Vermont Senate: Difference between revisions
→Current leadership: Updated leaders Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
→See also: List of Vermont General Assemblies |
||
(45 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description| |
{{Short description|Upper house of the Vermont General Assembly}} |
||
{{Infobox legislature |
{{Infobox legislature |
||
| background_color = {{party color|Democratic Party (US)}} |
| background_color = {{party color|Democratic Party (US)}} |
||
Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
| leader1_type = [[List of lieutenant governors of Vermont|President]] |
| leader1_type = [[List of lieutenant governors of Vermont|President]] |
||
| leader1 = [[David Zuckerman (politician)|David Zuckerman]] ([[Vermont Progressive Party|P]]) |
| leader1 = [[David Zuckerman (politician)|David Zuckerman]] ([[Vermont Progressive Party|P]]) |
||
| election1 = January |
| election1 = January 5, 2023 |
||
| leader2_type = [[President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate|President pro tempore]] |
| leader2_type = [[President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate|President pro tempore]] |
||
| leader2 = [[Philip Baruth]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) |
| leader2 = [[Philip Baruth]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) |
||
Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
'''Minority (7)''' |
'''Minority (7)''' |
||
*{{Color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Republican Party|Republican]] (7) |
*{{Color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Republican Party|Republican]] (7) |
||
| last_election1 = [[2022 Vermont Senate election|November 8, 2022]] |
| last_election1 = [[2022 Vermont Senate election|November 8, 2022]] |
||
| next_election1 = [[2024 Vermont Senate election|November 5, 2024]] |
| next_election1 = [[2024 Vermont Senate election|November 5, 2024]] |
||
| meeting_place = State Senate Chamber,<br />[[Vermont State House]]<br />[[Montpelier, Vermont]], U.S. |
| meeting_place = State Senate Chamber,<br />[[Vermont State House]]<br />[[Montpelier, Vermont]], U.S. |
||
| website = [http://legislature.vermont.gov/senate/overview/2016 Vermont State Senate] |
| website = [http://legislature.vermont.gov/senate/overview/2016 Vermont State Senate] |
||
| session_room = Vermont State Senate Chamber Panorama.jpg |
| session_room = Vermont State Senate Chamber Panorama.jpg |
||
}} |
}} |
||
The '''Vermont Senate''' is the [[upper house]] of the [[Vermont General Assembly]], the [[State legislature (United States)|state legislature]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Vermont]]. The senate consists of 30 members |
The '''Vermont Senate''' is the [[upper house]] of the [[Vermont General Assembly]], the [[State legislature (United States)|state legislature]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Vermont]]. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator represents at least 20,300 citizens. Senators are elected to two-year terms and there is [[term limit|no limit to the number of terms]] that a senator may serve. |
||
As in other |
As in other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]], the Vermont Senate has special functions, such as confirming or rejecting [[Governor of Vermont|gubernatorial]] appointments to executive departments, the state [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]], commissions, boards, and (for the first six-year term) the state's judiciary. |
||
The Vermont Senate meets at the [[Vermont State House]] in the state capital of [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]]. |
The Vermont Senate meets at the [[Vermont State House]] in the state capital of [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]]. |
||
==Districting and terms== |
==Districting and terms== |
||
The 30 senators are elected from 16 single and multi-member senate districts. The districts largely correspond to the boundaries of the state's [[List of counties in Vermont|14 counties]] with adjustments to ensure equality of representation. Each district elects between 1 and 3 senators at-large depending on population. For the 2023–2033 districts, Seven districts elect one senator each, four districts elect two each, and five elect three.<ref name="sos-list">{{cite web |date=2021 |title=Senate Redistricting for 2022 |url=https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/SmallMaps/2022/Final%20Senate%20Statewide.pdf |publisher=Caliper}}</ref> Senators in multi-member districts are elected [[at-large]] throughout the district. Vermont is the only state to have any senate districts represented by more than two senators each, as well as the only state to employ [[Plurality-at-large voting|bloc voting]] for senate elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_chambers_that_use_multi-member_districts|title=State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts|website=Ballotpedia|access-date=Aug 24, 2019}}</ref> |
|||
Vermont is one of the 14 states where the [[upper house]] of its [[State legislature (United States)|state legislature]] serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the more common four-year term in the majority of states. |
Vermont is one of the 14 states where the [[upper house]] of its [[State legislature (United States)|state legislature]] serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the more common four-year term in the majority of states. |
||
