Utah State Senate

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Utah State Senate

Seal of Utah.svg.png
General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2013 session start:   January 28, 2013
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Wayne Niederhauser, (R)
Majority Leader:   Ralph Okerlund, (R)
Minority leader:   Gene Davis, (D)
Structure
Members:  29
   Democratic Party (5)
Republican Party (24)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art VI, Sec 4, Utah Constitution
Salary:   $117/day + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 6, 2012 (16 seats)
Next election:  November 4, 2014
Redistricting:  Redistricting Committee of the Utah Legislature

Contents

The Utah Senate is the upper house in the Utah Legislature. It consists of 29 members. Each member represents an average of 95,306 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 77,006 residents.[2]

The senators serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Half of the senate is up for re-election every two years.

As of June 2013, Utah is one of 24 Republican state government trifectas.

Sessions

Section 2 of Article VI of the Utah Constitution establishes that the Utah State Legislature, which the Senate is a part of, is to convene a new session every two years on the second Monday in January. This means that the "2010 session" was actually a continuation of a regular session that convened in 2009. Section 16 of Article VI limits these regular sessions to sixty legislative days, except in cases of impeachment.

2013

See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions

In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 28 through March 14.

Major issues

Ethics reform is expected to be a major issue in 2013 due to accusations and controversy surrounding newly elected Attorney General John Swallow (R). Adoption rights, alcohol laws and education funding are also expected to be addressed.[3][4]

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate was in session from January 23 through March 8.

Major issues

Major topics included a projected $13 billion budget, improving technology for students, illegal immigration, and infrastructure improvements.[5]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in regular session from January 24 through March 10. [6] A single day special session was called by Governor Gary Herbert for July 27, to consider several issues, including adjustments to health insurance rates, liquor commission guidelines, judicial evaluations, and adopting another resolution supporting a federal balanced budget amendment.[7] Gov. Herbert has called for a second special session this year, set for the week of October 3. During that week, the legislature will cover redistricting issues.[8]

The 45 calendar days that the Utah Legislature is in regular session during 2011 is tied with Wyoming, New Mexico, and Arkansas for the shortest legislative session in the country.[9]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 25 to March 11.[10]

Elections

2012

See also: Utah State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Utah State Senate will be held in Utah on November 6, 2012. A total of 14 seats were up for election.

The signature filing deadline for the elections was March 16, 2012.

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

2010

See also: Utah State Senate elections, 2010

Utah State Senate elections were held in 15 of Utah's 29 senate districts on November 2, 2010. The 15 districts where electoral contests took place in 2010 are: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 26 and 28 .

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 19, 2010 and the primary election day was June 22, 2010.

In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $1,612,394 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [11]

Qualifications

To be eligible to serve in the Utah State Senate, a candidate must be:[12]

  • A U.S. citizen at the time of filing
  • 25 years old at the filing deadline time
  • A three-year resident of Utah at the filing deadline time
  • A resident for 6 months of the senate district from which elected at the filing deadline time
  • No person holding any public office of profit or trust under authority of the United States, or of this State, can be a member of the state senate, provided, that appointments in the State Militia, and the offices of notary public, justice of the peace, United States commissioner, and postmaster of the fourth class, shall not, within the meaning of this section, be considered offices of profit or trust.
  • A qualified voter. A qualified voter is someone who is:
* A U.S. citizen
* A resident of Utah for at least 30 days prior to the next election
* At least 18 years old by the next election
* His or her principal place of residence is in a specific voting precinct in Utah.

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

If there is a vacancy in the Senate, the Governor is responsible for selecting a replacement. A liaison for the political party that last held the seat must recommend a successor to the Governor. The vacancy must be filled immediately. The person who is selected to the vacant seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term[13].

If the vacancy happens after the nomination deadline in a election year, a new candidate must file papers in order to be on the ballot. This is only if the vacancy happens after September 1st and the unfilled term is set to expire at the end of the election. Nominating papers must be filed within 21 days after the vacancy happened[14].

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Utah

The Legislature handles legislative redistricting, with the Governor holding veto power.

2010 census

Utah received its local census data on February 24, 2011. The state showed a 23.8 percent growth rate, with no county losing population. The largest cities showed mixed growth: Salt Lake City grew by 2.6 percent, West Valley City grew by 18.9 percent, Provo grew by 7.0 percent, West Jordan grew by 51.8 percent, and Orem grew by 4.7 percent. The counties were more impressive: Salt Lake grew by 14.6 percent, Utah grew 40.2 percent, Davis grew by 28.2 percent, Weber grew by 17.7 percent, and Washington grew by 52.9 percent.[15]

Utah's 2011 redistricting process went relatively smoothly, with the Republican controlled Legislature overwhelmingly passing new maps on October 4. Governor Gary Herbert (R) signed the maps on October 19. However, the Legislature approved, and the Governor signed into law, revisions to the maps in late January 2012 after errors were discovered.

