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Iowa Senate facts for kids

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Iowa Senate
Iowa General Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 10, 2011
Leadership
President of the Senate
Jack Kibbie (D)
Since January 8, 2007
President pro Tempore
Jeff Danielson (D)
Since January 8, 2007
Majority Leader
Michael Gronstal (D)
Since January 8, 2007
Minority Leader
Jerry Behn (R)
Since November 10, 2011
Structure
Seats 50
Political groups
Democratic Party (26)
Republican Party (23)
Length of term
4 years
Authority Legislative Department, Section 3, Iowa Constitution
Salary $25,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 2, 2010
(25 seats)
Next election
November 6, 2012
(25 seats)
Redistricting Legislative Service Agency makes plan
Iowa General Assembly passes plan
Meeting place
Iowa Senate.JPG
State Senate Chamber
Iowa State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa
Website
Iowa General Assembly

The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, Iowa's legislature. There are 50 people in the Senate, one for each of 50 districts in Iowa. Each district has about 59,500 people in it. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts. The Senate meets at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

Unlike the Iowa House of Representatives, Senate members - called "senators"—have terms of four years. Half of the Senate is elected every two years, in even-numbered years. There are no term limits for the Senate.

Leadership

The President of the Senate is the leader of the Senate and serves as its chair. The Senate President also sends legislation to committees. Unlike the Speaker of the Iowa House, the Senate President does not put representatives on committees. The Lieutenant Governor of Iowa was the President of the Senate until 1991, when a constitutional amendment separated the jobs. Other Senate leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their party's members.

Composition

Iowa State Senate Districts, 2012-2022
Iowa Senate districts for 2012-2022
Affiliation Party
(shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Independent Vacant
End 2012 26 23 0 49 1
Begin 2013 26 24 0 50 0
End of 2014 session
Begin 2015 26 24 0 50 0
End 2016 session 23 1
Begin 2017 20 29 1 50 0
End 2018 50 0
Begin 2019 18 32 0 50 0
Latest voting share 36% 64% 0%

Past notable members

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