Political Caucuses
How political party caucuses are organized and operate in state legislative chambers: organization, bylaws, staffing, roles, and meeting attendance. Data from ASLCS Survey 3.
At a glance
Does your chamber/state have at least one active political party caucus?
| Answer | Chambers |
|---|---|
| Yes | 54 |
| No | 1 |
Do the caucuses have written bylaws or other binding rules or customs that govern their meetings?
| Answer | Chambers |
|---|---|
| Yes | 24 |
| No | 24 |
Do the political party caucuses have legislative staff assigned to them?
| Answer | Chambers |
|---|---|
| Yes | 36 |
| No | 12 |
Responses by question
Q01 Does your chamber/state have at least one active political party caucus?
| Chamber | Answer | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Alabama Senate | Yes | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Alaska Senate | Yes | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Arizona Senate | Yes | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | Yes | |
| California Senate | Yes | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Delaware Senate | Yes | |
| Florida House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Georgia House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Georgia Senate | Yes | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Idaho Senate | Yes | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Illinois Senate | Yes | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Kentucky Senate | Yes | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Louisiana Senate | Yes | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Maine Senate | Yes | |
| Minnesota Senate | Yes | |
| Mississippi Senate | No | |
| Missouri Senate | Yes | |
| Montana Senate | Yes | |
| Nevada Senate | Yes | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Yes | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Yes | |
| New Mexico Senate | Yes | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Ohio House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Oregon House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Pennsylvania Senate | Yes | |
| Puerto Rico Senate | Yes | |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | Yes | |
| South Carolina Senate | Yes | |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Tennessee Senate | Yes | |
| Texas Senate | Yes | |
| Utah House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Utah Senate | Yes | |
| Vermont House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Virginia House of Delegates | Yes | |
| Washington House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Washington Senate | Yes | |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | Yes | |
| West Virginia Senate | Yes | |
| Wisconsin Senate | Yes | |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | Yes | |
| Wyoming Senate | Yes |
Q02 How are political party caucuses organized in your chamber/state?
| Chamber | Answer | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Members file a caucus organization form with the Clerk of the House and/or the Secretary of the Senate |
| Alabama Senate | By legislative instrument | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Members organize themselves into groups in a private political process and caucus accordingly. There are no rules to govern. |
| Alaska Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Members choose coalition/caucus in a private political process, not governed by legislative rules |
| Arizona House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | informally organized by the Members |
| Arizona Senate | By chamber rules | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | By chamber rules | |
| California Senate | By any other method (please specify) | n/a |
| Colorado House of Representatives | By legislative instrument | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Informal Rules decided upon by each caucus, especially in electing caucus leadership. |
| Delaware Senate | By legislative instrument | |
| Florida House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Both the Republican Conference and the Democratic Caucus have their own adopted rules. |
| Georgia Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Caucuses are referenced in Senate Rules, but are private entities- subject to Georgia Law |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | By chamber rules | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Caucuses in our state are essentially private organizations and have their own, private organizational rules and systems. |
| Idaho Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Per the political parties |
| Illinois House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Each political party caucus has its own way of organizing itself. One caucus has formalized rules, while the other caucus empowers its elected leader. |
| Illinois Senate | By chamber rules | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | The creation/organization of caucuses is not covered by any rules or instrument or statute that I can identify.. Majority and Minority caucuses are referred to in organizational statutes related to electing leadership. They are also mentioned in House Rules related to open meetings. |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | By chamber rules | |
| Kentucky Senate | By chamber rules | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | They first appeared in a newspaper, but the origins of the caucuses are unknown. More recent ones were established by resolutions. |
| Louisiana Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Their own rules |
| Maine House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Self Organized |
| Maine Senate | By any other method (please specify) | State Statute speaks of party floor leaders, but don't not deal with organization. |
| Minnesota Senate | By any other method (please specify) | According to their own custom and practices. There is very limited in caucus recognition within our Senate Rules. |
| Montana Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Neither |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Caucuses govern themselves by caucus rules at organization |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Statute - Election Code |