Senate district lines are drawn with an eye toward adhering to the boundaries of the state's 14 counties, and the districts are named after the county or counties in which the bulk of the district is located. However, due to equal representation requirements of the federal and state constitutions, most districts do not have precisely the same boundaries as their respective counties, containing either one or more towns from neighboring counties or not containing one or more from their own county (or both). |
|||
==Leadership== |
==Leadership== |
||
The [[ |
The [[lieutenant governor of Vermont]] serves as the president of the Senate, but casts a vote only if required to break a tie. In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the [[President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate|president ''pro tempore'']] presides over the Senate. The president ''pro tempore'' is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation from the entire body through a Senate resolution, and is the Senate's chief leadership position. The [[Majority Leader|majority]] and [[Minority Leader|minority]] leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses. |
||
Committee assignments are determined by the Committee on Committees. This panel consists of the |
Committee assignments are determined by the Committee on Committees. This panel consists of the lieutenant governor, the president ''pro tempore'' and one member chosen by the full Senate. For several years the third member of the committee was [[Richard Mazza]]. |
||
==Composition of the Senate (2021–2023 legislative session)== |
==Composition of the Senate (2021–2023 legislative session)== |
||
Line 129: | Line 131: | ||
! 30 |
! 30 |
||
| 0 |
| 0 |
||
|- |
|||
|colspan=6| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|Begin 2023 |
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|Begin 2023 |
||
Line 153: | Line 157: | ||
| [[Majority Leader]] || [[Alison H. Clarkson]] || {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem || [[Woodstock, Vermont|Woodstock]] || [[Windsor Vermont Senate District, 2022–2032|Windsor]] |
| [[Majority Leader]] || [[Alison H. Clarkson]] || {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem || [[Woodstock, Vermont|Woodstock]] || [[Windsor Vermont Senate District, 2022–2032|Windsor]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Assistant Majority Leader ([[Whip (politics)|Whip]])|| [[Andrew Perchlik]] || {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem || [[ |
| Assistant Majority Leader ([[Whip (politics)|Whip]])|| [[Andrew Perchlik]] || {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem/Prog || [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]] || [[Washington Vermont Senate District, 2022-2032|Washington]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Minority Leader]] || [[Randy Brock]] || {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep || [[Swanton (town), Vermont|Swanton]] || [[Franklin Vermont Senate District, 2022-2032|Franklin]] |
| [[Minority Leader]] || [[Randy Brock]] || {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep || [[Swanton (town), Vermont|Swanton]] || [[Franklin Vermont Senate District, 2022-2032|Franklin]] |
||
|- |
|||
|[[Vermont Progressive Party|Progressive]] Leader || [[Anthony Pollina]] || {{Party shading/Vermont Progressive}} | Prog/Dem || [[Middlesex, Vermont|Middlesex]] ||[[Washington Vermont Senate District, 2022-2032|Washington]] |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
Line 165: | Line 167: | ||
! District !! Representative !! Party !! Residence !! First elected |
! District !! Representative !! Party !! Residence !! First elected |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=2| [[Addison Vermont Senate District |
! rowspan=2| [[Addison Vermont Senate District|Addison]] |
||
| [[Christopher A. Bray]] |
| [[Christopher A. Bray]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
Line 176: | Line 178: | ||
| 2018 |
| 2018 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=2| [[Bennington Vermont Senate District |
! rowspan=2| [[Bennington Vermont Senate District|Bennington]] |
||
| [[Brian Campion (politician)|Brian Campion]] |
| [[Brian Campion (politician)|Brian Campion]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
Line 182: | Line 184: | ||
| 2014 |
| 2014 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| ''Vacant''<ref>[[Dick Sears (politician)|Dick Sears]] died on June 1, 2024.[https://www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/local-news/colleagues-remember-sen-dick-sears-as-a-friend-champion-of-the-people/]</ref> |
|||
| [[Richard W. Sears]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
| |
|||
| [[North Bennington, Vermont|North Bennington]] |
|||
| |
|||
| 1992 |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=1| [[Caledonia Vermont Senate District |
! rowspan=1| [[Caledonia Vermont Senate District|Caledonia]] |
||
| [[Jane Kitchel]] |
| [[Jane Kitchel]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
Line 193: | Line 195: | ||
| 2004 |
| 2004 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan= |
! rowspan=3| [[Chittenden-Central Vermont Senate District|Chittenden-Central]] |
||
| [[ |
| [[Philip Baruth]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem/Prog |
|||
| [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]] |
|||
| 2010 |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Martine Gulick]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
| [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]] |
|||
| 2022 |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Tanya Vyhovsky]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Vermont Progressive}} | Prog/Dem |
|||
| [[Essex, Vermont|Essex]] |
| [[Essex, Vermont|Essex]] |
||
| 2022 |
| 2022 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan= |
! rowspan=1| [[Chittenden-North Vermont Senate District|Chittenden-North]] |
