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Tennessee State Senate

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Tennessee State Senate


General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2012 session start:   January 10, 2012
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Ron Ramsey, (R)
Majority Leader:   Mark Norris, (R)
Minority leader:   Jim Kyle, (D)
Structure
Members:  33
   Democratic Party (13)
Republican Party (20)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art II, Sec 2, Tennessee Constitution
Salary:   $19,009/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (17 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (16 seats)
Redistricting:  Tennessee legislature has control
Meeting place:

Contents

The Tennessee State Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee General Assembly. It consists of 33 state senators who serve four-year terms.[1] Tennessee state senators are not subject to term limits.[2] Each senator represents an average of 192,306 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[3] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 172,403 residents.[4]

Sessions

The Tennessee General Assembly, which the Senate is a part of, convenes on the second Tuesday in January on the years following elections as outlined by Article II, Section 8 of the Tennessee Constitution. The legislature is limited to 90 paid legislative days within a two year term.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate was in session from January 10 through May 1.

Major issues

Republican legislators began the session by passing new congressional and state legislative maps, but redistricting may remain a major issue as Democrats have threatened a lawsuit over the new districts. Republican leaders say the session will focus on job creation and eliminating policies and regulations that restrict businesses, including the inheritance tax, and reforming unemployment insurance.[5]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate will be in session from January 11 through mid May. [6]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in regular session from January 12th to June 10th. Additionally, the General Assembly met in special session from January 12th to January 25th to deal with educational issues related to Race to the Top funds.[7]

Elections

2012

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Tennessee State Senate will be held in Tennessee on November 6, 2012. A total of 16 seats will be up for election.

The signature filing deadline was April 5, 2012.

2010

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Tennessee state Senate were held in Tennessee on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was April 1, 2010 and the primary election day was on August 5, 2010.

In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $4,275,730 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [8]

Donor Amount
Henry, Douglas $314,500
Tennessee Democratic Party $120,434
Herron, Governor Roy $116,058
Tennessee Medical Association $98,600
McDonald, George $83,100
Federal Express $82,300
Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association $61,250
Tennessee Bankers Association $52,500
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Tennessee $46,000
Farris Mathews Branan Bobango & Hellen $44,050

Qualifications

To be eligible to serve in the Tennessee State Senate, a candidate must be:[9]

  • A U.S. citizen
  • 30 years old before the general election
  • A three-year resident of Tennessee before the general election
  • A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election
  • A qualified voter
  • The following situations would eliminate a candidate from qualifying for office:
    • Those who have been convicted of offering or giving a bribe, or of larceny, or any other offense declared infamous by law, unless restored to citizenship in the mode pointed out by law;
    • Those against whom there is a judgment unpaid for any moneys received by them, in any official capacity, due to the United States, to this state, or any county thereof;
    • Those who are defaulters to the treasury at the time of the election, and the election of any such person shall be void;
    • Soldiers, seamen, marines, or airmen in the regular army or navy or air force of the United States; and
    • Members of congress, and persons holding any office of profit or trust under any foreign power, other state of the union, or under the United States.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

In Tennessee, there are two ways a vacancy can be filled in the Senate. When twelve months or more remain in a unfilled term, a special election must be held within the allowable time frame set by law. If less than twelve months remain in the term, the current members of the Senate must vote on a replacement[10].

Senators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2011, members of the Tennessee Legislature are paid $19,009/year. Legislators receive $171/day per diem tied to the federal rate.[11]

The $19,009/year that Tennessee legislators are paid as of 2011 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and increase over $18,123/year they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $153/day in 2007 to $185/day in 2010 and decreased to $171/day in 2011.[12][13]

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Tennessee legislators assume office the 15th of January following the election.

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of May 2012
     Democratic Party 13
     Republican Party 20
Total 33


Leadership

The membership of the Senate elects a presiding officer, known as the Speaker of the Senate. The Speaker also serves as Lieutenant Governor. The Speaker appoints the officers of the Senate as well as the officers and membership of the standing committees.[14][15]

Current leadership

Position Representative Party
Speaker of the Senate Ron Ramsey Republican
State Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Vacant
Deputy Speaker of the Senate Bill Ketron Republican
State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris Republican
State Senate Majority Caucus Leader Diane Black Republican
State Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle Democratic
State Senate Minority Caucus Leader Lowe Finney Democratic

List of current members

Before March 14, 2007, Republicans held a one-vote majority. The party affiliation and district numbers of Senators are listed after their names in the following list.

District Representative Party Counties in District
1 Steve Southerland Republican Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Unicoi
2 Ron Ramsey Republican Johnson, Sullivan
3 Rusty Crowe Republican Washington, Carter
4 Mike Faulk Republican Clairborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Union
5 Randy McNally Republican Anderson, Loudon, Monroe, Knox(part)
6 Becky Duncan Massey Republican Knox
7 Stacey Campfield Republican Knox(part)
8 Doug Overbey Republican Blount, Sevier
9 Mike Bell Republican Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Polk
10 Andy Berke Democratic Hamilton(part), Marion(part)
11 Bo Watson Republican Hamilton(part)
12 Ken Yager Republican Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Scott
13 Bill Ketron Republican Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Rutherford(part)
14 Eric Stewart Democratic Franklin, Bledsoe, Coffee, Grundy, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren
15 Charlotte Burks Democratic Cumberland, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, White
16 Jim Tracy Republican Bedford, Moore, Rutherford(part)
17 Mae Beavers Republican Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith, Sumner(part), Trousdale, Wilson
18 Kerry Roberts Republican Robertson, Sumner(part)
19 Thelma Harper Democratic Davidson(part)
20 Joe Haynes Democratic Davidson(part)
21 Douglas Henry Democratic Davidson(part)
22 Tim Barnes Democratic Cheatham, Houston, Montgomery
23 Jack Johnson Republican Williamson, Davidson(part)
24 Roy Herron Democratic Benton, Decatur, Henry, Henderson, Lake, Obion, Perry, Stewart, Weakley
25 Jim Summerville Republican Dickson, Giles, Hickman, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis
26 Dolores Gresham Republican Chester, Crockett, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, McNairy, Wayne
27 Lowe Finney Democratic Madison, Gibson, Carroll
28 Jim Kyle Democratic Shelby(part)
29 Ophelia Ford Democratic Shelby(part)
30 Beverly Marrero Democratic Shelby(part)
31 Brian Kelsey Republican Shelby(part)
32 Mark Norris Republican Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton, Shelby(part)
33 Reginald Tate Democratic Shelby(part)

Senate Committees

Standing committees

Tennessee Senate has 9 standing committees:

Select committees

External links


Wikipedia has an article on:

References

  1. ↑ Tennessee Senate
  2. ↑ List of state legislative term limits
  3. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  4. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  5. ↑ The Tennessean, "TN lawmakers gear up for fast session, re-election," January 8, 2012
  6. ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
  7. ↑ 2010 session dates for Tennessee legislature
  8. ↑ Follow the Money: "Tennessee Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions
  9. ↑ Qualifications for running for Tennessee Senate
  10. ↑ Tennessee Legislature "Tennessee Constitution"(Referenced Section Article II, Section 15)
  11. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
  12. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  13. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  14. ↑ About the Tennessee Legislature
  15. ↑ Leadership of the Tennessee Senate
v • d • e
Republican majority Current members of the Tennessee State Senate
House Speaker: Ron Ramsey (R) • House Majority Leader: Mark Norris (R) • House Minority Leader: Jim Kyle (D)
Democratic (13) • Republican (20) • Tennessee State Senate • Tennessee House of Representatives
v • d • e
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