Georgia State Senate

The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral legislature of the state. Combined, the Senate and the House maintain authority under Article III. of the 1983 Constitution of Georgia to enact laws "necessary and proper for the welfare of the state", although state law is subordinate to the state constitution, the United States Constitution, and federal law.
Like most upper houses in the United States, the Senate has the exclusive power to confirm various appointments made by the governor of Georgia, and to try cases of impeachment brought by the House. The Senate is often considered a springboard for those ultimately seeking higher office; all of the state's most recent governors have served in the State Senate.

Legal provisions

The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia House of Representatives. Both bodies are constitutionally required to convene annually at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. The General Assembly begins each yearly session on the second Monday in January. From that date of convention, sessions last for 40 legislative days.
The General Assembly may call for special sessions by a three-fifths vote of the members in each chamber. Special sessions in Georgia may span a maximum of 40 days.

Membership requirements

The Georgia State Senate consists of 56 members, each representing a single-member legislative district of equal size with the others. State senators serve a term length of two years, with elections being held in even-numbered years. Senators officially assume their positions on the second Monday in January following their election.
To serve in the Senate, an individual must have attained the age of 25. The person must also be a qualified voter who has resided in the state of Georgia for at least two years. Unlike most states, senators are not required to have lived in their districts for a specific period of time before running.

Leadership

The formal President of the State Senate is the Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, who is elected statewide every four years. Other important figures in the Senate include the President pro tempore, as well as the Majority Leader, Majority Whip, and Majority Caucus Chair.
The minority party is headed by the Minority Leader, who is elected by the minority party caucus.

Compensation

The current salary for state senators is $17,342. The Majority Leader and Minority Leader earn an additional $400 per month.

Officers

The presiding officer of the Senate is the president of the Senate. A president pro tempore, usually a high-ranking member of the majority party, acts as president in case of the temporary disability of the president. In case of the death, resignation, or permanent disability of the President or in the event of the succession of the president to the executive power, the President pro tempore becomes President. The Senate also has as an officer, the secretary of the Senate.
, the majority and minority leadership is as follows:

Office	Officeholder	Party
Lt. governor and senate president	Burt Jones	Republican
President pro tempore	Larry Walker III	Republican
Majority leader	Jason Anavitarte	Republican
Majority whip	Randy Robertson	Republican
Majority caucus chairman	Shawn Still	Republican
Majority caucus vice-chairman	Matt Brass	Republican
Majority caucus treasurer	Dean Burke	Republican
Minority leader	Harold V. Jones II	Democratic
Minority whip	Kim Jackson	Democratic
Minority caucus chair	Elena Parent	Democratic
Minority caucus vice-chair	Sonya Halpern	Democratic
Minority caucus vice-chair of fundraising and campaigns	David Lucas	Democratic
Minority caucus secretary	Nan Orrock	Democratic

List of committees

Administrative Affairs
Agriculture and Consumer Affairs
Appropriations
Assignments
Banking and Financial Institutions
Children and Families
Economic Development and Tourism
Education and Youth
Ethics
Finance
Government Oversight
Health and Human Services
Higher Education
Insurance and Labor
Interstate Cooperation
Judiciary
MARTOC
Natural Resources and the Environment
Public Safety
Reapportionment and Redistricting
Regulated Industries and Utilities
Retirement
Rules
Science and Technology
Special Judiciary
State and Local Governmental Operations
State Institutions and Property
Transportation
Urban Affairs
Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security
Districts

Composition

According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years.
Senators must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Georgia for two years and their senatorial district for one year. The highest position in the Senate is the President of the Senate, a position currently held by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. The second-highest position is president pro tempore, currently held by Senator Butch Miller.

