Indiana State Senate

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Indiana State Senate


General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2012 session start:   January 4, 2012
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   David Long, (R)
Majority Leader:   Connie Lawson, (R)
Minority leader:   Vi Simpson, (D)
Structure
Members:  50
   Democratic Party (13)
Republican Party (37)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art IV, Indiana Constitution
Salary:   $22,616/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (25 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (25 seats)
Redistricting:  Indiana Legislature has control

Contents

The Indiana State Senate is the upper house in the Indiana Legislature. It consists of 50 members, each representing a district that is identified by a number. The Senators serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Half of the Senate is up for re-election every two years. Each member represents an average of 129,676 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 121,610 residents.[2]

The session of the Indiana State Senate begins the first Tuesday after the first Monday every January. In odd numbered years, the Senate must meet 61 days, though not consecutive, and adjourn no later than April 30. The sessions in the odd numbered years are called a "long" session. In even numbered years when elections are held, the Senate must meet for 30 days (not consecutive) and adjourn no later than March 15. The sessions in the even numbered years are a called "short" session.

Sessions

Article 4 of the Indiana Constitution establishes when the Indiana General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 9 of Article 4 states that the General Assembly will begin its regular session on the Tuesday following the second Monday in January of each year. However, Section 9 allows the starting state for the session to be changed by law. This has happened in Indiana in 2010, as the General Assembly's session convened on January 5th instead of the constitutionally designated date, which was January 12th.

Section 9 also gives the Governor of Indiana the power to call special sessions of the General Assembly.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate will be in session from January 4 through March 14.

Major issues

Main issues include "Right-to-work" legislation, a statewide smoking ban, a tax raise to finance a mass transit system, and eliminating the state's inheritance tax.[3] The issue at the heart of the matter is "right-to-work" legislation that Republicans have long said would be their top priority in 2012. The legislation seeks to ban companies and unions from negotiating a contract that requires non-union members to pay union dues. Republicans argue the move would bring jobs to the state while Democrats say it will lead to lower wages.[4]

2011

In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 5th to April 29th.

Session highlights

In the 2011 session, the Indiana legislature reduced the corporate income tax from 8.5 to 6.5 percent, spread over four years. [5]

Budget surplus

At the end of the 2011 fiscal year in July 2011, the Daniels administration revealed a $1.2 billion surplus.

The state's unexpected extra income came from the administration's ability to make deep budget cuts, along with higher than anticipated tax revenues. The budget cuts raked in nearly $460 million more than the $597 million the state had originally aimed for last July. Tax collections also contributed to the surplus, bringing in $204 million more than it had projected, with $195 million coming from income taxes.[6]

Despite the optimism, not everyone in Indiana viewed the surplus positively. House Minority Leader Pat Bauer claimed that the administration's report was "gimmicky," referring to cuts that were made to health care and education. The state school system reportedly bore much of the budget cutting burden since July 2010, returning $325 million from the $6.9 billion that it was allotted in the previous budget.[6]

David Patterson, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 62, said that "demonized" state employees should receive some of the surplus, in part because they had to work harder to account for the many eliminated positions.[6]

After the surplus was revealed, Daniels stated that the extra money would be put into savings, rather than trying to fix the past and reverse previous cuts.[6]

Hoosiers nearly made off with their own piece of the surplus, but the numbers fell just shy. The amount necessary to trigger automatic tax refunds is 10 percent or more of general spending. The $1.2 billion landed just short of that, at 9.1 percent.[6]

"Governmental streamlining"

In a blunder that state policy website Stateline wryly called "a stunning feat of governmental streamlining," legislators accidentally abolished Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) at the end of June 2011 due to a clerical mistake in a bill meant to save it.

The Administration, which "manages Medicaid and other major programs for Indiana's poor, elderly and disabled," was scheduled to "sunset," or cease operations, on June 30.[7] Lawmakers passed a bill to extend the agency's operations; the law, however, went into effect on July 1, meaning the FSSA was allowed to disappear a day before it was scheduled to be saved. Governor Mitch Daniels (R) subsequently issued an executive order on July 7 allowing the agency to continue operations.

