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Colorado State Senate

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Colorado State Senate

Seal of Colorado.svg.png
General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   8 years
2013 session start:   January 9, 2013
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   John Morse, (D)
Majority Leader:   Morgan Carroll, (D)
Minority leader:   Bill Cadman, (R)
Structure
Members:  35
   Democratic Party (20) Republican Party (15)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art V, Colorado Constitution
Salary:   $30,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 6, 2012 (20 seats)
Next election:  November 4, 2014
Redistricting:  Colorado Reapportionment Commission
Meeting place:
Colorado State Senate Chamber.jpg

Contents

The Colorado State Senate is the upper house of the Colorado General Assembly, which is the state legislature of Colorado. The senate includes 35 state senators elected from single-member districts. Each of the 35 districts had an average of 143,691 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 122,893 residents.[2]

State senators are elected to four-year terms with term limits.[3]

The Colorado Senate convenes at the State Capitol in Denver.

As of May 2013, Colorado is one of 12 Democratic state government trifectas.

Sessions

Article V of the Colorado Constitution establishes when the Colorado General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 7 of Article V states that the Assembly is to convene its regular session no later than the second Wednesday of January of each year. Regular sessions are not to exceed one hundred twenty calendar days.

Section 7 also states that the Governor of Colorado can convene special sessions of the General Assembly. Special sessions can also be convened by a two-thirds vote of the members of both legislative houses.

2013

See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions

In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 9 through May 8.

Major issues

With Democrats gaining control of both legislative chambers and the governorship, major issues might be addressed at a fast pace. Democrats are expected to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples and lower the tuition rate for illegal immigrants who graduate from state high schools. Lawmakers will also address gun control, marijuana, education funding, and health care.[4]

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate was in session from January 11 to May 9. A special session began May 14.[5]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 12 through May 11.

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 13th to May 12th.

Elections

2012

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Colorado State Senate were held in Colorado on November 6, 2012. A total of 20 seats were up for election. The signature filing deadline was April 2, 2012 and the primary date was June 26, 2012.

Colorado state senators are subject to term limits and may serve no more than eight years. In 2012, six senators were termed out.

The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election.

2010

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Colorado State Senator were held in Colorado on November 2, 2010. State senate seats in 19 of Colorado's 35 districts were on the ballot in 2010. Districts on the ballot are 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, 24, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was May 27, 2010, and the primary election day was August 10, 2010.

In the 2010 elections, the candidates running for senate raised $2,331,554 in campaign funds. The top 10 overall contributors were: [6]

Qualifications

Article 5, Section 4 of the Colorado Constitution states: No person shall be a representative or senator who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five years, who shall not be a citizen of the United States, who shall not for at least twelve months next preceding his election, have resided within the territory included in the limits of the county or district in which he shall be chosen; provided, that any person who at the time of the adoption of this constitution, was a qualified elector under the territorial laws, shall be eligible to the first general assembly.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
NevadaMassachusettsColoradoNew MexicoWyomingArizonaMontanaCaliforniaOregonWashingtonIdahoTexasOklahomaKansasNebraskaSouth DakotaNorth DakotaMinnesotaIowaMissouriArkansasLouisianaMississippiAlabamaGeorgiaFloridaSouth CarolinaIllinoisWisconsinTennesseeNorth CarolinaIndianaOhioKentuckyPennsylvaniaNew JerseyNew YorkVermontVermontNew HampshireMaineWest VirginiaVirginiaMarylandMarylandConnecticutConnecticutDelawareDelawareRhode IslandRhode IslandMassachusettsNew HampshireMichiganMichiganAlaskaVacancy fulfillment map.png

In the event of any vacancy in the Senate, the political party that holds the vacant seat is responsible for deciding a replacement[7]. A vacancy committee consisting of members of the political party holding the vacant seat must conduct an election when deciding an appointee. A simple majority vote of members in the vacancy committee is needed to approve any appointment. The person selected to fill the vacancy serves until the next scheduled general election[8].

Term limits

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Colorado legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Colorado Term Limits Act in 1990. That initiative said that Colorado senators are subject to term limits of no more than two four-year terms.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1990 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 1998.[9]

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Colorado

Although the state legislature is responsible for drawing Congressional districts, the Colorado Reapportionment Commission is responsible for drawing state legislative districts. The Commission is comprised of four members appointed by the General Assembly, three appointed by the governor, and four appointed by the Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice.[10]

2010

Colorado's population increased from 4.30 million to 5.03 million between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.[11] Much of the state's 16.9 percent growth occurred in the I-25 corridor, on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Roughly half of the state's population increase was a result of Hispanic population growth. The Colorado Springs area and the southern Denver suburbs experienced the highest rates of population increase. Despite the fast rate of growth, Colorado did not gain another Congressional seat as a result of the new U.S. Census numbers.[12]

