Indiana Senate

The Indiana 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 census, the average State Senator represents 129,676 people.

Indiana State Senate
Indiana General Assembly
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
(Special Session)
Leadership
Lieutenant Governor
Suzanne Crouch (R)
since January 9, 2017
President Pro Tem of the Senate
Rodric Bray (R)
since November 20, 2018
Majority Leader
Mark Messmer (R)
since November 20, 2018
Minority Leader
Timothy Lanane (D)
since November 5, 2008
Structure
Seats50
Political groups
Majority

Minority

Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle 4, Indiana Constitution
Salary$22,616.46/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 6, 2018
(25 seats)
Next election
November 3, 2020
(25 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Indiana Statehouse
Indianapolis, Indiana
Website
Indiana General Assembly

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. [1]. 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.[2].

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.[3] 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.[4]

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.[4]

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.[4]

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 during his or her speech.[4]

Terms

Article 4 of the Constitution of Indiana places several limitation on the size and composition of the senate.[5]

  • 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.[5]

  • The candidate must be a United States citizen for a minimum of two years prior to his or her candidacy.
  • The candidate has to reside in the district which he or she seeks to represent for one year.
  • The candidate should be 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 40
Democratic Republican


Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
End 2010 session 33 17 50 0
2011–2012 37 13 50 0
2013–2014 37 13 50 0
Begin 2015 40 10 50 0
Begin 2017 41 9 50 0
Begin 2019 40 10 50 0
Latest voting share 80% 20%

2019–2020 Officers
PositionNamePartyDistrict
Lieutenant GovernorSuzanne CrouchRepublican
President Pro Tem of the SenateRodric BrayRepublican37
Majority LeaderMark MessmerRepublican48
Minority LeaderTimothy LananeDemocrat25

Members of the Indiana Senate
DistrictSenatorPartyResidenceFirst electedSeat up
1 Frank Mrvan Dem Hammond 1998 (1978–1994) 2022
2 Lonnie Randolph Dem East Chicago 2008 (1992–1998) 2020
3 Eddie Melton Dem Merrillville 2016 2020
4 Karen Tallian Dem Portage 2005† 2022
5 Ed Charbonneau Rep Valparaiso 2007† 2020
6 Rick Niemeyer Rep Lowell 2014 2022
7 Brian Buchanan Rep Lebanon 2018† 2020
8 Mike Bohacek Rep Michiana Shores 2016 2020
9 Ryan Mishler Rep Bremen 2004 2020
10 David L. Niezgodski Dem South Bend 2016 2020
11 Linda Rogers Rep Granger 2018 2022
12 Blake Doriot Rep New Paris 2016 2020
13 Sue Glick Rep LaGrange 2010 2020
14 Dennis Kruse Rep Auburn 2004† 2022
15 Liz Brown Rep Fort Wayne 2014 2022
16 Justin Busch Rep Fort Wayne 2018† 2020
17 Andy Zay Rep Huntington 2016† 2022
18 Stacey Donato Rep Logansport 2019† 2020
19 Travis Holdman Rep Markle 2008† 2022
20 Victoria Spartz Rep Noblesville 2017† 2020
21 James R. Buck Rep Kokomo 2008 2022
22 Ronnie Alting Rep Lafayette 1998 2022
23 Phil Boots Rep Crawfordsville 2006 2022
24 John Crane Rep Avon 2016 2020
25 Timothy Lanane Dem Anderson 1997† 2022
26 Mike Gaskill Rep Anderson 2018 2022
27 Jeff Raatz Rep Centerville 2014 2022
28 Michael Crider Rep Greenfield 2012 2020
29 J. D. Ford Dem Indianapolis 2018 2022
30 John Ruckelshaus Rep Indianapolis 2016 2020
31 Jim Merritt Rep Indianapolis 1990 2022
32 Aaron Freeman Rep Indianapolis 2016 2020
33 Greg Taylor Dem Indianapolis 2008 2020
34 Jean Breaux Dem Indianapolis 2006 2020
35 R. Michael Young Rep Indianapolis 2000 2020
36 Jack Sandlin Rep Indianapolis 2016 2020
37 Rodric Bray Rep Martinsville 2012 2020
38 Jon Ford Rep Terre Haute 2014 2022
39 Eric Bassler Rep Washington 2014 2022
40 Mark Stoops Dem Bloomington 2012 2020
41 Greg Walker Rep Columbus 2006 2022
42 Jean Leising Rep Oldenburg 2008 (1988–1996) 2020
43 Chip Perfect Rep Lawrenceburg 2014 2022
44 Eric Koch Rep Bedford 2016 2020
45 Chris Garten Rep Scottsburg 2018 2022
46 Ron Grooms Rep Jeffersonville 2010 2022
47 Erin Houchin Rep Salem 2014 2022
48 Mark Messmer Rep Jasper 2014 2022
49 Jim Tomes Rep Evansville 2010 2022
50 Vaneta Becker Rep Evansville 2005† 2020

†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.[6] The committees as of 2020 were:

CommitteeChair (2020)Vice Chair (2020)
AgricultureJean Leising (R-42)Sue Glick (R-13)
AppropriationsRyan Mishler (R-9)Eric Bassler (R-39)
Commerce and TechnologyChip Perfect (R-43)Jim Merritt (R-31)
Corrections and Criminal LawR. Michael Young (R-35)Sue Glick (R-13)
Education and Career DevelopmentJeff Raatz (R-27)John Crane (R-24)
ElectionsGreg Walker (R-41)Ron Grooms (R-46)
Environmental AffairsMark Messmer (R-48)Rick Niemeyer (R-6)
EthicsLiz Brown (R-15)Ed Charbonneau (R-5)
Family and Children ServicesRon Grooms (R-46)Greg Walker (R-41)
Health and Provider ServicesEd Charbonneau (R-5)John Ruckelshaus (R-30)
Homeland Security and TransportationMichael Crider (R-28)Jim Tomes (R-49)
Insurance and Financial InstitutionsEric Bassler (R-39)Andy Zay (R-17)
Joint RulesMark Messmer (R-48)
JudiciaryEric Koch (R-44)R. Michael Young (R-35)
Local GovernmentJames R. Buck (R-21)Rick Niemeyer (R-6)
Natural ResourcesSue Glick (R-13)Jean Leising (R-42)
Pensions and LaborPhil Boots (R-23)Blake Doriot (R-12)
Public PolicyRonnie Alting (R-22)Vaneta Becker (R-50)
Rules and Legislative ProcedureRodric Bray (R-37)Mark Messmer (R-48)
Tax and Fiscal PolicyTravis Holdman (R-19)Erin Houchin (R-47)
UtilitiesJim Merritt (R-31)Chip Perfect (R-43)
Veterans Affairs and The MilitaryJim Tomes (R-49)Michael Crider (R-28)

Past composition of the Senate
Main article: Political party strength in Indiana
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See also

Notes
  1. https://www.in.gov/core/legislative-courts.html#:~:text=The%20General%20Assembly%20is%20responsible,became%20a%20state%20in%201816.
  2. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/30214/new-math-time-indiana-tried-change-pi-32
  3. Indiana General Assembly. "Senate Operating Rules" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  4. "Senate Operating Rules" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
  5. "Art IV of the Constitution of Indiana". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
  6. "Standing Committees". IN.gov. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
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