Arizona State Senate

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Arizona State Senate


General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   4 terms (8 years)
2011 session start:   January 11, 2011
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Russell Pearce, (R)
Majority Leader:   Andy Biggs, (R)
Minority leader:   David Schapira, (D)
Structure
Members:  30
   Democratic Party (9) Republican Party (21)
Length of term:   2 years
Authority:   Art 4, Arizona Constitution
Salary:   $24,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (30 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (30 seats)
Redistricting:  Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission
Meeting place:

Contents

The Arizona State Senate is the upper house of the Arizona State Legislature. There are 30 state senators; they represent 30 districts each composed of an average of 213,067 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 171,021 residents.[2] Members serve two-year terms with term limits, limiting Senators to four terms (a total of eight years).[3] Members of the Republican Party are currently in the majority in the Senate.

During 2010, the Senate was in regular session from January 11th to April 29th, and it has also been in special session since February 1st.[4]

Sessions

Article IV of the Arizona Constitution establishes when the Arizona State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 3 of the Second Part of the Article contains the relevant provisions. It states that sessions are to convene on the second Monday of January of each year.

Section 3 also allows the Governor of Arizona to call special sessions of the Legislature.

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate was in regular session from January 10 through April 20. [5] Three special sessions were called in Arizona for 2011. The first special session was convened on January 19, addressing requests for a federal Medicaid exemption. A second special session was called by Governor Jan Brewer on February 14, 2011. The special session will run in tandem with the regular session, and was convened to consider business tax cuts as part of an economic development package proposed to add jobs by encouraging businesses to expand and relocate in Arizona. [6] The third special session was convened on June 10 to extend unemployment benefits. The session lasted two days, and ended on June 13 without a vote on Governor Brewer's proposal. Brewer refuses to call another special session until lawmakers support the unemployment extension. [7]

Session highlights

In the 2011 session, Arizona fixed its $1.5 billion shortfall by eliminating $1.1 billion in spending. There were no new taxes instated to help with the reductions, only tax cuts. The legislature sliced the corporate income tax rate from 6.9 percent to 4.9 percent. [8]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate was in regular session from January 11th to April 29th. The Legislature was also convened in special session since February 1st.

Elections

2012

See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2012

State senate seats in all 30 districts will be on the ballot in 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections is May 30, 2012 and the primary election day is August 28, 2012. The general election will take place on November 6, 2012.

In Arizona, senators serve two-year terms with a four consecutive term limit. There will be two senators termed out in 2012 -- Republicans Linda Gray and Ron Gould.

2010

See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2010

State senate seats in all 30 districts were on the ballot in 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was May 26, 2010, and the primary election day was August 24, 2010. The general election was on November 2, 2010.

In Arizona, senators serve two-year terms with a four consecutive term limit.

In 2010, candidates running for the state senate received a total of $2,954,711 in campaign contributions. Their top contributors were: [9]

Donor Amount
Public Fund $751,935
Davis, Rich $36,230
Konopnicki, William $33,140
Kohner, Shawn $26,132
Kohner, Stephen $25,050
Downing, Theodore $24,450
Arizona Association of Realtors $19,424
Cox Communications $17,490
Bundgaard, Scott $15,000
Arizona Medical Association $10.580

Qualifications

Article 4, Part 2, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution states: No person shall be a member of the Legislature unless he shall be a citizen of the United States at the time of his election, nor unless he shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and shall have been a resident of Arizona at least three years and of the county from which he is elected at least one year before his election.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
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If there is a vacancy in the Senate, the political party committee or the Board of County Supervisors must select a replacement. The political party committee is responsible for appointing a replacement only if the Senate district has thirty or more elected precinct committeemen[10].

The Secretary of State is required to contact the state party chairperson to give notice of the vacancy. The state chairperson must give notice of an election to fill the seat within three days of receiving notice[10].

Before an election takes place, the state chairperson must submit a list of three recommended candidates to fill the seat. The election involves all the precinct committeemen who represent the Senate district. If the Legislature is out of session, the election must be held within twenty-one days after the vacancy happened. If the Legislature is in session, the election must be held within five days after the vacancy happened[10].

The Board of County Supervisors fills vacancies in Senate districts that have less than thirty elected precinct committeemen. Also, the Board of Supervisors must select a replacement if the party committee fails to select a replacement within the specified periods. This is only for districts with thirty or more elected committeemen.

The county of residence from where the person last held the seat is responsible for making the selection. The county that is responsible for filling the vacancy must form a citizens panel. The citizens panel is charged with recommending to the Board of Supervisors three candidates to fill the vacant seat. The panel must recommend persons from the political party that last held the seat. The full county board must select a replacement within five days of receiving the list of recommended candidates[11].

The person selected to fill the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term[11].

