Leadership
- Dominick J. Ruggerio (D) - President of the Senate
- Michael McCaffrey (D) – Majority Leader
- Maryellen Goodwin (D) – Majority Whip
- Hanna Gallo (D) – President Pro Tempore
Republican Leadership
- Jessica de la Cruz (R) – Minority Leader
- Gordon Rogers (R) - Minority Whip
Committee leadership
Committee | Chair | Vice Chair | Secretary |
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Commerce | V. Susan Sosnowski (D) | Roger Picard (D) | Tiara Mack (D) |
Education | Sandra Cano (D) | Hanna Gallo (D) | Ana Quezada (D) |
Environment and Agriculture | Dawn Euer (D) | Alana DiMario (D) | Stephen Archambault (D) |
Finance | Ryan W. Pearson (D) | Louis DiPalma (D) | Thomas Paolino (R) |
Health and Human Services | Joshua Miller (D) | Bridget Valverde (D) | Valarie Lawson (D) |
Housing and Municipal Government | Frank Lombardo (D) | Meghan Kallman (D) | Gordon Rogers (R) |
Judiciary | Cynthia Armour Coyne (D) | Stephen Archambault (D) | Leonidas Raptakis (D) |
Labor | Frank Ciccone (D) | Frank Lombardi (D) | John Burke (D) |
Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight | Louis DiPalma (D) | James Seveney (D) | Meghan Kallman (D) |
Special Legislation and Veterans' Affairs | Walter Felag (D) | Melissa Murray (D) | Valarie Lawson (D) |
Make-up of the Senate
- 2019-2021 Legislative Session
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
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Democratic | Republican | Ind | Vacant | ||
2011-2012 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
2013-2014 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
Begin 2015 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
2015-2016 | 33 | 0 | |||
Begin 2017 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
2017-2019 | 32 | 1 | |||
Begin 2019 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
Latest voting share | 86.8% | 13.2% |
Members of the Rhode Island Senate
Key Senate Staff
- Jacob Bissaillon - Chief of Staff
- Greg Pare – Director of Communications
- Kristen M. Silvia – Director of Legislation and Deputy Chief of Staff
- John Fleming- Secretary of the Senate
- John S. Baxter, Jr. – Director of Constituent Services
- Stephen Whitney – Senate Fiscal Advisor
- Nora Crowley – Director of Policy
- Charlotte Desautels – Deputy Chief of Staff
- Tracey McConnell - Executive Assistant to the Majority Leader
- Brandon Bell – Minority Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel
- Katie Haughey-Cardoza - Minority Director of Communications