Indiana Senate

Indiana State Senate
Indiana State Senate
Indiana General Assembly
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 9, 2023
Leadership
President	Suzanne Crouch (R) ; since January 9, 2017
President Pro Tempore	Rodric Bray (R) ; since November 20, 2018
Majority Leader	Chris Garten (R) ; since August 17, 2022
Minority Leader	Greg Taylor (D) ; since November 6, 2020
Structure
Seats	50
Political groups	Majority Republican (39); Minority Democratic (10); Other Non-caucusing Republican (1);
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article 4, Indiana Constitution
Salary	$28,791/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 8, 2022; (25 seats)
Next election	November 5, 2024; (25 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
	State Senate Chamber; Indiana Statehouse; Indianapolis, Indiana
Website
	Indiana General Assembly

The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the average state senator represents 129,676 people.

The Senate convenes at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

History

The Indiana Senate was established in 1816 along with the Indiana House of Representatives in 1816, when Indiana became a state.^[3] In 1897, the Indiana House passed a bill rounding the value of pi to 3.2. However, the intervention of State Senator Orrin Hubbel postponed the voting of the bill indefinitely, effectively rejecting it.^[4]

Operating rules

The Indiana State Senate is operated according to a set of internal regulations developed and maintained largely by tradition. These rules are similar to the rules that govern the upper house most of the state senates in the United States.^[5] The Senate convenes its annual session the first Tuesday following the first Monday of January every year. In odd numbered years the senate must meet for 61 days (not necessarily consecutive days), and must adjourn no later than April 30. This is typically called a long session. In even numbered years, when elections are held, the Senate must meet for 30 days (not necessarily consecutive days) and adjourn no later than March 15. This is typically called the short session. The only time the senate may convene outside of these dates is if the governor calls a special assembly.^[6]

The senate must convene by 1:30 pm each day a session is scheduled. Two thirds of the senators must be present for the session to begin. Senators must be present at each session unless they are explicitly excused by the president-pro-tempore. Members who are not present can be forced to attend the session or be censured and expelled from the body.^[6]

The lieutenant governor of Indiana serves as the president of the Senate and is responsible for ensuring that the senate rules are followed by its members. The president of the Senate takes no part in the debates of the senate and may only vote to break ties. The senate also elects a president-pro-tempore, a majority leader, and a minority leader. The president-pro-tempore is typically a senior member of majority party. The president-pro-tempore presides over the senate whenever the president of the Senate is not present. The president-pro-tempore is largely responsible for setting the agenda of the senate.^[6]

When debate occurs in the senate, each senator is granted permission to speak on each issue once. A senator may not speak on an issue more than once without a permission from the rest of the senate, which is attained with a senate vote. A senator can speak for no longer than a half-hour at any one time and may be silenced by a majority vote at any time during his or her speech.^[6]

Terms

Article 4 of the Constitution of Indiana places several limitation on the size and composition of the senate.^[7]

The senate can contain no more than 50 members.
The term of a senator lasts four years with 25 senators being elected every two years.
There is no limit to how many terms a senator may be elected.

Qualifications

Article 4 of the Constitution of Indiana states the qualifications to become a senator.^[7]

The candidate must be a United States citizen for a minimum of two years.
The candidate be an inhabitant in the district for a minimum of one year.
The candidate must at least 25 years of age when sworn into office.
The candidate cannot hold any other public office in the state or federal government during a senate term.

Composition of the Senate

↓
10	40
Democratic	Republican

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total

	Republican	Democratic		Vacant
2009–2010	33	17	50	0

2011–2012	37	13	50	0

2013–2014	37	13	50	0

2015–2016	40	10	50	0

2017–2018	41	9	50	0

2019–2020	40	10	50	0

2021–2022	39	11	50	0

2022–2023	40	10	50	0
Latest voting share	80%	20%

2022–2023 officers

Position	Name	Party	District
Lieutenant governor	Suzanne Crouch	Republican
President pro tem of the Senate	Rodric Bray	Republican	37
Majority leader	Chris Garten	Republican	45
Minority leader	Greg Taylor	Democratic	25

