Indiana Senate
Indiana State Senate | |
|---|---|
| Indiana General Assembly | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 8, 2025 (2025-01-08) |
| Leadership | |
Micah Beckwith (R) since January 13, 2025 | |
President pro tempore | Rodric Bray (R) since November 20, 2018 |
Majority Leader | Chris Garten (R) since August 17, 2022 |
Minority Leader | Shelli Yoder (D) since January 13, 2025 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 50 |
 Seat display Map display | |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
Other
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Authority | Article 4, Indiana Constitution |
| Salary | $33,032/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 5, 2024(25 seats) |
Next election | November 3, 2026(25 seats) |
| Redistricting | Legislative Control |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| State Senate ChamberIndiana StatehouseIndianapolis, Indiana | |
| Website | |
| Indiana General Assembly | |
The Indiana State Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the average state senator represents 129,676 people.
The Senate convenes at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
History
The Indiana Senate was established in 1816 along with the Indiana House of Representatives in 1816, when Indiana became a state.[2] In 1897, the Indiana House passed a bill rounding the value of pi to 3.2. However, the intervention of State Senator Orrin Hubbel postponed the voting of the bill indefinitely, effectively rejecting it.[3]
Operating rules
The Indiana State Senate is operated according to a set of internal regulations developed and maintained largely by tradition. These rules are similar to the rules that govern the upper house most of the state senates in the United States.[4] The Senate convenes its annual session the first Tuesday following the first Monday of January every year. In odd numbered years the senate must meet for 61 days (not necessarily consecutive days), and must adjourn no later than April 30. This is typically called a long session. In even numbered years, when elections are held, the Senate must meet for 30 days (not necessarily consecutive days) and adjourn no later than March 15. This is typically called the short session. The only time the senate may convene outside of these dates is if the governor calls a special assembly.[5]
The senate must convene by 1:30 pm each day a session is scheduled. Two thirds of the senators must be present for the session to begin. Senators must be present at each session unless they are explicitly excused by the president-pro-tempore. Members who are not present can be forced to attend the session or be censured and expelled from the body.[5]
The lieutenant governor of Indiana serves as the president of the Senate and is responsible for ensuring that the senate rules are followed by its members. The president of the Senate takes no part in the debates of the senate and may only vote to break ties. The senate also elects a president-pro-tempore, a majority leader, and a minority leader. The president-pro-tempore is typically a senior member of majority party. The president-pro-tempore presides over the senate whenever the president of the Senate is not present. The president-pro-tempore is largely responsible for setting the agenda of the senate.[5]
When debate occurs in the senate, each senator is granted permission to speak on each issue once. A senator may not speak on an issue more than once without a permission from the rest of the senate, which is attained with a senate vote. A senator can speak for no longer than a half-hour at any one time and may be silenced by a majority vote at any time while speaking.[5]
Terms
Article 4 of the Constitution of Indiana places several limitation on the size and composition of the senate.[6]
- The senate can contain no more than 50 members.
- The term of a senator lasts four years with 25 senators being elected every two years.
- There is no limit to how many terms a senator may be elected.
Qualifications
Article 4 of the Constitution of Indiana states the qualifications to become a senator.[6]
- The candidate must be a United States citizen for a minimum of two years.
- The candidate be an inhabitant in the district for a minimum of one year.
- The candidate must at least 25 years of age when sworn into office.
- The candidate cannot hold any other public office in the state or federal government during a senate term.
