Tennessee Senate

Last updated

Senate of Tennessee
Tennessee General Assembly
Seal of Tennessee.svg
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 14, 2025
Leadership
Randy McNally (R)
since January 10, 2017
Speaker pro tempore
Ferrell Haile (R)
since January 19, 2018
Majority Leader
Jack Johnson (R)
since January 8, 2019
Minority Leader
Raumesh Akbari (D)
since January 10, 2023
Structure
Seats33
Tennessee Senate.svg
Political groups
Majority party
  •   Republican (27)

Minority party

Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle III, Tennessee Constitution
Salary$24,316/year + per diem, employee benefits, travel reimbursement [1]
Elections
Last election
 November 8, 2022
(17 seats)
Next election
 November 5, 2024
(16 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
Tennessee Senate 2022b.jpg
State Senate Chamber
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, Tennessee
Website
Tennessee Senate
Rules
Permanent Rules of Order
for the 113th General Assembly

The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.

Contents

The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue regarding the state, country, or world. The Senate also has the power to create and enforce its own rules and qualifications for its members. The Senate shares these powers with the Tennessee House of Representatives. The Senate alone has the power to host impeachment proceeding and remove impeached members of office with a 2/3 majority. The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators are to be elected from districts of substantially equal population. According to the Tennessee constitution, a county is not to be joined to a portion of another county for purposes of creating a district; this provision has been overridden by the rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States in Baker v. Carr (369 U.S. 182, 1962) and Reynolds v. Sims (337 U.S. 356, 1964). The Tennessee constitution has been amended to allow that if these rulings are ever changed or reversed, a referendum may be held to allow the senate districts to be drawn on a basis other than substantially equal population.

Until 1966, Tennessee state senators served two-year terms. That year the system was changed, by constitutional amendment, to allow four-year terms. In that year, senators in even-numbered districts were elected to two-year terms and those in odd-numbered districts were elected to four-year terms. This created a staggered system in which only half of the senate is up for election at any one time. Senators from even-numbered districts are elected in the same years as presidential elections, and senators from odd-numbered districts are elected in the same years as mid-term elections. Districts are to be sequentially and consecutively numbered; the scheme basically runs from east to west and north to south.[ citation needed ]

Republicans attained an elected majority in the Senate in the 104th General Assembly (2005–07) for the first time since Reconstruction; a brief majority in the 1990s was the result of two outgoing senators switching parties. Following the 2018 elections, there were no Democratic senators from East Tennessee. There were three Democrats from Memphis in West Tennessee, and three from Middle Tennessee, two from Nashville and one from the Nashville suburb of Goodlettsville.

Senate Speaker

According to Article III, Section 12 of the Constitution of the State of Tennessee, the Speaker of the Senate assumes Office of Governor in the event of a Vacancy. The Senate elects one of its own members as Speaker and the Speaker automatically becomes Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. The Speaker appoints a Speaker Pro Tempore who presides over the Senate in the absence of the Speaker as well as a Deputy speaker to assist the Speaker in his or her duties. The current Speaker of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor is Randy McNally, who was elected to the position in 2017. One of the main duties of the Speaker is to preside over the Senate and make Senate committee appointments based upon ability and preference of members, seniority, and party representation. The Speaker also maintains the power to remove members from Committee appointments. The Speaker, in cohort with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, chairs the Joint Legislative Services Committee which provides assistance to the General Assembly. The Speaker also controls staffing and office space with Senate staff. The Speaker serves as an ex-officio member of all standing committees. [2]

Oath and qualifications of office

Oath of office

"I [name of official] do solemnly swear that, as a member of this, the [number, ex. One Hundred Eleventh] General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, I will faithfully support the Constitution of this State and of the United States, and I do solemnly affirm that as a member of this General Assembly, I will, in all appointments, vote without favor, affection, partiality, or prejudice; and that I will not propose or assent to any bill, vote or resolution, which shall appear to me injurious to the people, or consent to any act or thing, whatever, that shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge their rights and privileges, as declared by the Constitution of this state." [2]

Qualifications for office

"No person shall be a senator unless he shall be a citizen of the United States, of the age of thirty years, and shall have resided three years in this state, and one year in the county or district, immediately preceding the election." [2]