| New Mexico Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Legislative Caucus Committees are formal political committees designated by Senate leadership: Each party (Democratic and Republican) has its own caucus committee. The Majority and Minority Leaders are typically the designated leaders of their respective caucus committees unless two-thirds of their party members vote to appoint someone else. These committees manage political activities and campaign funds for their party’s Senate members. |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Custom/practice |
| Ohio House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Political party caucuses are briefly referenced in statute, but are organized by rules adopted by each individual caucus. |
| Oregon House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | They are largely voluntary political affiliations with their own internal rules |
| Puerto Rico Senate | By legislative instrument | |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | State Ethics Laws |
| South Carolina Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Our caucus are political organizations. Not established by rule or statute. |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Caucuses are not organized by House rules. |
| Tennessee Senate | By chamber rules | |
| Texas Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Political caucuses are not official entities and are not allowed office space, equipment or staff. However, both major political parties have very active caucuses that are operated with senator contributions usually from their campaign accounts. |
| Utah House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | independently |
| Utah Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Party by-laws |
| Vermont House of Representatives | By chamber rules | |
| Virginia House of Delegates | By legislative instrument | |
| Washington House of Representatives | By any other method (please specify) | Each caucus adopts its own rules. The chamber rules only refer to the majority and minority caucus. |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | By chamber rules | |
| West Virginia Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Caucuses are organized by state political parties. |
| Wisconsin Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Tradition |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | By chamber rules | |
| Wyoming Senate | By any other method (please specify) | Do not know |
Q03 Do the caucuses have written bylaws or other binding rules or customs that govern their meetings?
| Chamber | Answer | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Alabama Senate | Yes | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | No | |
| Alaska Senate | No | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | No | |
| Arizona Senate | No | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | Yes | |
| California Senate | No | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | No | |
| Delaware Senate | No | |
| Florida House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Georgia Senate | Yes | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | No | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | No | |
| Idaho Senate | Yes | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Illinois Senate | Yes | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | No | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | No | |
| Kentucky Senate | No | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Louisiana Senate | Yes | |
| Maine House of Representatives | No | |
| Maine Senate | No | |
| Minnesota Senate | No | |
| Montana Senate | No | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | No | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | No | |
| New Mexico Senate | No | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | No | |
| Ohio House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Oregon House of Representatives | Yes | |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | Yes | |
| South Carolina Senate | No | |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Tennessee Senate | Yes | |
| Texas Senate | Yes | |
| Utah House of Representatives | No | |
| Utah Senate | Yes | |
| Vermont House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Virginia House of Delegates | Yes | |
| Washington House of Representatives | Yes | |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | Yes | |
| West Virginia Senate | Yes | |
| Wisconsin Senate | No | |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | No | |
| Wyoming Senate | Yes |
Q04 Do the political party caucuses have legislative staff assigned to them?
| Chamber | Answer | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Alabama Senate | Yes | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Alaska Senate | Yes | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Arizona Senate | Yes | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | No | |
| California Senate | Yes | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Delaware Senate | Yes | |
| Florida House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Georgia Senate | Yes | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Idaho Senate | Yes | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Illinois Senate | Yes | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Kentucky Senate | Yes | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Louisiana Senate | No | |
| Maine House of Representatives | No | |
| Maine Senate | Yes | |
| Minnesota Senate | No | |
| Montana Senate | Yes | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Yes | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Yes | |
| New Mexico Senate | No | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Ohio House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Oregon House of Representatives | Yes | |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | No | |
| South Carolina Senate | Yes | |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Tennessee Senate | Yes | |
| Texas Senate | No | |
| Utah House of Representatives | Yes | |
| Utah Senate | Yes | |
| Vermont House of Representatives | No | |
| Virginia House of Delegates | Yes | |
| Washington House of Representatives | Yes | |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | No | |
| West Virginia Senate | Yes | |
| Wisconsin Senate | No | |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | No | |
| Wyoming Senate | No |
Q05 What role do those caucuses play?