Past composition of the Senate

List of current senators

, the Georgia State Senate is composed of 56 members:

District	Senator	Party	Since	Residence	Counties represented
1		Republican	2015	Savannah	Bryan, Liberty, part of Chatham
2		Democratic	2023	Savannah	Part of Chatham
3		Republican	2023	Brunswick	Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, McIntosh, part of Ware
4		Republican	2020	Statesboro	Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans, part of Chatham
5		Democratic	2019	Lawrenceville	Part of Gwinnett
6		Republican	2017	Newnan	Coweta, Heard, part of Carroll
7		Democratic	2023	Duluth	Part of Gwinnett
8		Republican	2021	Cogdell	Atkinson, Clinch, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, part of Ware
9		Democratic	2021	Grayson	Part of Gwinnett
10		Democratic	2005	Decatur	Parts of DeKalb and Henry
11		Republican	2023	Moultrie	Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Grady, Seminole, Thomas
12		Democratic	2009	Dawson	Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Dougherty, Early, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Webster
13		Republican	2020	Cordele	Ben Hill, Berrien, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Tift, Turner, Worth, part of Coffee
14		Democratic	2023	Sandy Springs	Part of Fulton
15		Democratic	1993	Columbus	Chattahoochee, Macon, Marion, Schley, Talbot, Taylor, part of Muscogee
16		Republican	2015	Tyrone	Lamar, Pike, Spalding, part of Fayette
17		Democratic	2007	Jonesboro	Parts of Clayton and Henry
18	Vacant				Crawford, Monroe, Peach, Upson, parts of Bibb and Houston
19		Republican	2017	Vidalia	Appling, Bacon, Jeff Davis, Long, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Wayne, Wheeler, part of Coffee
20		Republican	2015	Perry	Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen, Wilcox, part of Houston
21	Jason Dickerson	Republican	2025	Canton	Parts of Cherokee and Fulton
22		Democratic	2015	Augusta	Part of Richmond
23		Republican	2021	Sylvania	Burke, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, McDuffie, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, parts of Columbia and Richmond
24		Republican	2017	Grovetown	Elbert, Greene, Hart, Lincoln, Oglethorpe, Wilkes, part of Columbia
25		Republican	2023	Milledgeville	Baldwin, Butts, Jasper, Jones, Putnam, parts of Bibb and Henry
26		Democratic	2013	Macon	Hancock, Johnson, Twiggs, Washington, Wilkinson, parts of Bibb and Houston
27		Republican	2019	Cumming	Part of Forsyth
28		Democratic	2009	Atlanta	Parts of Cobb, Douglas, and Fulton
29		Republican	2019	Cataula	Harris, Meriwether, Troup, part of Muscogee
30		Republican	2024	Carrollton	Haralson, parts of Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding
31		Republican	2021	Dallas	Polk, part of Paulding
32		Republican	2017	Marietta	Parts Cherokee and Cobb
33		Democratic	2015	Marietta	Part of Cobb
34		Democratic	2025	Fayetteville	Parts of Clayton and Fayette
35	Jaha Howard	Democratic	2025		Parts of Cobb and Fulton
36		Democratic	2007	Atlanta	Part of Fulton
37		Republican	2023	Acworth	Parts of Bartow and Cobb
38		Democratic	2025	Atlanta	Part of Fulton
39		Democratic	2021	Atlanta	Part of Fulton
40		Democratic	2019	Atlanta	Parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett
41		Democratic	2021	Stone Mountain	Part of DeKalb
42		Republican	2018	McDonough	Morgan, parts of Henry, Newton, and Walton
43		Democratic	2017	Lithonia	Rockdale, parts of DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Newton
44		Democratic	2015	Atlanta	Parts of Clayton and DeKalb
45		Republican	2021	Buford	Parts of Barrow and Gwinnett
46		Republican	2007	Athens	Parts of Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Oconee, and Walton
47		Republican	2011	Danielsville	Madison, parts of Barrow, Clarke, and Jackson
48		Republican	2023	Johns Creek	Parts of Forsyth, Fulton, and Gwinnett
49		Republican	2025	Gainesville	Part of Hall
50		Republican	2021	Cornelia	Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, parts of Hall, Jackson, and White
51		Republican	2011	Dahlonega	Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Pickens, Union, part of White
52		Republican	2013	Rome	Parts of Bartow, Floyd, and Gordon
53	Vacant				Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Walker, part of Floyd
54		Republican	2017	Dalton	Murray, Whitfield, part of Gordon
55		Democratic	2025	Stone Mountain	Parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett
56		Republican	2011	Roswell	Parts of Cherokee, Cobb, and Fulton