Illinois Senate

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The Illinois Senate convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.
The Illinois Senate convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.

The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from individual legislative districts determined by population. In order to avoid complete turnovers in Senate membership, under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms[1]. In contrast, the Illinois House of Representatives is made of 118 members with its entire membership elected to two-year terms. House districts are formed by dividing each Senate district in half.[2]

The Illinois Senate convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, confirm appointments to state departments and agencies, act on federal constitutional amendments and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote. The Illinois Senate tries impeachments made by the House of Representatives, and can convict impeached officers by a two-thirds vote.

Voting in the Illinois Senate is done by members pushing one of three buttons. Unlike most states, the Illinois Senate allows members to vote "yes," "no," or "present." It takes 30 affirmative votes to pass legislation during final action. The number of negative votes does not matter. Therefore the use of the "present" vote has the same effect as voting "no."

The Democratic Party of Illinois currently holds a veto-proof majority in the Illinois Senate.

Contents

[edit] Illinois State Senate - 95th General Assembly

Affiliation Members
  Democratic Party 37
  Republican Party 22
 Total
 59
 Majority
 15

Officers

[edit] Members of the Illinois Senate

District Representative Party Residence Term Up
1 Antonio Munoz Democratic Chicago 2010
2 William Delgado Democratic Chicago 2008
3 Mattie Hunter Democratic Chicago 2008
4 Kimberly A. Lightford Democratic Chicago 2010
5 Rickey R. Hendon Democratic Chicago 2008
6 John Cullerton Democratic Chicago 2008
7 Heather Steans Democratic Chicago 2008
8 Ira Silverstein Democratic Chicago 2008
9 Jeffrey Schoenberg Democratic Chicago 2008
10 James DeLeo Democratic Chicago 2010
11 Louis Viverito Democratic Chicago 2008
12 Martin Sandoval Democratic Chicago 2008
13 Kwame Raoul Democratic Chicago 2010
14 Emil Jones, Jr. Democratic Chicago 2008
15 James Meeks Democratic Chicago 2008
16 Jacqueline Y. Collins Democratic Chicago 2010
17 Donne Trotter Democratic Chicago 2008
18 Edward Maloney Democratic Chicago 2008
19 Maggie Crotty Democratic Oak Forest 2010
20 Iris Martinez Democratic Chicago 2008
21 Daniel Cronin Republican Elmhurst 2008
22 Michael Noland Democratic Elgin 2010
23 Carole Pankau Republican Bloomingdale 2008
24 Kirk W. Dillard Republican Hinsdale 2008
25 Chris Lauzen Republican Aurora 2010
26 William E. Peterson Republican Buffalo Grove 2008
27 Matt Murphy Republican Palatine 2008
28 John J. Millner Republican St. Charles 2010
29 Susan Garrett Democratic Highwood 2008
30 Terry Link Democratic Vernon Hills 2008
31 Michael Bond Democratic Grayslake 2010
32 Pamela Althoff Republican Crystal Lake 2008
33 Dan Kotowski Democratic Park Ridge 2008
34 Dave Syverson Republican Rockford 2010
35 J. Bradley Burzynski Republican Sycamore 2008
36 Mike Jacobs Democratic East Moline 2008
37 Dale Risinger Republican Peoria 2010
38 Gary G. Dahl Republican Peru 2008
39 Don Harmon Democratic Oak Park 2008
40 Debbie Halvorson Democratic Crete 2010
41 Christine Radogno Republican Lemont 2008
42 Linda Holmes Democratic Aurora 2008
43 Arthur Wilhelmi Democratic Joliet 2010
44 Bill Brady Republican Bloomington 2008
45 Tim Bivins Republican Dixon 2008
46 David Koehler Democratic Pekin 2010
47 John M. Sullivan Democratic Rushville 2008
48 Randy Hultgren Republican Wheaton 2008
49 Deanna Demuzio Democratic Carlinville 2010
50 Larry Bomke Republican Springfield 2008
51 Frank Watson Republican Greenville 2008
52 Mike Frerichs Democratic Gifford 2010
53 Dan Rutherford Republican Pontiac 2008
54 John O. Jones Republican Mount Vernon 2008
55 Dale Righter Republican Mattoon 2010
56 William R. Haine Democratic Alton 2008
57 James Clayborne, Jr. Democratic Belleville 2008
58 David Luechtefeld Republican Okawville 2010
59 Gary Forby Democratic Benton 2008

[edit] References

  1. ^ Illinois Constitution Article IV, Section 2(a) http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm
  2. ^ Illinois Constitution Article IV, Section 2(b) http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm

[edit] External links

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