West Virginia Senate

West Virginia Senate
West Virginia Senate
West Virginia Legislature
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 13, 2021
Leadership
President	Craig Blair (R) ; since January 13, 2021
President pro Tempore	Donna Boley (R) ; since January 14, 2015
Majority Leader	Tom Takubo (R) ; since November 26, 2018
Minority Leader	Stephen Baldwin (D) ; since January 13, 2021
Structure
Seats	34
Political groups	Republican (23) Democratic (11)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article VI, West Virginia Constitution
Salary	$20,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 3, 2020; (17 seats)
Next election	; (17 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
	Senate Chamber; West Virginia State Capitol; Charleston, West Virginia
Website
	wvlegislature.gov

The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. The Republicans gained three seats in the 2020 senate election, bringing their total number of seats to 23, while the Democrats hold 11 seats.

Organization[]

Senators are elected for terms of four years that are staggered, meaning that only a portion of the 34 state senate seats are up every election.^[2]

The state legislature meets on the second Wednesday of January each year and conducts a 60-day regular session.^[2]

Legislative process[]

Unlike most state senates, the West Virginia Senate can introduce revenue bills.^[2] Bills must undergo three readings in each house before being sent to the governor.^[2] Bills are drafted by the Office of Legislative Services or legislative staff counsel, reviewed by the sponsor of the bill and submitted for introduction.^[3] Bills are assigned to committees that make recommendations about a bill in the form of a committee report.^[3]

Bills approved in both the West Virginia Senate and West Virginia House of Delegates are then submitted to the governor, who has the power to sign them into law or veto them.^[2] The state legislature can override the veto, unless they have already adjourned.^[2]

Districts[]

The state's districting system is unique in the United States. Prior to the 2010 Census the state's most populous county, Kanawha County constituted two "superimposed" districts. In practical effect, this meant that Kanawha County was a single district electing two members every two years. The remaining 54 counties of the state were divided into fifteen districts, with county lines not respected in most cases.^[4]

Under the unique rule, no multi-county district (and every district except Kanawha's is a multi-county district) may have more than one senator from the same county,^[5] no matter the population. This means, for example, that one of the 5th District's two senators must reside in Cabell County and the other must reside in the tiny portion of Wayne County that's inside the 5th District, even though Cabell County has far more people than the portion of Wayne County that is part of the 5th District. However, both senators are elected by everybody within the district, not just by the people of the county in which the senators reside.

Responding to the 2010 Census the Senate redistricted itself. Kanawha County was divided for the first time in the Senate's history, with the northern and western portions joining a part of Putnam County as the 8th District and the remainder of the county constituting the 17th district on its own. This reduced the number of Senators from Kanawha County from four to three, as one of the 8th's must be a resident of Putnam.

The remainder of the state was redistricted, reflecting the continuing shift of the state's population to the Eastern Panhandle and to Monongalia County, however no incumbents were placed in districts where they had to run against one another, except for the Kanawha situation. Because senators are elected for four-year terms, the redistricting did not come fully into effect until after the 2014 election.^[6]

Senate President[]

The Senate elects its own president from its membership. Craig Blair is currently the President of the West Virginia Senate.

While the West Virginia Constitution does not create or even mention the title of lieutenant governor, West Virginia Code 6A-1-4 creates this designation for the Senate President, who stands first in the line of succession to the office of governor. As stated in Article 7 Section 16 of the constitution: "In case of the death, conviction or impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, or other disability of the governor, the president of the Senate shall act as governor until the vacancy is filled, or the disability removed." However, the Senate President may not always serve the remainder of the term as the constitution also states: "Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of governor before the first three years of the term shall have expired, a new election for governor shall take place to fill the vacancy."

