Iowa Senate
Coordinates: 41°35′28″N 93°36′14″W / 41.591°N 93.604°W
| Iowa Senate | |
|---|---|
| Iowa General Assembly | |
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| Type | |
| Type | Upper house |
| Term limits | None |
| New session started | January 10, 2011 |
| Leadership | |
| President of the Senate | Jack Kibbie, (D) since January 8, 2007 |
| President pro Tempore | Jeff Danielson, (D) since January 8, 2007 |
| Majority Leader | Michael Gronstal, (D) since January 8, 2007 |
| Minority Leader | Jerry Behn, (R) since November 10, 2011 |
| Structure | |
| Members | 50 |
| Political groups | Democratic Party (26) Republican Party (23) |
| Length of term | 4 years |
| Authority | Legislative Department, Section 3, Iowa Constitution |
| Salary | $25,000/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election | November 2, 2010 (25 seats) |
| Next election | November 6, 2012 (25 seats) |
| Redistricting |
Legislative Service Agency makes plan |
| Meeting place | |
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| State Senate Chamber Iowa State Capitol Des Moines, Iowa |
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| Website | |
| Iowa General Assembly | |
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, Iowa's legislature. There are 50 people in the Senate, one for each of 50 districts in Iowa. Each district has about 59,500 people in it. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts. The Senate meets at the Iowa State Captiol in Des Moines.
Unlike the Iowa House of Representatives, Senate members - called "senators"—have terms of four years. Half of the Senate is elected every two years, in even-numbered years. There are no terms limits for the Senate.
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Leadership [change]
The President of the Senate is the leader of the Senate and serves as its chair. The Senate President also sends legislation to committees. Unlike the Speaker of the Iowa House, the Senate President does not put representatives on committees.[1] The Lieutenant Governor of Iowa was the President of the Senate until 1991, when a constitutional amendment separated the jobs. Other Senate leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their party's members.
The President of the Senate is Democrat Jack Kibbie of the 4th District (Emmetsburg). The Majority Leader is Democrat Michael Gronstal of the 50th District (Council Bluffs). The Minority Leader is Republican Jerry Behn of the 24th District (Boone).
Leaders [change]
| Position | Name | Party | Residence | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Jack Kibbie | Democratic | Emmetsburg | 4 |
| Majority Leader | Michael Gronstal | Democratic | Council Bluffs | 50 |
| Minority Leader | Jerry Behn | Republican | Boone | 24 |
Current composition [change]
| Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Empty | ||
| End of last session | 27 | 22 | 49 | 1 |
| Beginning of new session | 26 | 24 | 50 | 0 |
| September 16, 2011[2] | 25 | 49 | 1 | |
| November 21, 2011[3] | 26 | 50 | 0 | |
| October 15, 2012[4] | 23 | 49 | 0 | |
| Now | 26 | 23 | ||
Past notable members [change]
- Steve King, U.S. House Representative, 2003 to present.
- Samuel J. Kirkwood, two time Governor of Iowa (1860–1864), (1876–1877); two time U.S. Senator (1866–1867), (1877–1881); U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1881–1882).
- Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007, Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in 2006, and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
- George A. Wilson, Governor of Iowa from 1939 to 1943.
- George G. Wright, U.S. Senator from 1871 to 1877.
- Patty Judge, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture from 1999 to 2007, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 2007 to 2011
Related pages [change]
References [change]
- ↑ "The Three Branches of Government". Iowa General Assembly. http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Pubinfo/BranchesGov.html. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ↑ Democrat Swati Dandekar (District 18) resigned after joining the Iowa Utilities Board.
- ↑ Democrat Liz Mathis elected to replace Dandekar.
- ↑ Republican Pat Ward died.
Other websites [change]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Iowa State Senators of the 84th General Assembly |
- Iowa Legislature official government website
- Iowa Senate at Ballotpedia
- State Senate of Iowa at Project Vote Smart
- Iowa Senate Democrats
- Iowa Senate Republicans
- Current Iowa Senators