||
| [[ |
| [[Irene Wrenner]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
| [[ |
| [[Essex, Vermont|Essex]] |
||
| |
| 2022 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=3| [[Chittenden-Southeast Vermont Senate District|Chittenden-Southeast]] |
|||
| [[Thomas Chittenden (Vermont politician)|Thomas Chittenden]] |
| [[Thomas Chittenden (Vermont politician)|Thomas Chittenden]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
Line 215: | Line 228: | ||
| 2000 |
| 2000 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Kesha Ram Hinsdale]] |
|||
! rowspan=3| [[Chittenden-Central Vermont Senate District, 2022–2032|Chittenden-Central]] |
|||
| [[Philip Baruth]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem/Prog |
|||
| [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]] |
|||
| 2010 |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Tanya Vyhovsky]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Vermont Progressive}} | Prog/Dem |
|||
| [[Essex, Vermont|Essex]] |
|||
| 2022 |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Martine Gulick]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
| [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]] |
| [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]] |
||
| |
| 2020 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=1| [[Essex Vermont Senate District |
! rowspan=1| [[Essex Vermont Senate District|Essex]] |
||
| Russ Ingalls |
| [[Russ Ingalls]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
||
| [[Newport (city), Vermont|Newport]] |
| [[Newport (city), Vermont|Newport]] |
||
| 2020 |
| 2020 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan= |
! rowspan=2| [[Franklin Vermont Senate District|Franklin]] |
||
| [[Robert A. Starr]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
|||
| [[North Troy, Vermont|North Troy]] |
|||
| 2004 |
|||
|- |
|||
! rowspan=2| [[Franklin Vermont Senate District, 2022-2032|Franklin]] |
|||
| [[Randy Brock]] |
| [[Randy Brock]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
||
| [[Swanton (town), Vermont|Swanton]] |
| [[Swanton (town), Vermont|Swanton]] |
||
| 2017↑<br/>(2009–2013) |
|||
| 2017 (appointed)<ref>{{cite news |last=Hewitt |first=Elizabeth |date=December 27, 2017 |title=Brock to fill vacant Franklin County Senate seat |url=https://vtdigger.org/2017/12/27/brock-fill-vacant-franklin-county-senate-seat/ |work=VTDigger |location=Montpelier, VT |ref={{sfnRef|"Brock to fill vacant Franklin County Senate seat"}}}}</ref><br/>(2009–2013) |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Robert Norris]] |
| [[Robert Norris (Vermont politician)|Robert Norris]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
||
| [[Sheldon, Vermont|Sheldon]] |
| [[Sheldon, Vermont|Sheldon]] |
||
| 2022 |
| 2022 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! [[Grand Isle Vermont Senate District |
! [[Grand Isle Vermont Senate District|Grand Isle]] |
||
| [[ |
| [[Andy Julow]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
| [[ |
| [[North Hero, Vermont|North Hero]] |
||
| |
| 2024↑ |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! [[Lamoille Vermont Senate District |
! [[Lamoille Vermont Senate District|Lamoille]] |
||
| [[Richard A. Westman]] |
| [[Richard A. Westman]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
||
Line 266: | Line 263: | ||
| 2010 |
| 2010 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! [[Orange Vermont Senate District |
! [[Orange Vermont Senate District|Orange]] |
||
| [[Mark MacDonald (Vermont politician)|Mark MacDonald]] |
| [[Mark MacDonald (Vermont politician)|Mark MacDonald]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
| [[Williamstown, Vermont|Williamstown]] |
| [[Williamstown, Vermont|Williamstown]] |
||
| |
| 2002<br />(1997–1999) |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan= |
! rowspan=1| [[Orleans Vermont Senate District|Orleans]] |
||
| [[Robert A. Starr]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
|||
| [[North Troy, Vermont|North Troy]] |
|||
| 2004 |
|||
|- |
|||
! rowspan=3| [[Rutland Vermont Senate District|Rutland]] |
|||
| [[Brian Collamore]] |
| [[Brian Collamore]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
||
Line 278: | Line 281: | ||
| 2014 |
| 2014 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Dave Weeks|David Weeks]] |
|||
| [[Terry Williams (politician)|Terry Williams]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
||
| [[ |
| [[Proctor, Vermont|Proctor]] |
||
| 2022 |
| 2022 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Terry Williams (politician)|Terry Williams]] |
|||
| [[David Weeks]] |
|||
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Rep |
||
| [[ |
| [[Poultney, Vermont|Poultney]] |
||
| 2022 |
| 2022 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=3| [[Washington Vermont Senate District |
! rowspan=3| [[Washington Vermont Senate District|Washington]] |
||
| [[Ann Cummings]] |
| [[Ann Cummings]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
Line 296: | Line 299: | ||
| [[Andrew Perchlik]] |
| [[Andrew Perchlik]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem/Prog |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem/Prog |
||
| Montpelier |
| [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]] |
||
| 2018 |
| 2018 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Anne Watson]] |
| [[Anne Watson]] |
||
| {{Party shading/ |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem/Prog |
||
| [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]] |
| [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]] |
||
| 2022 |
| 2022 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=2| [[Windham Vermont Senate District |
