Pennsylvania State Senate

Pennsylvania State Senate
Pennsylvania General Assembly
Type
Type	Upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Term limits	None
History
Founded	1790; 234 years ago (1790)
New session started	January 3, 2023
Leadership
President	Austin Davis (D) since January 17, 2023
President pro tempore	Kim Ward (R) since November 30, 2022
Majority Leader	Joe Pittman (R) since November 30, 2022
Minority Leader	Jay Costa (D) since January 4, 2011
Structure
Seats	50
Political groups	Majority   Republican (28) Minority   Democratic (20)   Forward/Democrat (2)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article II, Pennsylvania Constitution
Salary	$102,844/year + per diem[1]
Elections
Last election	November 8, 2022 (even-numbered districts)
Next election	November 5, 2024 (odd-numbered districts)
Redistricting	Bipartisan Commission
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber Pennsylvania State Capitol Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Website
Pennsylvania State Senate

The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four-year terms, staggered every two years, such that half of the seats are contested at each election.^[2] Even- and odd-numbered district seats are contested in separate election years. The president pro tempore of the Senate becomes the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in the event of the sitting lieutenant governor's removal, resignation or death. In this case the president pro tempore and lieutenant governor would be the same person.^[3] The Pennsylvania Senate has been meeting since 1791.

The president of the Senate is the lieutenant governor, who has no vote except to break a tie vote.