Indiana State Senate

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Indiana State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Republican
Session start:   January 8, 2024
Session end:   March 14, 2024
Term length:   4 years
Term limits:   None
Redistricting:  Legislature-dominant
Salary:   $29,749/year + per diem
Members
Total:  50
Democrats:  9
Republicans:  40
Other:  0
Vacancies:  1
Leadership
President:   Suzanne Crouch (R)
Maj. Leader:   Chris Garten (R)
Min. Leader:   Greg Taylor (Indiana) (D)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 5, 2024

The Indiana State Senate is the upper chamber of the Indiana General Assembly. Alongside the Indiana House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Indiana state government and works alongside the governor of Indiana to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Indiana State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Indiana State Senate meets in the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

  • A total of 25 seats out of the state Senate's 50 seats were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Republican majority increased from 39-11 to 40-10.
  • A total of 25 seats out of the chamber's 50 seats were up for election in 2020. The chamber's Republican majority decreased from 40-10 to 39-11. Click to read more »
  • Indiana has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

  • This page contains the following information on the Indiana State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Indiana State Senate as of January 2024:

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 9
         Republican Party 40
         Other 0
         Vacancies 1
    Total 50

    Members

    Leadership

    The lieutenant governor serves as president of the Senate.[1]

    Leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    Indiana State Senate District 1 Dan Dernulc Republican November 9, 2022
    Indiana State Senate District 2 Lonnie Randolph Democratic 2008
    Indiana State Senate District 3 Vacant
    Indiana State Senate District 4 Rodney Pol Jr. Democratic November 1, 2021
    Indiana State Senate District 5 Ed Charbonneau Republican 2007
    Indiana State Senate District 6 Rick Niemeyer Republican November 5, 2014
    Indiana State Senate District 7 Brian Buchanan Republican February 12, 2018
    Indiana State Senate District 8 Mike Bohacek Republican November 9, 2016
    Indiana State Senate District 9 Ryan Mishler Republican 2004
    Indiana State Senate District 10 David Niezgodski Democratic November 9, 2016
    Indiana State Senate District 11 Linda Rogers Republican November 7, 2018
    Indiana State Senate District 12 Blake Doriot Republican November 9, 2016
    Indiana State Senate District 13 Susan Glick Republican 2010
    Indiana State Senate District 14 Tyler Johnson Republican November 9, 2022
    Indiana State Senate District 15 Liz Brown Republican November 5, 2014
    Indiana State Senate District 16 Justin Busch Republican November 6, 2018
    Indiana State Senate District 17 Andy Zay Republican December 20, 2016
    Indiana State Senate District 18 Stacey Donato Republican September 11, 2019
    Indiana State Senate District 19 Travis Holdman Republican 2008
    Indiana State Senate District 20 Scott Baldwin Republican November 4, 2020
    Indiana State Senate District 21 James Buck Republican 2008
    Indiana State Senate District 22 Ronnie Alting Republican 1998
    Indiana State Senate District 23 Spencer Deery Republican November 9, 2022
    Indiana State Senate District 24 John Crane Republican November 9, 2016
    Indiana State Senate District 25 Mike Gaskill Republican November 9, 2022
    Indiana State Senate District 26 Scott Alexander Republican November 9, 2022
    Indiana State Senate District 27 Jeff Raatz Republican November 5, 2014
    Indiana State Senate District 28 Michael Crider Republican November 7, 2012
    Indiana State Senate District 29 J.D. Ford Democratic November 7, 2018
    Indiana State Senate District 30 Fady Qaddoura Democratic November 4, 2020
    Indiana State Senate District 31 Kyle Walker Republican November 17, 2020
    Indiana State Senate District 32 Aaron Freeman Republican November 9, 2016
    Indiana State Senate District 33 Greg Taylor Democratic 2008
    Indiana State Senate District 34 Jean Breaux Democratic 2006
    Indiana State Senate District 35 Michael Young Republican 2000
    Indiana State Senate District 36 Cyndi Carrasco Republican November 1, 2023
    Indiana State Senate District 37 Rodric D. Bray Republican November 7, 2012
    Indiana State Senate District 38 Greg Goode Republican November 1, 2023
    Indiana State Senate District 39 Eric Bassler Republican November 5, 2014
    Indiana State Senate District 40 Shelli Yoder Democratic November 4, 2020
    Indiana State Senate District 41 Greg Walker Republican 2006
    Indiana State Senate District 42 Jean Leising Republican 2008
    Indiana State Senate District 43 Randy Maxwell Republican September 28, 2023
    Indiana State Senate District 44 Eric Koch Republican November 9, 2016
    Indiana State Senate District 45 Chris Garten Republican November 7, 2018
    Indiana State Senate District 46 Andrea Hunley Democratic November 9, 2022
    Indiana State Senate District 47 Gary Byrne Republican February 14, 2022
    Indiana State Senate District 48 Mark Messmer Republican November 5, 2014
    Indiana State Senate District 49 Jim Tomes Republican 2010
    Indiana State Senate District 50 Vaneta Becker Republican 2005