Current Composition[]

Map of current (March 2021) partisan composition of legislative districts for state senate:

2 Republicans

2 Democrats

1 Democrat and 1 Republican

85th Legislature (2021-2022)[]

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total

	Republican	Democratic		Vacant
Beginning of the 82nd Legislature	18	16	34	0
End of the 82nd Legislature	18	16	34	0

Beginning of the 83rd Legislature	22	12	34	0
End of the 83rd Legislature	22	12	34	0

Beginning of the 84th Legislature	20	14	34	0
End of the 84th Legislature	20	14	34	0

Beginning of the 85th Legislature	23	11	34	0
Latest voting share	67.65%	32.35%	34	0

Leadership of the 85th West Virginia Senate[]

Position	Name	Party	District	County
President of the Senate/Lieutenant Governor	Craig Blair	Republican	15	Berkeley Co.
President Pro Tempore	Donna Boley	Republican	3	Pleasants Co.
Majority Leader	Tom Takubo	Republican	17	Kanawha Co.
Minority Leader	Stephen Baldwin	Democratic	10	Greenbrier Co.
Majority Whip	Ryan Weld	Republican	1	Brooke Co.
Minority Whip	Mike Woelfel	Democratic	5	Cabell Co.

Members of the 85th West Virginia Senate[]

District	Senator	Party	Since	Residence	Counties represented^[7]
1	William J. Ihlenfeld II	Democratic	2018	Wheeling	Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, Marshall
1	Ryan Weld	Republican	2016	Wellsburg	Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, Marshall
2	Charles H. Clements	Republican	2016	New Martinsville	Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ritchie, Tyler, Wetzel
2	Mike Maroney	Republican	2016	Glen Dale
3	Mike Azinger	Republican	2016	Vienna	Pleasants, Roane, Wirt, Wood
3	Donna Boley	Republican	1985	St. Marys	Pleasants, Roane, Wirt, Wood
4	Amy Grady	Republican	2020	Leon	Jackson, Mason, Putnam, Roane
4	Eric Tarr	Republican	2018	Scott Depot	Jackson, Mason, Putnam, Roane
5	Robert H. Plymale	Democratic	1992	Huntington	Cabell, Wayne
5	Mike Woelfel	Democratic	2014	Huntington	Cabell, Wayne
6	Mark R. Maynard	Republican	2014	Genoa	McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne
6	Chandler Swope	Republican	2016	Bluefield	McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne
7	Rupie Phillips	Republican	2020	Lorado	Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Wayne
7	Ron Stollings	Democratic	2006	Madison	Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Wayne
8	Glenn Jeffries	Democratic	2016	Red House	Kanawha, Putnam
8	Richard Lindsay	Democratic	2018	Charleston	Kanawha, Putnam
9	Rollan Roberts	Republican	2018	Beaver	McDowell, Raleigh, Wyoming
9	David Stover	Republican	2020	Maben	McDowell, Raleigh, Wyoming
10	Stephen Baldwin	Democratic	2017	Ronceverte	Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers
10	Jack Woodrum	Republican	2020	Hinton	Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers
11	Bill Hamilton	Republican	2018	Buckhannon	Grant, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur, Webster
11	Robert L. Karnes	Republican	2020	Helvetia
12	Patrick S. Martin	Republican	2020	Jane Lew	Braxton, Clay, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis
12	Mike Romano	Democratic	2014	Bridgeport	Braxton, Clay, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis
13	Bob Beach	Democratic	2010	Morgantown	Marion, Monongalia
13	Mike Caputo	Democratic	2020	Rivesville	Marion, Monongalia
14	Randy Smith	Republican	2016	Thomas	Barbour, Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor, Tucker
14	David Sypolt	Republican	2006	Kingwood
15	Craig Blair	Republican	2012	Martinsburg	Berkeley, Hampshire, Mineral, Morgan
15	Charles S. Trump	Republican	2014	Berkeley Springs	Berkeley, Hampshire, Mineral, Morgan
16	Patricia Rucker	Republican	2016	Harpers Ferry	Berkeley, Jefferson
16	John Unger	Democratic	1998	Martinsburg	Berkeley, Jefferson
17	Eric Nelson	Republican	2020	Charleston	Kanawha
17	Tom Takubo	Republican	2014	Charleston	Kanawha

