West Virginia Senate: Difference between revisions

West Virginia Senate
West Virginia Senate
West Virginia Legislature
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 11, 2017
Leadership
President of the Senate	Mitch Carmichael (R) ; since January 11, 2017
President pro Tempore	Donna J. Boley (R) ; since January 14, 2015
Majority Leader	Ryan Ferns (R) ; since January 11, 2017
Minority Leader	Roman Prezioso (D) ; since January 11, 2017
Structure
Seats	34
Political groups	Majority Republican (22); Minority Democratic (12);
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article VI, West Virginia Constitution
Salary	$20,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 8, 2016; (17 seats)
Next election	November 6, 2018; (17 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
	Senate Chamber; West Virginia State Capitol; Charleston, West Virginia
Website
	West Virginia State Legislature

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The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms.

Organization

Senators are elected for terms of four years that are staggered, meaning that only a portion of the 34 state senate seats are up every election.^[2]

The state legislature meets on the second Wednesday of January each year and conducts a 60-day regular session.^[2]

Legislative process

Unlike most state senates, the West Virginia Senate can introduce revenue bills.^[2] Bills must undergo three readings in each house before being sent to the governor.^[2] Bills are drafted by the Office of Legislative Services or legislative staff counsel, reviewed by the sponsor of the bill and submitted for introduction.^[3] Bills are assigned to committees that make recommendations about a bill in the form of a committee report.^[3]

Bills approved in both the West Virginia Senate and West Virginia House of Delegates are then submitted to the governor, who has the power to sign them into law or veto them.^[2] The state legislature can override the veto, unless they have already adjourned.^[2]

Districts

The state's districting system is unique in the United States. Prior to the 2010 Census the state's most populous county, Kanawha County constituted two "superimposed" districts. In practical effect, this meant that Kanawha County was a single district electing two members every two years. The remaining 54 counties of the state were divided into fifteen districts, with county lines not respected in most cases.^[4]

Under the unique rule, no multi-county district (and every district except Kanawha's is a multi-county district) may have more than one senator from the same county,^[5] no matter the population. This means, for example, that one of the 5th District's two senators must reside in Cabell County and the other must reside in the tiny portion of Wayne County that's inside the 5th District, even though Cabell County has far more people than the portion of Wayne County that is part of the 5th District. However, both senators are elected by everybody within the district, not just by the people of the county in which the senators reside.

Responding to the 2010 Census the Senate redistricted itself. Kanawha County was divided for the first time in the Senate's history, with the northern and western portions joining a part of Putnam County as the 8th District and the remainder of the county constituting the 17th district on its own. This reduced the number of Senators from Kanawha County from four to three, as one of the 8th's must be a resident of Putnam.

The remainder of the state was redistricted, reflecting the continuing shift of the state's population to the Eastern Panhandle and to Monongalia County, however no incumbents were placed in districts where they had to run against one another, except for the Kanawha situation. Because senators are elected for four-year terms, the redistricting did not come fully into effect until after the 2014 election.^[6]

Senate President

The Senate elects its own president from its membership. On January 14, 2015, Bill Cole was elected President.

While the West Virginia Constitution does not create or even mention the title of lieutenant governor, West Virginia Code 6A-1-4 creates this designation for the Senate President, who stands first in the line of succession to the office of governor. As stated in Article 7 Section 16 of the constitution: "In case of the death, conviction or impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, or other disability of the governor, the president of the Senate shall act as governor until the vacancy is filled, or the disability removed." However, the Senate President may not always serve the remainder of the term as the constitution also states: "Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of governor before the first three years of the term shall have expired, a new election for governor shall take place to fill the vacancy."

Current Composition

83rd Legislature (2017-2018)

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" \|	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" \|
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
End of the 81st Legislature	24	10	34	0

Beginning of the 82nd Legislature	16	18	34	0
End of the 82nd Legislature	16	18	34	0

Beginning of the 83rd Legislature	12	22	34	0
Latest voting share	35.3%	64.7%	34	0

Leadership of the 83rd West Virginia Senate

Position	Name	Party	District	County
President of the Senate/Lieutenant Governor	Mitch Carmichael	Republican	4	Jackson Co.
President Pro Tempore	Donna Boley	Republican	3	Pleasants Co.
Majority Leader	Ryan Ferns	Republican	1	Ohio Co.
Minority Leader	Roman Prezioso	Democratic	13	Marion Co.
Majority Whip	Craig Blair	Republican	15	Berkeley Co.
Minority Whip	Corey Palumbo	Democratic	17	Kanawha Co.

