What is Illinois Senate?
[[File:Illinois State Senate.jpg|thumb|Inside the Illinois State Senate chamber.]] The '''Illinois Senate''' is the upper chamber in the [[Illinois General Assembly]], the legislative branch of the government of the state of [[Illinois]]. Created in 1818 by the constitution of the first state, the Illinois senate is comprised 59 senators elected from individual legislative districts determined by population. According to Illinois' 1970 constitution, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms.<ref>[http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm Constitution of the State of Illinois ARTICLE IV] Section 2 (a) ''[[Illinois General Assembly]]'' Retrieved April 24, 2011.</ref> Depending on the election year, roughly one-third, two-thirds, or all Senate seats may be contested. In contrast, the Illinois House of Representatives is made up of 118 members with its entire membership elected to two-year terms. House districts are formed by dividing each Senate district in half.<ref>[http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm Constitution of the State of Illinois ARTICLE IV] Section 2 (b) ''[[Illinois General Assembly]]''.</ref> == Powers == The Illinois Senate meets at the [[Illinois State Capitol]] in [[Springfield, Illinois]]. It is required to convene on the second January of each year.<ref>[http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm Constitution of the State of Illinois ARTICLE IV] Section 5 (a) ''[[Illinois General Assembly]]''</ref> Along with the [[:en:Illinois_House_of_Representatives#cite_note-iv-13|Illinois House of Representatives]] and The [[:en:Governor_of_Illinois|Governor of Illinois]], it is vested with the power to make laws, come up with a state budget, act on federal constitutional amendments, and propose constitutional amendments to the state constitution.<ref>[http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm Constitution of the State of Illinois ARTICLE IV] ''[[