West Virginia State Senate

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West Virginia State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Republican
Session start:   January 10, 2024
Session end:   March 9, 2024
Term length:   4 years
Term limits:   None
Redistricting:  Legislature-dominant
Salary:   $20,000/year + per diem
Members
Total:  34
Democrats:  3
Republicans:  31
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:   Craig Blair (R)
Maj. Leader:   Tom Takubo (R)
Min. Leader:   Mike Woelfel (D)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 5, 2024

The West Virginia State Senate is the upper chamber of the West Virginia State Legislature. Alongside the West Virginia House of Delegates, it forms the legislative branch of the West Virginia state government and works alongside the governor of West Virginia to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the West Virginia 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 West Virginia State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Charleston, West Virginia.

  • A total of 17 seats out of the state Senate's 34 seats were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Republican supermajority increased from 23-11 to 30-4.
  • A total of 17 out of the chamber's 34 seats were up for election in 2020. The chamber's Republican supermajority increased from 20-14 to 23-11.
  • West Virginia 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 West Virginia State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

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

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 3
         Republican Party 31
         Other 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 34

    Members

    Leadership

    The Senate elects the president of the Senate from its membership. The president also serves as lieutenant governor and is the second-ranking constitutional officer in the state.[1][2]

    Leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    West Virginia State Senate District 1 Laura Wakim Chapman Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 1 Ryan Weld Republican 2016
    West Virginia State Senate District 2 Charles Clements Republican 2017
    West Virginia State Senate District 2 Mike Maroney Republican 2016
    West Virginia State Senate District 3 Mike Azinger Republican 2016
    West Virginia State Senate District 3 Donna Boley Republican 1985
    West Virginia State Senate District 4 Amy Nichole Grady Republican December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 4 Eric Tarr Republican December 1, 2018
    West Virginia State Senate District 5 Robert Plymale Democratic 1992
    West Virginia State Senate District 5 Mike Woelfel Democratic January 14, 2015
    West Virginia State Senate District 6 Mark R. Maynard Republican January 11, 2015
    West Virginia State Senate District 6 Chandler Swope Republican 2016
    West Virginia State Senate District 7 Rupie Phillips Republican December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 7 Mike Stuart Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 8 Mark Hunt Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 8 Glenn Jeffries Republican 2016
    West Virginia State Senate District 9 Rollan Roberts Republican December 1, 2018
    West Virginia State Senate District 9 David Stover Republican December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 10 Vince Deeds Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 10 Jack Woodrum Republican December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 11 William Hamilton Republican December 1, 2018
    West Virginia State Senate District 11 Robert Karnes Republican December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 12 Patrick Martin Republican December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 12 Ben Queen Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 13 Michael Caputo Democratic December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 13 Mike Oliverio Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 14 Randy E. Smith Republican 2017
    West Virginia State Senate District 14 Jay Taylor Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 15 Craig Blair Republican December 1, 2012
    West Virginia State Senate District 15 Charles S. Trump IV Republican December 1, 2014
    West Virginia State Senate District 16 Jason Barrett Republican December 1, 2022
    West Virginia State Senate District 16 Patricia Rucker Republican 2016
    West Virginia State Senate District 17 Eric Nelson Republican December 1, 2020
    West Virginia State Senate District 17 Tom Takubo Republican December 4, 2014


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2023
    SalaryPer diem
    $20,000/year$75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily.

    Swearing in dates

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

    West Virginia legislators assume office the first day of December following the election.[3]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    Section 12 of Article 6 of the West Virginia Constitution states, "No person shall be a senator or delegate who has not for one year next preceding his election, been a resident within the district or county from which he is elected; and if a senator or delegate remove from the district or county for which he was elected, his seat shall be thereby vacated."[4]

    Section 4 of Article IV also states senators must be at least 25 years old.[5]

    Section 13 of Article 6 of the West Virginia Constitution states, "No person holding any other lucrative office or employment under this state, the United States, or any foreign government; no member of Congress; and no person who is sheriff, constable, or clerk of any court of record, shall be eligible to a seat in the Legislature."[6]

    Historical party control

    Republicans won control of the West Virginia State Senate in 2014. In 2022, they won a 30-4 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the West Virginia 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.

    West Virginia State Senate election results: 1992-2022

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
    Democrats 32 26 25 29 28 24 21 23 28 27 24 16 12 14 11 4
    Republicans 2 8 9 5 6 10 13 11 6 7 10 18 22 20 23 30

    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, West Virginia was under the following types of trifecta control:

    • Democratic trifecta: 1992-1996, 2001-2014
    • Republican trifecta: 2018-2023
    • Divided government: 1997-2000, 2015-2017

    West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
    Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Seven years of Republican trifectas

    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 R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D[7] R R R R R R R
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R

    Elections

    Elections by year

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

    2024

    See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2024

    Elections for the West Virginia State Senate will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is May 14, 2024. The filing deadline is January 27, 2024.

    2022

    See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2022

    Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 10, 2022. The filing deadline was January 29, 2022.

