Connecticut State Senate

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Connecticut State Senate

Connecticut State Senate Seal.gif
General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2013 session start:   February 8, 2012
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Donald Williams, Jr., (D)
Majority Leader:   Martin Looney (D)
Minority leader:   John McKinney, (R)
Structure
Members:  36
   Democratic Party (22)
Republican Party (14)
Length of term:   2 years
Authority:   Art III, Section 1, Connecticut Constitution
Salary:   $28,000/year
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (36 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (36 seats)
Redistricting:  Legislature controls with optional Commission appointed by Legislature
Meeting place:
Connecticutsenate.png

Contents

The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of Connecticut. It includes 36 members who each represent a district that includes an average of 99,280 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 94,599 residents.[2]

Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits.[3]

In 2010, the Senate was in session from February 3rd to May 5th.[4]

Sessions

Article III of the Connecticut Constitution establishes when the Connecticut State Legislature, which the Senate is a part of, is to be in session. Section 2 of Article III states that, in odd-numbered years, the Legislature shall convene its regular session on the Wednesday after the first Monday in January. Section 2 requires regular sessions in odd-numbered years to adjourn by the Wednesday after the first Monday in June.

The Constitution does not establish when the Legislature is supposed to meet in even-numbered years, so these dates are established by law. In even-numbered years, the Legislature convenes on the Wednesday following the first Monday in February, pending the decision of the Legislature, and it must adjourn by the Wednesday after the first Monday in May.[5]

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate was in session from February 8 to May 9.

Major issues

Legislators will mainly focus on the $20 billion state budget. In addition, they will also consider overhauling early childhood public education, ending the ban on Sunday alcohol sales, increasing the minimum wage, allowing same-day voter registration and the use of red-light cameras.[6]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 5 through June 8. Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy convened both houses in a special session to address budget cuts on June 30. [7]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in session from February 3rd to May 5th.

Elections

2012

See also: Connecticut State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Connecticut State Senate will be held in Connecticut on November 6, 2012. A total of 36 seats will be up for election. The signature filing deadline is February 6, 2012 at 12 p.m. and the primary date is February 7, 2012.

2010

See also: Connecticut State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Connecticut State Senator were held in Connecticut on November 2, 2010. Seats in all 36 senate districts are up for election in 2010.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was June 8 for candidates of either the Republican or Democratic parties and August 4 for independents. The primary election day was August 10, 2010.

In 2010, the total campaign contributions raised in senate elections was $5,157,062. The top 10 overall contributors were: [8]

Donor Amount
Public Fund $3,631,306
Public Fund $176,895
Public Funding $88,307
Senate Democrats Victory PAC $42,651
Democrats for New Leadership $38,520
Working Families Party $14,853
Democratic Senate Majority PAC of Connecticut $14,150
Senate Republican Campaign Cmte of Connecticut $11,412
Frantz, L Scott $6,500
Senate Republican Majority Cmte of Connecticut $5,195


Qualifications

Article III, Section 3 of the Connecticut Constitution states: The senate shall consist of not less than thirty and not more than fifty members, each of whom shall be an elector residing in the senatorial district from which he is elected. Each senatorial district shall be contiguous as to territory and shall elect no more than one senator.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
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If there is a vacancy in the Senate, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat. The Governor must call for an election no later than 10 days after the vacancy happened. All special elections must be held no later than 46 days after a Governor's declaration. If the vacancy happened with less than 125 days left before the general election, the special election must be held on the same day as the general election. No election can be called by the Governor if the vacancy happened with less than 49 days before the general election[9].

Senators

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of June 2013
     Democratic Party 22
     Republican Party 14
Total 36


Leadership

Current leadership

Office Representative Party
President Pro Tempore Donald Williams, Jr. Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney Electiondot.png Democratic
State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney Ends.png Republican

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2010, members of the Connecticut legislature are paid $28,000 per year. They receive no per diem.[10]

The $28,000 that Connecticut legislators are paid as of 2010 is the same that they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. The per diem is also the same.[11]

When sworn in

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

Connecticut legislators assume office the Wednesday following the first Monday of the January next succeeding their election.

List of current senators

District Representative Party First elected
1 John Fonfara Electiondot.png Democratic 1996
2 Eric Coleman Electiondot.png Democratic 1994
3 Gary LeBeau Electiondot.png Democratic 1996
4 Steve Cassano Electiondot.png Democratic 2010
5 Beth Bye Electiondot.png Democratic 2010
6 Terry Gerratana Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
7 John Kissel Ends.png Republican 1992
8 Kevin Witkos Ends.png Republican 2008
9 Paul Doyle Electiondot.png Democratic 2006
10 Toni Harp Electiondot.png Democratic 1992
11 Martin Looney Electiondot.png Democratic 1993
12 Edward Meyer Electiondot.png Democratic 2004
13 Len Suzio Ends.png Republican 2011
14 Gayle Slossberg Electiondot.png Democratic 2004
15 Joan Hartley Electiondot.png Democratic 2000
16 Joe Markley Ends.png Republican 2010
17 Joseph Crisco, Jr. Electiondot.png Democratic 1992
18 Andrew Maynard Electiondot.png Democratic 2006
19 Edith Prague Electiondot.png Democratic 1994
20 Andrea Stillman Electiondot.png Democratic 2004
21 Kevin C. Kelly Ends.png Republican 2010
22 Anthony Musto Electiondot.png Democratic 2008
23 Edwin Gomes Electiondot.png Democratic 2005
24 Michael McLachlan Ends.png Republican 2008
25 Bob Duff Electiondot.png Democratic 2000
26 Antonietta Boucher Ends.png Republican 2008
27 Carlo Leone Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
28 John McKinney Ends.png Republican 1998
29 Donald Williams, Jr. Electiondot.png Democratic 1992
30 Andrew Roraback Ends.png Republican 2000
31 Jason Welch Ends.png Republican 2010
32 Robert Kane Ends.png Republican 2008
33 Eileen Daily Electiondot.png Democratic 1992
34 Len Fasano Ends.png Republican 2002
35 Tony Guglielmo Ends.png Republican 1992
36 Scott Frantz Ends.png Republican 2008

Senate Committees

Unique among the 50 state legislatures, in Connecticut, all legislative committees are joint committees of the upper house and lower house.

See also: General Assembly Committees

External links

Wikipedia-logo-en.png

References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ Length of terms of Connecticut State Senators
  4. ↑ Connecticut legislative session dates, 2010
  5. ↑ Session Scheduling Rules website and Connecticut Constitution, Article III, Section 2
  6. ↑ Hartford Courant, "Governor Malloy Delivers State Of The State Address," February 8, 2012
  7. ↑ StateScape, State Legislative Snapshot, accessed June 30, 2011
  8. ↑ Follow the Money: "Connecticut Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  9. ↑ Connecticut General Assembly "Connecticut General Statutes"(Referenced Statute 9-215(a), Connecticut General Statutes)
  10. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  11. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
v • d • e
Democrat majority Current members of the Connecticut State Senate
Senate President: Donald Williams, Jr. (D) • Majority Leader: Martin Looney (D) • Minority Leader: John McKinney (R)
Democratic (22) • Republican (14) • Connecticut State Senate • Connecticut House of Representatives
v • d • e
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