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Illinois Senate
Illinois General Assembly
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 9, 2019
Leadership
President of the Senate	John Cullerton (D) since Jan 14, 2009
Majority Leader	Kimberly Lightford (D) since Jan 7, 2019
Minority Leader	Bill Brady (R) since July 1, 2017
Structure
Seats	59
Political groups	Majority   Democratic (40) Minority   Republican (19)
Length of term	4 years (with one two-year term each decade)
Authority	Illinois Constitution Article IV
Salary	$67,874/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 6, 2018
Next election	November 3, 2020
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber Illinois State Capitol Springfield, Illinois
Website
Illinois State Senate

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; redistricted every 10 years, based on the 2010 U.S. census each senator represents approximately 217,468 people.^[1] Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms.^[2] This ensures that the Senate reflects changes made when the General Assembly redistricts itself after each census.

Depending on the election year, roughly one-third, two-thirds, or all Senate seats may be contested. In contrast, the Illinois House of Representatives is made up of 118 members with its entire membership elected to two-year terms. House districts are formed by dividing each Senate district in half,^[3] with each senator having two "associated" representatives.

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.

Voting in the Illinois Senate is done by members pushing one of three buttons. Unlike most states, the Illinois Senate allows members to vote yes, no, or present. It takes 30 affirmative votes to pass legislation during final action.^[4][5] The number of negative votes does not matter. Therefore, voting present has the same effect on the tally as voting no.

Party summary

Leadership

Majority

• 
  President of the Senate: John Cullerton
  


• Majority Leader: Kimberly A. Lightford
  


• Assistant Majority Leaders:
  
  
  
  • David Koehler
  
  
  • Terry Link
  
  
  • Iris Martinez
  
  
  • Don Harmon
  
  
  • Antonio Munoz
  
  
  
  


• Majority Caucus Chair: Mattie Hunter
  


• Majority Caucus Whips:
  
  
  
  • Jacqueline Collins
  
  
  • Linda Holmes
  
  
  • Martin Sandoval
  
  
  
  

Minority

• Minority Leader: Bill Brady
  


• Deputy Minority Leader: Dave Syverson
  


• Assistant Minority Leaders:
  
  
  
  • Jason Barickman
  
  
  • Michael Connelly
  
  
  • Sue Rezin
  
  
  • Chapin Rose
  
  
  
  


• Minority Caucus Chair: Dale Righter
  


• Minority Caucus Whips:
  
  
  
  • Jim Oberweis
  
  
  • Jill Tracy
  
  
  
  

Officers

• Secretary of the Senate: Tim Anderson


• Assistant Secretary of the Senate: Scott Kaiser


• Sergeant-at-Arms: Joe Dominguez


• Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Dirk R. Eilers

Members

In 1924, Florence Fifer Bohrer became the body's first female member and Adelbert H. Roberts became its first African American member.^[8][9] In 1977, Earlean Collins became the first African American woman to serve in the Illinois Senate.^[10]Barack Obama, later the President of the United States, served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.^[11]

• Ɨ Legislator was appointed to the Illinois Senate during session.


• ƗƗ Legislator was appointed to the Illinois Senate after being elected, but prior to inauguration day of the General Assembly to which they were elected.

Past composition of the Senate

References

External links

• 
  Illinois General Assembly – Senate official government website
  


• 
  Illinois Senate Republicans official party website
  


• 
  Illinois Senate Democrats official party website
  


• 
  Legislature of Illinois at Project Vote Smart
  


• 
  Illinois campaign financing at FollowTheMoney.org


• 
  Illinois Senate at Ballotpedia