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2023
    SalaryPer diem
    $29,749/year$196/day. Vouchered.

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.[2]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    To be eligible to serve in the Indiana State Senate:[3]

    Sec. 13. A candidate for the office of senator in the general assembly must:

    (1) be a United States citizen at the time of election;
    (2) have resided in the state for at least two (2) years and in the senate district for at least one (1) year before the election; and
    (3) be at least twenty-five (25) years old upon taking office; as provided in Article 4, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.[4]

    Historical party control

    Republicans won control of the Indiana State Senate in 1978. In 2022, they won a 40-10 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Indiana Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Indiana State Senate election results: 1992-2022

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
    Democrats 22 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 17 14 13 10 9 10 11 10
    Republicans 28 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 33 36 37 40 41 40 39 40

    Before 1992

    The Indiana State Senate switched partisan control 11 times from 1900 to 2022.


    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Indiana was under the following types of trifecta control:

    • Democratic trifecta: None
    • Republican trifecta: 2005-2006, 2011-2023
    • Divided government: 1992-2004, 2007-2010

    Indiana Party Control: 1992-2024
    No Democratic trifectas  •  Sixteen years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D R R D D D D D D D D R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Indiana state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. Indiana holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2024

    See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2024

    Elections for the Indiana State Senate will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is May 7, 2024. The filing deadline is February 9, 2024.

    2022

    See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2022

    Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 3, 2022. The filing deadline was February 4, 2022.

    In the 2022 election, Republicans maintain their majority and gained one seat for a partisan breakdown of 40-10.


    Indiana State Senate
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 11 10
         Republican Party 39 40
    Total 50 50

    2020

    See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was February 7, 2020.

    In 2020, Republicans retained their majority in the state Senate, losing one seat to the Democrats for a partisan breakdown of 39-11.


    Indiana State Senate
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 10 11
         Republican Party 40 39[5]
    Total 50 50

    2018

    See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2018

    Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on May 8, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The major party candidate filing deadline was February 9, 2018. The independent and third-party candidate filing deadline was July 2, 2018.[6]

    In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the Indiana State Senate was reduced from 41-9 to 40-10.

    Indiana State Senate
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 9 10
         Republican Party 41 40
    Total 50 50

    2016

    See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2016

    Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 3, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 5, 2016. Twenty-five of 50 total seats were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Republicans held a 40-10 majority. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 41-9 majority.