Composition of the Senate
| ↓ | ||
| 10 | 1 | 39 |
| Democratic | R | Republican |
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant | |||
| 2009–2010 | 33 | 17 | 50 | 0 | |
| 2011–2012 | 37 | 13 | 50 | 0 | |
| 2013–2014 | 37 | 13 | 50 | 0 | |
| 2015–2016 | 40 | 10 | 50 | 0 | |
| 2017–2018 | 41 | 9 | 50 | 0 | |
| 2019–2020 | 40 | 10 | 50 | 0 | |
| Begin 2021 | 39 | 11 | 50 | 0 | |
| End 2022 | 38 | 1[a] | |||
| 2023–2024 | 39 | 1 | 10 | 50 | 0 |
| Begin 2025 | 39 | 1 | 10 | 50 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 78% | 2% | 20% | ||
2025–2026 officers
| Position | Name | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor | Micah Beckwith | Republican | |
| President Pro Tem of the Senate | Rodric Bray | Republican | 37 |
| Majority leader | Chris Garten | Republican | 45 |
| Minority leader | Shelli Yoder | Democratic | 40 |
Members of the Indiana Senate
†Member was originally appointed or won the seat in a special election.
Committees
The Senate has various committees that are charged with overseeing different areas of the state government and drafting legislation. These committees are bipartisan and contain between three and eleven members split between the parties according to their ratio of members in the Senate. Each committee chairman is a member of the majority party.[7] The committees as of 2024 are:
| Committee | Chair (2024) | Vice Chair (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Jean Leising (R-42) | Sue Glick (R-13) |
| Appropriations | Ryan Mishler (R-9) | Eric Bassler (R-39) |
| Commerce and Technology | Brian Buchanan (R-7) | Eric Koch (R-44) |
| Corrections and Criminal Law | Aaron Freeman (R-32) | Sue Glick (R-13) |
| Education and Career Development | Jeff Raatz (R-27) | John Crane (R-24) |
| Elections | Mike Gaskill (R-25) | Greg Walker (R-41) |
| Environmental Affairs | Rick Niemeyer (R-6) | Andy Zay (R-17) |
| Ethics | Eric Bassler (R-39) | Greg Walker (R-41) |
| Family and Children Services | Greg Walker (R-41) | Mike Gaskill (R-25) |
| Health and Provider Services | Ed Charbonneau (R-5) | Justin Busch (R-16) |
| Homeland Security and Transportation | Michael Crider (R-28) | Jim Tomes (R-49) |
| Insurance and Financial Institutions | Scott Baldwin (R-20) | Kyle Walker (R-31) |
| Joint Rules | Chris Garten (R-45) | |
| Judiciary | Liz Brown (R-15) | Eric Koch (R-44) |
| Local Government | James Buck (R-21) | Rick Niemeyer (R-6) |
| Natural Resources | Sue Glick (R-13) | Jean Leising (R-42) |
| Pensions and Labor | Linda Rogers (R-11) | Blake Doriot (R-12) |
| Public Policy | Ron Alting (R-22) | Kyle Walker (R-31) |
| Rules and Legislative Procedure | Rodric Bray (R-37) | Chris Garten (R-45) |
| School Funding Subcommittee | Eric Bassler (R-39) | |
| Tax and Fiscal Policy | Travis Holdman (R-19) | Scott Baldwin (R-20) |
| Utilities | Eric Kock (R-44) | Brian Buchanan (R-7) |
| Veterans Affairs and The Military | Jim Tomes (R-49) | Michael Crider (R-28) |
Past composition of the Senate
See also
Notes
- ^State Senator Michael Young left the Republican caucus but is a registered Republican and intends to stay a registered Republican, not Independent."Longtime Indiana senator leaves Republican caucus amid abortion bill debates". 26 July 2022.
- ^"Indiana Courts & Legislature". in.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^"Indiana Once Tried to Change Pi to 3.2". 14 March 2016.
- ^Indiana General Assembly. "Senate Operating Rules"(PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ abcd"Senate Operating Rules"(PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
- ^ ab"Art IV of the Constitution of Indiana". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
- ^"Standing Committees". IN.gov. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
External links
- Indiana General Assembly
- Indiana Senate at Ballotpedia
- State Senate of Indiana at Project Vote Smart
- Indiana Senate Democratic Caucusalternate website
- Indiana Senate Republicans
38°46′7.54″N86°9′45.54″W / 38.7687611°N 86.1626500°W / 38.7687611; -86.1626500