Members of the Indiana Senate

District	Senator	Party	Residence	First elected	Seat up
1	Dan Dernulc	Rep	Highland	2022	2026
2	Lonnie Randolph	Dem	East Chicago	2008 (1992–1998)	2024
3	David Vinzant	Dem	Hobart	2024†	2024
4	Rodney Pol Jr.	Dem	Chesterton	2022†	2026
5	Ed Charbonneau	Rep	Valparaiso	2007†	2024
6	Rick Niemeyer	Rep	Lowell	2014	2026
7	Brian Buchanan	Rep	Lebanon	2018†	2024
8	Mike Bohacek	Rep	Michiana Shores	2016	2024
9	Ryan Mishler	Rep	Bremen	2004	2024
10	David L. Niezgodski	Dem	South Bend	2016	2024
11	Linda Rogers	Rep	Granger	2018	2026
12	Blake Doriot	Rep	New Paris	2016	2024
13	Sue Glick	Rep	LaGrange	2010	2024
14	Tyler Johnson	Rep	Grabill	2022	2026
15	Liz Brown	Rep	Fort Wayne	2014	2026
16	Justin Busch	Rep	Fort Wayne	2018†	2024
17	Andy Zay	Rep	Huntington	2016†	2026
18	Stacey Donato	Rep	Logansport	2019†	2024
19	Travis Holdman	Rep	Markle	2008†	2026
20	Scott Baldwin	Rep	Noblesville	2021	2024
21	James R. Buck	Rep	Kokomo	2008	2026
22	Ron Alting	Rep	Lafayette	1998	2026
23	Spencer Deery	Rep	West Lafayette	2022	2026
24	John Crane	Rep	Avon	2016	2024
25	Mike Gaskill	Rep	Anderson	2018	2026
26	Scott Alexander	Rep	Muncie	2012	2026
27	Jeff Raatz	Rep	Centerville	2014	2026
28	Michael Crider	Rep	Greenfield	2012	2024
29	J. D. Ford	Dem	Indianapolis	2018	2026
30	Fady Qaddoura	Dem	Indianapolis	2020	2024
31	Kyle Walker	Rep	Indianapolis	2020	2026
32	Aaron Freeman	Rep	Indianapolis	2016	2024
33	Greg Taylor	Dem	Indianapolis	2008	2024
34	La Keisha Jackson	Dem	Indianapolis	2024†	2024
35	R. Michael Young	Rep^[a]	Indianapolis	2000	2024
36	Cyndi Carrasco	Rep	Indianapolis	2023†	2024
37	Rodric Bray	Rep	Martinsville	2012	2024
38	Greg Goode	Rep	Terre Haute	2023†	2026
39	Eric Bassler	Rep	Washington	2014	2026
40	Shelli Yoder	Dem	Bloomington	2020	2024
41	Greg Walker	Rep	Columbus	2006	2026
42	Jean Leising	Rep	Oldenburg	2008 (1988–1996)	2024
43	Randy Maxwell	Rep	Guilford	2023†	2026
44	Eric Koch	Rep	Bedford	2016	2024
45	Chris Garten	Rep	Scottsburg	2018	2026
46	Andrea Hunley	Dem	Indianapolis	2022	2026
47	Gary Byrne	Rep	Salem	2022†	2026
48	Mark Messmer	Rep	Jasper	2014	2026
49	Jim Tomes	Rep	Evansville	2010	2026
50	Vaneta Becker	Rep	Evansville	2005†	2024

†Member was originally appointed or won the seat in a special election.

^ Senator Young is currently not a member of the Republican caucus but maintains his Republican affiliation

Committees

The Senate has various committees that are charged with overseeing different areas of the state government and drafting legislation. These committees are bipartisan and contain between three and eleven members split between the parties according to their ratio of members in the Senate. Each committee chairman is a member of the majority party.^[8] The committees as of 2024 are:

Committee	Chair (2024)	Vice Chair (2024)
Agriculture	Jean Leising (R-42)	Sue Glick (R-13)
Appropriations	Ryan Mishler (R-9)	Eric Bassler (R-39)
Commerce and Technology	Brian Buchanan (R-7)	Eric Koch (R-44)
Corrections and Criminal Law	Aaron Freeman (R-32)	Sue Glick (R-13)
Education and Career Development	Jeff Raatz (R-27)	John Crane (R-24)
Elections	Mike Gaskill (R-25)	Greg Walker (R-41)
Environmental Affairs	Rick Niemeyer (R-6)	Andy Zay (R-17)
Ethics	Eric Bassler (R-39)	Greg Walker (R-41)
Family and Children Services	Greg Walker (R-41)	Mike Gaskill (R-25)
Health and Provider Services	Ed Charbonneau (R-5)	Justin Busch (R-16)
Homeland Security and Transportation	Michael Crider (R-28)	Jim Tomes (R-49)
Insurance and Financial Institutions	Scott Baldwin (R-20)	Kyle Walker (R-31)
Joint Rules	Chris Garten (R-45)
Judiciary	Liz Brown (R-15)	Eric Koch (R-44)
Local Government	James Buck (R-21)	Rick Niemeyer (R-6)
Natural Resources	Sue Glick (R-13)	Jean Leising (R-42)
Pensions and Labor	Linda Rogers (R-11)	Blake Doriot (R-12)
Public Policy	Ron Alting (R-22)	Kyle Walker (R-31)
Rules and Legislative Procedure	Rodric Bray (R-37)	Chris Garten (R-45)
School Funding Subcommittee	Eric Bassler (R-39)
Tax and Fiscal Policy	Travis Holdman (R-19)	Scott Baldwin (R-20)
Utilities	Eric Kock (R-44)	Brian Buchanan (R-7)
Veterans Affairs and The Military	Jim Tomes (R-49)	Michael Crider (R-28)

