Rhode Island Senate

Rhode Island Senate
Rhode Island Senate
	Rhode Island General Assembly
Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 3, 2017
Leadership
President of the Senate	Dominick J. Ruggerio (D) ; Since March 23, 2017
President pro Tempore	Harold Metts (D) ; Since January 3, 2017
Majority Leader	Michael McCaffrey (D) ; Since March 23, 2017
Minority Leader	Dennis Algiere (R) ; Since January 7, 1997
Majority Whip	Maryellen Goodwin (D) ; Since January 6, 2009
Structure
Seats	38
Political groups	Majority Democratic (33); Minority Republican (4); Vacant: (1)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	Article VI, Constitution of Rhode Island
Salary	Senator: $15,414 per year Senate President: $30,158/year
Elections
Last election	November 8, 2016; (38 seats)
Next election	November 6, 2018; (38 seats)
Meeting place
	Senate Chamber; Rhode Island State Capitol; Providence, Rhode Island
Website
	Rhode Island Senate

Coordinates: 41°49′52″N 71°25′02″W / 41.8310574°N 71.4171443°W / 41.8310574; -71.4171443

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 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 and boards and 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 Dominick J. Ruggerio of District 4 (Providence). The current Senate Majority Leader is Michael McCaffrey of District 4 (Providence). The Senate Minority Leader is Dennis Algiere of District 38 (Westerly, Charlestown).

Leadership positions

Dominick J. Ruggerio (D)- President of the Senate
Harold Metts (D) – President Pro Tempore
Michael McCaffrey (D) – Senate Majority Leader
Dennis Algiere (R) – Senate Minority Leader
Maryellen Goodwin (D) – Majority Whip

Committee leadership

William Conley, Jr. (D) – Committee on Finance
Paul Fogarty (D) – Committee on Labor
Frank Lombardi (D) – Committee on Rules, Ethics, and Government Oversight
Walter Felag (D) – Committee on Special Legislation & Veterans' Affairs
Hanna Gallo (D) – Committee on Education
Erin Lynch (D) – Committee on the Judiciary
Joshua Miller (D) – Committee on Health & Human Services
V. Susan Sosnowski (D) – Committee on the Environment & Agriculture
Frank Ciccone (D) – Committee on Housing & Municipal Government
Roger Picard (D) – Committee on Commerce

Make-up of the Senate

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total

	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	5	0	38	0

Begin 2017	33	5	0	38	0
March 31, 2017^[1]	32			37	1
August 22, 2017^[2]	33			38	0
January 9, 2018 ^[3]	32			37	1
Latest voting share	7001860000000000000♠86%	7001140000000000000♠14%

Members of the Rhode Island Senate

District	Senator	Party	Representing
1	Maryellen Goodwin	Dem	Providence
2	Ana Quezada	Dem	Providence
3	Gayle Goldin	Dem	Providence
4	Dominick J. Ruggerio	Dem	Providence
5	Paul Jabour	Dem	Providence
6	Harold Metts	Dem	Providence
7	Frank Ciccone	Dem	North Providence
8	Sandra Cano	Dem	Pawtucket
9	Adam Satchell	Dem	West Warwick
10	Walter Felag	Dem	Tiverton & Warren
11	James Seveney	Dem	Bristol & Portsmouth
12	Louis DiPalma	Dem	Little Compton & Middletown
13	Dawn Euer	Dem	Newport & Jamestown
14	Daniel Da Ponte	Dem	East Providence & Pawtucket
15	Donna Nesselbush	Dem	Pawtucket
16	Elizabeth Crowley	Dem	Central Falls
17	Thomas Paolino	Rep	Lincoln
18	William Conley, Jr.	Dem	East Providence
19	Ryan W. Pearson	Dem	Cumberland
20	Roger Picard	Dem	Woonsocket
21	Vacant		Coventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich
22	Stephen Archambault	Dem	Smithfield, Johnston, & North Providence
23	Paul Fogarty	Dem	Burrillville, Glocester
24	Marc Cote	Dem	North Smithfield
25	Frank Lombardo	Dem	Johnston
26	Frank Lombardi	Dem	Cranston
27	Hanna Gallo	Dem	Cranston
28	Joshua Miller	Dem	Cranston
29	Michael McCaffrey	Dem	Warwick
30	Jeanine Calkin	Dem	Warwick
31	Erin Lynch	Dem	Warwick
32	Cynthia Armour Coyne	Dem	Barrington
33	Leonidas Raptakis	Dem	East Greenwich
34	Elaine J. Morgan	Rep	Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, & West Greenwich
35	Mark W. Gee	Rep	North Kingstown, Narragansett
36	James Sheehan	Dem	Narragansett
37	V. Susan Sosnowski	Dem	Block Island, South Kingstown
38	Dennis Algiere	Rep	Westerly, Charlestown

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

^[4]

Past composition of the Senate

References

↑ Sen. M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D-13) resigned to take a new job.
↑ Democrat Dawn Euer elected to replace Sen. M. Teresa Paiva-Weed
↑ Democrat James Doyle resigns due to struggles with alcohol
↑ RI Government Owners Manual

External links

Rhode Island District Maps

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

[1] Sen. M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D-13) resigned to take a new job.

[2] Democrat Dawn Euer elected to replace Sen. M. Teresa Paiva-Weed

[3] Democrat James Doyle resigns due to struggles with alcohol

[4] RI Government Owners Manual

Current members of the Rhode Island State Senate
President of Senate: Dominick Ruggerio (D) President pro Tempore: Harold Metts (D) Majority Leader: Michael McCaffrey (D) Minority Leader: Dennis Algiere (R)
Maryellen Goodwin (D) Ana Quezada (D) Gayle Goldin (D) Dominick Ruggerio (D) Paul Jabour (D) Harold Metts (D) Frank Ciccone (D) Sandra Cano (D) Adam Satchell (D) Walter Felag (D) James Seveney (D) Louis DiPalma (D) Dawn Euer (D) Daniel Da Ponte (D) Donna Nesselbush (D) Elizabeth Crowley (D) Thomas Paolino (R) William Conley Jr. (D) Ryan W. Pearson (D) Roger Picard (D) vacant Stephen Archambault (D) Paul Fogarty (D) Marc Cote (D) Frank Lombardo (D) Frank Lombardi (D) Hanna Gallo (D) Joshua Miller (D) Michael McCaffrey (D) Jeanine Calkin (D) Erin Lynch (D) Cynthia Armour Coyne (D) Leonidas Raptakis (D) Elaine J. Morgan (R) Mark W. Gee (R) James Sheehan (D) V. Susan Sosnowski (D) Dennis Algiere (R)
Democratic (33) Republican (5)

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