Back مجلس شيوخ ولاية كاليفورنيا Arabic Senáu Estatal de California AST Senat von Kalifornien German Πολιτειακή Γερουσία της Καλιφόρνιας Greek Senado Estatal de California Spanish Sénat de l'État de Californie French Senato della California Italian カリフォルニア州議会元老院 Japanese Senaat van Californië Dutch Californias senat NB
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023) |
California State Senate | |
|---|---|
| California State Legislature | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | Elected before 2012: 2 terms (8 years) Elected 2012 and after: 3 terms (12 years) |
| History | |
New session started | December 5, 2022 |
| Leadership | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 40 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
Democratic (31)
Minority Republican (9) |
Length of term | 4 years |
| Authority | Article 4, California Constitution |
| Salary | $114,877/year + $211 per diem |
| Elections | |
| Nonpartisan blanket primary | |
Last election | November 5, 2024 (20 seats) |
Next election | November 3, 2026 (20 seats) |
| Redistricting | California Citizens Redistricting Commission |
| Motto | |
| Senatoris est civitatis libertatem tueri ("It is a senator's duty to protect the liberty of the people.") | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| State Senate Chamber California State Capitol Sacramento, California | |
| Website | |
| California State Senate | |
| Rules | |
| Standing Rules of the Senate | |
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
Due to a combination of the state's large population and a legislature that has not been expanded since the ratification of the 1879 constitution,[1] the State Senate has the largest population per state senator ratio of any state legislative house. In the United States House of Representatives, California is apportioned 52 U.S. representatives, each representing approximately 750,564 people,[2] while in the California State Senate, each of the 40 state senators represents approximately 931,349 people; almost exactly the population of the entire state of Delaware.[3] This means that California state senators each represent more people than California's members of the House of Representatives, and more than that of five entire U.S. states.
In the current legislative session, the Democratic Party holds 31 out of the 40 seats, which constitutes a 78% majority—well over the two-thirds supermajority threshold of 27.
- ^ "California Constitution of 1879, prior to any amendments" (PDF). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ "Apportionment Data". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "Senate Roster". State of California.