| Chamber | Answer | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Alabama House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Alabama House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Alabama Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Alabama Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Alabama Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Alabama Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Alaska Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Alaska Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Alaska Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Alaska Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Arizona Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| California Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| California Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| California Senate | Formulate policy | |
| California Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Delaware Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Delaware Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Delaware Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Delaware Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Florida House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Florida House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Florida House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Georgia Senate | Other (please specify) | Majority and Minority Leader have a state paid Chief of Staff, in addition to their legislative assistant. |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Idaho Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Idaho Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Idaho Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Idaho Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Illinois Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Illinois Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Illinois Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Illinois Senate | Other (please specify) | Analyze legislation |
| Kansas House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Kentucky Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Kentucky Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Kentucky Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Kentucky Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Louisiana Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Other (please specify) | Go over the daily calendar |
| Maine Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Maine Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Maine Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Maine Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Maine Senate | Other (please specify) | Meet before and during session to prepare for items on the calendar or that the Senate will consider on the floor. The caucuses also play a role outside of the Legislature by leading campaigns. |
| Minnesota Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Minnesota Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Minnesota Senate | Formulate policy | |
| Minnesota Senate | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| Montana Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| Montana Senate | Gather and disseminate information | |
| Montana Senate | Formulate policy | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Host or participate in social and community events | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Gather and disseminate information | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Formulate policy | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Other (please specify) | Support incumbents/candidates during election year |
| New Mexico Senate | Select leaders or assist in organization of the chamber | |
| New Mexico Senate | Gather and disseminate information |
Q06 Who can attend caucus/delegation meetings?
| Chamber | Answer | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Alabama House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Alabama House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Alabama Senate | Members only | |
| Alabama Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Alaska Senate | Members only | |
| Alaska Senate | Invited guests | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Media | |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Arizona Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Arizona Senate | Media | |
| Arizona Senate | Invited guests | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| California Senate | Members only | |
| California Senate | Invited guests | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Media | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Delaware Senate | Members only | |
| Delaware Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Florida House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Georgia Senate | Members only | |
| Georgia Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Georgia Senate | Invited guests | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Idaho Senate | Members only | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Illinois Senate | Members only | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Kansas House of Representatives | Media | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Kentucky Senate | Members only | |
| Kentucky Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Kentucky Senate | Media | |
| Kentucky Senate | Invited guests | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Louisiana Senate | Members only | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Maine House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Maine Senate | Members only | |
| Maine Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Maine Senate | Media | |
| Maine Senate | Invited guests | |
| Minnesota Senate | Members only | |
| Minnesota Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Minnesota Senate | Invited guests | |
| Montana Senate | Members only | |
| Montana Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Montana Senate | Media | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Members only | |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Members only | |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| New Mexico Senate | Members only | |
| New Mexico Senate | Invited guests | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Members only | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Ohio House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Ohio House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Ohio House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Oregon House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Oregon House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | Members only | |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| South Carolina Senate | Members only | |
| South Carolina Senate | Invited guests | |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Tennessee Senate | Members only | |
| Tennessee Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Tennessee Senate | Media | |
| Tennessee Senate | Invited guests | |
| Texas Senate | Members only | |
| Utah House of Representatives | Members only | |
| Utah House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Utah House of Representatives | Invited guests | |
| Utah Senate | Legislative staff | |
| Utah Senate | Invited guests | |
| Vermont House of Representatives | Legislative staff | |
| Vermont House of Representatives | Media | |
| Vermont House of Representatives | Invited guests |
Q07 Does your chamber/state have other caucuses based upon interests other than political party? If yes, please specify.
