Alabama Senate

Alabama State Senate
Alabama State Senate
	Alabama State Legislature
Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
History
New session started	February 2, 2016
Leadership
President of the Senate	Vacant
President Pro Tempore	Del Marsh (R) ; Since November 3, 2010
Majority Leader	Greg Reed (R) ; Since November 4, 2014
Minority Leader	Billy Beasley (D) ; Since October 5, 2017
Structure
Seats	35
Political groups	Governing party Republican (26); Independent (1); (caucusing with Republicans); Opposition Democratic (8); Vacant (0);
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article IV, Alabama Constitution
Salary	$42,830/yr [1]
Elections
Last election	November 4, 2014; (35 seats)
Next election	November 6, 2018; (35 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
	State Senate Chamber; Alabama State Capitol; Montgomery, Alabama
Website
	Alabama State Senate

Coordinates: 32°22′36″N 86°17′56″W / 32.37667°N 86.29889°W / 32.37667; -86.29889

The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state, with each district containing at least 127,140 citizens. Similar to the lower house, the Alabama House of Representatives, the Senate serves both without term limits and with a four-year term.

The Alabama State Senate meets at the State House in Montgomery.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the United States Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

Assembly powers

While the House of Representatives has exclusive power to originate revenue bills, such legislation can be amended and/or substituted by the Senate. Moreover, because the Senate is considered to be the "deliberative body", rules concerning length of debate are more liberal than those of the House of Representatives.

Like the United States Senate, the Alabama Senate has sole power of Confirmation of certain appointees designated by the Constitution and by statute. The legislative antecedent of this role is a similar power that was vested in the Roman Senate during the Roman Republic.

Membership guidelines

The Alabama Senate is composed of 35 state senators, in keeping with Article IV, Section 50, of the Alabama Constitution, which limits the Alabama House of Representatives to 105 members, and the Senate to 35; together with Article IX, Sections 197 and 198, which requires that membership in the state senate consist of not less than one-fourth, nor more than one-third, of the total membership of the state House of Representatives. Additional representation is authorized in the event of the creation of new counties. Thus, the Alabama Senate is precisely one-third the size of the House of Representatives, and each state senator represents a district of approximately 125,000 Alabamians.

Under Article IV, Section 47 of the Constitution, Senators must be at least 25 years of age at the time of their election, must be citizens and residents of the state of Alabama for at least 3 years, and reside within their district for at least one year prior to election.

Senators, like members of the House of Representatives, are elected for four-year terms, and take office at midnight of the day of their election. Amendment 97 to the Constitution, provides that should a vacancy occur in either house of the Legislature, the governor is required to call a special election to fill the vacancy.

Composition


26	1	8
Republican		Democratic

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)

	Republican	Ind	Democratic
Beginning 2015–19 term	26	1	8	35	0
Current	26	1	8	35	0
Latest voting share	77.14%		22.86%

List of State Senators

District	Senator	Political Party	Hometown	First elected	Counties represented
1	Tim Melson	Republican	Florence	2014	Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison
2	William L. Holtzclaw	Republican	Madison	2010	Limestone, Madison
3	Arthur Orr	Republican	Decatur	2006	Limestone, Madison, Morgan
4	Paul D. Bussman	Republican	Cullman	2010	Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Winston
5	Gregory J. Reed	Republican	Jasper	2010	Jefferson, Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston
6	Larry C. Stutts	Republican	Tuscumbia	2014	Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion
7	Paul Sanford	Republican	Huntsville	2009	Madison
8	Steve Livingston	Republican	Gurley	2014	DeKalb, Jackson, Madison
9	Clay Scofield	Republican	Arab	2010	Blount, DeKalb, Madison, Marshall
10	Phillip W. Williams	Republican	Gadsden	2010	Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, St. Clair
11	Jim McClendon	Republican	Springville	2014	Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega
12	Del Marsh	Republican	Anniston	1998	Calhoun, Clay, Talladega
13	Gerald Dial	Republican	Lineville	2010	Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Lee, Randolph
14	Cam Ward	Republican	Alabaster	2010	Bibb, Chilton, Hale, Jefferson, Shelby
15	Mark S. Blackwell	Republican	Mountain Brook	2010	Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega
16	James Thomas Waggoner	Republican	Birmingham	1990	Jefferson, Shelby
17	Shay Shelnutt	Republican	Trussville	2014	Blount, Calhoun, Jefferson, St. Clair
18	Rodger M. Smitherman	Democratic	Birmingham	1994	Jefferson
19	Priscilla Dunn	Democratic	Bessemer	2009	Jefferson
20	Linda Coleman-Madison	Democratic	Birmingham	2006	Jefferson
21	Gerald H. Allen	Republican	Tuscaloosa	2010	Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa
22	Greg Albritton	Republican	Range	2014	Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, Washington
23	Hank Sanders	Democratic	Selma	1982	Butler, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Lowndes, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Washington, Wilcox
24	Bobby D. Singleton	Democratic	Greensboro	2005	Choctaw, Clarke, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa
25	Dick L. Brewbaker	Republican	Montgomery	2010	Crenshaw, Elmore, Montgomery
26	David Burkette	Democratic	Montgomery	2018	Montgomery
27	Thomas Whatley	Republican	Auburn	2010	Lee, Russell, Tallapoosa
28	William M. Beasley	Democratic	Clayton	2010	Barbour, Bullock, Henry, Lee, Macon, Russell
29	Harri Anne Smith	Independent (Caucuses Republican)	Slocomb	1998	Dale, Geneva, Houston
30	Clyde Chambliss	Republican	Prattville	2014	Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa
31	Jimmy W. Holley	Republican	Elba	1998	Coffee, Covington, Dale, Pike
32	Lee "Trip" Pitman	Republican	Fairhope	2007	Baldwin
33	Vivian Davis Figures	Democratic	Mobile	1997	Mobile
34	Rusty Glover	Republican	Semmes	2006	Mobile
35	Bill Hightower	Republican	Tillman's Corner	2013	Mobile

