Rhode Island Senate

Rhode Island Senate
Rhode Island Senate
	Rhode Island General Assembly
Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 5, 2021
Leadership
President of the Senate	Dominick Ruggerio (D) ; since March 23, 2017
President pro Tempore	Hanna Gallo (D) ; since January 5, 2021
Majority Leader	Michael McCaffrey (D) ; since March 23, 2017
Minority Leader	Dennis Algiere (R) ; since January 7, 1997
Majority Whip	Maryellen Goodwin (D) ; since January 6, 2009
Structure
Seats	38
Political groups	Majority Democratic (33); Minority Republican (5);
Length of term	2 years
Authority	Article VI, Constitution of Rhode Island
Salary	Senator: $15,958 per year President: $31,917 per year
Elections
Last election	November 3, 2020; (38 seats)
Next election	November 8, 2022; (38 seats)
Meeting place
	Senate Chamber; Rhode Island State Capitol; Providence, Rhode Island
Website
	Rhode Island Senate

The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the normal four-year term as in the majority of states. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Rhode Island Senate meets at the Rhode Island State Capitol in Providence.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, commissions and boards and Justices to the Rhode Island Judiciary.

Senate leadership

The President of the Senate presides over the body, appointing members to all of the Senate's committees and joint committees, and may create other committees and subcommittees if desired. Unlike most other states, the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island does not preside over the Senate, and is instead active in other areas such as state commissions on health and businesses. In the Senate President's absence, the President Pro Tempore presides.

The current President of the Senate is Democrat Dominick J. Ruggerio of District 4 (Providence). The current Senate Majority Leader is Michael McCaffrey of District 4 (Providence). The Senate Minority Leader is Dennis Algiere of District 38 (Westerly, Charlestown).

Democratic Leadership

Dominick J. Ruggerio (D) - President of the Senate
Hanna Gallo (D) – President Pro Tempore
Michael McCaffrey (D) – Majority Leader
Maryellen Goodwin (D) – Majority Whip
Ana Quezada (D) – Deputy Majority Whip

Republican Leadership

Dennis Algiere (R) – Minority Leader
Jessica de la Cruz (R) - Minority Whip

Committee Chairs

Ryan W. Pearson (D) – Committee on Finance
Frank A. Ciccone (D) – Committee on Labor
Louis DiPalma (D) – Committee on Rules, Ethics, and Government Oversight
Walter Felag (D) – Committee on Special Legislation & Veterans' Affairs
Sandra Cano (D) – Committee on Education
Cynthia Coyne (D) – Committee on the Judiciary
Joshua Miller (D) – Committee on Health & Human Services
Dawn Euer (D) – Committee on the Environment & Agriculture
Frank Lombardo (D) – Committee on Housing & Municipal Government
V. Susan Sosnowski (D) – Committee on Commerce

Make-up of the Senate

2019-2021 Legislative Session

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total

	Democratic	Republican	Ind		Vacant
2011-2012	29	8	1	38	0

2013-2014	32	5	1	38	0

Begin 2015	32	5	1	38	0
2015-2016	33	5	0	38	0

Begin 2017	33	5	0	38	0
2017-2019	32	5	0	38	1

Begin 2019	33	5	0	38	0
Latest voting share	86.8%	13.2%

Members of the Rhode Island Senate

District	Senator	Party	Representing
1	Maryellen Goodwin	Dem	Providence
2	Ana Quezada	Dem	Providence
3	Gayle Goldin	Dem	Providence
4	Dominick J. Ruggerio	Dem	Providence
5	Sam Bell	Dem	Providence
6	Tiara Mack	Dem	Providence
7	Frank Ciccone	Dem	Providence, North Providence
8	Sandra Cano	Dem	Pawtucket
9	John Burke	Dem	West Warwick
10	Walter Felag	Dem	Tiverton, Warren
11	James Seveney	Dem	Bristol, Portsmouth
12	Louis DiPalma	Dem	Little Compton, Middletown
13	Dawn Euer	Dem	Newport, Jamestown
14	Valarie Lawson	Dem	East Providence, Pawtucket
15	Meghan Kallman	Dem	Pawtucket
16	Jonathon Acosta	Dem	Central Falls, Pawtucket
17	Thomas Paolino	Rep	Lincoln
18	Cynthia Mendes	Dem	East Providence
19	Ryan W. Pearson	Dem	Cumberland
20	Roger Picard	Dem	Woonsocket, Cumberland
21	Gordon Rogers	Rep	Coventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich
22	Stephen Archambault	Dem	Smithfield, Johnston, North Providence
23	Jessica de la Cruz	Rep	Burrillville, Glocester
24	Melissa Murray	Dem	North Smithfield, Woonsocket
25	Frank Lombardo	Dem	Johnston
26	Frank Lombardi	Dem	Cranston
27	Hanna Gallo	Dem	Cranston
28	Joshua Miller	Dem	Cranston
29	Michael McCaffrey	Dem	Warwick
30	Jeanine Calkin	Dem	Warwick
31	Kendra Anderson	Dem	Warwick
32	Cynthia Armour Coyne	Dem	Barrington
33	Leonidas Raptakis	Dem	Coventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich
34	Elaine J. Morgan	Rep	Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich
35	Bridget Valverde	Dem	East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Narragansett, South Kingstown
36	Alana DiMario	Dem	Narragansett
37	V. Susan Sosnowski	Dem	New Shoreham, South Kingstown
38	Dennis Algiere	Rep	Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown

Key Senate Staff

Stephen S. Iannazzi - Chief of Staff to the President
Kristen M. Silvia – Deputy Chief of Staff / Director of Legislation
Kate Bramson – Director of Policy
Richard Shahagian – Chief Legal Counsel
Jacob Bissaillon – Special Assistant to the Majority Leader
Patricia McNeilly – Chief of Staff to the Minority Leader
Stephen Whitney – Senate Fiscal Advisor
Greg Pare – Director of Communications
John S. Baxter, Jr. – Director of Constituent Services

^[1]

Past composition of the Senate

References

^ RI Government Owners Manual

External links

Downloadable Rhode Island District Maps

[1] RI Government Owners Manual

[1]