| Chamber | Answer | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama House of Representatives | Yes | Legislative Black Caucus Black Belt Caucus (Agricultural Caucus based on a region of the state) House Rural Caucus Alabama Sportsmen's Caucus |
| Alabama Senate | Yes | Joint Aerospace Defense Caucus |
| Alaska House of Representatives | Yes | Typically, based an subject matter such as Education, Fisheries, etc. |
| Alaska Senate | Yes | Some recent examples: Childrens' caucus, Food and Farm Caucus, Any interest group may form a caucus based on interest or a political/coalition agenda |
| Arizona House of Representatives | Yes | yes: LTBTQ caucus, Veterans' caucus, Black caucus |
| Arizona Senate | Yes | |
| Arkansas House of Representatives | Yes | Sportsman Caucus |
| California Senate | Yes | i.e. Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Aviation Caucus Bay Area Caucus California Technology & Innovation Caucus California Legislative Central Coast Caucus Latino Legislative Caucus Legislative Black Caucus Legislative Environmental Caucus Legislative Jewish Caucus Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Legislative Outdoor Sporting Caucus Legislative Rural Caucus Legislative Women's Caucus |
| Colorado House of Representatives | Yes | Black Caucus, Veterans Caucus, Latino Caucus |
| Delaware House of Representatives | Yes | Delaware General Assembly has a number of "specialty caucuses" such as the Women's Caucus, Kids Caucus, Technology Caucus, that are formed around interest areas of the members. |
| Delaware Senate | Yes | There are various "subject" caucuses, that are ad hoc. Some examples are the Small Business Caucus, Sportsmen's Caucus, Women's Caucus, Caucus on Aging, etc. |
| Florida House of Representatives | Yes | Yes, but none of them are formally recognized by the House. |
| Georgia Senate | Yes | |
| Hawaii House of Representatives | Yes | There are subject matter caucuses that must be authorized by the Speaker annually. |
| Idaho House of Representatives | Yes | The three that come to mind are a "Main Street Caucus" for moderate Republicans, an energy caucus for legislators interested in nuclear energy in particular, and a farm, ranch and timber caucus. |
| Idaho Senate | Yes | There are other caucuses, but they are not recognized officially by the Chamber. Per the previous question- the Minority Caucus is open, the Majority Caucus is members only and invited guests. When the Majority Caucus asks me to join them they have to vote to allow me to enter the room. |
| Illinois House of Representatives | Yes | Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, Asian Caucus, Downstate Caucus, Progressive Caucus, New Democrat Caucus, Women's Caucus, Cancer Caucus, Diabetes Caucus, Autism Caucus, White Sox Caucus, Cubs Caucus, etc. |
| Illinois Senate | Yes | Minority groups, progressive, moderate, agriculture. |
| Kansas House of Representatives | No | |
| Kentucky House of Representatives | Yes | We have about 27 different caucuses based on interests and geography. You can get the full list on our website: https://legislature.ky.gov/Committees/Caucuses |
| Kentucky Senate | Yes | Yes, many. |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | Yes | yes, based upon regions of the state and other shared interests |
| Louisiana Senate | Yes | We have Rural, Areas or parishes of the state specific, Women's Caucus, and Black Caucus etc. |
| Maine House of Representatives | Yes | All of our caucuses are self-organized including the Democratic and Republican House caucuses. There are other self-organized caucuses which change from session to session. Some have included the Caucus on Aging, the Young Persons Caucus, Caucus on Veterans, Climate Caucus, the Prayer Caucus. |
| Maine Senate | Yes | I believe we have a Prayer Caucus; Youth Caucus; and others that are specific to initiatives, such as housing, energy, education, etc. They are very informal and serve no legislative role except to offer like-minded members or interested members to meet and learn. |
| Minnesota Senate | Yes | Queer Caucus, BIPOC Caucus, Civility Caucus, Women's Caucus |
| Montana Senate | Yes | Montana American Indian Caucus |
| New Hampshire House of Representatives | Yes | The term caucus is used loosely when not referring to the two political caucuses, meaning more interest-oriented, but we have several: Progressive Caucus, Housing, Disabilities, etc. |