The Colorado Reapportionment Commission, which review plans drafted by both Republicans and Democrats, selected a Democratic plan for the new state legislative districts. Both parties filed lawsuits, and the Colorado Supreme Court rejected the plan. Subsequently, the Commission submitted a new reapportionment plan, also drawn by Democrats. This plan received the Supreme Court's approval.[13][14]

Senators

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of May 2013
     Democratic Party 20
     Republican Party 15
Total 35


Leadership

Current leadership

Current Leadership, Colorado State Senate
Office Representative Party
President of the Senate John Morse Electiondot.png Democratic
President Pro Tempore Lucia Guzman Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Majority Leader Morgan Carroll Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Assistant Majority Leader Irene Aguilar Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Majority Caucus Leader Jeanne Nicholson Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman Ends.png Republican
State Senate Assistant Minority Leader Mark Scheffel Ends.png Republican
[15]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2013, members of the Colorado legislature are paid $30,000 per year. They are also given per diem of $183 for members who live more than 50 miles from capitol and $45 for members who live 50 or fewer miles from capitol.[16]

When sworn in

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

Colorado legislators assume office on first day of the first legislative session following the election (example January 12 of next year for the upcoming elections.)

Current members

Colorado State Capitol
Current members, Colorado State Senate
District Representative Party Assumed office
1 Greg Brophy Ends.png Republican 2005
2 Kevin J. Grantham Ends.png Republican 2011
3 Angela Giron Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
4 Mark Scheffel Ends.png Republican 2009
5 Gail Schwartz Electiondot.png Democratic 2007
6 Ellen Roberts Ends.png Republican 2011
7 Steve King Ends.png Republican 2011
8 Randy Baumgardner Ends.png Republican 2013
9 Kent Lambert Ends.png Republican 2011
10 Owen Hill Ends.png Republican 2013
11 John Morse Electiondot.png Democratic 2007
12 Bill Cadman Ends.png Republican 2007
13 Scott Renfroe Ends.png Republican 2007
14 John Kefalas Electiondot.png Democratic 2013
15 Kevin Lundberg Ends.png Republican 2009
16 Jeanne Nicholson Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
17 Matt Jones Electiondot.png Democratic 2013
18 Rollie Heath Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
19 Evie Hudak Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
20 Cheri Jahn Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
21 Jessie Ulibarri Electiondot.png Democratic 2013
22 Andrew Kerr Electiondot.png Democratic 2013
23 Vicki Marble Ends.png Republican 2013
24 Lois Tochtrop Electiondot.png Democratic 2004
25 Mary Hodge Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
26 Linda Newell Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
27 David Balmer Ends.png Republican 2013
28 Nancy Todd Electiondot.png Democratic 2013
29 Morgan Carroll Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
30 Ted Harvey Ends.png Republican 2007
31 Pat Steadman Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
32 Irene Aguilar Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
33 Michael Johnston Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
34 Lucia Guzman Electiondot.png Democratic 2010
35 Larry Crowder Ends.png Republican 2013

Standing committees

See also: Joint standing committees, Colorado General Assembly

The Colorado State Senate has 10 standing committees:

External links

References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ Term limits
  4. ↑ Daily Camera, "Controversial issues will keep Colorado legislature busy for 2013 session," January 6, 2013
  5. ↑ Pueblo Chieftain, "Civil Union supporters rally prior to special session," May 14, 2012
  6. ↑ Follow the Money: "Colorado Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  7. ↑ Michie "Colorado Constitution"(Referenced Section Article V, Section II, Subsection 3)
  8. ↑ Michie "Colorado Revised Statutes"(Referenced Statute 1-12-203, (1)-(3))
  9. ↑ State legislative term limits
  10. ↑ Clear the Bench Colorado, "Redistricting versus Reapportionment - the confusion continues", April 20, 2011
  11. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Colorado Profile," 2011
  12. ↑ National Journal, "Census Quick Cuts: Colorado, Washington, Oregon," February 24, 2011
  13. ↑ [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/colorado-redistricting_n_1097001.html The Huffington Post, " Colorado Redistricting: Supreme Court Rejects New House, Senate District Maps (UPDATE)," November 29, 2011]
  14. ↑ The Denver Post, "Colorado Supreme Court sides with Democrats, picks their maps for new legislative districts," December 12, 2011
  15. ↑ Colorado State Senate Leadership Positions
  16. ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
v • d • e
Democrat majority Current members of the Colorado State Senate
Senate President: Brandon Shaffer (D) • Majority Leader: John Morse (D) • Minority Leader: Bill Cadman (R)
Democratic (20) • Republican (15) • Colorado State Senate • Colorado House of Representatives
v • d • e
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