Washington State Senate
The Senate of Washington (Washington State Senate ) is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature, the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington.
The chamber of parliament is composed of 49 Senators representing an electoral district respectively. Each of these units includes a fixed average rate of 120,000 inhabitants. The senators are elected for four -year terms; limiting the terms of office does not exist. The meeting room of the Senate is located together with the House of Representatives in Washington State Capitol in Olympia.
Tasks of the Senate
The Senate from Washington fall As in upper houses of other states and territories, as well as in the U.S. Senate compared to the House of Representatives special tasks that go beyond the law. So it is up to the Senate, nominations of the Governor in his cabinet to accept or reject other offices of the executive branch and commissions and authorities.
Structure of the chamber
President of the Senate is the acting vice governor, respectively. At votes he only participates to bring about a decision in stalemates. In the absence of the Vice- Governor of the respective President pro tempore stands in front of the plenary sessions. This is elected by the majority party of the Senate and later confirmed by the chamber. Current Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate is Democrat Brad Owen, president pro tempore of the Democrat Margarita Prentice of the 11th electoral district ( Renton ).
For Majority Leader ( Majority leader) of the Democrats was Lisa Brown, 3rd electoral district ( Spokane ), elected; Leader of the opposition (minority leader) is the Republican Mike Hewitt of the 16th electoral district ( Walla Walla ).