Colorado Senate

Last updated

Colorado State Senate
74th Colorado General Assembly
Seal of Colorado.svg
Type
Type
Term limits
2 consecutive terms (8 years)
History
New session started
January 8, 2025
Leadership
President
James Coleman (D)
since January 8, 2025
President pro tempore
Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D)
since January 8, 2025
Majority Leader
Robert Rodriguez (D)
since January 9, 2023
Minority Leader
Paul Lundeen (R)
since January 9, 2023
Structure
Seats35
Colorado State Senate 2022.svg
Political groups
Majority
  •    Democratic (23)

Minority

Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle V, Colorado Constitution
Salary$43,977/year + per diem [1]
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
November 5, 2024
(17 seats)
Next election
November 3, 2026
(18 seats)
RedistrictingColorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission
Meeting place
ColoradoStateCapitolSenateChamber gobeirne.jpg
State Senate Chamber
Colorado State Capitol, Denver
Website
Colorado General Assembly
Rules
Colorado Legislative Rules

The Colorado State Senate is the upper house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Colorado. It is composed of 35 members elected from single-member districts, with each district having a population of about 123,000 as of the 2000 census. Senators are elected to four-year terms, and are limited to two consecutive terms in office. Senators who are term-limited become eligible to run again after a one-term (four year) respite.

Contents

The Colorado Senate convenes at the State Capitol in Denver.

History

The first meeting of the Colorado General Assembly took place from November 1, 1876, through March 20, 1877. [2] Lafayette Head was the first state senate president. [2]

The lieutenant governor served as Senate President until 1974 when Article V, Section 10 of the state constitution was amended, granting the Colorado Senate the right to elect one of its own members as President. [2] Fred Anderson was the first state senate president elected after the amendment. [2] Ruth Stockton was the first woman to become Senate's president pro tempore, serving from 1979 to 1980. [3] [4]

Terms and qualifications

The Colorado Senate has 35 members elected to staggered four-year terms. Half the chamber is elected in the same year as gubernatorial elections, with the other half elected in the same year as presidential elections.

State senators are term-limited to two consecutive terms, equivalent to eight years. Term-limited former members can run again after a four-year break. Vacancies in legislative offices are generally filled by political party vacancy committees, rather than special elections. Vacancy appointees who fill the first half of a state senator's term must stand for election at the next even year November election for the remainder of the state senate term for the seat to which the state senator was appointed.

Procedure and powers

With the notable exceptions listed below, the Colorado Senate operates in a manner quite similar to the United States Senate. [5]

Regular sessions are held annually and begin no later than the second Wednesday in January. Regular sessions last no more than 120 days. Special sessions may be called at any time by the governor of Colorado or upon written request of two-thirds of the members of each house, but are infrequent. Some committees of the General Assembly work between sessions and have limited power to take action without General Assembly approval between legislative sessions.

Joint procedural rules of the two chambers require most legislation to be introduced very early in the legislative session each year, and to meet strict deadlines for completion of each step of the legislative process. Joint procedural rules also limit each legislator to introducing five bills per year, subject to certain exceptions for non-binding resolutions, uniform acts, interim committee bills and appropriations bills. Most members of the General Assembly decide which bills they will introduce during the legislative session (or most of them) prior to its commencement, limiting the ability of members to introduce new bills at constituent request once the legislative session has begun.

Most bills adopted by the General Assembly include a "safety clause" (i.e. a legislative declaration that the bill concerns an urgent matter) and take effect on July 1 following the legislative session unless otherwise provided. Some bills are enacted without a "safety clause" which makes it possible to petition to subject those bills to a referendum before they take effect, and have an effective date in August following the legislative session unless otherwise provided. [5]

Colorado's legislature does not have an analog to the filibuster in the United States Senate requiring a supermajority for approval of any matter. The state lieutenant governor does not have the power to preside or break tie votes in either house of the General Assembly. [2] New executive branch rules are reviewed annually by the legislature and the legislature routinely invalidates some of them each year.

The General Assembly does not have a role in the appointment or retention of state judges, although it must authorize the creation of each judgeship.

Many state agencies and programs are subject to "sunset review" and are automatically abolished if the General Assembly does not reauthorize them.

In 1885, the Colorado Senate appointed its first chaplain, Methodist circuit riding missionary, "Father" John Lewis Dyer. [6]

The state budget process

The governor submits a proposed budget to the Joint Budget Committee each year in advance of the year's legislative session. Colorado's fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30.

Bills introduced in the General Assembly are evaluated by the non-partisan state legislative services body for their fiscal impact and must be provided for in appropriations legislation if there is a fiscal impact.

A state budget, called the "LONG Bill" (Legislation on Operations and Normal Governance) is prepared each year by the Joint Budget Committee of the General Assembly. The House and the Senate alternate the job of introducing the long bill and making a first committee review of it. Colorado's state legislature is required to obtain voter approval in order to incur significant debt, to raise taxes, or to increase state constitutional spending limitations. It is also required to comply with a state constitutional spending mandate for K-12 education. The governor has line item veto power over appropriations.

Current makeup

Based on the 2010 census, each state senator represents 143,691 constituents. The 2020 Colorado Elections resulted in the Democratic Party maintaining a majority of seats in the senate. Democrats currently hold a majority in the Senate in the 73rd General Assembly: 21 Democrats and 14 Republicans.