    In the 2022 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the chamber by seven seats, going from a 23-11 majority to a 30-4 majority.

    West Virginia State Senate
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 11 4
         Republican Party 23 30
    Total 34 34

    2020

    See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was January 25, 2020.

    In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the West Virginia State Senate from 20-14 to 23-11.

    West Virginia State Senate
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 14 11
         Republican Party 20 23
    Total 34 34

    2018

    See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2018

    Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2018. The semi-closed primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for major party candidates was January 27, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for third-party candidates was August 1, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for write-in candidates was September 18, 2018.[8]

    In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the West Virginia State Senate was reduced from 22-12 to 20-14.

    West Virginia State Senate
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 12 14
         Republican Party 22 20
    Total 34 34

    2016

    See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2016

    Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2016. A total of 18 seats out of the 34 seats in the West Virginia State Senate were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Republicans held a 18-16 majority. Republicans gained four seats in the election, giving them a 22-12 majority.

    West Virginia State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 16 12
         Republican Party 18 22
    Total 34 34

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the West Virginia State Legislature, the governor must select a replacement to fill the vacant seat.[15][16]

    The executive committee of the political party that held the seat before the vacancy can submit a list of three candidates to the governor. The list must be submitted to the governor within 15 days of the vacancy. The governor must make a selection within five days of receiving the list. If the committee does not submit a list within 15 days, the governor must appoint someone of the same political party as the person who left office. The person that is selected to fill the vacancy serves the remainder of the unfilled term.[16]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: West Virginia Const. Art. 4, Sec. 7 and West Virginia Code Ann. §3-10-5

    District map

    See also: West Virginia state legislative districts

    The state of West Virginia has 17 state Senate districts. Each district elects two senators.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in West Virginia

    In West Virginia, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are set by the West Virginia State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[17]

    The West Virginia Constitution requires that state Senate districts be "compact, contiguous, and bounded by county lines where doing so is not otherwise unlawful." There are no such requirements in place for congressional or state House districts.[17]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in West Virginia after the 2020 census

    West Virginia enacted district maps for the Senate and House of Delegates on October 22, 2021.[18] On September 30, 2021, the House Redistricting Committees released a single-member district map proposal for the West Virginia House of Delegates.[19] The proposal passed the House on October 13, 2021, in a 79-20 vote and passed the Senate on October 18, 2021, in a 28-5 vote.[20] On October 5, 2021, the Senate Redistricting Committee released five map proposals for West Virginia's State Senate districts.[21] On October 11, 2021, the Senate Redistricting Committee voted to recommend Sen. Charles S. Trump IV's (R) 8th proposed senate map to the full Senate.[22] The Senate approved a map that combined aspects of previous proposals in a 31-2 vote on October 19, 2021. The map, named after Sens. Trump, Tom Takubo (R), Eric Tarr (R) Patricia Rucker (R), and Robert Karnes (R) was approved by the House in a 72-19 vote. Both the House and Senate maps were signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice (R) on October 20, 2021.[23] These maps took effect for West Virginia's 2022 legislative elections.

    District map before and after 2020 redistricting

    Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

    West Virginia State Senate Districts
    until November 30, 2022

    Click a district to compare boundaries.

    West Virginia State Senate Districts
    starting December 1, 2022

    Click a district to compare boundaries.


    2010

    See also: Redistricting in West Virginia after the 2010 census

    West Virginia received its local census data on March 23, 2011. The state grew 2.5 percent with most growth by county seen in the northeast part of the state. The state's largest cities showed decline: Charleston decreased by 3.8 percent, Huntington decreased by 4.5 percent, Parkersburg decreased by 4.9 percent, Morgantown grew by 10.6 percent, and Wheeling decreased by 9.3 percent.[24]

    The 2011 redistricting period was notable for the proposal of eliminating the state's multi-member districts, which ultimately failed. The Legislature passed plans in early August; Gov. Ray Tomblin (D) vetoed the House plan on August 17, 2011, calling for another session to begin the next day. On August 21, the Legislature approved revisions to the House plan, and Gov. Tomblin signed the plan into law on Friday, September 2, 2011.

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the West Virginia 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 both chambers and signed by the governor. 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 West Virginia by year

    2024

    See also: 2024 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

    In 2024, the legislature is scheduled to convene on January 10, 2024, and adjourn on March 9, 2024.

    2023

    See also: 2023 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

    In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2023, and adjourn on March 11, 2023.



    About legislative sessions in West Virginia

    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.[33] 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 VI of the West Virginia Constitution establishes when the West Virginia State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 18 of Article VI states that the Legislature is to convene its regular session on the second Wednesday of January of each year. Once every four years, on the year in which the Governor of West Virginia is inaugurated, the Legislature holds a thirty-day recess after the first day of the session. This recess is designed to give the Governor time to prepare a budget.

    Section 22 of Article VI limits regular sessions of the Legislature to sixty days. Regular sessions can be extended by a two-thirds vote of the members of both legislative houses.