! rowspan=2| [[Windham Vermont Senate District|Windham]] |
||
| [[Wendy Harrison]] |
| [[Wendy Harrison]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
Line 315: | Line 318: | ||
| 2022 |
| 2022 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! rowspan=3| [[Windsor Vermont Senate District |
! rowspan=3| [[Windsor Vermont Senate District|Windsor]] |
||
| [[Alison H. Clarkson]] |
| [[Alison H. Clarkson]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
Line 326: | Line 329: | ||
| 2006<br />(1989–2003) |
| 2006<br />(1989–2003) |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Rebecca White]] |
| [[Rebecca White (Vermont politician)|Rebecca White]] |
||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Dem |
||
| [[Hartford, Vermont|Hartford]] |
| [[Hartford, Vermont|Hartford]] |
||
| 2022 |
| 2022 |
||
|} |
|} |
||
*↑: Member was originally appointed |
|||
==Operations== |
==Operations== |
||
The full Senate meets Tuesday and Friday mornings only for the first seven weeks of the annual session.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Remsen, Nancy |author2=Hallenbeck, Teri|name-list-style=amp|title=Following the Legislature|publisher=[[Burlington Free Press]]|date=January 8, 2009}}</ref> |
The full Senate meets Tuesday and Friday mornings only for the first seven weeks of the annual session.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Remsen, Nancy |author2=Hallenbeck, Teri|name-list-style=amp|title=Following the Legislature|publisher=[[Burlington Free Press]]|date=January 8, 2009}}</ref> |
||
The Vermont Senate is aided by |
The Vermont Senate is aided by a small administrative staff, including the secretary of the Vermont Senate and several assistants.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://legislature.vermont.gov/senate/secretary-of-the-senate/ |title=Secretary of the Senate |date=2023 |website=Legislature.Vermont.gov |publisher=Vermont General Assembly |location=Montpelier, VT |access-date=May 30, 2023}}</ref> Since 2011, the Senate secretary has been John H. Bloomer, a former member of the Senate.<ref name="Secretaries">{{cite web |url=https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/All-House-Documents/Secretaries-of-the-Senate.pdf |title=State of Vermont Secretaries of the Senate, 1836–2011 |date=2011 |website=Legislature.Vermont.gov |publisher=Vermont General Assembly |location=Montpelier, VT |access-date=May 30, 2023 |page=1}}</ref> Previous secretaries include [[Ernest W. Gibson Jr.]], [[Murdock A. Campbell]], and [[Franklin S. Billings Jr.]]<ref name="Secretaries"/> |
||
==History== |
==History== |
||
Line 342: | Line 346: | ||
The longest-serving member of the Vermont Senate was [[William T. Doyle]]; he was elected in 1968, reelected every two years until 2014, and defeated for reelection in 2016. Doyle served from January 1969 to January 2017; no other legislator in Vermont history—member of the [[Vermont House of Representatives|Vermont House]], member of the Vermont Senate, or member of both the House and Senate—has served longer than Doyle. |
The longest-serving member of the Vermont Senate was [[William T. Doyle]]; he was elected in 1968, reelected every two years until 2014, and defeated for reelection in 2016. Doyle served from January 1969 to January 2017; no other legislator in Vermont history—member of the [[Vermont House of Representatives|Vermont House]], member of the Vermont Senate, or member of both the House and Senate—has served longer than Doyle. |
||
=== Former districts, 2002–2022 === |
|||
The following is from the Vermont Secretary of State.<ref name="sos-list2">{{cite web |date=May 9, 2012 |title=Senate Redistricting for 2012 |url=https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/70259/2012-Senate-Districts-42312.pdf |publisher=Vermont Secretary of State}}</ref> |
|||
{| class="wikitable" border="1" |
|||
!District |
|||
!Senators |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Addison Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Addison]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |2 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Bennington Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Bennington]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |2 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Caledonia Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Caledonia]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |2 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Chittenden Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Chittenden]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |6 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Essex-Orleans Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Essex-Orleans]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |2 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Franklin Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Franklin]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |2 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Grand Isle Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Grand Isle]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |1 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Lamoille Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Lamoille]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |1 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Orange Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Orange]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |1 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Rutland Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Rutland]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |3 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Washington Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Washington]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |3 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Windham Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Windham]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |2 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Windsor Vermont Senate District, 2012–2022|Windsor]] |