At the 2022 elections 17 senate seats came up for re-election. As a result the composition of the State Senate at the beginning of the 74th General Assembly will likely be 23 Democrats and 12 Republicans. [7]

With the Democratic majority, Steve Fenberg serves as President of the Senate and the Majority Leader position is currently vacant.

Composition

2312
DemocraticRepublican
AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Ind Republican Vacant
70th General Assembly17018350
Beginning of 71st General Assembly17018350
End of 71st General Assembly161
72nd Assembly19016350
Beginning of 73rd Assembly20015350
August 22, 2022 [a] 210140
Beginning of 74th Assembly23012350
Latest voting share

Leadership

PositionSenatorPartyDistrict
President James Coleman Democratic 33
President pro Tempore Dafna Michaelson Jenet Democratic 21
Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez Democratic 32
Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter Democratic 20
Majority Whip Nick Hinrichsen Democratic 3
Majority Caucus Chair Dylan Roberts Democratic 8
Minority Leader Paul Lundeen Republican 9
Assistant Minority Leader Cleave Simpson Republican 6
Minority Caucus Chair Byron Pelton Republican 1
Minority Whip Janice Rich Republican 7

Members of the Colorado Senate

DistrictImageSenatorPartyResidenceFirst electedNext election
1 Colorado State Senator Byron Pelton in 2023 (cropped).jpg Byron Pelton Republican Sterling 20222026
2 3x4.svg Lisa Frizell Republican Castle Rock 20242028
3 Nick Hinrichsen.JPG Nick Hinrichsen Democratic Pueblo 2022*2026
4 Mark Baisley.JPG Mark Baisley Republican Sedalia 20222026
5 3x4.svg Marc Catlin Republican Montrose 20242028
6 Colorado State Senator Cleave Simpson in 2023.jpg Cleave Simpson Republican Alamosa 20202028#
7 Colorado Senator Janice Rich in 2023.jpg Janice Rich Republican Grand Junction 20222026
8 Dylan Roberts.JPG Dylan Roberts Democratic Eagle 20222026
9 State Sen. Paul Lundeen 2023.jpg Paul Lundeen Republican Colorado Springs 20182026#
10 Colorado-Rep-Larry-Liston.jpg Larry Liston Republican Colorado Springs 20202028#
11 Tony Exum.JPG Tony Exum Democratic Colorado Springs 20222026
12 3x4.svg Marc Snyder Democratic Manitou Springs 20242028
13 3x4.svg Scott Bright Republican Platteville 20242028
14 3x4.svg Cathy Kipp Democratic Fort Collins 20242028
15 3x4.svg Janice Marchman Democratic Loveland 20222026
16 3x4.svg Chris Kolker Democratic Centennial 20202028#
17 Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis.jpg Sonya Jaquez Lewis Democratic Lafayette 20202028#
18 3x4.svg Judy Amabile Democratic Boulder 20242028
19 3x4.svg Lindsey Daugherty Democratic Arvada 20242028
20 3x4.svg Lisa Cutter Democratic Evergreen 20222026
21 Repmichaelsonjenet2019.jpg Dafna Michaelson Jenet Democratic Commerce City 2023*2028
22 Jessie Danielson 2020.JPG Jessie Danielson Democratic Wheat Ridge 20182026#
23 Colorado Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer in 2023 (cropped).jpg Barbara Kirkmeyer Republican Brighton 20202028#
24 Kyle Mullica (cropped).jpg Kyle Mullica Democratic Northglenn 20222026
25 Faith Winter.JPG Faith Winter Democratic Thornton 20182026#
26 Colorado State Senator Jeff Bridges in 2023.jpg Jeff Bridges Democratic Greenwood Village 2019*2028#
27 Tom Sullivan (Colorado politician).JPG Tom Sullivan Democratic Centennial 20222026
28 3x4.svg Mike Weissman Democratic Aurora 20242028
29 3x4.svg Iman Jodeh Democratic Aurora 2025*2028
30 3x4.svg John Carson Republican Highlands Ranch 2025*2026
31 3x4.svg Matthew BallDemocratic Denver 2025*2028
32 Colorado State Senator Robert Rodriguez in 2023.jpg Robert Rodriguez Democratic Denver 20182026#
33 Colorado State Senator James Coleman in 2023.jpg James Coleman Democratic Denver 20202028#
34 3x4.svg Julie Gonzales Democratic Denver 20182026#
35 Rod Pelton.JPG Rod Pelton Republican Cheyenne Wells 20222026
*Senator was originally appointed
#Senator is ineligible for re-election due to term limits

Past composition of the Senate

See also

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References

  1. Kevin Priola switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
  1. "Salaries for Legislators, Statewide Elected Officials, and County Officers". Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly: A Biographical Portrait from 1876 Archived January 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Colorado.gov, 2013 Revised Edition. (accessed May 27, 2013)
  3. "Colorado legislators past and present". Colorado State Legislature. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  4. "Ruth Stockton". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  5. 1 2 How a Bill Becomes Colorado Law Archived October 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Office of Legislative Legal Services, October 2001 (accessed May 27, 2013)
  6. "Verifiable Oddities in Colorado's History-The Snowshoe Chaplain of the State Senate". legisource.net. February 23, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  7. "Colorado Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 3, 2023.


39°44′21″N104°59′05″W / 39.7392°N 104.9848°W / 39.7392; -104.9848