Term limits

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Arizona legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Arizona Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Arizona senators are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.[12]

Senators

Leadership

The President of the Senate serves as presiding officer and is chosen from the Senate membership.[13][14]

Current leadership

Office Representative Party
President of the Senate Russell Pearce Republican
President Pro Tempore Sylvia Allen Republican
State Senate Majority Leader Scott Bundgaard Republican
State Senate Majority Whip Steve Pierce Republican
State Senate Minority Leader David Schapira Democrat
State Senate Assistant Minority Leader Leah Landrum-Taylor Democrat
State Senate Minority Whip Paula Aboud Democrat

2010 Leadership

Office Representative Party
President of the Senate Russell Pearce Republican
President Pro Tempore Sylvia Allen Republican
State Senate Majority Leader Scott Bundgaard Republican
State Senate Majority Whip Steve Pierce Republican
State Senate Minority Leader David Schapira Democrat
State Senate Assistant Minority Leader Leah Landrum-Taylor Democrat
State Senate Minority Whip Paula Aboud Democrat

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

Arizona state senators are paid $24,000/year. They are also paid a per diem of $35/day for the first 120 days of regular session and for special sessions and $10/day thereafter. Senators who live outside of Maricopa County are given an additional $25/day for the 1st 120 days of regular session and for special sessions and an additional $10/day thereafter.

When sworn in

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

Arizona legislators assume office on the first day of the session after they are elected. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January.

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates


Party As of September 2011
     Democratic Party 9
     Republican Party 21
Total 30


List of current members

District Senator Party Counties in district First elected
01 Steve Pierce Republican Prescott, Coconino County 2008
02 Jack C. Jackson, Jr. Democrat Flagstaff, Navajo, Apache 2010
03 Ron Gould Republican Mohave County, La Paz County N. 2004
04 Scott Bundgaard Republican Yavapai Cty South, Maricopa Cty N. 2010
05 Sylvia Allen Republican Gila County, Snowflake 2008
06 Lori Klein Republican Phoenix North, Cave Creek 2010
07 Nancy Barto Republican 2010
08 Michele Reagan Republican Phoenix North-East, Scottsdale 2010
09 Rick Murphy Republican Phoenix N-W., Sun City, Peoria 2010
10 Linda Gray Republican Phoenix North Central, Glendale 2004
11 Adam Driggs Republican Phoenix East, Paradise Valley 2010
12 John Nelson Republican Phoenix West, Litchfield Park 2008
13 Steve Gallardo Democrat Phoenix South-West, Tolleson 2010
14 Robert Meza Democrat Phoenix South Central 2010
15 Kyrsten Sinema Democrat Phoenix South-East Central 2010
16 Leah Landrum-Taylor Democrat Phoenix South, Guadalupe 2006
17 David Schapira Democrat Phoenix South-East, Tempe 2010
18 Russell Pearce Republican Mesa West, South-East Phoenix 2008
19 Rich Crandall Republican Mesa East, South-East Phoenix 2010
20 John McComish Republican Phoenix South, Chandler West 2010
21 Steve Yarbrough Republican Chandler, Queen Creek, South-East Phoen. 2010
22 Andy Biggs Republican Gilbert, Mesa South, Gold Camp 2010
23 Steve Smith Republican Pinal County 2010
24 Don Shooter Republican Yuma County, La Paz Cty South 2010
25 Gail Griffin Republican Pima County W., Cochise County 2010
26 Al Melvin Republican Oro Valley, Catalina, Tucson North 2008
27 Olivia Cajero Bedford Democrat Tucson West, Three Points 2010
28 Paula Aboud Democrat Tucson North 2006
29 Linda Lopez Democrat Tucson 2008
30 Frank Antenori Republican Green Valley, Tucson South-East 2010

Senate committees

The Arizona State Senate has fifteen (15) standing committees:

External links

References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ Term limits
  4. ↑ Session dates for Arizona legislature, 2010
  5. ↑ Timesunion.com, Ariz. Legislature ends session after all-nighter, 20 April 2011
  6. ↑ KTAR.com, Arizona governor calls special session on economy, 14 Feb. 2011
  7. ↑ Bloomberg Businessweek, Ariz. Gov won't seek session without bill backing, June 15, 2011
  8. ↑ Stateline.org, States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes, June 15, 2011
  9. ↑ Follow the Money: "Arizona 2010 Senate Campaign Contributions"
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Arizona Legislature "Arizona Revised Statutes"(Referenced Statute 41.1202 (A), Arizona Revised Statutes)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Arizona Legislature "Arizona Revised Statutes"(Referenced Statute 41.1202 (B), Arizona Revised Statutes)
  12. ↑ State legislative term limits
  13. ↑ Arizona State Senate Rules
  14. ↑ Arizona State Senate Leadership
v • d • e
Image:Reddot.png Current members of the Arizona State Senate
President: Russell Pearce (R) • President Pro Tempore: Sylvia Allen (R) • Majority Leader: Scott Bundgaard (R) • Majority Whip: Steve Pierce (R) • Minority Leader: David Schapira (D) • Minority Whip: Paula Aboud (D)
Democratic (9) • Republican (21) • Arizona State Senate • Arizona State Senate elections, 2010 • Arizona House of Representatives
v • d • e
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