Michigan Senate

Michigan State Senate
Michigan State Legislature

Type
Type	Upper House of the Michigan Legislature
Term limits	2 terms (8 years)
History
New session started	January 14, 2015
Leadership
Lt. Governor	Brian Calley (R) Since January 1, 2011
Majority Leader	Arlan Meekhof (R) Since January 1, 2015
President pro Tempore	Tonya Schuitmaker (R) Since January 1, 2011
Minority Leader	Jim Ananich (D) Since January 1, 2015
Structure
Seats	38

Political groups	Governing Party Republican (27) Opposition Party Democratic (11)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article IV, Section 2, Michigan Constitution
Salary	$71,865/year + expenses
Elections
Last election	November 4, 2014 (38 seats)
Next election	Michigan Senate elections, 2018
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place

State Senate Chamber Michigan State Capitol Lansing, Michigan
Website
Michigan State Senate

The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents.^[1]

Terms and sessions

Senators are elected at the same time as the governor and serve four-year terms concurrent with the governor of Michigan's term of office. Senate and gubernatorial elections are always held two years after the election for president of the United States, with the next election scheduled for November 6, 2018. Terms for senators begin on January 1 at Noon following the November general election^[1]^[2] and, concurrently with the Governor, ends on January 1 when their replacements are sworn in. Senators are eligible to serve two full four-year terms, except for Senators who have served more than half of a four-year term may only serve one full four-year term.

Each year during which the Legislature meets constitutes a new session. A new session of the Legislature begins when the members of each house convene on the second Wednesday of January every year at noon.^[3] A regular session of the Legislature typically lasts throughout the entire year with several periods of recess and adjourns sine die in late December. Any business, bill or joint resolution pending at the final adjournment of a regular session held in an odd numbered year shall carry over with the same status to the next regular session.^[3]

Title

Members of the Senate are commonly referred to as senators. Because this shadows the terminology used to describe members of Congress, constituents and news media, using the Associated Press guidelines for journalist, often refer to members as state senator to avoid confusion with their federal counterparts. As elected officials, members of the Senate also receive the courtesy title of the Honorable (abbreviated to Hon. or Hon'ble) for life.

Meeting place

Billie S. Farnum Senate Office Building, Downtown Lansing

The Michigan Senate convenes in the Senate chamber in the south wing of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. Their offices are located in the Billie S. Farnum Senate Office Building at the southeast corner of Capitol Avenue and Allegan Street adjacent to the Capitol.^[4]

There are six large portraits displayed in the Senate Chamber. At the right of the President's chair, is a full-length portrait of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, and on the left is a full-length portrait of Governor Austin Blair - painted by Michigan artist Alvah Bradish. The two portraits are hanging in the same location as they were when the Capitol was dedicated in 1879. At the back of the Senate Chamber, the portraits of Governor Henry H. Crapo and Russell A. Alger are located on the northeast wall. The portraits of Governor Lewis Cass and State Senator Eva M. Hamilton are located on the northwest wall. All of these individuals were featured in portraits that hung in the Senate Chamber prior to the restoration in 1989. All of them, except Hamilton, are earlier period portraits with a long history in the Chamber. They were painted before the Capitol Building was built or when it was still very young.^[5]

Composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total

	Republican	Democratic			Vacant
End of Previous Legislature	26	12		38	0

Beginning of 2015	27	11		38	0
May 12, 2015^[6]	27	10	1	38	0
April 12, 2016^[7]	27	10		37	1
Latest voting share	7001730000000000000♠73%	7001270000000000000♠27%

Leadership

Under the Michigan Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan serves as President of the Senate but may only cast a vote in the instance of a tie.^[3] The Senate selects its other officers and adopts its own rules of procedure at the start of a new legislative session.

Presiding Officers

Current presiding officers of the Michigan Senate:^[8]

President: Brian Calley
President pro tempore: Tonya Schuitmaker
Assistant President pro tempore: Margaret O'Brien
Associate President pro tempore: Hoon-Yung Hopgood

Majority Leadership

The Republican Caucus, with 27 members, currently holds the majority.^[9]

Current majority leadership of the Michigan Senate:^[8]

Majority Leader: Arlan Meekhof
Assistant Majority Leader: Goeff Hansen
Majority Floor Leader: Mike Kowall
Assistant Majority Floor Leader: Jim Stamas
Majority Caucus Chairperson: David B. Robertson
Assistant Majority Caucus Chairperson: Rick Jones
Majority Whip: Jack Brandenburg
Assistant Majority Whip: Darwin L. Booher

Minority Leadership

The Democratic Caucus, with 11 members, is currently in the minority.^[9]

Current minority leadership of the Michigan Senate:^[8]