|||
| style="text-align:center;" |3 |
|||
|} |
|||
==Notable members== |
==Notable members== |
||
Most individuals who have served as governor or lieutenant governor had experience in the Vermont legislature; many served in the State Senate. For more than 100 years from the 1850s to the 1960s, the [[Vermont Republican Party]] won every election for statewide office. In keeping with the [[List of Governors of Vermont#Mountain Rule|"Mountain Rule"]], which was created to ensure party unity, governors and lieutenant governors were from opposite sides of the [[Green Mountains]], and were limited to two years in office. |
Most individuals who have served as governor or lieutenant governor had experience in the Vermont legislature; many served in the State Senate. For more than 100 years from the 1850s to the 1960s, the [[Vermont Republican Party]] won every election for statewide office. In keeping with the [[List of Governors of Vermont#Mountain Rule|"Mountain Rule"]], which was created to ensure party unity, governors and lieutenant governors were from opposite sides of the [[Green Mountains]], and were limited to two years in office. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor were agreed upon by party leaders years in advance, and were often chosen for leadership positions in the House or Senate to groom them for statewide office. |
||
===Governors=== |
===Governors=== |
||
Governors who served in the Vermont Senate include: [[William A. Palmer]] (post-governorship); [[Horace Eaton]]; [[Carlos Coolidge]] (post-governorship); [[John S. Robinson (governor)|John S. Robinson]]; [[Ryland Fletcher]]; [[Frederick Holbrook]]; [[Paul Dillingham]]; [[George Whitman Hendee]]; [[John Wolcott Stewart]]; [[Julius Converse]]; [[Horace Fairbanks]]; [[Redfield Proctor]]; [[Roswell Farnham]]; [[John L. Barstow]]; [[Ebenezer J. Ormsbee]]; [[William P. Dillingham]]; [[Carroll S. Page]]; [[Levi K. Fuller]]; [[Josiah Grout]]; [[John G. McCullough]]; [[Charles J. Bell (politician)|Charles J. Bell]]; [[Fletcher D. Proctor]]; [[George H. Prouty]]; [[John A. Mead]]; [[Allen M. Fletcher]]; [[Charles W. Gates]]; [[Percival W. Clement]]; [[Redfield Proctor Jr.]]; [[John E. Weeks]]; [[Stanley C. Wilson]]; [[Charles Manley Smith]]; [[William Henry Wills (politician)|William H. Wills]]; [[Mortimer R. Proctor]]; [[Lee E. Emerson]]; [[Joseph B. Johnson]]; [[Philip H. Hoff]] (post-governorship); [[Peter Shumlin]]; and [[ |
Governors who served in the Vermont Senate include: [[William A. Palmer]] (post-governorship); [[Horace Eaton]]; [[Carlos Coolidge]] (post-governorship); [[John S. Robinson (governor)|John S. Robinson]]; [[Ryland Fletcher]]; [[Frederick Holbrook]]; [[Paul Dillingham]]; [[George Whitman Hendee]]; [[John Wolcott Stewart]]; [[Julius Converse]]; [[Horace Fairbanks]]; [[Redfield Proctor]]; [[Roswell Farnham]]; [[John L. Barstow]]; [[Ebenezer J. Ormsbee]]; [[William P. Dillingham]]; [[Carroll S. Page]]; [[Levi K. Fuller]]; [[Josiah Grout]]; [[John G. McCullough]]; [[Charles J. Bell (politician)|Charles J. Bell]]; [[Fletcher D. Proctor]]; [[George H. Prouty]]; [[John A. Mead]]; [[Allen M. Fletcher]]; [[Charles W. Gates]]; [[Percival W. Clement]]; [[Redfield Proctor Jr.]]; [[John E. Weeks]]; [[Stanley C. Wilson]]; [[Charles Manley Smith]]; [[William Henry Wills (politician)|William H. Wills]]; [[Mortimer R. Proctor]]; [[Lee E. Emerson]]; [[Joseph B. Johnson]]; [[Philip H. Hoff]] (post-governorship); [[Peter Shumlin]]; and [[Phil Scott]] (incumbent). |
||
===Lieutenant governors=== |
|||
Vermont's lieutenant governors who served in the state senate include: [[Waitstill R. Ranney]], [[Leonard Sargeant]], [[William C. Kittredge]], [[Jefferson P. Kidder]], [[Burnham Martin]], [[Levi Underwood]], [[Abraham B. Gardner]], [[Stephen Thomas (Medal of Honor)|Stephen Thomas]], [[George N. Dale]], [[Russell S. Taft]], [[Lyman G. Hinckley]], [[Eben Pomeroy Colton]], [[Henry A. Fletcher]], [[Farrand Stewart Stranahan]], [[Zophar Mansur]], [[Nelson W. Fisk]], [[Henry C. Bates]], [[Martin F. Allen]], [[Zed S. Stanton]], [[Charles H. Stearns]], [[Leighton P. Slack]], [[Hale K. Darling]], [[Roger W. Hulburd]], [[Abram W. Foote]], [[Walter K. Farnsworth]], [[Consuelo N. Bailey]], [[Robert S. Babcock]], [[T. Garry Buckley]], [[Barbara Snelling]] (post-lieutenant governorship), [[Doug Racine]], and [[David Zuckerman (politician)|David Zuckerman]]. |
|||
===Members of Congress=== |
===Members of Congress=== |
||
Many of Vermont's members of the [[United States Senate]] and [[United States House of Representatives]] also served in the Vermont Senate. |
Many of Vermont's members of the [[United States Senate]] and [[United States House of Representatives]] also served in the Vermont Senate. |
||
U.S. |
U.S. senators include [[Samuel S. Phelps]], [[George F. Edmunds]], [[Jonathan Ross (senator)|Jonathan Ross]], [[Porter H. Dale]], [[Frank C. Partridge]], [[Ernest Willard Gibson]], [[Jim Jeffords]], and [[Peter Welch]] (incumbent). |
||
