State Senator

The Basics

In every state except for one, the state legislature is made up of two groups of elected officials – this setup is similar to the U.S. Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. One of those groups is the State Senate, which is made up of State Senators. (The other group is usually called the State House, and members of that group are usually called Representatives or Assembly members.) Together, both groups of elected officials write, debate, and pass all your state’s laws.

Your state is divided up into State Senate districts, and you only vote in the election for the district where you live. State Senate districts are usually bigger than State House districts, which means a state senator represents more people.

Your state senator, along with the rest of the legislature, makes decisions on so many issues that impact your daily life. Some of their most important responsibilities are:

Creating the state’s budget every year, which lays out how the state spends its money
Passing laws (also called ‘bills’) on all kinds of issues
Deciding how much money the state spends on public schools, healthcare, policing, housing, and other public services and programs
Raising or lowering taxes
Voting to uphold or override the governor’s vetoes
When a governor refuses to sign a bill into law, this is called a veto – if a bill is vetoed, it can only be passed and become law if it’s voted on again

In many states, the state legislature is also responsible for drawing your state’s district maps for the State Senate, State House, and Congressional districts in response to the Census every ten years – this is an incredibly important task that can impact how various communities have a voice in elections at all levels of government.

You can get in touch with your senator’s office to express your opinion on a bill that’s coming up for a vote, the state budget, or any other issue you care about. You can also ask your senator’s office for help if you’re having issues with a state agency or program.

Source: the National Conference of State Legislatures. For more on redistricting, check out the Genius Guide to Redistricting, and the Library of Congress on the history of the laws and statutes governing the process

How can I make my voice heard?

If you pay attention to the news, it might seem like everything is some inside game happening in Washington, DC. But don’t let that distract you from where a lot of the real action is happening: state legislatures! Maybe your state capitol doesn’t feel quite as sexy as the setting of “House of Cards,” but what goes on there has a very direct impact on your life.

And here’s the crazy thing – even though they’re responsible for some of the things that touch your life most directly, they get much less attention than the U.S. Congress. So a lot of their work happens with very little public awareness or press coverage. When citizens decide to play an active role at the state level, they can really make an impact. Here’s what you can do:

Call me

If you’re concerned about an issue, chances are you’re not alone. Many bills are engineered by special interest groups (for better or worse), but plenty grow out of conversations between legislators and their constituents. That’s where you come in. See a problem in your community? Have a solution? Tell your legislator.

Ear to the ground

If you’re interested in a particular bill, you can usually monitor its progress on your state legislature’s website. You’ll be able to see when the bill is coming up for a hearing or a vote – or if it appears to be going nowhere. Keep tabs on the legislation you care about, then get in touch with your state legislators to find out where they stand on it. Urge them to take a position and push for action.

Testify

Speaking to a congressional committee in Washington isn’t something most people get to do, but state legislatures actually carve out time during committee meetings to hear from ordinary citizens. You can often register online to speak during the public hearing portion of the committee meeting, or submit written comments that the legislature enters into the official record. Committee meetings and hearings can be on a specific bill, or on an issue more generally. If there’s an issue you really care about, find the committee that works on it and keep an eye on their schedule (it’s on your state legislature’s website) for your chance to speak up!

Meet you in the lobby

Your mental picture of a lobbyist might be a deep-pocketed special interest trickster who bribes legislators to influence bills that help or hurt their clients. And yes, those people are out there. But citizens lobby for good things all the time, and you don’t have to be a pro to join the fun. Visit any statehouse during the legislative session and stand outside the chambers (you know, in the lobby). You’ll see ordinary citizens and countless advocacy groups milling around, trying to speak with legislators as they enter and leave. Whether it’s the AARP, Black Lives Matter, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the NRA, the Sierra Club – everyone’s there to have face-to-face conversations with the people who vote on their issues. Get in there.

Enter the fray

Your state representative and senator were elected to office, and your vote can help keep them there or kick them out. You can also get directly involved by supporting or opposing their campaign, or at least encouraging your friends, family, and neighbors to vote too. Turnout in state legislative races can be ridiculously low, which means your vote and your elbow grease can make a real difference.

What have State Senators done?

State senators pass laws, but they also do a lot of advocacy and community work within their districts. Here are just a few examples of actions that have made a big impact:

Larry Selders
Louisiana
Introduced a bill that would provide for mental health screenings in public schools
Joe Pittman
Pennsylvania
When the pandemic led to thousands of deaths in Pennsylvania’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities, Pittman passed a bill sending over $450 million in federal pandemic relief funding to help the facilities care for sick patients and improve services
Richard Stuart
Virginia
After discovering several headstones on his property that had been moved from a historic African-American burial ground, Stuart enlisted the help of Governor Ralph Northam, state conservation officials, and a local nonprofit to preserve the headstones and create a memorial highlighting the burial ground’s history

In 2018, Louisiana State Senator Ryan Gatti introduced a bill that extended eligibility for foster care until youths graduate from high school or turn 21, whichever comes first. The law was passed and signed by the Governor the next year, making Louisiana one of several states to extend foster care services beyond age 18. The law means that the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) can continue to offer financial support and other benefits, as long as the child and the foster family consent. DCFS is also required to make sure children and families know that benefits can continue, and youth who had already ‘aged out’ were eligible to re-enroll in services as well.