| New Mexico House of Representatives | Yes | Hispanic, Native American, Veterans - I would call more of a delegation of members that may unify on specific policies/legislation and do not have regular meetings. |
| New Mexico Senate | No | |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Yes | NC House has recognized issue and region based caucus--these range from the Wine Caucus and Motorsports Caucus to the Progressive Caucus and the Life Sciences Caucus (and everything in between). |
| Ohio House of Representatives | Yes | Groups of members supportive of specific interests may be informally organized to meet and discuss issues. |
| Oregon House of Representatives | Yes | Yes, we have issue caucuses for matters like "water" and "Eastern Washington" and the Coast. |
| South Carolina House of Representatives | Yes | Yes, special interest caucuses are allowed - including Freedom Caucus, Sportsmen's Caucus, Rural Caucus, Family Caucus, etc. |
| South Carolina Senate | Yes | groups of legislators can form "special interest caucuses" which are allowed by statute. ie, sportsmans caucus, etc. |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | Yes | Veterans Caucus |
| Tennessee Senate | No | |
| Texas Senate | Yes | There are numerous caucuses that are issue-based or ethnic or culture-based: Aerospace, Agriculture, Fishermen's, Hispanic, Black, etc. |
| Utah House of Representatives | Yes | Yes, increasingly so over the last couple years-- but all sponsored and mostly populated by the supermajority party and their partisan staff. |
| Utah Senate | Yes | There are various smaller caucuses with a particular focus, i.e. the Rural Caucus, Conservative Caucus, and other casual groups that have come and gone over the years (the Patrick Henry Caucus, the Yellow Cake Caucus, the Kindergarten Caucus). |
| Vermont House of Representatives | Yes | Legislators have organized informal policy-focused caucuses, such as the Rural Caucus, the Climate Solutions Caucus, and the Women's Caucus. |
| Virginia House of Delegates | Yes | yes, we have special interest caucuses |
| Washington House of Representatives | Yes | Yes, there are a variety of bipartisan issue-based caucuses (e.g., rail, sportsmen, kids, etc) as well as partisan affinity/identity based caucuses (Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, Members of Color Caucus, etc). |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | No | |
| West Virginia Senate | Yes | For example: Women's Caucus Sportsmen Caucus Labor Caucus Prayer Caucus And others... |
| Wisconsin Senate | Yes | They are all unofficial caucuses. Some of them are the Legislative Black Caucus, Legislative Hispanic Caucus, Children's Caucus, and Sportsman's Caucus. |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | Yes | Several interest-based caucuses, such as Latino, African American, Sportsman, Trails, Children, and Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander caucuses. |
| Wyoming Senate | No |
Chambers with no answer on file
| State | Chamber |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | Senate |
| California | State Assembly |
| Colorado | Senate |
| Connecticut | House of Representatives |
| Connecticut | Senate |
| Florida | Senate |
| Hawaii | Senate |
| Indiana | House of Representatives |
| Indiana | Senate |
| Iowa | House of Representatives |
| Iowa | Senate |
| Kansas | Senate |
| Maryland | House of Delegates |
| Maryland | Senate |
| Massachusetts | House of Representatives |
| Massachusetts | Senate |
| Michigan | House of Representatives |
| Michigan | Senate |
| Minnesota | House of Representatives |
| Mississippi | House of Representatives |
| Missouri | House of Representatives |
| Montana | House of Representatives |
| Nebraska | Legislature |
| Nevada | Assembly |
| New Hampshire | Senate |
| New Jersey | General Assembly |
| New Jersey | Senate |
| New York | State Assembly |
| New York | Senate |
| North Carolina | Senate |
| North Dakota | House of Representatives |
| North Dakota | Senate |
| Ohio | Senate |
| Oklahoma | House of Representatives |
| Oklahoma | Senate |
| Oregon | Senate |
| Pennsylvania | House of Representatives |
| Puerto Rico | House of Representatives |
| Rhode Island | House of Representatives |
| Rhode Island | Senate |
| South Dakota | House of Representatives |
| South Dakota | Senate |
| Texas | House of Representatives |
| Vermont | Senate |
| Virginia | Senate |
| Wyoming | House of Representatives |