U.S. House members who served in the Vermont Senate include [[William Henry (congressman)|William Henry]], [[Ahiman Louis Miner]], [[George Tisdale Hodges]], [[Frederick E. Woodbridge]], [[H. Henry Powers]], [[David J. Foster]], [[William Hebard]], [[Andrew Tracy]], [[William W. Grout]], [[Kittredge Haskins]], [[Frank Plumley]], [[Alvah Sabin]], [[Homer Elihu Royce]], [[Worthington Curtis Smith]], [[Bradley Barlow]], [[Augustus Young (representative)|Augustus Young]], [[Richard W. Mallary]], [[Peter Plympton Smith]], |
U.S. House members who served in the Vermont Senate include [[William Henry (congressman)|William Henry]], [[Ahiman Louis Miner]], [[George Tisdale Hodges]], [[Frederick E. Woodbridge]], [[H. Henry Powers]], [[David J. Foster]], [[William Hebard]], [[Andrew Tracy]], [[William W. Grout]], [[Kittredge Haskins]], [[Frank Plumley]], [[Alvah Sabin]], [[Homer Elihu Royce]], [[Worthington Curtis Smith]], [[Bradley Barlow]], [[Augustus Young (representative)|Augustus Young]], [[Richard W. Mallary]], [[Peter Plympton Smith]], and [[Becca Balint]] (incumbent). |
||
===Other notable members=== |
===Other notable members=== |
||
Other notable members of the Vermont Senate include: |
Other notable members of the Vermont Senate include: |
||
*[[Jefferson P. Kidder]] (1847–1849): U.S. Congressman from [[Dakota Territory]]; Associate Justice of the [[South Dakota Supreme Court|Supreme Court of Dakota Territory]]. |
|||
*[[James Barrett (Vermont judge)|James Barrett]] (1844–1845), [[List of justices of the Vermont Supreme Court|Associate Justice]] of the [[Vermont Supreme Court]] |
|||
*[[Edna Beard]] (1923–1925): Vermont's first female state House member (1921 to 1923) and first female state senator; also the first woman to hold a leadership position in the Vermont legislature as Chair of the Senate Committee on Libraries. |
|||
*[[William Carris]] (2007–2012), businessman who served as president of Carris Reels (later Carris Financial) |
|||
*[[Lucius E. Chittenden]] (1856–1860): author and government official. |
*[[Lucius E. Chittenden]] (1856–1860): author and government official. |
||
*[[Daniel Kellogg (judge)|Daniel Kellogg]] (1865–1866): [[State adjutant general|Adjutant general]] of the [[Vermont National Guard|Vermont Militia]]. |
|||
*[[Hoyt Henry Wheeler]] (1868–1869): judge of the [[United States District Court for the District of Vermont]]. |
|||
*[[William H. Gilmore]] (1882–1883): [[State adjutant general|Adjutant general]] of the [[Vermont National Guard|Vermont Militia]]. |
*[[William H. Gilmore]] (1882–1883): [[State adjutant general|Adjutant general]] of the [[Vermont National Guard|Vermont Militia]]. |
||
*[[Daniel Kellogg (judge)|Daniel Kellogg]] (1865–1866): [[State adjutant general|Adjutant general]] of the [[Vermont National Guard|Vermont Militia]]. |
|||
*[[James L. Oakes]] (1961–1965): judge of the U.S. District Court for Vermont and judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. |
|||
*[[William Wells (general)|William Wells]] (1886–1887): recipient of the [[Medal of Honor]] during the [[American Civil War]]. |
*[[William Wells (general)|William Wells]] (1886–1887): recipient of the [[Medal of Honor]] during the [[American Civil War]]. |
||
*[[Hoyt Henry Wheeler]] (1868–1869): judge of the [[United States District Court for the District of Vermont]]. |
|||
*[[Edna Beard]] (1923–1925): Vermont's first female state House member (1921 to 1923) and first female state senator; also the first woman to hold a leadership position in the Vermont legislature as Chair of the Senate Committee on Libraries. |
|||
*[[Consuelo N. Bailey]] (1930–1931): Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1955 to 1957; first woman in the United States to be a lieutenant governor. |
|||
*[[James L. Oakes]] (1961–1965): judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit]]. |
|||
*[[David Zuckerman (politician)|David Zuckerman]] (born 1971): Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 2017-2021. |
|||
*[[Becca Balint]] (2015–present): first openly gay woman to serve in the Vermont Senate and first openly gay woman to hold a legislative leadership position as Senate Majority Leader. |
|||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
Line 377: | Line 429: | ||
* [[Members of the Vermont Senate, 2005-2006 session]] |
* [[Members of the Vermont Senate, 2005-2006 session]] |
||
* [[Members of the Vermont Senate, 2007-2008 session]] |
* [[Members of the Vermont Senate, 2007-2008 session]] |
||
* [[List of Vermont General Assemblies]] |
|||
* [[Vermont Senate districts, 2012-2022]] |
|||
* [[Vermont Senate districts, 2022-2032]] |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Line 390: | Line 441: | ||
{{Vermont State Senators}} |
{{Vermont State Senators}} |
||
{{United States legislatures}} |
{{United States legislatures}} |
||
{{Authority control}} |
|||
{{coord|44|15|44|N|72|34|51|W|display=title}} |
{{coord|44|15|44|N|72|34|51|W|display=title}} |
||
{{Authority control}} |
|||
[[Category:Politics of Vermont]] |
[[Category:Politics of Vermont]] |
Latest revision as of 10:07, 2 August 2024
Vermont State Senate | |
---|---|
Vermont General Assembly | |
Type | |
Type | |
Term limits | None |
History | |
New session started | January 4, 2023 |
Leadership | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
Structure | |
Seats | 30 |
Political groups | Majority (23)
Minority (7)
|
Length of term | 2 years |
Authority | Section 7, Legislative Department, Constitution of Vermont |
Salary | $733.04 per week plus per diem during session |
Elections | |
Last election | November 8, 2022 |
Next election | November 5, 2024 |
Redistricting | Legislative control |
Meeting place | |
State Senate Chamber, Vermont State House Montpelier, Vermont, U.S. | |
Website | |
Vermont State Senate |
The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator represents at least 20,300 citizens. Senators are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve.