    Section 19 of Article VI gives the Governor of West Virginia the power to convene the Legislature into special session. Section 19 also requires the Governor to convene a special session if it is requested by three-fifths of the members of each legislative house.

    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, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia House of Delegates and 18 of the 34 members in the West Virginia State Senate. West Virginia is one of six states that requires a majority vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    Are there other special rules?

    If the governor vetoes an appropriation bill, two-thirds of the members in both chambers are required to override the veto, which is 67 of the 100 state representatives and 23 of the 34 state senators.[34]

    Authority: Article VII, Section 14 of the West Virginia Constitution.

    "Subject to the provisions of section fifteen of this article, every bill passed by the Legislature shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the governor. If he approves, he shall sign it, and thereupon it shall become a law; but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon its journal, and may proceed to reconsider the returned bill. Notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty-one, article six of this constitution, any such bill may be reconsidered even if the Legislature is at the time in extended session for the sole purpose of considering the budget bill, as specified in said section fifty-one. If after any such reconsideration, a majority of the members elected to that house agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections of the governor to the other house, by which it may likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by a majority of the members elected to that house, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the objections of the governor."

    Role in state budget

    See also: West Virginia state budget and finances
    West Virginia 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 an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[35]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in August.
    2. State agencies submit budget requests by September 1.
    3. Agency hearings are held September through November.
    4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the West Virginia State Legislature on or before the second Wednesday in January. A newly elected governor has until the second Wednesday in February.
    5. The legislature adopts a budget in March. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.


    West Virginia is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[35]

    The West Virginia State Legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget. The budget must be balanced before the governor can sign it into law.[35]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in West Virginia 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 West Virginia State Senate has 20 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 West Virginia Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XIV of the West Virginia Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in West Virginia

    The West Virginia Constitution can be modified through constitutional conventions and legislatively referred constitutional amendments. West Virginia does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated constitutional amendments or initiated state statutes.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A two-thirds vote is required during one legislative session for the West Virginia State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 67 votes in the West Virginia House of Representatives and 23 votes in the West Virginia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

    Convention

    See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

    According to Section 1 of Article XIV of the West Virginia Constitution, the state Legislature can vote to refer a constitutional convention question to voters. A simple majority vote is required in the Legislature.



    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: 2024 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 2024.

    No measures to list

    See also

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

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. West Virginia Legislature, "Citizen's Guide to the West Virginia Legislature - Presiding Officers," accessed February 9, 2021
    2. West Virginia Legislature, "West Virginia State Senate Leadership," accessed February 9, 2021
    3. West Virginia Constitution, "Article IV, Section 7," accessed February 8, 2023
    4. Constitution of West Virginia, "Article VI, Section 12," accessed February 8, 2023
    5. Constitution of West Virginia, "Article IV, Section 4," accessed February 8, 2023
    6. Constitution of West Virginia, "Article VI, Section 13," accessed February 8, 2023
    7. Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
    8. Confirmed with the West Virginia Secretary of State on September 20, 2017
    9. Follow the Money: "West Virginia Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
    10. Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2008 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    11. Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2006 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    12. Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2004 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    13. Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2002 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    14. Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2000 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    15. West Virginia Legislature, "West Virginia Constitution," accessed February 9, 2021 (Section, Article 4, Section 7)
    16. 16.0 16.1 West Virginia Code, "Article 10 Filling Vacancies: §3-10-5 Vacancies in State Legislature," accessed February 8, 2023
    17. 17.0 17.1 All About Redistricting, "West Virginia," accessed May 7, 2015
    18. West Virginia Legislature, "Actions by the Governor," accessed October 25, 2021
    19. WSAZ, "First West Virginia redistricting maps released," September 30, 2021
    20. West Virginia Legislature, "Actions by the Governor," accessed October 25, 2021
    21. West Virginia Legislature, "Senate Select Committee on Redistricting," accessed October 7, 2021
    22. WV News, "(West Virginia) Senate Redistricting Committee selects proposed maps," October 11, 2021
    23. Metro News, "After days of trying, Senate overwhelmingly passes a map of its own districts," October 19, 2021
    24. U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers West Virginia's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," March 23, 2011
    25. TimesWV.com, "Legislature has new makeup but several familiar issues of concern," January 14, 2015
    26. The State Journal, "Issues and Eggs kick off discussion of topics for legislative session," January 8, 2014
    27. State Journal, "Soft drinks in schools to be considered by WV Legislature," January 8, 2013
    28. West Virginia Legislature
    29. WTRF, Tomblin Calls Special Session for Redistricting, July 26, 2011 (dead link)
    30. The Republic, Tomblin: special session to begin Thurs to remedy House redistricting plan, Aug. 12, 2011
    31. 2010 session convenes dates for West Virginia Legislature
    32. 2010 session adjourns dates for West Virginia Legislature
    33. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    34. National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Veto Process," accessed June 22, 2017
    35. 35.0 35.1 35.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023