Rhode Island Senate
Rhode Island Senate | |
---|---|
Rhode Island General Assembly | |
Type | |
Type | Upper House |
Term limits | None |
History | |
New session started | January 1, 2013 |
Leadership | |
President of the Senate |
M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, (D) Since January 6, 2009 |
President pro Tempore |
William A. Walaska, (D) Since January 1, 2013 |
Majority Leader |
Dominick J. Ruggerio, (D) Since January 6, 2009 |
Minority Leader |
Dennis L. Algiere, (R) Since January 7, 1997 |
Majority Whip |
Maryellen Goodwin, (D) Since January 6, 2009 |
Structure | |
Seats | 38 |
Political groups |
Democratic Party (32) Republican Party (5) Independent (1) |
Length of term | 2 years |
Authority | Article VI, Rhode Island Constitution |
Salary |
Senate Member: $15,079/year Senate President: $30,158/year |
Elections | |
Last election |
November 6, 2012 (38 seats) |
Next election |
November 4, 2014 (38 seats) |
Meeting place | |
Senate Chamber Rhode Island State Capitol Providence, Rhode Island | |
Website | |
Rhode Island Senate |
The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the US 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 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, boards, or 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 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 4 (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
- William A. Walaska (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
- Erin P. Lynch (D) – Committee on Rules
- Walter Felag (D) – Committee on Special Legislation & Veterans' Affairs
- Hanna M. Gallo (D) – Committee on Education
- James C. Sheehan (D) – Committee on Government Oversight
- Michael J. McCaffrey (D) – Committee on the Judiciary
- Joshua Miller (D) – Committee on Health & Human Services
- V. Susan Sosnowski (D) – Committee on the Environment & Agriculture
- Juan M. Pichardo (D) – Committee on Housing & Municipal Government
- Roger A. Picard (D) – Committee on Corporations
Make-up of the Senate
- 2013-2014 Legislative Session
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Republican | Independent | Vacant | ||
End of previous legislature | 29 | 8 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
Begin | 32 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
Latest voting share | 84.2% | 13.2% | 2.6% |
Members of the Rhode Island Senate
District | Senator | Party | Representing |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Maryellen Goodwin | Dem | Providence |
2 | Juan M. Pichardo | Dem | Providence |
3 | Gayle L. Goldin | 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 | Adam J. Satchell | 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 | William J. Conley, Jr. | Dem | East Providence |
19 | Ryan W. Pearson | Dem | Cumberland |
20 | Roger A. Picard | Dem | Woonsocket |
21 | Nicholas D. Kettle | Rep | Coventry, Foster, Scituate&West Greenwich |
22 | Stephen R. Archambault | Dem | Smithfield |
23 | Paul W. Fogarty | Dem | Burrillville & Glocester |
24 | Marc A. Cote | Dem | North Smithfield |
25 | Frank Lombardo, III | Dem | Johnston |
26 | Frank S. Lombardi | 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 Lynch | Dem | Warwick |
32 | David E. Bates | Rep | Barrington |
33 | Leonidas P. Raptakis | Dem | East Greenwich |
34 | Catherine Cool Rumsey | Dem | 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 |
Key Senate Staff
- Thomas R. Coderre - 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
See also
- Rhode Island State Capitol
- Rhode Island General Assembly
- Rhode Island House of Representatives
References
External links
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