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The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature.
There are 17 senatorial districts. Each district has two senators
who serve staggered four-year terms. The body is generally
considered more conservative than the West Virginia House of
Delegates. Democrats and Republicans are more
evenly matched in the Senate.
The state's districting system is unique in the United States. The
state's most populous county, Kanawha County
constitutes two "superimposed" districts. In practical effect, this
means that Kanawha County is a single district electing two members
every two years. The remaining 54 counties of the state are divided
into fifteen districts, with county lines not respected in most
cases.[1]
Under the unique rule, no district may have more than one senator
from the same county[2], 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 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.
Senate
President
The Senate elects its own president from its membership. As of
the 79th West Virginia Senate, Earl Ray Tomblin is Senate
President.
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. The Senate President is first in the line
of succession to the office of governor. As stated in 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."
Composition
2009-2011:
Leadership of the
79th West Virginia Senate
Members
| District |
Senator |
Party |
County(ies) |
| 1 |
Edwin
Bowman |
Democratic |
Brooke, Hancock, Ohio |
| Jack Yost |
Democratic |
| 2 |
Larry J.
Edgell |
Democratic |
Calhoun, Doddridge, Marion (part), Marshall,
Monongalia (part), Ritchie, Tyler, Wetzel |
| Jeffrey V. Kessler |
Democratic |
| 3 |
Donna J. Boley |
Republican |
Pleasants, Roane (part), Wirt, Wood |
| Frank Deem |
Republican |
| 4 |
Karen L. Facemyer |
Republican |
Jackson, Mason, Putnam, Roane (part) |
| Mike Hall |
Republican |
| 5 |
Evan
Jenkins |
Democratic |
Cabell, Wayne (part) |
| Robert
H. Plymale |
Democratic |
| 6 |
H. Truman
Chafin |
Democratic |
McDowell, Mercer (part), Mingo (part), Wayne (part) |
| John Pat
Fanning |
Democratic |
| 7 |
Ron
Stollings |
Democratic |
Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Wayne (part) |
| Earl Ray
Tomblin |
Democratic |
| 8/17 |
Dan Foster |
Democratic |
Kanawha |
| Brooks
McCabe |
Democratic |
| Corey
Palumbo |
Democratic |
| Erik Wells |
Democratic |
| 9 |
Richard Browning |
Democratic |
Raleigh, Wyoming (part) |
| Mike Green |
Democratic |
| 10 |
Don Caruth |
Republican |
Fayette (part), Greenbrier, Mercer, Monroe, Summers |
| Jesse O. Guills |
Republican |
| 11 |
William R. Laird, IV |
Democratic |
Fayette (part), Clay, Nicholas, Upshur, Webster |
| Randy White |
Democratic |
| 12 |
Douglas E. Facemire |
Democratic |
Braxton, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis |
| Joseph M.
Minard |
Democratic |
| 13 |
Michael Oliverio II |
Democratic |
Marion (part), Monongalia (part) |
| Roman W. Prezioso, Jr. |
Democratic |
| 14 |
David Sypolt |
Republican |
Barbour, Grant (part), Mineral (part),
Monongalia (part), Preston, Taylor |
| Bob Williams |
Democratic |
| 15 |
Clark S. Barnes |
Republican |
Berkeley, Grant (part), Hardy, Hampshire,
Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur (part) |
| Walt
Helmick |
Democratic |
| 16 |
Herb Snyder |
Democratic |
Berkeley (part), Jefferson |
| John Unger |
Democratic |
Committees
At the start each new Legislature, standing committees are
appointed. The Senate President selects the chairpersons. The Rules
of the Senate in the 78th West Virginia Senate call for the
following committees to be formed:
- Agriculture (11 members) - Larry J. Edgell, Chairman
- Banking and Insurance (14 members) - Joseph M.
Minard, Chairman
- Confirmations (9 members) - Shirley Love, Chairman
- Economic Development (14 members) - Brooks McCabe, Chairman
- Education (14 members) - Robert H. Plymale, Chairman
- Energy, Industry and Mining (14 members) - William R. Sharpe, Jr.,
Chairman
- Finance (17 members) - Walt Helmick, Chairman
- Government Organization (14 members) - Edwin Bowman, Chairman
- Health and Human Resources (14 members) - Roman
W. Prezioso, Jr., Chairman
- Interstate Cooperation (7 members) - Evan Jenkins, Chairman; (Senate President
is ex-officio co-chairperson)
- Judiciary (17 members) - Jeffrey V. Kessler, Chairman
- Labor (11 members) - Michael Oliverio II, Chairman
- Military (9 members) - Jon Blair Hunter, Chairman
- Natural Resources (14 members) - John Pat Fanning, Chairman
- Pensions (7 members) - Dan Foster, Chairman
- Rules (11 members) - Earl Ray Tomblin, Ex-officio Chairman as Senate
President
- Transportation and Infrastructure (9 members) - John Unger, Chairman
The 79th West Virginia Senate will convene in February 2009.
References
See also
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