Mississippi State Senate

Mississippi State Senate
Mississippi State Legislature
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 3, 2012
Leadership
President of the Senate	Tate Reeves (R) Since January 5, 2012
President pro Tempore	Terry Burton (R) Since January 5, 2016
Structure
Seats	52
Political groups	Governing party   Republican (31) Opposition party   Democratic (20)   Independent (1)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article IV, Mississippi Constitution
Salary	$10,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 8, 2011 (52 seats)
Next election	November 5, 2015 (52 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber Mississippi State Capitol Jackson, Mississippi
Website
Mississippi State Legislature

The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate is composed of 52 senators representing an equal amount of constituent districts, with 54,704 people per district (2000 figures). Senators serve four-year terms with no term limits.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

The Senate convenes in the State Capitol in Jackson.

Membership, terms and elections

According to the current Mississippi Constitution of 1890, the Senate is to be composed of no more than 52 members elected for four-year terms. Elections to the Senate are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November during the state general elections.

Powers and process

The state legislature is constitutionally-mandated to meet for 125 days every four years and 90 days in other years. The Mississippi Senate has the authority to determine rules of its own proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and expel a member with a two-thirds vote of its membership. Bills must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules. Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses.

The governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision.

Leadership

The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi serves as the President of the Senate, but only casts a legislative vote if required to break a tie. In his or her absence, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate. The President Pro Tempore is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the entire Senate through a Senate Resolution. Unlike other upper houses in state legislatures, the President Pro Tempore's power is limited. The Lieutenant Governor has the sole ability to appoint the chairmanships or vice chairmanships of various Senate committees, regardless of party size. The other Senate majority and minority leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.

The President of the Senate is Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves. The President pro tempore is Republican Terry Burton.

Composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
End of previous legislature	23	28	51	1
Begin	20	32	52	0
Latest voting share	38.5%	61.5%

Although the Democratic party retained their majority (27D to 25R) in the state Senate after the 2003 general election, a party switch by former Democratic Senator, James Shannon Walley of Leakesville threw control of the chamber to the Republicans. Walley was elected as a Democrat in 2003 to represent District 43, which includes George, Greene, Stone, and Wayne counties, then announced he was switching parties and won re-election as a Republican. Because the Lieutenant Governor at that time, Amy Tuck, was a Republican (and also a previous party switcher), this gave Republicans control of the Senate for the first time since Reconstruction and a defacto majority only on a tie vote.

Until January 2008, the Senate contained 25 Democrats and 27 Republicans. Democrats enjoyed a net gain of three seats in the November 6, 2007 statewide elections and won back control of the chamber by a 28–24 margin until Senator Nolan Mettetal announced his party switch in February, 2008. The Senate balance was 27–25, with the Democrats holding the slim majority until Cindy Hyde-Smith switched parties, giving the GOP a 26–26 de facto majority, with Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant holding the tiebreaker vote. After the switch of Ezell Lee on February 17, 2011, the GOP expanded their majority to 27–24, with one vacancy.

Members of the Mississippi Senate (2012–2015)

District	Name	Party	Residence	Gender
1	Chris Massey	Rep	Nesbit	M
2	Bill Stone	Dem	Holly Springs	M
3	Nickey Browning	Rep	Pontotoc	M
4	Rita Potts Parks	Rep	Corinth	F
5	J. P. Wilemon	Dem	Belmont	M
6	Nancy Adams Collins	Rep		F
7	Hob Bryan	Dem	Amory	M
8	Russell Jolly	Dem	Houston	M
9	Gray Tollison	Rep	Oxford	M
10	Steve Hale	Dem	Senatobia	M
11	Robert L. Jackson	Dem	Marks	M
12	Derrick Simmons	Dem	Greenville	M
13	Willie Lee Simmons	Dem	Cleveland	M
14	Lydia Chassaniol	Rep	Winona	F
15	Gary Jackson	Rep	French Camp	M
16	Angela Turner	Dem	West Point	F
17	Charles Younger	Rep	Columbus	M
18	Giles Ward	Rep	Louisville	M
19	David Parker	Rep	Olive Branch	M
20	Josh Harkins	Rep	Flowood	M
21	Kenny Wayne Jones	Dem	Canton	M
22	Eugene S. Clarke	Rep	Hollandale	M
23	Briggs Hopson	Rep	Vicksburg	M
24	David Lee Jordan	Dem	Greenwood	M
25	Will Longwitz	Rep	Madison	M
26	John A. Horhn	Dem	Jackson	M
27	Hillman Terome Frazier	Dem	Jackson	M
28	Sollie Norwood	Dem	Jackson	M
29	David Blount	Dem	Jackson	M
30	Dean Kirby	Rep	Pearl	M
31	Terry Clark Burton	Rep	Newton	M
32	Sampson Jackson II	Dem	Preston	M
33	Videt Carmichael	Rep	Meridian	M
34	Haskins Montgomery	Dem	Bay Springs	M
35	Perry Lee	Rep	Mendenhall	M
36	Albert Butler	Dem	Port Gibson	M
37	Melanie Sojourner	Rep	Natchez	F
38	Kelvin Butler	Dem	McComb	M
39	Sally Doty	Rep	Brookhaven	F
40	Angela Burks Hill	Rep	Picayune	F
41	Joey Fillingane	Rep	Sumrall	M
42	Chris McDaniel	Rep	Ellisville	M
43	Phillip A. Gandy	Rep	Waynesboro	M
44	John A. Polk	Rep	Hattiesburg	M
45	Billy Hudson	Rep	Hattiesburg	M
46	Philip Moran	Rep	Kiln	M
47	Tony Smith	Rep	Picayune	M
48	Deborah Jeanne Dawkins	Dem	Pass Christian	F
49	Sean Tindell	Rep	Gulfport	M
50	Thomas Arlin Gollot	Rep	Biloxi	M
51	Michael Watson	Rep	Pascagoula	M
52	Brice Wiggins	Rep	Pascagoula	M

See also

• Mississippi State Capitol
• Mississippi Legislature
• Mississippi House of Representatives
• American Legislative Exchange Council members

External links

• Mississippi Legislature
• State Senate of Mississippi at Project Vote Smart
• Mississippi State Senate at Ballotpedia