Alaska State Senate

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Alaska State Senate

Alaska State Seal.gif
General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2013 session start:   January 17, 2012
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Gary Stevens (R)
Majority Leader:   Kevin Meyer (R)
Minority leader:   John B. Coghill (R)
Structure
Members:  20
   Democratic Party (7) Republican Party (13)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art II, Alaska Constitution
Salary:   $50,400./year+ per diem
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (10 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (10 seats)
Redistricting:  Alaska Redistricting Board has control
Meeting place:
Alaska capitol.jpg

Contents

The Alaska State Senate is the upper house of the Alaska State Legislature. There are 20 state senators; they represent 20 districts each composed of an average of 35,512 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 31,347 residents.[2] The districts are identified by a letter of the alphabet, rather than a number as is the more common norm in other states. The senators serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits.[3] Half of the senate is up for re-election every two years.

During 2010, the Legislature was in session from January 19th to April 18th.[4]

Sessions

Section 8 of Article II of the Alaska Constitution contains provisions relating to the timing and length of sessions of the Alaska State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part. However, the provisions related to the convening date of the Legislature have been changed by law, and the provisions limiting the length of legislative sessions have been changed by the Alaska 90-Day Legislative Session Amendment. This amendment was passed in a 2006 ballot initiative, and it limits the regular sessions of the Legislature to ninety days.

Section 9 of Article II allows for special sessions to be called by the Governor of Alaska or by a two-thirds vote of the legislators. Special sessions are limited to thirty days.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Legislature was in regular session from January 17 to April 15. It was in special session from April 15 to April 30.[5]

Major issues

Legislators will be taking up Governor Sean Parnell's (R) suggestion to decrease the oil tax in order to increase economic growth. They are also expected to consider a ban on texting while driving, education funding, the state's unfunded pension liability, and whether to extend the legislative session from 90 to 120 days.[6]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 18th to April 17th. A special session was called on June 27 to discuss reauthorization of the state's Coastal Management Program, which is set to expire June 30. Measures to reauthorize the program failed during the regular session. [7]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 19th to April 18th.

Elections

2012

See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Alaska State Senator will be held in Alaska on November 6, 2012. Ordinarily, half (10) of the senators would be up for election in 2012, and half would be up for election in 2014 because senators serve staggered four-year terms. However in 2012, every senator except Dennis Egan (D) will face re-election due to changes resulting from state legislative redistricting. Senators normally scheduled for the 2014 election will be elected to two-year terms in 2012, preserving Alaska's staggered Senate elections. Thus, a total of 19 seats will be up for election in 2012.[8]

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was June 1, 2012, and the primary election day will be August 28, 2012.

2010

See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Alaska State Senator were held in Alaska on November 2, 2010. State senate seats in all even-numbered districts excluding District 20 were on the ballot in 2010, in addition to the District 19 seat.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was June 1, 2010, and the primary election day was August 24, 2010.


During the 2010 election, the total contributions to the 29 Senate candidates was $1,227,692. The top 10 contributors were:[9]

Donor Amount
Dziubinski, Philip L $153,806
Higgins, Pete $45,410
Moronell, Mark W $39,162
Alaska Republican Party $28,450
Giessel, Cathy $27,535
Giessel, Catherin A (Cathy) $18,125
Alaska Association of Realtors $15,800
Senate Democratic Campaign Cmte of Alaska $15,000
Alaska State Employees Association Local 52 $13,000
Alaska Laborers Local 341 $12,000

Qualifications

Article II, Section 2 of the Alaska Constitution states: A member of the legislature shall be a qualified voter who has been a resident of Alaska for at least three years and of the district from which elected for at least one year, immediately preceding his filing for office. A senator shall be at least twenty-five years of age and a representative at least twenty-one years of age.