    Indiana State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 10 9
         Republican Party 40 41
    Total 50 50

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Indiana General Assembly, the state committee of the party that last held the seat must appoint a replacement. This is contingent upon the approval of the respective state chairperson of the party. Any vacant seat held by an independent must be filled by a special election.[13]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Indiana Code §3-13-5-0.1

    District map

    See also: Indiana state legislative districts

    The state of Indiana has 150 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 50 districts and the state House has 100 districts.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Indiana

    In Indiana, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. The legislature must approve a redistricting plan by the close of the first legislative session occurring after completion of the United States Census. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.[14][15]

    In the event that both chambers of the state legislature do not approve a congressional redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines. The commission comprises the following members:[15]

    1. Speaker of the House
    2. President Pro Tempore of the Senate
    3. Chair of the Elections Committee, Indiana State Senate
    4. Chair of the Elections and Apportionment Committee, Indiana House of Representatives
    5. A gubernatorial appointment

    The Indiana Constitution mandates that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no such requirements for congressional district lines.[14]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Indiana after the 2020 census

    The Indiana General Assembly approved new state legislative district maps on October 1, 2021, and Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed the new district boundaries into law on October 4, 2021. The Indiana Senate Republican caucus released its first draft of state Senate districts on September 20, 2021, and the Indiana House Republican caucus released its first proposed state House district maps on September 14, 2021. The Indiana state Senate approved final legislative district boundaries by a vote of 36-12, with all votes to approve by Republicans. Eleven Senate Democrats joined State Sen. Ron Grooms (R) in voting against the maps. The Indiana House of Representatives approved final district maps by a vote of 64-25. All votes in favor were by Republicans with 22 Democrats and three Republicans voting against.[16][17]

    After the General Assembly approved the maps, House Speaker Todd Huston said, "We're incredibly grateful for the work of Representative Greg Steuerwald and Senator Eric Koch who tirelessly and thoughtfully led the way on drawing these maps. Redistricting is a complex and important process that impacts all Hoosiers. We're thankful for the hundreds of constituents who shared their feedback along the way, and I'm confident we delivered fair maps that ensure every Hoosier vote counts."[18]

    District map before and after 2020 redistricting

    Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

    Indiana State Senate Districts
    until November 8, 2022

    Click a district to compare boundaries.

    Indiana State Senate Districts
    starting November 9, 2022

    Click a district to compare boundaries.


    2010

    See also: Redistricting in Indiana after the 2010 census

    Census figures for Indiana were released on December 21, 2010, showing the state's population grew 6.6 percent to almost 6.5 million. The redistricting process began the week of April 11, 2011. On April 20, both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly approved redistricting plans.[19] The Senate concurred with the House plan by a 37-12 vote on April 27, 2011.[20] Governor Mitch Daniels signed Indiana's redistricting plan on Tuesday, May 10, 2011.[21]

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Indiana State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Indiana by year

    2024

    See also: 2024 Indiana legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

    In 2024, the legislature is scheduled to convene on January 8, 2024, and adjourn on March 14, 2024.

    2023

    See also: 2023 Indiana legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

    In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 9, 2023, and adjourn on April 28, 2023.



    About legislative sessions in Indiana

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[30] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article 4 of the Indiana Constitution establishes when the Indiana General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 9 of Article 4 states that the General Assembly will begin its regular session on the Tuesday following the second Monday in January of each year. However, Section 9 allows the starting date for the session to be changed by law. This has happened in Indiana in 2010, as the General Assembly's session convened on January 5 instead of the constitutionally designated date, which was January 12. Section 9 also gives the Governor of Indiana the power to call special sessions of the General Assembly.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-Republican Party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Indiana are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? A majority of members in both chambers.

    A simple majority of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 51 of the 100 members in the Indiana House of Representatives and 26 of the 50 members in the Indiana State Senate. Indiana is one of six states that requires a majority vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    Vetoes can be overridden when the next regular session convenes, even if an election has occurred.[31][32]

    Authority: Article 5, Section 14 of the Indiana Constitution.

    "If the Governor returns the bill under clause (A), the House in which the bill originated shall enter the Governor's objections at large upon its journals and proceed to reconsider and vote upon whether to approve the bill. The bill must be reconsidered and voted upon within the time set out in clause (C). If, after such reconsideration and vote, a majority of all the members elected to that House shall approve the bill, it shall be sent, with the Governor's objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered and voted upon, and, if approved by a majority of all the members elected to that House, it shall be a law."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Indiana state budget and finances
    Indiana on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[33]

    1. In early Summer of the year preceding the beginning of the new biennium, budget instructions are sent to state agencies.
    2. By September 1, agencies submit their budget requests to the governor.
    3. Hearings are held with the public from November to April.
    4. The governor submits his or her budget to the state legislature in January.
    5. The legislature typically adopts a budget in April, effective for the fiscal biennium beginning in July. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.