Daniels's executive order will hold until legislators can correct their mistake or until he issues an annual order. According to gubernatorial spokeswoman Jane Jankowski, the agency was previously run by executive order before it was codified into law.

Democratic and Republican legislators blamed each other for the mix-up; the GOP claimed that a five-week walkout by Dems led to a time crunch for the legislature's bill drafters, while Democrats accused their rivals of failing to pass their agenda in a timely manner.[8]

2010

In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 5th to March 12th.

Elections

2012

See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate will be held in Indiana on November 6, 2012. A total of 25 seats will be up for election.

The signature filing deadline is February 24, 2012 and the primary date is set for May 8, 2012.

2010

See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Indiana State Senator were held in Indiana on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was February 19, 2010 for Republicans and Democrats, and June 30 for Independents and other candidates. The primary election day was on May 4, 2010.

Elections were held in 25 of Indiana's 50 senate districts, with incumbents running in 22 of the races.

The partisan breakdown of the Senate before and after the election was as follows:


Indiana State Senate
Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election
     Democratic Party 17 14
     Republican Party 33 36
Total 50 50


In 2010, the total amount of contributions raised in state senate elections was $4,046,473. The top donors were: [9]

Donor Amount
Senate Majority Campaign Cmte of Indiana $578,408
Indiana Democratic Party $532,797
Indiana Republican Party $305,368
Indiana State Teachers Association $82,287
Indiana Trial Lawyers Association $78,200
AT&T $73,550
Hoosiers for Economic Growth $72,500
Indiana Hospital Association $56,750
Vision Concepts $56,689
Indiana Motor Truck Association $56,150


Qualifications

To be eligible to serve in the Indiana State Senate, a candidate must be:[10]

  • A United States citizen at the time of election
  • Have resided in the state for at least two years and in the senate district for at least one year before the election
  • Be at least twenty-five (25) years old upon taking office;
  • Registered to vote in the election district the person seeks to represent not later than the deadline for filing the declaration or petition of candidacy or certificate of nomination

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
NevadaMassachusettsColoradoNew MexicoWyomingArizonaMontanaCaliforniaOregonWashingtonIdahoTexasOklahomaKansasNebraskaSouth DakotaNorth DakotaMinnesotaIowaMissouriArkansasLouisianaMississippiAlabamaGeorgiaFloridaSouth CarolinaIllinoisWisconsinTennesseeNorth CarolinaIndianaOhioKentuckyPennsylvaniaNew JerseyNew YorkVermontVermontNew HampshireMaineWest VirginiaVirginiaMarylandMarylandConnecticutConnecticutDelawareDelawareRhode IslandRhode IslandMassachusettsNew HampshireMichiganMichiganAlaska

Whenever there is a vacancy in the Senate, the state committee of a political party must appoint a replacement. The appointee selected by the state committee is contingent upon the approval of the state party chairperson. A special election is only allowed if the vacant seat is left by an independent[11].

Senators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2010, members of the Indiana Senate are paid $22,616.46/year. Additionally, legislators receive $138/day per diem tied to the federal rate.[12]

The $22,66.46/year that Idaho Senators are paid as of 2010 is an increase over the $11,600/year they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $137/day in 2007 to $138/day in 2010.[13]

When sworn in

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

Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of February 2012
     Democratic Party 13
     Republican Party 37
Total 50


Leadership

The Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Senate. [14][15]