Members of the 83rd West Virginia Senate

District	Senator	Party	Residence	Counties represented^[7]
1	Ryan Ferns	Rep	Ohio	Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, Marshall (part)
1	Ryan Weld	Rep	Brooke	Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, Marshall (part)
2	Charles H. Clements^{[note 1]}	Rep	Wetzel	Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer (part), Marion (part), Marshall (part), Monongalia (part), Tyler, Ritchie, Wetzel
2	Mike Maroney	Rep	Marshall
3	Mike Azinger	Rep	Wood	Pleasants, Roane (part), Wirt, Wood
3	Donna J. Boley	Rep	Pleasants	Pleasants, Roane (part), Wirt, Wood
4	Mike Hall	Rep	Putnam	Jackson, Mason, Putnam (part), Roane (part)
4	Mitch Carmichael	Rep	Jackson	Jackson, Mason, Putnam (part), Roane (part)
5	Mike Woelfel	Dem	Cabell	Cabell, Wayne (part)
5	Robert H. Plymale	Dem	Wayne	Cabell, Wayne (part)
6	Mark R. Maynard	Rep	Wayne	McDowell (part), Mercer, Mingo (part), Wayne (part)
6	Chandler Swope	Rep	Mercer	McDowell (part), Mercer, Mingo (part), Wayne (part)
7	Ron Stollings	Dem	Boone	Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo (part), Wayne (part)
7	Richard Ojeda	Dem	Logan	Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo (part), Wayne (part)
8	Ed Gaunch	Rep	Kanawha	Kanawha (part), Putnam (part)
8	Glenn Jeffries	Dem	Putnam	Kanawha (part), Putnam (part)
9	Jeff Mullins	Rep	Raleigh	Raleigh, Wyoming, McDowell (part)
9	Sue Cline	Rep	Wyoming	Raleigh, Wyoming, McDowell (part)
10	Ronald F. Miller	Dem	Greenbrier	Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers
10	Kenny Mann	Rep	Fayette	Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers
11	Robert L. Karnes	Rep	Upshur	Grant (part), Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur, Webster
11	Greg Boso	Rep	Nicholas
12	Mike Romano	Dem	Braxton	Clay, Braxton, Gilmer (part), Lewis, Harrison
12	Doug Facemire	Dem	Harrison	Clay, Braxton, Gilmer (part), Lewis, Harrison
13	Bob Beach	Dem	Monongalia	Marion (part), Monongalia (part)
13	Roman Prezioso	Dem	Marion	Marion (part), Monongalia (part)
14	David Sypolt	Rep	Preston	Barbour, Grant (part), Hardy, Mineral (part), Monongalia (part), Preston, Taylor, Tucker
14	Randy Smith	Rep	Tucker
15	Charles S. Trump	Rep	Morgan	Berkeley (part), Hampshire, Mineral (part), Morgan
15	Craig Blair	Rep	Berkeley	Berkeley (part), Hampshire, Mineral (part), Morgan
16	John Unger	Dem	Berkeley	Berkeley (part), Jefferson
16	Patricia Rucker	Rep	Jefferson	Berkeley (part), Jefferson
17	Tom Takubo	Rep	Kanawha	Kanawha (part)
17	Corey Palumbo	Dem	Kanawha	Kanawha (part)

^ Clements sworn in on February 8, 2017. Appointed by Governor Justice out of three nominees put forward by the 2nd Senatorial Republican Committee to replace Kent Leonhardt.

