Michigan Senate

Michigan State Senate
Michigan State Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
2 terms (8 years)
History
New session started
January 14, 2015
Leadership
Brian Calley (R)
Since January 1, 2011
Majority Leader
Arlan Meekhof (R)
Since January 1, 2015
President pro Tempore
Tonya Schuitmaker (R)
Since January 1, 2011
Minority Leader
Jim Ananich (D)
Since January 1, 2015
Structure
Seats 38
Political groups

Governing Party

Opposition Party

Length of term
4 years
Authority Article IV, Section 2, Michigan Constitution
Salary $71,865/year + expenses
Elections
Last election
November 4, 2014
(38 seats)
Next election
November 6, 2018
(38 seats)
Redistricting Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Michigan State Capitol
Lansing, Michigan
Website
Michigan State Senate

The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents.[1]

Terms and sessions

Senators are elected at the same time as the governor and serve four-year terms concurrent with the governor of Michigan's term of office. Senate and gubernatorial elections are always held two years after the election for president of the United States, with the next election scheduled for November 6, 2018. Terms for senators begin on January 1 at Noon following the November general election[1][2] and, concurrently with the Governor, ends on January 1 when their replacements are sworn in. Senators are eligible to serve two full four-year terms, except for Senators who have served more than half of a four-year term may only serve one full four-year term.

Each year during which the Legislature meets constitutes a new session. A new session of the Legislature begins when the members of each house convene on the second Wednesday of January every year at noon.[3] A regular session of the Legislature typically lasts throughout the entire year with several periods of recess and adjourns sine die in late December. Any business, bill or joint resolution pending at the final adjournment of a regular session held in an odd numbered year shall carry over with the same status to the next regular session.[3]

Title

Members of the Senate are commonly referred to as senators. Because this shadows the terminology used to describe members of Congress, constituents and news media, using the Associated Press guidelines for journalist, often refer to members as state senator to avoid confusion with their federal counterparts. As elected officials, members of the Senate also receive the courtesy title of the Honorable (abbreviated to Hon. or Hon'ble) for life.

Meeting place

Billie S. Farnum Senate Office Building, Downtown Lansing

The Michigan Senate convenes in the Senate chamber in the south wing of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. Their offices are located in the Billie S. Farnum Senate Office Building at the southeast corner of Capitol Avenue and Allegan Street adjacent to the Capitol.[4]

There are six large portraits displayed in the Senate Chamber. At the right of the President's chair, is a full-length portrait of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, and on the left is a full-length portrait of Governor Austin Blair - painted by Michigan artist Alvah Bradish. The two portraits are hanging in the same location as they were when the Capitol was dedicated in 1879. At the back of the Senate Chamber, the portraits of Governor Henry H. Crapo and Russell A. Alger are located on the northeast wall. The portraits of Governor Lewis Cass and State Senator Eva M. Hamilton are located on the northwest wall. All of these individuals were featured in portraits that hung in the Senate Chamber prior to the restoration in 1989. All of them, except Hamilton, are earlier period portraits with a long history in the Chamber. They were painted before the Capitol Building was built or when it was still very young.[5]

Composition

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
End of Previous Legislature 26 12 38 0
Begin session 2015 27 11 38 0
May 12, 2015[6] 10 1
April 12, 2016[7] 10 37 1
November 8, 2016[8] 11 38 0
Latest voting share 71% 29%

Leadership

Under the Michigan Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan serves as President of the Senate but may only cast a vote in the instance of a tie.[9] The Senate selects its other officers and adopts its own rules of procedure at the start of a new legislative session.

Presiding Officers

Current presiding officers of the Michigan Senate:[10]

Majority Leadership

The Republican Caucus, with 27 members, currently holds the majority.[11]

Current majority leadership of the Michigan Senate:[10]

Minority Leadership

The Democratic Caucus, with 11 members, is currently in the minority.[11]

Current minority leadership of the Michigan Senate:[10]

Members of the Michigan Senate

District Senator Party Residence Eligible for
re-election in 2018?
1 Coleman Young II Dem Detroit No
2 Bert Johnson Dem Highland Park No
3 Morris Hood III Dem Detroit No
4 Ian Conyers Dem Detroit Yes
5 David Knezek Dem Dearborn Heights Yes
6 Hoon-Yung Hopgood Dem Taylor No
7 Patrick Colbeck Rep Canton Township No
8 Jack Brandenburg Rep Harrison Township No
9 Steven Bieda Dem Warren No
10 Tory Rocca Rep Sterling Heights No
11 Vincent Gregory Dem Southfield No
12 Jim Marleau Rep Lake Orion No
13 Marty Knollenberg Rep Troy Yes
14 David B. Robertson Rep Grand Blanc Township No
15 Mike Kowall Rep White Lake Township No
16 Mike Shirkey Rep Clarklake Yes
17 Dale Zorn Rep Ida Yes
18 Rebekah Warren Dem Ann Arbor No
19 Mike Nofs Rep Battle Creek No
20 Margaret O'Brien Rep Portage Yes
21 John Proos Rep St. Joseph No
22 Joe Hune Rep Hamburg Township No
23 Curtis Hertel Jr. Dem Meridian Township Yes
24 Rick Jones Rep Grand Ledge No
25 Phil Pavlov Rep St. Clair Township No
26 Tonya Schuitmaker Rep Antwerp Township No
27 Jim Ananich Dem Flint Yes
28 Peter MacGregor Rep Rockford Yes
29 Dave Hildenbrand Rep Lowell No
30 Arlan Meekhof Rep West Olive No
31 Mike Green Rep Mayville No
32 Kenneth Horn Rep Frankenmuth Yes
33 Judy Emmons Rep Sheridan No
34 Goeff Hansen Rep Hart No
35 Darwin L. Booher Rep Evart No
36 Jim Stamas Rep Midland Yes
37 Wayne Schmidt Rep Traverse City Yes
38 Tom Casperson Rep Escanaba No

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Senate Information". Michigan Senate. Retrieved 2015-01-02.
  2. "Michigan State Constitution - Article XI, Section 2". Michigan Legislative Website. 1963. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  3. 1 2 "Michigan State Constitution - Article IV, Section 13". Michigan Legislative Website. 1963. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  4. Smith, Brian (July 17, 2014). "Where to move? Michigan Senate wants new office space in downtown Lansing". MLive.com. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  5. "Senate Chamber Portraits". Michigan State Senate. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  6. Democrat Virgil Smith, Jr. (District 4) was removed from the Democratic caucus after his arrest on multiple felonies.
  7. Virgil Smith resigned after being convicted of a felony.
  8. Ian Conyers wins special election to fill vacancy created by Virgil Smith.
  9. "Michigan State Constitution - Article V, Section 25". Michigan Legislative Website. 1963. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  10. 1 2 3 "Michigan State Senate Officers". Michigan Senate. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  11. 1 2 "2014 Live Michigan election results: State Senate races". MLive.com. November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2014.

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