Committees[]

Agriculture And Rural Development (10 members) – David Sypolt, Chairman
Banking and Insurance (10 members) – Mike Azinger, Chairman
Confirmations (9 members) – Donna Boley, Chairwoman
Economic Development (14 members) – Mark R. Maynard, Chairman
Education (13 members) – Patricia Rucker, Chairman
Energy, Industry and Mining (13 members) – Randy Smith, Chairman
Enrolled Bills (5 members) – Mark R. Maynard, Chairman
Finance (17 members) – Craig Blair, Chairman
Government Organization (13 members) – Greg Boso, Chairman
Health and Human Resources (12 members) – Mike Maroney, Chairman
Interstate Cooperation (7 members) – Sue Cline, Chairwoman; (Senate President is ex officio co-chairperson)
Judiciary (16 members) – Charles S. Trump, Chairman
Military (8 members) – Ryan Weld, Chairman
Natural Resources (13 members) – Mark R. Maynard, Chairman
Pensions (7 members) – Mike Azinger, Chairman
Rules (10 members) – Mitch Carmichael, Ex officio Chairman as Senate President
Transportation and Infrastructure (9 members) – Charles H. Clements, Chairman
Workforce (formerly Labor)(11 members) – Chandler Swope, Chairman

Past composition of the Senate[]

References[]

^ "West Virginia Legislature". Retrieved January 8, 2015.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f West Virginia Constitution, West Virginia Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b How a Bill Becomes Law, West Virginia State Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)
^ "West Virginia Senate Districts". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
^ "West Virginia Constitution". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
^ http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/2011/1x/maps/senate/Enr%20SB%201006%20Map.pdf
^ "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved July 7, 2016.

External links[]

West Virginia Legislature – official website
Project Vote Smart – State Senate of West Virginia

Coordinates: 38°20′11.5″N 81°36′46.7″W / 38.336528°N 81.612972°W / 38.336528; -81.612972

[wvlegis-1] "West Virginia Legislature". Retrieved January 8, 2015.

[wvcon-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f West Virginia Constitution, West Virginia Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)

[billp-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b How a Bill Becomes Law, West Virginia State Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)

[WVSenateDistricts-4] "West Virginia Senate Districts". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.

[5] "West Virginia Constitution". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved September 7, 2008.

[6] ttp://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/2011/1x/maps/senate/Enr%20SB%201006%20Map.pdf

[7] "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved July 7, 2016.

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show v t Members of the West Virginia Senate
85th State Legislature (2021–22) President of the Senate Craig Blair (R) President pro tempore Donna Boley (R) Majority Leader Tom Takubo (R) Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin (D)
1. William J. Ihlenfeld II (D) ⎣ Ryan Weld (R) 2. Charles H. Clements (R) ⎣ Mike Maroney (R) 3. Mike Azinger (R) ⎣ Donna Boley (R) 4. Amy Grady (R) ⎣ Eric Tarr (R) 5. Robert H. Plymale (D) ⎣ Mike Woelfel (D) 6. Mark R. Maynard (R) ⎣ Chandler Swope (R) 7. Rupie Phillips (R) ⎣ Ron Stollings (D) 8. Glenn Jeffries (D) ⎣ Richard Lindsay (D) 9. Rollan Roberts (R) ⎣ David Stover (R) 10. Stephen Baldwin (D) ⎣ Kenny Mann (R) 11. Bill Hamilton (R) ⎣ Robert Karnes (R) 12. Patrick Martin (R) ⎣ Mike Romano (D) 13. Bob Beach (D) ⎣ Mike Caputo (D) 14. Randy Smith (R) ⎣ David Sypolt (R) 15. Craig Blair (R) ⎣ Charles S. Trump (R) 16. Patricia Rucker (R) ⎣ John Unger (D) 17. Eric Nelson (R) ⎣ Tom Takubo (R)
Republican (23) Democratic (11) West Virginia Legislature West Virginia House of Delegates West Virginia Senate

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