As in other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the U.S. Senate, the Vermont Senate has special functions, such as confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, the state cabinet, commissions, boards, and (for the first six-year term) the state's judiciary.
The Vermont Senate meets at the Vermont State House in the state capital of Montpelier.
Districting and terms
[edit]The 30 senators are elected from 16 single and multi-member senate districts. The districts largely correspond to the boundaries of the state's 14 counties with adjustments to ensure equality of representation. Each district elects between 1 and 3 senators at-large depending on population. For the 2023–2033 districts, Seven districts elect one senator each, four districts elect two each, and five elect three.[1] Senators in multi-member districts are elected at-large throughout the district. Vermont is the only state to have any senate districts represented by more than two senators each, as well as the only state to employ bloc voting for senate elections.[2]
Vermont is one of the 14 states where the upper house of its state legislature serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the more common four-year term in the majority of states.
Senate district lines are drawn with an eye toward adhering to the boundaries of the state's 14 counties, and the districts are named after the county or counties in which the bulk of the district is located. However, due to equal representation requirements of the federal and state constitutions, most districts do not have precisely the same boundaries as their respective counties, containing either one or more towns from neighboring counties or not containing one or more from their own county (or both).
Leadership
[edit]The lieutenant governor of Vermont serves as the president of the Senate, but casts a vote only if required to break a tie. In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the president pro tempore presides over the Senate. The president pro tempore is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation from the entire body through a Senate resolution, and is the Senate's chief leadership position. The majority and minority leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.
Committee assignments are determined by the Committee on Committees. This panel consists of the lieutenant governor, the president pro tempore and one member chosen by the full Senate. For several years the third member of the committee was Richard Mazza.
Composition of the Senate (2021–2023 legislative session)
[edit]Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Progressive | Republican | Vacant | ||
End 2012 | 21 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 0 |
2013-2014 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 30 | 0 |
Begin 2015 | 19 | 3 | 9 | 30 | 0 |
End 2016 | 8 | 29 | 1[3] | ||
2017-2018 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 30 | 0 |
Begin 2019 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 30 | 0 |
Begin 2021 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 30 | 0 |
Begin 2023 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 30 | 0 |
Latest voting share | 77% | 23% |
Current leadership
[edit]Position | Name | Party | Residence | District |
---|---|---|---|---|
President | David Zuckerman | Prog/Dem | Hinesburg | –
|
President pro tempore | Philip Baruth | Dem/Prog | Burlington | Chittenden-Central |
Majority Leader | Alison H. Clarkson | Dem | Woodstock | Windsor |
Assistant Majority Leader (Whip) | Andrew Perchlik | Dem/Prog | Montpelier | Washington |
Minority Leader | Randy Brock | Rep | Swanton | Franklin |
Current members
[edit]- ↑: Member was originally appointed
Operations
[edit]The full Senate meets Tuesday and Friday mornings only for the first seven weeks of the annual session.[5]
The Vermont Senate is aided by a small administrative staff, including the secretary of the Vermont Senate and several assistants.[6] Since 2011, the Senate secretary has been John H. Bloomer, a former member of the Senate.[7] Previous secretaries include Ernest W. Gibson Jr., Murdock A. Campbell, and Franklin S. Billings Jr.[7]
History
[edit]Vermont had a unicameral legislature until 1836; most of the functions normally performed by an upper legislative house were the responsibility of the governor and council. The state abolished the governor's council and added a senate by constitutional amendment.[8]
The longest-serving member of the Vermont Senate was William T. Doyle; he was elected in 1968, reelected every two years until 2014, and defeated for reelection in 2016. Doyle served from January 1969 to January 2017; no other legislator in Vermont history—member of the Vermont House, member of the Vermont Senate, or member of both the House and Senate—has served longer than Doyle.
Former districts, 2002–2022
[edit]The following is from the Vermont Secretary of State.[9]
District | Senators |
---|---|
Addison | 2 |
Bennington | 2 |
Caledonia | 2 |
Chittenden | 6 |
Essex-Orleans | 2 |
Franklin | 2 |
Grand Isle | 1 |
Lamoille | 1 |
Orange | 1 |
Rutland | 3 |
Washington | 3 |
Windham | 2 |
Windsor | 3 |
Notable members
[edit]Most individuals who have served as governor or lieutenant governor had experience in the Vermont legislature; many served in the State Senate. For more than 100 years from the 1850s to the 1960s, the Vermont Republican Party won every election for statewide office. In keeping with the "Mountain Rule", which was created to ensure party unity, governors and lieutenant governors were from opposite sides of the Green Mountains, and were limited to two years in office. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor were agreed upon by party leaders years in advance, and were often chosen for leadership positions in the House or Senate to groom them for statewide office.
