Pennsylvania State Senate Explained

Pennsylvania State Senate
Legislature:Pennsylvania General Assembly
Term Limits:None
New Session:January 3, 2023
Session Room:Senate Chamber, Pennsylvania State Capitol Building.jpg
House Type:Upper house
Body:Pennsylvania General Assembly
Leader1 Type:President
Leader1:Austin Davis (D)
Election1:January 17, 2023
Leader2 Type:President pro tempore
Leader2:Kim Ward (R)
Election2:November 30, 2022
Leader3 Type:Majority Leader
Leader3:Joe Pittman (R)
Election3:November 30, 2022
Leader4 Type:Minority Leader
Leader4:Jay Costa (D)
Election4:January 4, 2011
Term Length:4 years
Authority:Article II, Pennsylvania Constitution
Salary:$102,844/year + per diem[1]
Members:50
Structure1:Pennsylvania State Senate 2023.svg
Structure1 Res:250px
Structure1 Alt:Layout of Pennsylvania
Political Groups1:Majority

Minority

Last Election1:November 8, 2022
(even-numbered districts)
Next Election1:November 5, 2024
(odd-numbered districts)
Redistricting:Bipartisan Commission
Meeting Place:State Senate Chamber
Pennsylvania State Capitol
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Website:Pennsylvania State Senate
Logo Pic:Seal of the Senate of Pennsylvania.svg

The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four-year terms, staggered every two years, such that half of the seats are contested at each election.[2] Even- and odd-numbered district seats are contested in separate election years. The president pro tempore of the Senate becomes the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in the event of the sitting lieutenant governor's removal, resignation or death. In this case the president pro tempore and lieutenant governor would be the same person.[3] The Pennsylvania Senate has been meeting since 1791.

The president of the Senate is the lieutenant governor, who has no vote except to break a tie vote.

Qualifications

Senators must be at least 25 years of age. They must be a U.S. citizen and a Pennsylvania resident four years, and a resident of that district one year prior to their election and must reside in that district during their term.[4]

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Austin Davis (D)
President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Kim Ward (R)

Majority party (R)Leadership positionMinority party (D)
Joe PittmanFloor LeaderJay Costa
Ryan AumentWhipChristine Tartaglione
Kristin Phillips-HillCaucus ChairmanWayne D. Fontana
Camera BartolottaCaucus SecretaryMaria Collett
Scott MartinAppropriations Committee ChairmanVincent Hughes
Dan LaughlinPolicy Committee ChairmanKatie Muth
Lisa BakerCaucus AdministratorJudy Schwank

Composition

Historical sessions

See main article: 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election.

AffiliationParty

(shading indicates majority caucus)

Total
RepublicanIndDemocraticVacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"1995–1996 session29021500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"1997–1998 session3020500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"1999–2000 session3020500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2001–2002 session3020500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2003–2004 session2921500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2005–2006 session3020500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2007–2008 session2921500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2009–2010 session3020500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2011–2012 session3020500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2013–2014 session2723500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2015–2016 session3020500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2016–2017 session3119500
2017–2018 session3416500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2018–2019 session2822500
nowrap style="font-size:80%"2019–2020 session29121500
2021–2022 session28121500

Current session

As of January 3, 2023:

↓
22<--0-->28
Democratic<--Don't show Independent here. It messes up the width and impresses upon the reader that they have more seats in the House than what they actually have. -->Republican
AffiliationParty

(shading indicates majority caucus)

Total
RepublicanIndDemocraticVacant
End of previous legislature28121500
January 3, 202327022491
February 28, 2023[5] 28500
Latest voting share0%

Membership

The Senate is made up of 50 members who are elected by district. In 2012, a State Senate district had an average population of 254,047 residents.

List of current members

DistrictSenatorPartyResidenceCounties representedFirst electedTerm ends
1Dem Philadelphia20202024
2Dem Philadelphia19942026
3Dem Philadelphia20162024
4Dem 20142026
5Dem Philadelphia2022[6] 2024
6Rep 20222026
7Dem 19942024
8Dem/Fwd[7] 19982026
9Dem Birmingham20202024
10Dem Lower Makefield Township20182026
11Dem 20112024
12Dem Lower Gwynedd TownshipMontgomery20182026
13Rep 20162024
14Dem 20222026
15Rep 20162024
16Rep 20222026
17Dem 20202024
18Dem/Fwd[8] 19982026
19Dem West Chester20202024
20Lisa BakerRep 20062026
21Rep 20122024
22DemScranton2021[9] 2026
23Rep 20082024
24Rep 20222026
25Rep Pine Creek Township20202024
26Dem Swarthmore20182026
27Rep Sunbury20232024
28RepYork Township20182026
29Rep 20092024
30Rep Hollidaysburg20182026
31Rep 20162024
32Rep 20142026
33Rep 20192024
34Rep 2022 2026
35Rep 20162024
36Rep 20142026
37Rep 20202024
38Dem West View20182026
39Rep 20082024
40Rep 20222026
41Rep 20192024
42Dem 20052026
43Dem 19962024
44Dem East Vincent Township20182026
45DemMcKeesportAllegheny20102024
46Rep 20142026
47Rep 20082024
48Rep 2021[10] 2026
49Rep 20162024
50Rep 20142026

Standing committees

Committee Name Majority chair Minority chair
Aging & YouthJudy WardMaria Collett
Agriculture & Rural AffairsElder VogelJudy Schwank
AppropriationsScott MartinVincent Hughes
Banking & InsuranceJohn DiSantoSharif Street
Communications & TechnologyTracy PennycuickJimmy Dillon
Community, Economic & Recreational DevelopmentChris GebhardAnthony H. Williams
Consumer Protection & Professional LicensurePatrick J. StefanoLisa Boscola
EducationDave ArgallLindsey Williams
Environmental Resources & EnergyEugene YawCarolyn Comitta
FinanceScott HutchinsonNick Miller
Game & FisheriesGreg RothmanJim Brewster
Health & Human ServicesMichele BrooksArthur L. Haywood III
Intergovernmental OperationsJarrett ColemanChristine Tartaglione
JudiciaryLisa BakerSteve Santarsiero
Labor & IndustryDevlin RobinsonJohn I. Kane
Law & JusticeMike ReganJim Brewster
Local GovernmentRosemary BrownTim Kearney
Rules & Executive NominationsJoe PittmanJay Costa
State GovernmentCris DushAmanda Cappelletti
TransportationWayne LangerholcMarty Flynn
Urban Affairs & HousingFrank FarryNikil Saval
Veterans Affairs & Emergency PreparednesssDoug MastrianoKatie Muth

Past composition of the Senate

See main article: Political party strength in Pennsylvania.

See also

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. The Pennsylvania Manual, pp. 3–7.
  2. Article II, section 3, Pennsylvania Constitution.
  3. Article IV, section 14, Pennsylvania Constitution.
  4. Web site: Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . Web site: Article II. The Legislature . Web site: §5. Qualifications of Members .
  5. Web site: Jones . Matt . 2023-02-15 . Schlegel-Culver to be sworn in to Senate Feb. 28 . 2023-02-24 . The Standard-Journal . en.
  6. [John Sabatina]
  7. Affiliated with the Forward Party.
  8. Affiliated with the Forward Party.
  9. [John Blake (Pennsylvania politician)|John Blake]
  10. [Dave Arnold (politician)|Dave Arnold]

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