Rhode Island Senate

Rhode Island State Senate
Rhode Island General Assembly

Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
New session started	January 4, 2011
Leadership
President of the Senate	M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, (D) since January 6, 2009
President pro Tempore	Juan M. Pichardo, (D) since January 4, 2011
Majority Leader	Dominick J. Ruggerio, (D) since January 6, 2009
Minority Leader	Dennis L. Algiere, (R) since January 7, 1997
Structure
Members	38
Political groups	Democratic Party (29) Republican Party (8) Independent (1)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	Article VI, Rhode Island Constitution
Salary	$13,098.44/year
Elections
Last election	November 2, 2010 (38 seats)
Next election	November 6, 2012 (38 seats)
Meeting place

State Senate Chamber Rhode Island State Capitol Providence, Rhode Island
Website
Rhode Island State Senate

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. 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 meet 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.

1 Senate leadership
- 1.1 Leadership positions
- 1.2 Committee leadership
2 Make-up of the Senate
- 2.1 Members of the Rhode Island Senate
3 See also
4 External links

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 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 6 (Providence). The Senate Minority Leader is Dennis L. Algiere of District 38 (Westerly, Charlestown).

Leadership positions

M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D)- President of the Senate
Juan M. Pichardo (D) - President Pro Tempore
Dominick J. Ruggerio (D) - Senate Majority Leader
Dennis L. Algiere (R) - Senate Minority Leader
Maryellen Goodwin (D) - Majority Whip
David E. Bates (R) - Minority Whip

Committee leadership

Daniel DaPonte (D) - Committee on Finance
Paul W. Fogarty (D) - Committee on Labor
James E. Doyle (D) - Committee on Rules
Walter Felag (D) - Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
Hanna M. Gallo (D) - Committee on Education
Frank Ciccone (D) - Committee on Government Oversight
Michael J. McCaffrey (D) - Committee on the Judiciary
Rhoda E. Perry (D) - Committee on Health & Human Services
V. Susan Sosnowski (D) - Committee on the Environment & Agriculture
John J. Tassoni, Jr. (D) - Committee on Housing & Municipal Government
Joshua Miller (D) - Committee on Corporations

Make-up of the Senate

2010-2011 Legislative Session

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total

	Democratic	Republican	Independent		Vacant
End of previous legislature	33	4	1	38	0

Begin	29	8	1	38	0
Latest voting share	76.3%	21.1%	2.6%

Members of the Rhode Island Senate

District	Senator	Party	Representing
1	Maryellen Goodwin	Dem	Providence
2	Juan M. Pichardo	Dem	Providence
3	Rhoda E. Perry	Dem	Providence
4	Dominick J. Ruggerio	Dem	Providence
5	Paul V. Jabour	Dem	Providence
6	Harold M. Metts	Dem	Providence
7	Frank A. Ciccone III	Dem	North Providence
8	James E. Doyle, II	Dem	Pawtucket
9	Michael J. Pinga	Dem	West Warwick
10	Walter S. Felag, Jr.	Dem	Tiverton & Warren
11	Christopher S. Ottiano	Rep	Bristol & Portsmouth
12	Louis P. DiPalma	Dem	Little Compton & Middletown
13	M. Teresa Paiva-Weed	Dem	Newport & Jamestown
14	Daniel DaPonte	Dem	Pawtucket
15	Donna Nesselbush	Dem	Pawtucket
16	Elizabeth A. Crowley	Dem	Central Falls
17	Edward J. O'Neill	Ind	Lincoln
18	Frank A. DeVall, Jr.	Dem	East Providence
19	Bethany L. Moura	Rep	Cumberland
20	Roger A. Picard	Dem	Woonsocket
21	Nicholas D. Kettle	Rep	Coventry, Foster, & Scituate
22	John J. Tassoni, Jr.	Dem	Smithfield
23	Paul W. Fogarty	Dem	Burrillville & Glocester
24	Marc A. Cote	Dem	North Smithfield
25	Frank Lombardo, III	Dem	Johnston
26	Beatrice A. Lanzi	Dem	Cranston
27	Hanna M. Gallo	Dem	Cranston
28	Joshua Miller	Dem	Cranston
29	Michael J. McCaffrey	Dem	Warwick
30	William A. Walaska	Dem	Warwick
31	Erin P. Lynch	Dem	Warwick
32	David E. Bates	Rep	Barrington
33	Glenford J. Shibley	Rep	East Greenwich
34	Francis T. Maher, Jr.	Rep	Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, & West Greenwich
35	Dawson Tucker Hodgson	Rep	North Kingstown
36	James C. Sheehan	Dem	Narragansett
37	V. Susan Sosnowski	Dem	Block Island & South Kingstown
38	Dennis L. Algiere	Rep	Westerly & Charlestown

External links

Rhode Island Senate official government website
Map of Rhode Island Senate Districts
State Senate of Rhode Island at Project Vote Smart

Members of the Rhode Island State Senate

President of the Senate: M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D) • President pro Tempore: Juan M. Pichardo (D) • Majority Leader: Dominick Ruggerio (D) • Minority Leader: Dennis L. Algiere (R)

Maryellen Goodwin (D)
Juan M. Pichardo (D)
Rhoda E. Perry (D)
Dominick Ruggerio (D)
Paul Jabour (D)
Harold Metts (D)
Frank Ciccone (D)
James E. Doyle II (D)

Michael Pinga (D)
Walter Felag (D)
Christopher S. Ottiano (R)
Louis DiPalma (D)
M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D)
Daniel DaPonte (D)
Donna Nesselbush (D)
Elizabeth A. Crowley (D)

Edward J. O'Neill (I)
Frank DeVall (D)
Bethany Moura (R)
Roger Picard (D)
Nicholas Kettle (R)
John Tassoni (D)
Paul Fogarty (D)
Marc Cote (D)

Frank Lombardo (D)
Beatrice Lanzi (D)
Hanna Gallo (D)
Joshua Miller (D)
Michael McCaffrey (D)
William Walaska (D)
Erin Lynch (D)
David E. Betts (R)

Glenford Shibley (R)
Francis Maher (R)
Dawson Hodgson (R)
James C. Sheehan (D)
V. Susan Sosnowski (D)
Dennis L. Algiere (R)

Democratic (29) • Republican (8) • Independent (1) • Rhode Island General Assembly • Rhode Island House of Representatives • Rhode Island State Senate

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State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Providence (capital)

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