Composition of the 113th General Assembly (2023-2025)

AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
End of previous legislature276330
Beginning of 113th GA276330
Latest voting share

Senate Leadership and Members

Senate Leaders [3]

Majority Party (R)Leadership PositionMinority Party (D)
Jack Johnson Leader Raumesh Akbari
Ken Yager Caucus Chairperson London Lamar

Members

DistrictNamePartyFirst electedResidenceCounties represented
1 J. Adam Lowe Rep2022 Calhoun Meigs, McMinn, Rhea, and part of Bradley
2 Art Swann Rep2016 Alcoa Blount, Monroe, Polk, and part of Bradley
3 Rusty Crowe Rep1990 Johnson City Carter, Johnson, and Washington
4 Jon Lundberg Rep2016 Bristol Hawkins, Sullivan
5 Randy McNally Rep1986 Oak Ridge Anderson, Loudon, and part of Knox
6 Becky Duncan Massey Rep2011* Knoxville Part of Knox
7 Richard Briggs Rep2014 Knoxville Part of Knox
8 Frank S. Niceley Rep2012 Strawberry Plains Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Jefferson, Union, and part of Sevier
9 Steve Southerland Rep2002 Morristown Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Unicoi, and part of Sevier
10 Todd Gardenhire Rep2012 Chattanooga Bledsoe, Marion, Sequatchie, and part of Hamilton
11 Bo Watson Rep2006 Hixson Part of Hamilton
12 Ken Yager Rep2008 Kingston Campbell, Clay, Fentress, Macon, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Roane, and Scott
13 Dawn White Rep2018 Murfreesboro Part of Rutherford
14 Shane Reeves Rep2017* Murfreesboro Bedford, Cannon, Moore, and part of Rutherford
15 Paul Bailey Rep2014 Sparta Cumberland, Jackson, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, and White
16 Janice Bowling Rep2012 Tullahoma Coffee, DeKalb, Franklin, Grundy, Lincoln, and Warren
17 Mark Pody Rep2017* Lebanon Wilson and part of Davidson
18 Ferrell Haile Rep2012 Gallatin Sumner, and Trousdale
19 Charlane Oliver Dem2022 Nashville Part of Davidson
20 Heidi Campbell Dem2020 Nashville Part of Davidson
21 Jeff Yarbro Dem2014 Nashville Part of Davidson
22 Bill Powers Rep2019* Clarksville Part of Montgomery
23 Kerry Roberts Rep2014 (2011*) Springfield Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Humphreys, Robertson, and part of Montgomery
24 John Stevens Rep2012 Huntingdon Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Houston, Obion, Stewart, and Weakley
25 Ed Jackson Rep2014 Jackson Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Henderson, and Lake, Madison, and Perry
26 Page Walley Rep2020 Bolivar Chester, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lawrence, McNairy, and Wayne
27 Jack Johnson Rep2006 Franklin Part of Williamson
28 Joey Hensley Rep2012 Hohenwald Giles, Lewis, Marshall, Maury, and part of Williamson
29 Raumesh Akbari Dem2018 Memphis Part of Shelby
30 Sara Kyle Dem2014 Memphis Part of Shelby
31 Brent Taylor Rep2022 Memphis Part of Shelby
32 Paul Rose Rep2019* Covington Lauderdale, Tipton and part of Shelby
33 London Lamar Dem2022* Memphis Part of Shelby
*Senator was originally elected in a special election or appointed

Senate Committees

The Tennessee State Senate has 12 committees in total: 9 standing committees and 3 select committees. Committee assignments for the 112th General Assembly were announced in the January 12, 2021 organizational session: [4]

Standing Committees [5]
Committee NameChairVice-chair
Commerce and LaborSen. Paul Bailey (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Art Swann (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Frank Nicely (R)

EducationSen. Jon Lundberg (R)2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D)
Energy, Agriculture, and Natural ResourcesSen. Steve Southerland (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Frank Niceley (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Mark Pody (R)

Finance, Ways, and MeansSen. Bo Watson (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. John Stevens (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Joey Hensley (R)

Government OperationsSen. Kerry Roberts (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Ed Jackson (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Janice Bowling (R)