Minority Leader: Jim Ananich
Assistant Minority Leader: Steve Bieda
Minority Floor Leader: Morris Hood III
Assistant Minority Floor Leader: Coleman Young II
Minority Caucus Chair: David Knezek
Assistant Minority Caucus Chair: Vincent Gregory
Minority Whip: Curtis Hertel Jr.
Assistant Minority Whip: Vacant

Members of the Michigan Senate

Republicans currently hold 27 seats in the Senate and Democrats hold 11 seats.^[9]

District	Senator	Party	Residence	Eligible for re-election in 2018?
1	Coleman Young II	Dem	Detroit	No
2	Bert Johnson	Dem	Highland Park	No
3	Morris Hood III	Dem	Detroit	No
4	Vacant	N/A	N/A	N/A
5	David Knezek	Dem	Dearborn Heights	Yes
6	Hoon-Yung Hopgood	Dem	Taylor	No
7	Patrick Colbeck	Rep	Canton Township	No
8	Jack Brandenburg	Rep	Harrison Township	No
9	Steven Bieda	Dem	Warren	No
10	Tory Rocca	Rep	Sterling Heights	No
11	Vincent Gregory	Dem	Southfield	No
12	Jim Marleau	Rep	Lake Orion	No
13	Marty Knollenberg	Rep	Troy	Yes
14	David B. Robertson	Rep	Grand Blanc Township	No
15	Mike Kowall	Rep	White Lake Township	No
16	Mike Shirkey	Rep	Clarklake	Yes
17	Dale Zorn	Rep	Ida	Yes
18	Rebekah Warren	Dem	Ann Arbor	No
19	Mike Nofs	Rep	Battle Creek	No
20	Margaret O'Brien	Rep	Portage	Yes
21	John Proos	Rep	St. Joseph	No
22	Joe Hune	Rep	Hamburg Township	No
23	Curtis Hertel Jr.	Dem	Meridian Township	Yes
24	Rick Jones	Rep	Grand Ledge	No
25	Phil Pavlov	Rep	St. Clair Township	No
26	Tonya Schuitmaker	Rep	Antwerp Township	No
27	Jim Ananich	Dem	Flint	No
28	Peter MacGregor	Rep	Rockford	Yes
29	Dave Hildenbrand	Rep	Lowell	No
30	Arlan Meekhof	Rep	West Olive	No
31	Mike Green	Rep	Mayville	No
32	Kenneth Horn	Rep	Frankenmuth	Yes
33	Judy Emmons	Rep	Sheridan	No
34	Goeff Hansen	Rep	Hart	No
35	Darwin L. Booher	Rep	Evart	No
36	Jim Stamas	Rep	Midland	Yes
37	Wayne Schmidt	Rep	Traverse City	Yes
38	Tom Casperson	Rep	Escanaba	No

References

1 2 "Senate Information". Michigan Senate. Retrieved 2015-01-02.
↑ "Michigan State Constitution - Article XI, Section 2". Michigan Legislative Website. 1963. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
1 2 3 "Michigan State Constitution - Article IV, Section 13". Michigan Legislative Website. 1963. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
↑ Smith, Brian (July 17, 2014). "Where to move? Michigan Senate wants new office space in downtown Lansing". MLive.com. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
↑ "Senate Chamber Portraits". Michigan State Senate. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
↑ Democrat Virgil Smith, Jr. (District 4) was removed from the Democratic caucus after his arrest on multiple felonies.
↑ After resignation of Sen. Virgil Smith (D-Detroit)
1 2 3 "Michigan State Senate Officers". Michigan Senate. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
1 2 3 "2014 Live Michigan election results: State Senate races". MLive.com. November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2014.

External links

Members of the Michigan State Senate

President of the Senate: Brian Calley (R)
President pro Tempore: Tonya Schuitmaker (R)
Majority Leader: Arlan Meekhof (R)
Minority Leader: Jim Ananich (D)

Vincent Gregory (D)
Jim Marleau (R)
Marty Knollenberg (R)
David B. Robertson (R)
Mike Kowall (R)
Mike Shirkey (R)
Dale Zorn (R)
Rebekah Warren (D)
Mike Nofs (R)
Margaret O'Brien (R)

John Proos (R)
Joe Hune (R)
Curtis Hertel Jr. (D)
Rick Jones (R)
Phil Pavlov (R)
Tonya Schuitmaker (R)
Jim Ananich (D)
Peter MacGregor (R)
Dave Hildenbrand (R)
Arlan Meekhof (R)

Mike Green (R)
Kenneth Horn (R)
Judy Emmons (R)
Goeff Hansen (R)
Darwin L. Booher (R)
Jim Stamas (R)
Wayne Schmidt (R)
Tom Casperson (R)

Legislatures of the United States

United States Congress	United States House of Representatives United States Senate

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Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 151257281 LCCN: n79059058 GND: 131214-5

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