Rhode Island Senate
 |
Rhode Island Senate | |
|---|---|
| Rhode Island General Assembly | |
.svg) | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 6, 2015 |
| Leadership | |
President of the Senate | |
President pro Tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
Majority Whip | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 38 |
 | |
Political groups | Governing party
Opposition party
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Authority | Article VI, Rhode Island Constitution |
| Salary | Senate Member: $15,079/year Senate President: $30,158/year |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 4, 2014 (38 seats) |
Next election | November 8, 2016 (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 US state 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. 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, boards, or justices to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
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 M. Teresa Paiva Weed of District 13 (Newport, Jamestown,). The current Senate Majority Leader is Dominick J. Ruggerio of District 4 (Providence). The Senate Minority Leader is Dennis Algiere of District 38 (Westerly, Charlestown).
Leadership positions
- M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D)- President of the Senate
- William Walaska (D) – President Pro Tempore
- Dominick J. Ruggerio (D) – Senate Majority Leader
- Dennis Algiere (R) – Senate Minority Leader
- Maryellen Goodwin (D) – Majority Whip
- Nicholas D. Kettle (R) – Minority Whip
Committee leadership
- Daniel Da Ponte (D) – Committee on Finance
- Paul Fogarty (D) – Committee on Labor
- Erin Lynch (D) – Committee on Rules
- Walter Felag (D) – Committee on Special Legislation & Veterans' Affairs
- Hanna Gallo (D) – Committee on Education
- James Sheehan (D) – Committee on Government Oversight
- Michael McCaffrey (D) – Committee on the Judiciary
- Joshua Miller (D) – Committee on Health & Human Services
- V. Susan Sosnowski (D) – Committee on the Environment & Agriculture
- Juan Pichardo (D) – Committee on Housing & Municipal Government
- Roger Picard (D) – Committee on Commerce
Make-up of the Senate
- 2015-2016 Legislative Session
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | style="background-color:Template:Independent Party (United States)/meta/color" | | |||
| Democratic | Republican | Independent | Vacant | ||
| 2011-2012 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| 2013-2014 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| 2015-2016 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 84.2% | 13.2% | 2.6% | ||
Members of the Rhode Island Senate
Legend:
| Democrat | Republican | Independent |
Key Senate Staff
- Thomas Papa - Chief of Staff to the President
- Kristen M. Silvia – Deputy Chief of Staff / Director of Legislation
- Marie L. Ganim – Deputy Chief of Staff / Director of Policy
- Edward M. Fogarty, Esq. – Chief Legal Counsel
- Stephen S. Iannazzi – Special Assistant to the Majority Leader
- Patricia McNeilly – Chief of Staff to the Minority Leader
- Joseph R. Brady – Secretary of the Senate
- John M. Roney – Parliamentarian of the Senate
- Eugene I. Gessow – Senate Fiscal Advisor
- Greg Pare – Director of Communications
- John S. Baxter, Jr. – Director of Constituent Services
- Edward Catone – Director of Senate Services
See also
References
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
