7 ▁of ▁the ▁constitution ) ▁and ▁given ▁power ▁to ▁pres ide ▁over ▁the ▁Senate . ▁ ▁The ▁President ▁Pro ▁Tem ▁was ▁almost ▁always ▁chosen ▁by ▁the ▁majority ▁party ▁from ▁among ▁their ▁members , ▁then ▁elected ▁on ▁a ▁party ▁line ▁vote . ▁The ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁is ▁usually ▁chosen ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner . ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s ▁a ▁small ▁diss ident ▁group ▁of ▁Democr ats ▁joined ▁with ▁Republic ans ▁to ▁elect ▁the ▁body ' s ▁officers . ▁John ▁" E ck " ▁Rose , ▁who ▁had ▁served ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ten ▁years ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁as ▁President ▁Pro ▁Tem ▁when ▁that ▁office ▁was ▁still ▁the ▁highest ▁in ▁the ▁chamber , ▁was ▁then ▁de posed ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁replaced ▁by ▁Larry ▁Sau nd ers , ▁a ▁Dem ocrat ▁who ▁aligned ▁with ▁the ▁Republican ▁minor ity ▁and ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁diss ident ▁Democr ats . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁arrangement , ▁Republic ans ▁were ▁installed ▁as ▁committee ▁ch airs . ▁This ▁arrangement ▁ended ▁when ▁Republic ans ▁won ▁a ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁Senate . ▁ ▁D ut ies ▁of ▁the ▁office ▁The ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁acts ▁as ▁pres iding ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁Senate . ▁The ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Research ▁Commission . ▁The ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Senate ▁has ▁a ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁Senate ▁comm itte es ▁and ▁ex ert s ▁considerable ▁influence ▁in ▁determ ining ▁the ▁membership ▁of ▁Senate ▁comm