View source for Rhode Island Senate

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{{primary sources|date=February 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox legislature
| background_color = {{Democratic Party (US)/meta/color}}
| name              = Rhode Island Senate
| legislature       = [[Rhode Island General Assembly]]
| coa_pic           = File:Rhode_Island_Senate_Logo.png
| session_room      = RI State Senate chamber IMG 3031.JPG
| house_type        = Upper House
| term_limits       = ''None''
| new_session       = January 5, 2021
| leader1_type      = [[President of the Rhode Island Senate|President]]
| leader1           = [[Dominick J. Ruggerio|Dominick Ruggerio]]
| party1            = ([[Rhode Island Democratic Committee|D]])
| election1         = March 23, 2017
| leader2_type      = President pro Tempore
| leader2           = [[Hanna Gallo]]
| party2            = ([[Rhode Island Democratic Committee|D]])
| election2         = January 5, 2021
| leader3_type      = Majority Leader
| leader3           = [[Michael McCaffrey]]
| party3            = ([[Rhode Island Democratic Committee|D]])
| election3         = March 23, 2017
| leader4_type      = Minority Leader
| leader4           = [[Dennis Algiere]]
| party4            = ([[Rhode Island Republican Party|R]])
| election4         = January 7, 1997
| leader5_type      = Majority Whip
| leader5           = [[Maryellen Goodwin]]
| party5            = ([[Rhode Island Democratic Committee|D]])
| election5         = January 6, 2009
| term_length       = 2 years
| authority         = Article VI, [[Constitution of Rhode Island]]
| salary            = Senator: $15,958 per year
President: $31,917 per year 
| members           = 38

|structure1        = Rhode_Island_State_Senate_2019-2021.svg
| structure1_res = 250px
| political_groups1 =
'''Majority'''
*{{legend|#0000FF|[[Rhode Island Democratic Committee|Democratic]] (33)}}
'''Minority'''
*{{legend|#F8050D|[[Rhode Island Republican Party|Republican]] (5)}}

 | last_election1    = November 3, 2020<br>(38 seats)
 | next_election1    = November 8, 2022<br>(38 seats)
| meeting_place     = Senate Chamber<br>[[Rhode Island State Capitol]]<br>[[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], Rhode Island
| website           = [http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Senate/ Rhode Island Senate]
}}

The '''Rhode Island Senate''' is the [[upper house]] of the [[Rhode Island General Assembly]], the [[State legislature (United States)|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 most 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, Rhode Island|Providence]].

Like other [[upper house]]s of [[State legislature (United States)|state]] and territorial legislatures and the federal [[U.S. Senate]], the Senate can confirm or reject [[List of Governors of Rhode Island|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 Governors of Rhode Island|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 [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Dominick J. Ruggerio]] of District 4 ([[Providence, RI|Providence]]). The current Senate [[Majority Leader]] is [[Michael McCaffrey]] of District 4 ([[Providence, RI|Providence]]). The Senate [[Minority Leader]] is [[Dennis Algiere]] of District 38 ([[Westerly, RI|Westerly]], [[Charlestown, RI|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 Armour Coyne|Cynthia Coyne]] (D) – Committee on the Judiciary
* [[Joshua Miller (politician)|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''

{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|- style="vertical-align:bottom;"
!rowspan=3|Affiliation
!colspan=3|Party <div style="font-size:80%">(Shading indicates majority caucus)</div>
!rowspan=3|Total
!
|-style="height:5px"
| style="background-color:{{Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color}}" |
| style="background-color:{{Republican Party (United States)/meta/color}}" |
| style="background-color:{{Independent Party (United States)/meta/color}}" |
|style="background: black"|
|-
![[Rhode Island Democratic Party|Democratic]]
![[Rhode Island Republican Party|Republican]]
![[Independent (politics)|Ind]]
!Vacant
|-
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|2011-2012
|{{party shading/Democratic}}| 29
|8
| 1
! 38
|0
|-
|colspan=5|
|-
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|2013-2014
|{{party shading/Democratic}}| 32
|5
| 1
! 38
|0
|-
|colspan=5|
|-
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|Begin 2015
|{{party shading/Democratic}}| 32
| rowspan=2|5
| 1
! rowspan=2|38
|rowspan=2|0
|-
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|2015-2016
|{{party shading/Democratic}}| 33
| 0
|-
|colspan=6|
|-
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|Begin 2017
|{{party shading/Democratic}}| 33
| rowspan=2|5
| rowspan=2|0
! rowspan=2|38
| rowspan=1|0
|-
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|2017-2019
|{{party shading/Democratic}}| 32
| 1
|-
|colspan=6|
|-
!nowrap style="font-size:80%"|Begin 2019
|{{party shading/Democratic}}| 33
| rowspan=1|5
| 0
! 38
| 0
|-
!Latest voting share
!{{party shading/Democratic}}|{{percentage|33|38|1}}
!{{percentage|5|38|1}}
!colspan=3|
|}

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

===Key Senate Staff===
* Jacob Bissaillon - Chief of Staff to the President
* Nicole Verdi – Chief Legal Counsel
* Greg Pare – Director of Communications
* John S. Baxter, Jr. – Director of Constituent Services
* Stephen Whitney – Senate Fiscal Advisor
* Nora Crowley – Director of Policy
* Kristen M. Silvia – Director of Legislation and Deputy Chief of Staff
* Charlotte Desautels – Deputy Chief of Staff
* Tracey McConnell - Executive Assistant to the Majority Leader
* Brandon Bell – Chief of Staff to the Minority Leader and Legal Counsel 
* Katie Haughey-Cardoza - Minority Director of Communications 

<ref>[http://www.sos.ri.gov/govdirectory/ RI Government Owners Manual]</ref>

== Past composition of the Senate ==
{{main|Political party strength in Rhode Island}}

== See also ==
*[[Rhode Island State Capitol]]
*[[Rhode Island General Assembly]]
*[[Rhode Island House of Representatives]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ovr/info/publications Downloadable Rhode Island District Maps]

{{Rhode Island State Senators}}
{{United States legislatures}}
{{Rhode Island}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rhode Island General Assembly]]
[[Category:State upper houses in the United States]]