New Jersey Senate, 2016–17 term
The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature. The 2016–2017 term (216th legislative session) began on January 12, 2016 and will end on January 9, 2018. The Senators elected to this term were elected on November 5, 2013 (except for those since appointed or elected in special elections) and will serve until the end of the next term in 2018. This session was preceded by the 2014–2015 session and will be followed by the 2018–2019 session.
Composition
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Vacancies | ||
| End of previous legislature | 24 | 16 | 40 | 0 |
| Begin | 24 | 16 | 40 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 60% | 40% | ||
Leadership
The leadership for the 217th legislative session, which started on January 12, 2016, is as follows:[1]
| Position | Name | District |
|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Stephen M. Sweeney | District 3 |
| Majority Leader | Loretta Weinberg | District 37 |
| President pro tempore | Nia Gill Paul Sarlo |
District 34 District 36 |
| Assistant Majority Leaders | James Beach Linda R. Greenstein Teresa Ruiz |
District 6 District 14 District 29 |
| Majority Conference Leader | Robert M. Gordon | District 38 |
| Majority Whip | Sandra Bolden Cunningham | District 31 |
| Minority Leader | Thomas Kean, Jr. | District 21 |
| Deputy Minority Leader | Diane Allen | District 7 |
| Minority Conference Leader | Robert Singer | District 30 |
| Deputy Minority Conference Leader | Jennifer Beck | District 11 |
| Assistant Republican Leader | Joseph Pennacchio | District 40 |
| Republican Budget Officer | Anthony Bucco | District 25 |
Current senators
Senators for the 2016-17 legislative session are:[2]
† First appointed to the seat
1 O'Toole had previously served in the Senate from 2001 to 2002
Former members from this term
| District | Name | Party | Residence | First served | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18th | Barnes III, Peter J.Peter J. Barnes III | Dem | Edison | 2014 | 2016 | In May 2016, Barnes left the Senate to become a judge on New Jersey Superior Court and was replaced by Assemblymember Patrick J. Diegnan.[3] |
Committees and Committee Chairs, 2016-2017 Legislative Session
Committee chairs are: (All are Democrats)[4]
| Committee | Name |
|---|---|
| Budget and Appropriations | Paul Sarlo |
| Commerce | Nia Gill |
| Community and Urban Affairs | Jeff Van Drew |
| Economic Growth | Raymond Lesniak |
| Education | Teresa Ruiz |
| Environment and Energy | Bob Smith |
| Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens | Joseph Vitale |
| Higher Education | Sandra Bolden Cunningham |
| Judiciary | Nicholas Scutari |
| Labor | Fred H. Madden |
| Law and Public Safety | Linda R. Greenstein |
| Legislative Oversight | Robert M. Gordon |
| Military and Veterans' Affairs | James Beach |
| State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation | Jim Whelan |
| Transportation | Nicholas Sacco |
References
- ↑ Leadership, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed August 17, 2016.
- ↑ Legislative Roster 2016-2017 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed August 17, 2016.
- ↑ Johnson, Brent. "Meet the newest member of the N.J. Legislature", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 26, 2016. Accessed August 21, 2016. "Robert Karabinchak, a Democrat, was appointed to represent Middlesex County's 18th District in the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. He replaces Patrick Diegnan, a Democrat who recently moved across the Statehouse to replace Patrick [sic] Barnes III in the state Senate after Barnes was appointed as a state Superior Court judge in Middlesex County."
- ↑ New Jersey Legislature Committees and Membership 2016-2017 Legislative Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed August 17, 2016.