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North Dakota State Senate
| North Dakota State Senate | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Upper house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2013 session start: | January 8, 2013 |
| Website: | Official Senate Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Drew Wrigley, (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Rich Wardner, (R) |
| Minority leader: | Mac Schneider, (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 47 |
| Democratic Party (14) Republican Party (33) | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Art IV, Sec/ 1, North Dakota Constitution |
| Salary: | $152/day + expenses |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 6, 2012 (25 seats) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Redistricting: | North Dakota Legislature has control |
Contents |
Approximately one-half the members are elected to four-year terms every two years. Generally, members from even-numbered districts are elected to four-year terms in U.S. presidential election years (2004, 2008, etc.) and members from odd-numbered districts are elected to four-year terms in general election years offset by two years from U.S. presidential elections (2002, 2006, 2010, etc.).
Members take office as of December 1 of even-numbered years.
Each member represents an average of 14,310 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[2] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 13,664 residents.[3] The Legislative Assembly convenes in regular session the following January[4].
As of May 2013, North Dakota is one of 24 Republican state government trifectas.
Sessions
Article IV of the North Dakota Constitution establishes when the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 7 of Article IV states that the Assembly is to convene in regular session every January after a legislative election. This means that the Assembly convenes in January of every odd-numbered year. Section 7 specifies that the convening date is to be the first Tuesday after the third day in January, unless this date is changed by law. Section 7 limits the length of regular sessions to no more than eighty days every two years.
2013
- See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions
In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 8 through May 1.
Major issues
Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) and GOP leaders expect issues related to the state's oil boom to dominate the agenda.[5]
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the Legislature was not in regular session.
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the Senate was in regular session from January 4 through April 28. [6] A special session has been called by Governor Jack Dalrymple for November 7 through 12 to cover legislative redistricting and disaster relief.[7]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the Senate did not meet in regular session.[8]
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate were held in North Dakota on November 6, 2012. A total of 23 seats were up for election.
The signature filing deadline was April 13, 2012.
The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election.
| 2012 Margin of Victory, North Dakota State Senate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Winner | Margin of Victory | Total Votes | Top Opponent |
| District 12 |  John Grabinger |
1.9% | 5,800 | Bernie Satrom |
| District 46 | George B. Sinner |
4.2% | 7,569 | Jim Roers |
| District 44 |  Tim Flakoll |
4.8% | 7,375 | Rick Olek |
| District 4 | John Warner |
4.9% | 6,368 | Daryl J. Lies |
| District 20 | Philip Murphy |
7.7% | 6,155 | Melvin Erdmann |
| District 6 | David O'Connell |
8.8% | 7,463 | Pamela Smith |
| District 24 | Larry Robinson |
11.8% | 6,873 | Keith E. Hovland |
| District 42 | Mac Schneider |
14.9% | 4,988 | Ross Lien |
| District 18 | Constance Triplett |
19.9% | 5,444 | David Waterman |
| District 19 | Tom Campbell |
20.2% | 5,813 | Julius M. Wangler |
2010
Elections for the office of North Dakota's State Senate were held in North Dakota on November 2, 2010.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 8, 2010. The primary election day was June 8, 2010.
| North Dakota State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 1, 2010 | After the 2010 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 21 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 26 | 35 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $271,222 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [9]
| 2010 Donors, North Dakota State Senate | |
|---|---|
| Donor | Amount |
| North Dakota Senate Democratic-NPL Caucus | $26,750 |
| North Dakota Association of Realtors | $18,550 |
| North Dakota Republican Senate Caucus | $15,602 |
| North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives | $13,000 |
| Lignite Energy Council | $12,500 |
| DAK PAC | $12,000 |
| Boilermakers Local 647 | $11,200 |
| North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives | $11,050 |
| North Dakota Education Association | $10,750 |
| Marathon Oil | $9,600 |
Qualifications
Article 4, Section 5 of the North Dakota Constitution states: State Senators and Representatives must be, on the day of the election, qualified voters in the district from which they are chosen and a resident of the state for one year preceding election to office.
Vacancies
Whenever there is an vacancy in the Senate, it must be filled by the district committee of the political party that currently holds the seat. A replacement must be named no later than 21 days after the vacancy. If more than 828 days are remaining in the vacant senator's term, the replacement can serve in a interim basis until the next scheduled general election. It would be up to the Governor to schedule a special election in order to determine a permanent replacement[10].
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in North Dakota
Redistricting is the responsibility of the General Assembly, with a federal or state court intervening should the legislature not agree on a plan.
2010 census
North Dakota received its local census data on March 15, 2011. The state enjoyed an approximately five percent population growth to 672,591, but lost in rural districts, posing the threat of facing incumbents against each other. The legislature held a special session in November 2011 after preliminary approval by the Interim Legislative Redistricting Committee, and passed the proposed plan on the 8th, a day after convening. The plan cut two rural districts, added districts in Fargo and Bismarck, and paired over a dozen incumbents. Governor Jack Dalrymple (R) signed the plan into law on November 9, 2011.
Senators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2013, members of the North Dakota Legislature are paid $152/day during legislative sessions and for attending interim committee meetings. Legislators receive lodging reimbursements up to $1,351/month (vouchered).[11]
Pension
North Dakota does not provide pensions for legislators.[12]
When sworn in
North Dakota legislators assume office December 1st.
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | |
| Total | 47 | |
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the North Dakota State Senate from 1992-2013.
Leadership
The Lieutenant Governor of the State serves as President of the Senate.[13]
Current leadership
List of current members
Senate Committees
North Dakota Senate has 11 standing committees:
- Agriculture Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Appropriations Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Education Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Finance and Taxation Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Government and Veterans Affairs Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Human Services Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Industry, Business and Labor Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Judiciary Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Natural Resources Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Political Subdivisions Committee, North Dakota State Senate
- Transportation Committee, North Dakota State Senate
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the North Dakota State Senate for the first three years while the Republicans were the majority for the last 19 years. The North Dakota State Senate is one of 13 state senates that was Republican for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. North Dakota was under Republican trifectas for the last 19 years.
Across the country, there were 544 Democratic and 517 Republican State Senates from 1992-2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of North Dakota, the North Dakota State Senate and the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1992-2013.
.PNG)
External links
References
- ↑ List of state legislative term limits
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ "North Dakota Legislative Assembly" About the Senate, March 3, 2009
- ↑ NewsOK, "Oil issues to dominate ND legislative session," January 6, 2013
- ↑ North Dakota Legislative Assembly information
- ↑ The Bismarck Tribune, N.D. House leader: Special session starts Nov. 7, Sept.15, 2011
- ↑ Session information for North Dakota legislature
- ↑ Follow the Money: "North Dakota Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ North Dakota Legislature "North Dakota Century Code"(Referenced Statute 16.1-13-10 (1))
- ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
- ↑ USA Today, "State-by-state: Benefits available to state legislators," September 23, 2011
- ↑ 2009 North Dakota Senate Leadership
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