Current leadership

Office Representative Party
President of the Senate Becky Skillman Republican
President Pro Tempore of the Senate David Long Republican
State Senate Assistant President Pro Tempore Sue Landske Republican
State Senate Majority Floor Leader Connie Lawson Republican
State Senate Assistant Majority Leader Brent Steele Republican
State Senate Majority Caucus Leader James Merritt, Jr. Republican
State Senate Assistant Majority Caucus Leader Gary Dillon Republican
State Senate Assistant Majority Caucus Leader Carlin Yoder Republican
State Senate Majority Whip Brandt Hershman Republican
State Senate Assistant Majority Whip Travis Holdman Republican
State Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson Democratic
State Senate Assistant Minority Leader Timothy Lanane Democratic
State Senate Minority Caucus Leader Jim Arnold Democratic
State Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore Richard Young Democratic
State Senate Minority Whip Lindel Hume Democratic
State Senate Minority Whip Earline Rogers Democratic
State Senate Assistant Minority Caucus Leader Jean Breaux Democratic

List of current members

District Representative Party Residence
1 Frank Mrvan Democratic Hammond
2 Lonnie Randolph Democratic East Chicago
3 Earline Rogers Democratic Gary
4 Karen Tallian Democratic Portage
5 Ed Charbonneau Republican Valparaiso
6 Sue Landske Republican Cedar Lake
7 Brandt Hershman Republican Wheatfield
8 Jim Arnold Democratic LaPorte
9 Ryan Mishler Republican Bremen
10 John Broden Democratic South Bend
11 Joe Zakas Republican Granger
12 Carlin Yoder Republican Goshen
13 Susan Glick Republican
14 Dennis Kruse Republican Auburn
15 Thomas Wyss Republican Fort Wayne
16 David Long Republican Fort Wayne
17 Jim Banks Republican Columbia City
18 Randall Head Republican Logansport
19 Travis Holdman Republican Hartford City
20 Luke Kenley Republican Noblesville
21 James Buck Republican Westfield
22 Ronnie Alting Republican Lafayette
23 Phil Boots Republican Crawfordsville
24 Connie Lawson Republican Danville
25 Timothy Lanane Democratic Anderson
26 Doug Eckerty Republican Yorktown
27 Allen Paul Republican Richmond
28 Beverly Gard Republican Greenfield
29 Mike Delph Republican Carmel
30 Scott Schneider Republican Indianapolis
31 James Merritt, Jr. Republican Indianapolis
32 Patricia L. Miller Republican Indianapolis
33 Greg Taylor Democratic Indianapolis
34 Jean Breaux Democratic Indianapolis
35 R. Michael Young Republican Indianapolis
36 Brent Waltz Republican Greenwood
37 Richard Bray Republican Martinsville
38 Timothy Skinner Democratic Terre Haute
39 John Waterman Republican Shelburn
40 Vi Simpson Democratic Bloomington
41 Greg Walker Republican Columbus
42 Jean Leising Republican Milroy
43 Johnny Nugent Republican Lawrenceburg
44 Brent Steele Republican Bedford
45 Jim Smith Republican Charlestown
46 Ron Grooms Republican New Albany
47 Richard Young Democratic Milltown
48 Lindel Hume Democratic Princeton
49 Jim Tomes Republican Mount Vernon
50 Vaneta Becker Republican Evansville

Standing Senate Committees

The Indiana Senate has 20 standing committees:

External links

References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Lawmakers face rematch with 'thousand-pound gorilla'," January 3, 2012
  4. ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Rare joint hearing accelerates 'right to work' bill," January 6, 2012
  5. ↑ Stateline.org, States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes, June 15, 2011
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Nwi.com, Indiana ends budget year with $1.2B surplus, July 14, 2011
  7. ↑ Evansville Courier & Press, "Indiana governor revives agency mistakenly canceled," July 10, 2011.
  8. ↑ Stateline, "Clerical error eliminates Indiana's largest state agency," July 11, 2011.
  9. ↑ Follow the Money: "Indiana Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  10. ↑ 2010 Candidate Guide - Qualifications for Indiana State Senator
  11. ↑ FindLaw "Indiana Code"(Referenced Statute Indiana Code §3-13-5-0.1)
  12. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  13. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  14. ↑ Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus Leadership
  15. ↑ Indiana Senate Republican Caucus Leadership
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