What Does a State Senator Do?
The people who craft our laws are some of the most important people in government.
Our policies help dictate our ways of living, protect us from exploitation and harm, and guarantee our democratic rights. Our state senators are at the forefront of creating and/or amending statewide laws in order to best serve their constituents and the land they govern. It’s important that senators understand the specific needs of their state and what laws will be the most beneficial, and is often in contact with their electorate to ensure as best as possible that as many issues are being addressed as can be.
New York has 63 state senator seats, and the number of state senators vary as seats depend on how populated each state is. What are the responsibilities of New York’s state senators as they oversee the legislature for nearly 20 million people?
- Staying in touch with and accessible to the community is essential for senators as they spend a significant amount of time on the ground, talking with schools and other organizations, and holding press conferences to announce new legislation. It is also the job of a state senator to make as much information available to the public, so the public knows how they are being served.
- Senator committees are an essential step in the law-making process as bill sponsors and lobbyists make their cases for having legislature passed. Senators will discuss the bills pros and cons and can offer their own amendments before they are cleared.
- State senators and their offices are also tasked with building laws, often from the ground up, which requires thorough research and public support. The bills will be drafted in collaboration with legal counsel, and when they are finalized, senators send them to the floor for approval.
- State senators also convene in order to pass or reject legislature. Careful consideration is necessary when deciding on new laws, as their impact can be significant, although state senators have a choice on whether or not they want to vote on particular bills.
Stay up-to-date on 2018’s New York elections with Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Race To Represent, featuring interviews and debates with candidates, and profiles on what’s happening in your district.
Source:
https://www.nysenate.gov/about
https://careertrend.com/info-8706491-responsibilities-state-senators.html