Governors
[edit]Governors who served in the Vermont Senate include: William A. Palmer (post-governorship); Horace Eaton; Carlos Coolidge (post-governorship); John S. Robinson; Ryland Fletcher; Frederick Holbrook; Paul Dillingham; George Whitman Hendee; John Wolcott Stewart; Julius Converse; Horace Fairbanks; Redfield Proctor; Roswell Farnham; John L. Barstow; Ebenezer J. Ormsbee; William P. Dillingham; Carroll S. Page; Levi K. Fuller; Josiah Grout; John G. McCullough; Charles J. Bell; Fletcher D. Proctor; George H. Prouty; John A. Mead; Allen M. Fletcher; Charles W. Gates; Percival W. Clement; Redfield Proctor Jr.; John E. Weeks; Stanley C. Wilson; Charles Manley Smith; William H. Wills; Mortimer R. Proctor; Lee E. Emerson; Joseph B. Johnson; Philip H. Hoff (post-governorship); Peter Shumlin; and Phil Scott (incumbent).
Lieutenant governors
[edit]Vermont's lieutenant governors who served in the state senate include: Waitstill R. Ranney, Leonard Sargeant, William C. Kittredge, Jefferson P. Kidder, Burnham Martin, Levi Underwood, Abraham B. Gardner, Stephen Thomas, George N. Dale, Russell S. Taft, Lyman G. Hinckley, Eben Pomeroy Colton, Henry A. Fletcher, Farrand Stewart Stranahan, Zophar Mansur, Nelson W. Fisk, Henry C. Bates, Martin F. Allen, Zed S. Stanton, Charles H. Stearns, Leighton P. Slack, Hale K. Darling, Roger W. Hulburd, Abram W. Foote, Walter K. Farnsworth, Consuelo N. Bailey, Robert S. Babcock, T. Garry Buckley, Barbara Snelling (post-lieutenant governorship), Doug Racine, and David Zuckerman.
Members of Congress
[edit]Many of Vermont's members of the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives also served in the Vermont Senate.
U.S. senators include Samuel S. Phelps, George F. Edmunds, Jonathan Ross, Porter H. Dale, Frank C. Partridge, Ernest Willard Gibson, Jim Jeffords, and Peter Welch (incumbent).
U.S. House members who served in the Vermont Senate include William Henry, Ahiman Louis Miner, George Tisdale Hodges, Frederick E. Woodbridge, H. Henry Powers, David J. Foster, William Hebard, Andrew Tracy, William W. Grout, Kittredge Haskins, Frank Plumley, Alvah Sabin, Homer Elihu Royce, Worthington Curtis Smith, Bradley Barlow, Augustus Young, Richard W. Mallary, Peter Plympton Smith, and Becca Balint (incumbent).
Other notable members
[edit]Other notable members of the Vermont Senate include:
- James Barrett (1844–1845), Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
- Edna Beard (1923–1925): Vermont's first female state House member (1921 to 1923) and first female state senator; also the first woman to hold a leadership position in the Vermont legislature as Chair of the Senate Committee on Libraries.
- William Carris (2007–2012), businessman who served as president of Carris Reels (later Carris Financial)
- Lucius E. Chittenden (1856–1860): author and government official.
- William H. Gilmore (1882–1883): Adjutant general of the Vermont Militia.
- Daniel Kellogg (1865–1866): Adjutant general of the Vermont Militia.
- James L. Oakes (1961–1965): judge of the U.S. District Court for Vermont and judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
- William Wells (1886–1887): recipient of the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War.
- Hoyt Henry Wheeler (1868–1869): judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont.
See also
[edit]- President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate
- Vermont State House
- Vermont General Assembly
- Vermont House of Representatives
- Members of the Vermont Senate, 2005-2006 session
- Members of the Vermont Senate, 2007-2008 session
- List of Vermont General Assemblies
References
[edit]- ^ "Senate Redistricting for 2022" (PDF). Caliper. 2021.
- ^ "State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts". Ballotpedia. Retrieved Aug 24, 2019.
- ^ Republican Norman H. McAllister (Alburgh-Franklin) was suspended from senatorial duties in 2015 through the end of his Senate term. [1]
- ^ Dick Sears died on June 1, 2024.[2]
- ^ Remsen, Nancy & Hallenbeck, Teri (January 8, 2009). Following the Legislature. Burlington Free Press.
- ^ "Secretary of the Senate". Legislature.Vermont.gov. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly. 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "State of Vermont Secretaries of the Senate, 1836–2011" (PDF). Legislature.Vermont.gov. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly. 2011. p. 1. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ "REPORT OF THE LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENT BOARD: The 2001 Tentative Plan for the Vermont Senate" (PDF). Bluehouse Group. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ^ "Senate Redistricting for 2012" (PDF). Vermont Secretary of State. May 9, 2012.