From Ballotpedia
The New Hampshire State Senate is the upper body of the New Hampshire State Legislature. The Senate meets at the State Capitol in Concord. The Senate is comprised of 24 members who are elected every two years. Generally, sessions are held annually from early January to the end of June. Senators are paid $100 a year, as stipulated by the New Hampshire Constitution. Senators also receive mileage reimbursement for officially related travel. The 2009-2010 Senate consists of 14 Democrats and 10 Republicans -- 13 of whom are women and 11 of whom are men. The 2008 election made New Hampshire the first state in the nation to have a legislative body with a majority of women.
In New Hampshire, all 24 Senate districts are based on population. The most recent redistricting occurred in 2004.[1]
History
- The New Hampshire State Senate was established in 1784. At that time, it included twelve members, who were each elected for one-year terms. The twelve senators were elected from the five counties New Hampshire then had:
- One senator from Grafton
- Two from Strafford, Hillsborough, and Cheshire
View of the Senate Chamber
The number of senators each county was entitled to elect was based on how the amount of taxes it raised, not on population. This system changed in 1794 when senate districts took the place of county-wide representation, with one senator per district.
The number of senators was doubled to 24 in 1878 with a constitutional amendment. The term of office was expanded to two years in office and twenty-four districts were creates. However, senate districts were not based on population until 1964. Up through 1968, senators voted to fill vacancies; in 1968 the constitution was amended so that special elections were held to fill vacancies.
Protestant property-owners
In the early years of the senate, a candidate had to be at least 30 years old, have lived in the state for at least seven years, and be a property owner and a Protestant. The property-ownership requirement was removed in 1852. The Protestant requirement was removed in 1877.
First female senator
The first woman elected to the New Hampshire Senate was Maude Ferguson, a Republican from Bristol. Ferguson served from 1931-1933.
- The state senator who has served the longest in office is referred to as the "Dean of the Senate."
Current party balance
List of current members
Senate Standing Committees
- Capital Budget Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Commerce, Labor and Consumer Protection Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Education Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Election Law and Veterans' Affairs Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Energy, Environment and Economic Development Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Executive Departments and Administration Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Finance Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Health and Human Services Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Judiciary Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Public and Municipal Affiars Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Rules and Enrolled Bills Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Transportation and Interstate Coorperation Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Ways and Means Committee, New Hampshire Senate
- Wildlife, Fish and Game and Agriculture Committee, New Hampshire Senate
External links
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