Health and WelfareSen. Rusty Crowe (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Ferrell Haile (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Shane Reeves (R)

JudiciaryVacant1st Vice Chair: Sen. Dawn White (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Paul Rose (R)

State and Local GovernmentSen. Richard Briggs (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Page Walley (R)

Transportation and SafetySen. Becky Duncan Massey (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Bill Powers (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Mark Pody (R)

Select Committees
Committee NameChairVice-chair
CalendarSen. Ed Jackson (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Jack Johnson (R)

2nd Vice Chair: Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D)

EthicsSen. Ferrell Haile (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. John Stevens (R)
RulesSen. Bo Watson (R)1st Vice Chair: Sen. Richard Briggs (R)

Past composition of the Senate

In 1921, Anna Lee Keys Worley became the first woman to serve in the Tennessee Senate. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senate of the Philippines</span> Upper house of the Congress of the Philippines

The Senate of the Philippines is the upper house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives as the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large under a plurality-at-large voting system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Michigan

The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted. The chief purposes of the Legislature are to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws. The Legislature meets in the Capitol building in Lansing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Georgia

The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of New Jersey

The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate. The Legislature meets in the New Jersey State House, in the state capital of Trenton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Senate</span> Upper house of the California State Legislature

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Senate</span> Upper house of the bicameral North Carolina General Assembly

The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate has 50 members, and the term of office for each senator is two years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee House of Representatives</span> Lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly

The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Tennessee

The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title and office of Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. In addition to passing a budget for state government plus other legislation, the General Assembly appoints three state officers specified by the state constitution. It is also the initiating body in any process to amend the state's constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Senate</span> Upper house of the Georgia General Assembly

The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral legislature of the state. Together, the Senate and the House maintain authority under Article III. of the 1983 Constitution of Georgia to enact laws "necessary and proper for the welfare of the state", although state law is subordinate to the state constitution, the United States Constitution, and federal law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi State Senate</span> Upper house for the legislature of the state of Mississippi

The Mississippi State Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Representatives of Puerto Rico</span> Lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico

The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Senate, control the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland Senate</span> Upper house of the state legislature

The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single-member districts, the Senate is responsible, along with the Maryland House of Delegates, for passage of laws in Maryland, and for confirming executive appointments made by the Governor of Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut State Senate</span> Upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly

The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits. The Connecticut State Senate is one of 14 state legislative upper houses whose members serve two-year terms; four-year terms are more common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Senate</span> Upper house of the Florida Legislature

The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted in 1968, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted. The Senate is composed of 40 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of approximately 540,000 residents. Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures, provided by the federal decennial census. Senators' terms begin immediately upon their election. The Senate Chamber is located in the State Capitol building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Senate</span> Upper house of the Delaware General Assembly

The Delaware Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at which time Senators may be elected to a two-year term. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Delaware Senate meets at the Legislative Hall in Dover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas Senate</span> Upper house of the Arkansas General Assembly

The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. The Senate consists of 35 members, each representing a district with about 83,000 people. Service in the state legislature is part-time, and many state senators have full-time jobs during the rest of the year. During the current term, the Senate contains twenty-nine Republicans and six Democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Senate</span> Upper house of the Alabama legislature

The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district containing at least 127,140 citizens. Similar to the lower house, the Alabama House of Representatives, the senate serves both without term limits and with a four-year term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah State Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Utah

The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 state representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 state senators. There are no term limits for either chamber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Senate</span> Upper house of Oklahomas legislature

The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.

References

  1. ↑ "2022 Legislator Compensation". www.ncsl.org.
  2. 1 2 3 Tennessee Blue Book.
  3. ↑ "Senate Leadership". capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  4. ↑ Kleinheider, Adam (January 13, 2021). "New 112th TGA @tnsenate committee assignments made this morning by @ltgovmcnally. @BrianKelsey will chair Education. @SenatorBriggs moves to State & Local. @HaileforSenate is new Ethics chair". Twitter .
  5. ↑ "Legislative Senate Committees - Tennessee General Assembly". www.capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Anna Lee Keys Worley". National Women's History Museum. Retrieved August 5, 2018.

36°09′57″N86°47′03″W / 36.1658°N 86.7843°W / 36.1658; -86.7843

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.