Past composition of the Senate

Leadership of the Senate

The Lieutenant Governor of Alabama serves as the President of the Senate, but only casts a vote if required to break a tie. In his or her absence, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate. The President Pro Tempore is elected by the full Senate by nominations taken from the floor, followed by a recorded vote. The President Pro Tempore is the chief leadership position in the Senate. The other Senate Majority and Minority leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.

The President of the Senate is the Lieutenant Governor, which is currently Vacant. The President Pro Tempore is Del Marsh. The Majority Leader is Republican Greg Reed and the Minority Leader is Democrat Quinton Ross.

Committees

Current committees include:^[2]

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Banking and Insurance
Business and Labor
Children, Youth Affairs, and Human Resources
Commerce, Transportation, and Utilities
Confirmations
Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics, and Elections
Economic Expansion and Trade
Education
Energy and Natural Resources
Finance and Taxation Education
Finance and Taxation General Fund

Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability
Governmental Affairs
Health
Industrial Development and Recruitment
Judiciary
Local Legislation No. 1
Local Legislation No. 2
Local Legislation No. 3
Rules
Small Business and Economic Development
Tourism and Marketing
Veterans and Military Affairs

Senate seal

The Senate Seal features an open book and torch, accompanied by the Latin phrase Libertas Per Lege, meaning "Liberty Through Law". The official Seal of the Senate was adopted by Senate Resolution, August 19, 1965, and was created by a special committee consisting of then Senators John Tyson (Mobile), Vaughan Hill Robison (Montgomery), Bill Nichols (Talladega), Lieutenant Governor Jim Allen and Secretary of the Senate McDowell Lee.

References

↑ http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/legismgt/2016_Leg_Comp_Session_Per%20Diem_Mileage.pdf
↑ "Alabama Senate Committees". Open States. Sunlight Foundation. 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-04-09.

External links

Alabama State Senate official government website
Project Vote Smart – State Senate of Alabama

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] ttp://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/legismgt/2016_Leg_Comp_Session_Per%20Diem_Mileage.pdf

[OpenStates-2] "Alabama Senate Committees". Open States. Sunlight Foundation. 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-04-09.

Members of the Alabama State Senate
President of the Senate: Vacant President Pro Tempore: Del Marsh (R) Majority Leader: Greg Reed (R) Minority Leader: Billy Beasley (D)
Tim Melson (R) Bill Holtzclaw (R) Arthur Orr (R) Paul Bussman (R) Greg Reed (R) Larry Stutts (R) Paul Sanford (R) Steve Livingston (R) Clay Scofield (R) Phil Williams (R) Jim McClendon (R) Del Marsh (R) Gerald Dial (R) Cam Ward (R) Slade Blackwell (R) J. T. Waggoner (R) Shay Shelnutt (R) Rodger Smitherman (D) Priscilla Dunn (D) Linda Coleman (D) Gerald Allen (R) Greg Albritton (R) Henry Sanders (D) Bobby Singleton (D) Dick Brewbaker (R) Vacant Tom Whatley (R) Billy Beasley (D) Harri Anne Smith (I) Clyde Chambliss (R) Jimmy Holley (R) Trip Pittman (R) Vivian Davis Figures (D) Rusty Glover (R) Bill Hightower (R)
Republican (26) Democratic (7) Independent (1) Vacant (1) Alabama Legislature Alabama House of Representatives Alabama State Senate

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