Committees

Agriculture And Rural Development (10 members) – David Sypolt, Chairman
Banking and Insurance (10 members) – Ed Gaunch, Chairman
Confirmations (9 members) – Donna Boley, Chairwoman
Economic Development (14 members) – Mike Maroney, Chairman
Education (13 members) – Kenny Mann, Chairman
Energy, Industry and Mining (13 members) – Randy Smith, Chairman
Enrolled Bills (5 members) – Mark Maynard, Chairman
Finance (17 members) – Mike Hall, Chairman
Government Organization (13 members) – Craig Blair, Chairman
Health and Human Resources (12 members) – Tom Takubo, Chairman
Interstate Cooperation (7 members) – Sue Cline, Chairwoman; (Senate President is ex officio co-chairperson)
Judiciary (16 members) – Charles Trump, Chairman
Military (8 members) – Ryan Weld, Chairman
Natural Resources (13 members) – Mark Maynard, Chairman
Pensions (7 members) – Ed Gaunch, Chairman
Rules (10 members) – Mitch Carmichael, Ex officio Chairman as Senate President
Transportation and Infrastructure (9 members) – Greg Boso, Chairman
Workforce (11 members) – Chandler Swope, Chairman

References

^ "West Virginia Legislature". Retrieved January 8, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f West Virginia Constitution, West Virginia Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)
^ ^a ^b How a Bill Becomes Law, West Virginia State Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)
^ "West Virginia Senate Districts". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
^ "West Virginia Constitution". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
^ http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/2011/1x/maps/senate/Enr%20SB%201006%20Map.pdf
^ "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved July 7, 2016.

External links

West Virginia Legislature – official website
Project Vote Smart – State Senate of West Virginia

[8] Clements sworn in on February 8, 2017. Appointed by Governor Justice out of three nominees put forward by the 2nd Senatorial Republican Committee to replace Kent Leonhardt.

[wvlegis-1] "West Virginia Legislature". Retrieved January 8, 2015.

[wvcon-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f West Virginia Constitution, West Virginia Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)

[billp-3] How a Bill Becomes Law, West Virginia State Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)

[WVSenateDistricts-4] "West Virginia Senate Districts". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.

[5] "West Virginia Constitution". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.

[6] ttp://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/2011/1x/maps/senate/Enr%20SB%201006%20Map.pdf

[7] "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved July 7, 2016.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[note 1]

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 | structure1_res = 200px
 | political_groups1 =
+'''Majority'''
 *{{legend|#F8050D|[[West Virginia Republican Party|Republican]] (22)}}
+'''Minority'''
 *{{legend|#5500FF|[[West Virginia Democratic Party|Democratic]] (12)}}
  | last_election1    = November 8, 2016<br>(17 seats)

v t e Members of the West Virginia Senate
86th West Virginia Legislature (2023–2024) President of the Senate Craig Blair (R) President pro tempore Donna Boley (R) Majority Leader Tom Takubo (R) Minority Leader Mike Woelfel (D)
1. ▌Laura Chapman (R) ⎣ ▌Ryan Weld (R) 2. ▌Charles Clements (R) ⎣ ▌Mike Maroney (R) 3. ▌Mike Azinger (R) ⎣ ▌Donna Boley (R) 4. ▌Eric Tarr (R) ⎣ ▌Amy Grady (R) 5. ▌Mike Woelfel (D) ⎣ ▌Bob Plymale (D) 6. ▌Mark R. Maynard (R) ⎣ ▌Chandler Swope (R) 7. ▌Mike Stuart (R) ⎣ ▌Rupie Phillips (R) 8. ▌Mark Hunt (R) ⎣ ▌Glenn Jeffries (R) 9. ▌Rollan Roberts (R) ⎣ ▌David Stover (R) 10. ▌Vince Deeds (R) ⎣ ▌Jack Woodrum (R) 11. ▌Bill Hamilton (R) ⎣ ▌Robert Karnes (R) 12. ▌Ben Queen (R) ⎣ ▌Patrick S. Martin (R) 13. ▌Mike Oliverio (R) ⎣ ▌Mike Caputo (D) 14. ▌Jay Taylor (R) ⎣ ▌Randy Smith (R) 15. ▌Vacant ⎣ ▌Craig Blair (R) 16. ▌Jason Barrett (R) ⎣ ▌Patricia Rucker (R) 17. ▌Tom Takubo (R) ⎣ ▌Eric Nelson (R)
▌Republican (31) ▌Democratic (3) West Virginia Legislature House Senate List of districts List of past legislatures

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