Senators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2013, members of the Utah Legislature are paid $117/day. Legislators receive $96/day for lodging each calendar day, tied to the federal rate. They also receive $61/day for meals.[16]

When sworn in

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

Utah legislators assume office the first or second day of session (January).

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of June 2013
     Democratic Party 5
     Republican Party 24
Total 29


The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Utah State Senate from 1992-2013.

Partisan composition of the Utah State Senate.PNG

Leadership

The presiding officer of the Senate is the President of the Senate and is selected by the majority party caucus. The majority and minority leaders are selected by their respective party caucuses.[17][18]

Current leadership

Current Leadership, Utah State Senate
Office Representative Party
President of the Senate Wayne Niederhauser Ends.png Republican
State Senate Majority Leader Ralph Okerlund Ends.png Republican
State Senate Majority Whip Stuart Adams Ends.png Republican
State Senate Assistant Majority Whip Peter Knudson Ends.png Republican
State Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Minority Whip Karen Mayne Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Assistant Minority Whip Patricia Jones Electiondot.png Democratic

List of current members

Current members, Utah State Senate
District Senator Party Assumed office
1 Luz Robles Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
2 Jim Dabakis Electiondot.png Democratic 2012
3 Gene Davis Electiondot.png Democratic 1999
4 Patricia Jones Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
5 Karen Mayne Electiondot.png Democratic 2009
6 Wayne Harper Ends.png Republican 2013
7 Deidre Henderson Ends.png Republican 2013
8 Brian Shiozawa Ends.png Republican 2013
9 Wayne Niederhauser Ends.png Republican 2007
10 Aaron Osmond Ends.png Republican 2011
11 Howard Stephenson Ends.png Republican 1993
12 Daniel W. Thatcher Ends.png Republican 2011
13 Mark Madsen Ends.png Republican 2005
14 John Valentine Ends.png Republican 1999
15 Margaret Dayton Ends.png Republican 2007
16 Curtis Bramble Ends.png Republican 2001
17 Peter Knudson Ends.png Republican 1999
18 Stuart C. Reid Ends.png Republican 2011
19 Allen Christensen Ends.png Republican 2005
20 Scott Jenkins Ends.png Republican 2001
21 Jerry Stevenson Ends.png Republican 2010
22 Stuart Adams Ends.png Republican 2009
23 Todd Weiler Ends.png Republican 2012
24 Ralph Okerlund Ends.png Republican 2009
25 Lyle Hillyard Ends.png Republican 1985
26 Kevin Van Tassell Ends.png Republican 2007
27 David Hinkins Ends.png Republican 2009
28 Evan Vickers Ends.png Republican 2013
29 Stephen Urquhart Ends.png Republican 2009

Senate committees

The Utah Senate has 12 standing committees:

History

1899

Before the Seventeenth Amendment was adopted in 1913, the U.S. Senators were elected by the state House of Representatives rather than by popular vote. In 1899, this became a problem when the Utah House of Representatives could not come up with a majority vote for the second Senate seat by the end of the session, and the Senate President Aquila Nebeker, declared the session over and the seat vacant. The result was that the state of Utah lost a vote in the Senate for several years.[19]

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Utah
Partisan breakdown of the Utah legislature from 1992-2013

Throughout every year from 1992-2013, the Republican Party was the majority in the Utah State Senate. The Utah State Senate is one of 13 state senates that was Republican for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. Utah was under Republican trifectas for all 22 years.

Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 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 Utah, the Utah State Senate and the Utah House of Representatives from 1992-2013. Partisan composition of Utah state government(1992-2013).PNG

External links

References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ FOX 13, "Adoption and alcohol likely topics for Utah legislative session," January 21, 2013
  4. ↑ Salt Lake Tribune, "Call them the Swallow Reforms," January 24, 2013
  5. ↑ Salt Lake Tribune, "Top issues to watch in the upcoming Utah Legislature," January 21, 2012
  6. ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
  7. ↑ StateScape, Session Updates, July 22, 2011
  8. ↑ ABC4.com, Governor calls Redistricting Special Session, Aug. 31, 2011
  9. ↑ South Carolina Policy Council "50 State Legislative Session Interactive Map," February 2011
  10. ↑ 2010 session dates for Utah Legislature
  11. ↑ Follow the Money: "Utah Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  12. ↑ Qualifications for running for Utah Senate
  13. ↑ Utah Legislature "Utah Code"(Referenced Statutes 20A-1-503 (3) (a)-(b))
  14. ↑ Utah Legislature "Utah Code"(Referenced Statutes 20A-1-503 (4)(a))
  15. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Utah's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," February 24, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  16. ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
  17. ↑ Organization of the Utah Legislature
  18. ↑ Utah State Senate Leadership
  19. ↑ Utah Senate History
v • d • e
Republican majority Current members of the Utah State Senate
Senate President: Wayne Niederhauser (R) • Senate Majority Leader: Ralph Okerlund (R) • Senate Minority Leader: Gene Davis (D)
Democratic (5) • Republican (24) • Utah State Senate • Utah House of Representatives • Utah State Senate elections, 2010
v • d • e
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