Iowa Senate

Infobox Legislature
name = Iowa Senate
coa_pic =
session_room = Iowa Senate.jpg
house_type = Upper house
leader1_type = President of the Senate
leader1 = Jack Kibbie
party1 = D
election1 = January 8, 2007
leader2_type = President pro Tempore
leader2 = Jeff Danielson
party2 = D
election2 = January 8, 2007
leader3_type = Majority Leader
leader3 = Michael Gronstal
party3 = D
election3 = January 8, 2007
leader4_type = Minority Leader
leader4 = Ron Wieck
party4 = R
election4 = January 8, 2007
members = 50
p_groups = Democratic Party
Republican Party
meeting_place = Senate Chamber, Iowa State Capitol, Des Moines, IA, US
website = http://www.legis.state.ia.usThe Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts. The Senate meets at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

Unlike the lower house, the Iowa House of Representatives, Senators serve four-year terms, with half of the Senate staggered for re-election every two years. There are no term limits for the Senate.

Leadership

The President of the Senate presides over the body, whose powers include referring bills to committee, recognizing members during debate, and making procedural rulings. Unlike the more powerful Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, the Senate President cannot appoint committee chairmanships or shuffle committee memberships. [cite web | url=http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Pubinfo/BranchesGov.html | title=The Three Branches of Government | publisher=Iowa General Assembly| date=| accessdate=2008-03-10] Since the passage of an amendment to the Iowa Constitution by state voters in 1988 and made effective in 1991, the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa has no presiding role over the Senate, and instead has had its powers transferred to taking duties designated by the Governor of Iowa. [cite web | url=http://publications.iowa.gov/archive/00000135/01/history/7-6.html | title=The Drafting of Iowa's Constitution | publisher=Steven Cross, Iowa General Assembly| date=| accessdate=2008-03-10] The other partisan Senate leadership positions, such as the Majority and Minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses to head their parties in the chamber.

The President of the Senate is Democrat Jack Kibbie of the 4th District (Emmetsburg). The Majority Leader is Democrat Michael Gronstal of the 50th District (Council Bluffs). The Minority Leader is Republican Ron Wieck of the 27th District (Sioux City).

Leaders

Current composition

Past notable members

* Steve King, current U.S. House Representative, 2003 to present.
* Samuel J. Kirkwood, two time Governor of Iowa (1860–1864), (1876–1877); two time U.S. Senator (1866–1867), (1877–1881); U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1881–1882).
* Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007 and briefly Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in 2006.
* George A. Wilson, Governor of Iowa from 1939 to 1943.
* George G. Wright, U.S. Senator from 1871 to 1877.

References

External links

* [http://www.legis.state.ia.us/ Official website]
* [http://www.vote-smart.org/official_state_legislator.php?type=office&state_id=IA&criteria=upper Project Vote Smart - State Senate of Iowa]
* [http://www.iowasenatedemocrats.org/ Iowa Senate Democrats]
* [http://www.iowasenaterepublicans.org/ Iowa Senate Republicans]