    There are no constitutional or statutory provisions mandating that the governor submit or sign a balanced budget. Budget deficits may be carried over to the next biennium.[33]

    Indiana is one of seven states in which the governor cannot exercise line item veto authority.[33]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Indiana state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Indiana State Senate has 22 standing committees:


    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods in which the Indiana Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article 16 of the Indiana Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Indiana

    The Indiana Constitution provides for a legislative process to amend the constitution.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the Indiana State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Indiana House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Indiana State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.



    2025 measures:

    See also: 2025 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.

    No measures to list

    2024 measures:

    Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.

    See also: Indiana 2024 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.

    No measures to list

    See also

    Elections Indiana State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Indiana State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, "Indiana Constitution, Article IV, Section 16," accessed February 4, 2021
    2. Indiana General Assembly, "Indiana Constitution, Article 4, Section 3," accessed February 5, 2021
    3. Indiana General Assembly, "IC 3-8-1-13: Senator in general assembly," accessed January 26, 2023
    4. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    5. James Merritt (R) resigned from the Indiana State Senate effective November 4, 2020
    6. Indiana Secretary of State, "2018 Indiana Election Calendar," accessed February 9, 2021
    7. Follow the Money: "Indiana Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
    8. Follow the Money, "Indiana 2008 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    9. Follow the Money, "Indiana 2006 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    10. Follow the Money, "Indiana 2004 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    11. Follow the Money, "Indiana 2002 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    12. Follow the Money, "Indiana 2000 Candidates," accessed July 18, 2013
    13. Indiana General Assembly, "Indiana Code," accessed February 5, 2021 (§3-13-5-0.1)
    14. 14.0 14.1 All About Redistricting, "Indiana," accessed April 6, 2015
    15. 15.0 15.1 Brennan Center for Justice, "Indiana," accessed April 6, 2015
    16. Indiana House of Representatives Republican Caucus, "GOP statements on initial drafts of Indiana House and Congressional district maps," September 14, 2021
    17. IndyStar, "Gov. Holcomb signs Indiana's redistricting maps into law," October 4, 2021
    18. Indiana Senate Republicans, "General Assembly approves new congressional, state legislative districts 10.1.21," October 1, 2021
    19. Eagle Country Online, "Democrats Unhappy With Redistricting Maps," April 21, 2011
    20. Fox News Latino, "Indiana Assembly Approves New Electoral Map," April 28, 2011
    21. Forbes, "Ind. gov signs 80 bills into law, including budget," May 11, 2011 (dead link)
    22. WAVE, "Road funding tops session for Indiana legislature," January 5, 2016
    23. The Associated Press, "Indiana lawmakers kicking off 2016 session today," January 5, 2016
    24. indianapublicmedia.org, "4 Issues To Watch In The Upcoming State Legislative Session," January 3, 2015
    25. indianaeconomicdigest.net, "Legislators sort key issues of the General Assembly's 2013 session," April 28, 2013
    26. Indianapolis Star, "Lawmakers face rematch with 'thousand-pound gorilla,'" January 3, 2012
    27. Indianapolis Star, "Rare joint hearing accelerates 'right to work' bill," January 6, 2012
    28. Stateline.org, "States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes," June 15, 2011(Archived)
    29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 Pew Charitable Trusts, "Clerical error eliminates Indiana's largest state agency," July 11, 2011
    30. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed February 5, 2021
    31. National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Veto Process," accessed June 22, 2017
    32. Indianapolis Business Journal, "Indiana Senate votes to override two Pence vetoes," February 14, 2017
    33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023