Illinois Senate

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The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from individual legislative districts determined by population. There is a movement to modify senatorial districts on a geographic basis in order to more accurately reflect the cultural, racial and political makeup of outstate and downstate. In order to avoid complete turnovers in Senate membership, under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, some senators are elected to two-year terms while others are elected to four-year terms. Senate districts are divided into three groups. One or two of these groups are elected every two years for either a two or four year term. In contrast, the Illinois House of Representatives is made of 118 members with its entire membership elected to two-year terms. The Illinois Senate convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, confirm appointments to state departments and agencies, act on federal constitutional amendments and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote. The Illinois Senate tries impeachments made by the House of Representatives, and can convict impeached officers by a two-thirds vote. The Democratic Party of Illinois currently holds a veto-proof majority in the Illinois Senate.

Illinois State Senate - 95th General Assembly

Affiliation		Members
	Democratic Party	37
	Republican Party	22
Total		59
Democratic Majority		15

Officers

President of the Senate: Emil Jones, Jr.
Majority Leader: Debbie Halvorson
Majority Caucus Chair: Terry Link
Minority Leader: Frank Watson
Minority Caucus Chair: Dale Righter

Members of the Illinois Senate

District	Representative	Party	Residence	Term Up
1	Antonio Munoz	Democratic	Chicago	2010
2	William Delgado	Democratic	Chicago	2008
3	Mattie Hunter	Democratic	Chicago	2008
4	Kimberly A. Lightford	Democratic	Chicago	2010
5	Rickey R. Hendon	Democratic	Chicago	2008
6	John Cullerton	Democratic	Chicago	2008
7	Carol Ronen	Democratic	Chicago	2010
8	Ira Silverstein	Democratic	Chicago	2008
9	Jeffrey Schoenberg	Democratic	Chicago	2008
10	James DeLeo	Democratic	Chicago	2010
11	Louis Viverito	Democratic	Chicago	2008
12	Martin Sandoval	Democratic	Chicago	2008
13	Kwame Raoul	Democratic	Chicago	2010
14	Emil Jones, Jr.	Democratic	Chicago	2008
15	James Meeks	Democratic	Chicago	2008
16	Jacqueline Y. Collins	Democratic	Chicago	2010
17	Donne Trotter	Democratic	Chicago	2008
18	Edward Maloney	Democratic	Chicago	2008
19	Maggie Crotty	Democratic	Oak Forest	2010
20	Iris Martinez	Democratic	Chicago	2008
21	Daniel Cronin	Republican	Elmhurst	2008
22	Michael Noland	Democratic	Elgin	2010
23	Carole Pankau	Republican	Bloomingdale	2008
24	Kirk W. Dillard	Republican	Hinsdale	2008
25	Chris Lauzen	Republican	Aurora	2010
26	William E. Peterson	Republican	Buffalo Grove	2008
27	Matt Murphy	Republican	Palatine	2008
28	John J. Millner	Republican	St. Charles	2010
29	Susan Garrett	Democrat	Highwood	2008
30	Terry Link	Democratic	Vernon Hills	2008
31	Michael Bond	Democratic	Illinois	2010
32	Pamela Althoff	Republican	Crystal Lake	2008
33	Dan Kotowski	Democratic	Park Ridge	2008
34	Dave Syverson	Republican	Rockford	2010
35	J. Bradley Burzynski	Republican	Sycamore	2008
36	Mike Jacobs	Democratic	East Moline	2008
37	Dale Risinger	Republican	Peoria	2010
38	Gary G. Dahl	Republican	Peru	2008
39	Don Harmon	Democratic	Oak Park	2008
40	Debbie Halvorson	Democratic	Crete	2010
41	Christine Radogno	Republican	Lemont	2008
42	Linda Holmes	Democratic	Aurora	2008
43	Arthur Wilhelmi	Democratic	Joliet	2010
44	Bill Brady	Republican	Bloomington	2008
45	Todd Sieben	Republican	Geneseo	2008
46	David Koehler	Democratic	Pekin	2010
47	John M. Sullivan	Democratic	Rushville	2008
48	Randy Hultgren	Republican	Wheaton	2008
49	Deanna Demuzio	Democratic	Carlinville	2010
50	Larry Bomke	Republican	Springfield	2008
51	Frank Watson	Republican	Greenville	2008
52	Mike Frerichs	Democratic	Gifford	2010
53	Dan Rutherford	Republican	Pontiac	2008
54	John O. Jones	Republican	Mount Vernon	2008
55	Dale Righter	Republican	Mattoon	2010
56	William R. Haine	Democratic	Alton	2008
57	James Clayborne, Jr.	Democratic	Belleville	2008
58	David Luechtefeld	Republican	Okawville	2010
59	Gary Forby	Democratic	Benton	2008

External links

Illinois General Assembly - Senate official government site
Illinois Senate Republicans official party site
Illinois Senate Democrats official party site
Project Vote Smart - State Senate of Illinois voter information

• • e Legislatures of the United States
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