Past composition of the Senate

Notes

^ State Senator Michael Young left the Republican caucus but is a registered Republican and intends to stay a registered Republican, not Independent.
^ "Longtime Indiana senator leaves Republican caucus amid abortion bill debates". 26 July 2022.
^ "Indiana Courts & Legislature". in.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
^ "Indiana Once Tried to Change Pi to 3.2". 14 March 2016.
^ Indiana General Assembly. "Senate Operating Rules" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Senate Operating Rules" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
^ ^a ^b "Art IV of the Constitution of Indiana". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
^ "Standing Committees". IN.gov. Retrieved January 26, 2020.

External links

38°46′7.54″N 86°9′45.54″W / 38.7687611°N 86.1626500°W / 38.7687611; -86.1626500

[8] Senator Young is currently not a member of the Republican caucus but maintains his Republican affiliation

[1] State Senator Michael Young left the Republican caucus but is a registered Republican and intends to stay a registered Republican, not Independent.

[2] "Longtime Indiana senator leaves Republican caucus amid abortion bill debates". 26 July 2022.

[3] "Indiana Courts & Legislature". in.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.

[4] "Indiana Once Tried to Change Pi to 3.2". 14 March 2016.

[5] Indiana General Assembly. "Senate Operating Rules" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-18.

[Senate_Operating_Rules-6] "Senate Operating Rules" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-01.

[Const-7] "Art IV of the Constitution of Indiana". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved 2008-12-29.

[9] "Standing Committees". IN.gov. Retrieved January 26, 2020.

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[8]

v t e Members of the Indiana Senate
123rd General Assembly (2023–2024) President of the Senate Suzanne Crouch (R) President pro tempore Rodric Bray (R) Majority Leader Chris Garten (R) Minority Leader Greg Taylor (D)
▌Dan Dernulc (R) ▌Lonnie Randolph (D) ▌David Vinzant (D) ▌Rodney Pol Jr. (D) ▌Ed Charbonneau (R) ▌Rick Niemeyer (R) ▌Brian Buchanan (R) ▌Mike Bohacek (R) ▌Ryan Mishler (R) ▌David L. Niezgodski (D) ▌Linda Rogers (R) ▌Blake Doriot (R) ▌Sue Glick (R) ▌Tyler Johnson (R) ▌Liz Brown (R) ▌Justin Busch (R) ▌Andy Zay (R) ▌Stacey Donato (R) ▌Travis Holdman (R) ▌Scott Baldwin (R) ▌James R. Buck (R) ▌Ron Alting (R) ▌Spencer Deery (R) ▌John Crane (R) ▌Mike Gaskill (R) ▌Scott Alexander (R) ▌Jeff Raatz (R) ▌Michael Crider (R) ▌J. D. Ford (D) ▌Fady Qaddoura (D) ▌Kyle Walker (R) ▌Aaron Freeman (R) ▌Greg Taylor (D) ▌La Keisha Jackson (D) ▌R. Michael Young (R) ▌Cyndi Carrasco (R) ▌Rodric Bray (R) ▌Greg Goode (R) ▌Eric Bassler (R) ▌Shelli Yoder (D) ▌Greg Walker (R) ▌Jean Leising (R) ▌Randy Maxwell (R) ▌Eric Koch (R) ▌Chris Garten (R) ▌Andrea Hunley (D) ▌Gary Byrne (R) ▌Mark Messmer (R) ▌Jim Tomes (R) ▌Vaneta Becker (R)
▌Republican (40) ▌Democratic (10) Indiana General Assembly Indiana House of Representatives Indiana Senate

v t e Government of Indiana
Indiana Statehouse Indianapolis (capital)
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Law	Constitution Indiana Code Indiana Day Taxation

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