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. The Governor must select the replacement within 30 days after the vacancy happened. The Governor cannot appoint a replacement if the vacancy happens before a new legislative session is schedule to convene[10]

Senators

Leadership

The Republican and Democratic parties each have ten seats in the 20-seat senate. However, a majority coalition known as the "Alaska Senate Bipartisan Working Group", composed of members from both parties, is the senate's majority coalition. The working coalition consists of all ten Democrats in the state senate, and six of its GOP members, and elects the chamber's leaders.[11],[12]

Current leadership

Position Name Party
President of the Senate Gary Stevens Ends.png Republican
Majority Leader Kevin Meyer Ends.png Republican
Minority Leader Charlie Huggins Ends.png Republican

The three Republicans who are part of the working coalition are Wasilla Senator Charlie Huggins, Ketchikan Senator Bert Stedman, and Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens.[13]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2010, members of the Alaska State Senate are paid $50,400 per year as a base salary rate. They are also paid a per diem of either $189 or $234/day, tied to the federal rate. This per diem varies depending on the time of the year. Legislators who live in the Juneau area receive 75% of federal rate.[14]

The $50,400/year salary received by Alaska state senators as of 2010 is an increase over the $24,012/year that they were paid in 2007.[15]

When sworn in

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

The terms of Alaska legislators begin on the 4th Monday of the January following a November election.

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of June 2013
     Democratic Party 7
     Republican Party 13
Total 20


In response to the tie between the parties in the Alaska State Senate, a group of 16 senators (all of the Democrats and six Republicans) created a bipartisan working group.[16] The Senate group has reportedly functioned, although tensions reportedly rose between the group and Governor Sean Parnell (R) at one point in 2011. Other chambers have also had to contend with tied partisan groups in legislative chambers in the recent past, and the Oregon House of Representatives is also currently tied.[17]

List of current senators

District Senator Party Term Up First elected
A Bert Stedman Ends.png Republican 2012 2002
B Dennis Egan Electiondot.png Democratic 2010 2009
C Albert Kookesh Electiondot.png Democratic 2012 2004
D Joe Thomas Electiondot.png Democratic 2010 2006
E Joe Paskvan Electiondot.png Democratic 2012 2008
F John B. Coghill Ends.png Republican 2010 2009
G Linda Menard Ends.png Republican 2012 2008
H Charlie Huggins Ends.png Republican 2010 2004
I Fred Dyson Ends.png Republican 2012 2002
J Bill Wielechowski Electiondot.png Democratic 2010 2006
K Bettye Davis Electiondot.png Democratic 2012 2000
L Johnny Ellis Electiondot.png Democratic 2010 1992
M Hollis French Electiondot.png Democratic 2012 2002
N Lesil McGuire Ends.png Republican 2010 2006
O Kevin Meyer Ends.png Republican 2012 2008
P Catherine A. Giessel Ends.png Republican 2014 2010
Q Thomas Wagoner Ends.png Republican 2012 2002
R Gary Stevens Ends.png Republican 2010 2002
S Lyman Hoffman Electiondot.png Democratic 2010 1994
T Donald Olson Electiondot.png Democratic 2012 2000

Committees

See also: State senate standing committees

The Alaska State Senate has 10 standing committees:

There is also one special committee:

External links

References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ Term limits on pg. 74
  4. ↑ Session dates for Alaska legislature, 2010
  5. ↑ StateScape, Session schedules, accessed April 30, 2012
  6. ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Lingering issues to test Legislature," January 16, 2012
  7. ↑ StateScape.com, Session Updates, accessed June 28, 2011
  8. ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "New legislative map forces early elections for senators," June 13, 2011
  9. ↑ Follow the Money: "Alaska State Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  10. ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center "Alaska Election Law"(Referenced Statute 15.40.320)
  11. ↑ Alaska Senate puts together bipartisan coalition despite undecided races, November 6, 2008
  12. ↑ Sarah Palin's New Nemesis?, November 11, 2008
  13. ↑ Stevens, Chenault to lead Senate, House, November 7, 2008
  14. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  15. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  16. ↑ Senate Bipartisan Working Group, retrieved June 14, 2012
  17. ↑ Governing, "How Tied Chambers Affect States," June 9, 2011
v • d • e
Reddot.png Current members of the Alaska State Senate
Senate President: Charlie Huggins (R) • Majority Leader: John B. Coghill (R) • Minority Leader: Johnny Ellis (D)
Democratic (7) • Republican (13) • Alaska State Senate • Alaska House of Representatives
v • d • e
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