Research has shown that children who have been in foster care face several barriers after turning 18 and losing services. Substance abuse rates are higher, employment and graduation rates are lower, and over 20% experience homelessness. Senator Gatti’s bill aimed to address these problems by providing continued care and support, especially with housing and finances. Extending these services gives young people more time to build a stable foundation as they enter adulthood, which leads to more positive outcomes.

Sources: Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services; 7KPLC News

How does it work in my state?

Scroll down and click on your state to learn more about the specifics of a state senator’s powers and responsibilities where you live. (If your state isn’t here yet, check back often – we’re adding more info all the time.)

Term limits: State Senators are limited to three four-year terms in a row. After serving three terms, Senators can run for office in the State House if they want, which sometimes leads to long-serving politicians moving back and forth between the two chambers

Eligibility: to run for State Senate, you must be at least 18 years old, a registered voter, a resident of Louisiana for at least two years, and a resident of the district you want to represent for at least one year

There are 39 State Senators, representing 39 districts, and all the districts are up for election every four years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, their most important responsibilities are:

Electing a President of the Senate, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
Voting on whether to confirm or reject the governor’s nominees for executive branch leadership positions and other officials in state government
Acting as the “jury” during impeachment hearings, and voting on whether to remove an impeached official from office
Voting on whether to override the governor’s vetoes
If the governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time)
Working on the annual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
The governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on governors for more details
Redistricting
After the Census, the legislature has a year to update the state’s maps. If this deadline isn’t met, the State Supreme Court takes over the process. Both chambers draw their own versions and then negotiate, and a final version is voted on and sent to the governor, just like any other bill.

Sources: the Louisiana Constitution; the Louisiana State Legislature; the Louisiana House of Representatives; Invest in Louisiana on the budget process

Term limits: none; terms are two years

Eligibility: to run for State Senate, you must be at least 25 years old, eligible to vote in North Carolina, have been a U.S. citizen for at least two years, and have lived in North Carolina for at least two years and in the district you want to represent for at least one year before being elected

There are 50 State Senators, representing 50 districts, and all the districts are up for election every two years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, their most important responsibilities are:

Electing a President Pro Tempore of the Senate, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings when the Lieutenant Governor (who is President of the State Senate) is not present
Voting on whether to confirm or reject the governor’s nominees for executive branch leadership positions and other officials in state government
Acting as the “jury” during impeachment hearings, and voting on whether to remove an impeached official from office
If the governor or lieutenant governor has been impeached, the chief justice of the State Supreme Court presides over the hearings
Voting on whether to override the governor’s vetoes
If the governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a three-fifths majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time)
Working on the state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
The governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on governors for more details
Passing potential amendments to the state constitution
For the state constitution to be amended, both houses of the General Assembly need to pass a proposed amendment, just like a bill, then it’s put on the ballot for all the voters of the state to decide on.
Redistricting
After the Census, both houses of the General Assembly work together to draw new maps for the State Senate, the State House, and North Carolina’s U.S. Congressional districts. Maps cannot be vetoed by the governor.

Sources: the North Carolina Constitution, Article II; the North Carolina General Assembly’s Senate Directory, redistricting explainer, and educational resources (see ‘how an idea becomes a law’); the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management

Term limits: none; terms are four years

Eligibility: to run for State Senate, you must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Pennsylvania for at least four years, and a resident of the district you want to represent for at least one year (unless you were living somewhere else while doing official business for the U.S. or state government). Senators also need to live in their districts throughout their service.

There are 50 State Senators, representing 50 districts, and elections are staggered, with half of the districts being up for election every two years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, their most important responsibilities are:

Electing a President of the Senate, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
Voting on whether to confirm or reject the governor’s nominees for executive branch leadership positions and other officials in state government
Acting as the “jury” during impeachment hearings, and voting on whether to remove an impeached official from office
Voting on whether to override the governor’s vetoes
If the governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time)
Working on the annual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
The governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on governors for more details
Redistricting
After the Census, State Senate and State House leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties serve on the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, which works together to draw new maps. The Commission has three months to draw up proposed maps, and a month to make edits; during the editing period anyone who opposes the maps can appeal them to the Supreme Court, and the court can also take over the process if the Commission misses any deadlines

Sources: the Pennsylvania Constitution; the Pennsylvania Legislature