Alaska Senate | |
---|---|
Alaska Legislature | |
Type | |
Type | |
Term limits
|
None |
History | |
New session started
|
January 17, 2017 |
Leadership | |
Majority Leader
|
Peter Micciche (R)
Since January 17, 2017 |
Minority Leader
|
|
Structure | |
Seats | 20 |
Political groups
|
Majority caucus
Minority caucus
|
Length of term
|
4 years |
Authority | Article 2, Alaska Constitution |
Salary | $50,400/year + per diem |
Elections | |
Last election
|
November 8, 2016 (10 seats: districts B, D, F, H, J, L, N, P, R, T) |
Next election
|
November 6, 2018 (10 seats: districts A, C, E, G, I, K, M, O, Q, S) |
Redistricting | Alaska Redistricting Board |
Meeting place | |
State Senate Chamber Alaska State Capitol Juneau, Alaska |
|
Website | |
Alaska State Senate |
Majority caucus
Minority caucus
The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It convenes in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska and is responsible for making laws and confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.
With just twenty members, the Alaska Senate is the smallest state upper house legislative chamber in the United States. Its members serve four-year terms and each represent an equal amount of districts with populations of approximately 35,512 people, per 2010 Census figures. They are not subject to term limits.
The Alaska Senate shares the responsibility for making laws in the state of Alaska. Bills are developed by staff from bill requests and information from the bill's sponsor. Bills undergo three or four readings during the legislative process. After the first reading, they are assigned to committee. Committees can amend measures or hold legislation and prevent it from reaching the Senate floor. Once a committee has weighed in on a piece of legislation, the bill returns to the floor for second hearing and a third hearing, which happens just before the floor vote on it.
Once passed by the Senate, a bill is sent to the opposite legislative house for consideration. If approved, without amendment, it is sent to the governor. If there is amendment, however, the Senate may either reconsider the bill with amendments or ask for the establishment of a conference committee to work out differences in the versions of the bill passed by each chamber. Once a piece of legislation approved by both houses is forwarded to the governor, it may either be signed or vetoed. If it is signed, it takes effect on the effective date of the legislation. If it is vetoed, lawmakers in a joint session may override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote (three-fourths majority is required if it is an appropriations bill).
The Alaska Senate has the sole responsibility in the state's legislative branch for confirming gubernatorial appointees to positions that require confirmation.