Kansas Senate

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The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Kansas Senate meet at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate is reserved with special functions such as confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

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[edit] 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 other states, the Lieutenant Governor of Kansas does not preside over the Senate. Since a 1972 amendment to the Kansas Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor's duties have been severed from the legislative branch, and is active in other areas of the Kansas state government such as commissions on military affairs and health insurance. In the Senate President's absence, the President Pro Tempore presides.

The current President of the Senate is Republican Stephen Morris of District 39 (Garden City, Ulysses). The Senate Majority Leader is Derek Schmidt of District 15 (Iola, Independence). The Senate Minority Leader is Democrat Anthony Hensley of District 19 (Topeka, Burlingame, Osage City).

[edit] Make-up of the Senate

Affiliation Members
  Republican Party 30
  Democratic Party 10
 Total
40
 Majority
20

[edit] Members of the Kansas Senate, 2005-2009

District Representative Party Residence
1 Dennis Pyle Republican Hiawatha
2 Marci Francisco Democratic Lawrence
3 Roger Pine Republican Lawrence
4 David Haley Democratic Kansas City
5 Mark Gilstrap Democratic Kansas City
6 Chris Steineger Democratic Kansas City
7 David Wysong Republican Mission Hills
8 Barbara Allen Republican Overland Park
9 Julia Lynn Republican Olathe
10 Nick Jordan Republican Shawnee
11 John Vratil Republican Leawood
12 Pat Apple Republican Louisburg
13 Jim Barone Democratic Frontenac
14 Dwayne Umbarger Republican Thayer
15 Derek Schmidt Republican Independence
16 Peggy Palmer Republican Augusta
17 Jim Barnett Republican Emporia
18 Laura Kelly Democratic Topeka
19 Anthony Hensley Democratic Topeka
20 Vicki Schmidt Republican Topeka
21 Mark Taddiken Republican Clifton
22 Roger Reitz Republican Manhattan
23 Karin Brownlee Republican Olathe
24 Pete Brungardt Republican Salina
25 Jean Schodorf Republican Wichita
26 Phillip Journey Republican Haysville
27 Leslie "Les" Donovan Republican Wichita
28 Mike Petersen Republican Wichita
29 Donald Betts Democratic Wichita
30 Susan Wagle Republican Wichita
31 Carolyn McGinn Republican Sedgwick
32 Greta Goodwin Democratic Winfield
33 Ruth Teichman Republican Stafford
34 Terry Bruce Republican Hutchinson
35 Jay Emler Republican Lindsborg
36 Janis Lee Democratic Kensington
37 Dennis Wilson Republican Overland Park
38 Tim Huelskamp Republican Fowler
39 Stephen Morris Republican Hugoton
40 Ralph Ostmeyer Republican Grinnell

[edit] See also

[edit] External links