Summary
The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members each representing an average of 219,859 constituents (2009 figures). Members serve two-year terms with term limits that limit Senators to four terms for a total of eight years. Members of the Republican Party are currently the majority in the Senate.
As with the Arizona House of Representatives, members to the Senate are elected from the same legislative districts as House members, however one Senator represents the constituency, while for the House there are two Representatives per district. This districting system is similar to those of the Idaho and Washington State Senate. In political science, this type of legislative district is called a multi-member district.
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.
The Senate convenes in the adjacent legislative chambers at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix.
OnAir Post: Arizona State Senate
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The Arizona State Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members each representing an average of 219,859 constituents (2009 figures). Members serve two-year terms with term limits that limit Senators to a maximum four consecutive terms (eight years) before requiring a one-term respite prior to running again. Members of the Republican Party are currently the majority in the Senate. There are currently 16 women serving in the Senate after Raquel Terán was appointed, making it the first time a majority of the body was composed of female members.
As with the Arizona House of Representatives, members to the Senate are elected from the same legislative districts as House members; however, one senator represents the constituency, while for the House there are two Representatives per district. This districting system is similar to those of the Idaho and Washington State Senate. In political science, this type of legislative district is called a multi-member district.
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal United States Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.
The Senate convenes in the adjacent legislative chambers at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix.
Leadership
Arizona, along with Oregon, Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming, is one of the five U.S. states to have abolished the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the nominal senate president in many states. As a result, the Senate elects its own presiding officer, the president of the Senate, who presides over the body, appoints members to all of the Senate's committees and to joint committees, and may create other committees and subcommittees if desired. The Senate president also appoints a president pro tempore, who serves for the duration of a session of the legislature, to preside in their absence, and may appoint a temporary president pro tempore in the absence of the president and president pro tempore.[1]
The current president of the Senate is Republican Warren Petersen of district 14, the Senate Majority Leader is Sonny Borrelli of district 30. The current minority leader is Mitzi Epstein of district 12 with Juan Mendez of district 8 as the assistant minority leader.[2]
Leadership information
| Position | Name | Party | Residence | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Warren Petersen | Republican | Gilbert | District 14 |
| President pro tempore | T. J. Shope | Republican | Coolidge | District 16 |
| Majority leader | Sonny Borrelli | Republican | Lake Havasu City | District 30 |
| Majority whip | Sine Kerr | Republican | Buckeye | District 25 |
| Minority caucus chair | Lela Alston | Democratic | Phoenix | District 5 |
| Minority leader | Mitzi Epstein | Democratic | Chandler | District 12 |
| Assistant minority leader | Juan Mendez | Democratic | Tempe | District 8 |
| Minority whip | Eva Burch | Democratic | Mesa | District 9 |
Current composition
| 14 | 16 |
| Democratic | Republican |
| Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||
| 2011–12 | 21 | 9 | 29 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 0 |
| Begin 2015 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 0 |
| End 2016 | 18 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 0 |
| 2019–20 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 0 |
| Begin 2023 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 0 |
| March 2, 2023[3] | 13 | 29 | 1 | |
| May 8, 2023[4] | 14 | 30 | 0 | |
| June 16, 2023[5] | 15 | 29 | 1 | |
| July 19, 2023[6] | 16 | 30 | 0 | |
| Latest voting share | 53.3% | 46.7% | ||
Current members, 2023–2025
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† Member was originally appointed.
Committees
The current standing committees of the Arizona Senate are as follows:
| Committee | Chair | Vice Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Appropriations | John Kavanagh | Jake Hoffman |
| Commerce | Steve Kaiser | Frank Carroll |
| Director Nominations | Jake Hoffman | Sine Kerr |
| Education | Ken Bennett | Justine Wadsack |
| Elections | Wendy Rogers | Ken Bennett |
| Finance | J. D. Mesnard | Steve Kaiser |
| Government | Jake Hoffman | Wendy Rogers |
| Health & Human Services | T. J. Shope | Janae Shamp |
| Judiciary | Anthony Kern | John Kavanagh |
| Military Affairs, Public Safety & Border Security | David Gowan | David Farnsworth |
| Natural Resources, Energy & Water | Sine Kerr | T. J. Shope |
| Rules | Warren Petersen | Sonny Borrelli |
| Transportation & Technology | David Farnsworth | Frank Carroll |
Past composition of the Senate
See also
- Arizona State Capitol
- Arizona Legislature
- Arizona House of Representatives
- List of representatives and senators of Arizona Legislature by districts (2023–2033)
- List of Arizona state legislatures
- List of state and territorial capitols in the United States
References
- ^ "Senate Rule 2: The President". Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2009.
- ^ "Member Roster". Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ Democrat Raquel Terán (district 26) resigns [1]
- ^ Democrat Flavio Bravo appointed to succeed Terán. [2]
- ^ Republican Steve Kaiser (district 2) resigns [3]
- ^ Republican Shawnna Bolick appointed to succeed Kaiser [4]
- ^ "Open Letter Raises Questions About Wendy Rogers Candidacy – Arizona Daily Independent". May 25, 2020.
External links
- Official Arizona State Senate website
- Arizona Senate at Ballotpedia
- Billhop – Arizona legislative wiki at the Wayback Machine (archived March 2, 2007)
56th Legislature (2023-present)
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