Wisconsin State Senate

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Wisconsin State Senate

Seal of Wisconsin.svg.png
General Information
Type:   Upper house
Term limits:   None
2013 session start:   January 7, 2013
Website:   Official Senate Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Michael G. Ellis, (R)
Majority Leader:   Scott Fitzgerald, (R)
Minority leader:   Chris Larson, (D)
Structure
Members:  33
   Democratic Party (15)
Republican Party (18)
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   Art IV, Sec 5, Wisconsin Constitution
Salary:   $49,943/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 6, 2012 (16 seats)
Next election:  November 4, 2014
Redistricting:  Wisconsin Legislature has control
Meeting place:
Architectural detail Wisconsin Capitol.JPG

Contents

The Wisconsin State Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. There are 33 state senators from 33 state senate districts.

Senators are elected for four-year terms with no term limits. Half of the senate is up for election every two years. Each member represents an average of 172,333 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 162,536 residents.[2] In the 2009-2010 session, senators made $49,943. [3] That was up from $47,413 in the 2007-08 session. [4]

As of May 2013, Wisconsin is one of 24 Republican state government trifectas.

Sessions

Article IV of the Wisconsin Constitution contains provisions related to the meeting of the Wisconsin State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part. Section 11 of Article IV states that the times for regular sessions are to be provided by law. Section 11 also states that the Governor of Wisconsin has the power to call the Legislature into special session.

2013

See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions

In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 7 through a date to be determined.

Major issues

Following the extreme polarization of the last two years, Gov. Scott Walker (R) said he would push for a more moderate agenda in 2013. Alongside the creation of a new budget, main issues will include job creation, workforce development, tax cuts, education reform and transportation infrastructure.[5]

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Senate was in session from January 10 through March 16 with a return for limited business on April 24.

Major issues

With potential recalls of Governor Scott Walker (R), Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch (R) and four Republican state senators, debate on major legislation was expected to be limited.[6] Going into the session, Republican leaders said they were focused on passing bills on only four main issues - clearing the way for on ore mine in northern Wisconsin, easing laws regarding development on wetlands, environmental regulation, and creating a venture capital fund to help start-up businesses.[7]

The six recalls dominated the session. Ultimately on June 5, recalls against the Governor, Lt. Governor, and three of the state senators were unsuccessful. The fourth recall, that against Van Wanggaard, went to a recount. Wanggaard was defeated, giving Democrats control of the Senate.

On July 24, 2012, one week after Democrats gained the majority in the state Senate, Tim Cullen (D) quit the Democratic caucus after newly named Majority Leader Mark Miller did not give him chairmanship on a committee with clout. Cullen, who had been offered chair of the Committee on Small Business Development and Tourism called it "an insult to my district" and said he might leave the party altogether to become an independent.[8]

Cullen said the move was "intended to send me a message that I am not welcome and that he can treat me however he wants to and that somehow I am supposed to take it." Cullen's decision did not alter the partisan makeup of the chamber.[9]

Three days later Cullen rejoined the caucus, receiving the chairmanship of two new committees and a leadership position on two others. Miller said he could have handled the situation better but welcomed Cullen back to the caucus.[10]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Senate adjourned a special session at the request of Governor Scott Walker on January 4, 2011. The special session was called to consider legislation regarding tax credits, tort law, medical savings accounts, other legislation relating to taxation, and the budget repair bill. The legislature's special session will be ongoing. [11] The regular session began on January 11. An extraordinary session was called by the Legislature from June 13-30, with another extraordinary session scheduled for July 19-29. The next scheduled floor period is September 13, 2011. Though the January special session is ongoing, special session bills may be taken up in the interim. [12]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Senate convened its legislative session on January 19, and it ended its last scheduled floor-period on April 22. Some special sessions went until June 19, 2010.[13][14]

In the 2009-2010 session:

  • 708 bills were introduced.
  • 246 bills were enacted into law.
  • 459 bills failed (26 because they failed concurrence)[15]

Elections

2012

See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate will be held in Wisconsin on November 6, 2012. A total of 16 seats were up for election.

The signature filing deadline is July 10, 2012.

The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election.

Nine of the 16 senators up for election faced recall elections.

Republican Party Robert Cowles
Republican Party Alberta Darling
Republican Party Sheila Harsdorf
Democratic Party (United States) Dave Hansen
Democratic Party (United States) Jim Holperin
Republican Party Randy Hopper
Republican Party Dan Kapanke
Republican Party Luther Olsen
Democratic Party (United States) Robert Wirch

Dan Kapanke and Randy Hopper were removed by voters.

The seven senators who faced re-election in 2012 but did not face recall in 2011 were:

Democratic Party (United States) Spencer Coggs
Republican Party Glenn Grothman
Democratic Party (United States) Julie Lassa
Republican Party Mary Lazich

Democratic Party (United States) Mark Miller
Democratic Party (United States) Fred Risser
Democratic Party (United States) Lena Taylor

2010

See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Wisconsin's State Senate were held in Wisconsin on November 2, 2010.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was July 13, 2010. The primary election day was September 14, 2010.

In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $4,251,736 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [16]

Qualifications

Section 6 of Article 4 of the Wisconsin Constitution states, "No person shall be eligible to the legislature who shall not have resided one year within the state, and be a qualified elector in the district which he may be chosen to represent."

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
NevadaMassachusettsColoradoNew MexicoWyomingArizonaMontanaCaliforniaOregonWashingtonIdahoTexasOklahomaKansasNebraskaSouth DakotaNorth DakotaMinnesotaIowaMissouriArkansasLouisianaMississippiAlabamaGeorgiaFloridaSouth CarolinaIllinoisWisconsinTennesseeNorth CarolinaIndianaOhioKentuckyPennsylvaniaNew JerseyNew YorkVermontVermontNew HampshireMaineWest VirginiaVirginiaMarylandMarylandConnecticutConnecticutDelawareDelawareRhode IslandRhode IslandMassachusettsNew HampshireMichiganMichiganAlaskaVacancy fulfillment map.png

In the event of a vacancy in the Senate, the Governor must call for a special election when allowed by law[17]. Special elections to fill legislative vacancies cannot be held after February 1st preceding a spring election or September 1st preceding a fall election[18]. If the vacancy happens before May 15th, the Governor must fill the vacancy as soon as possible[19].

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Wisconsin

Redistricting in Wisconsin is under the control of the state legislature. If the state legislature fails to reach an agreement, the maps are drawn by either state or federal courts. The State Senate and State Assembly draft maps for the new state legislative districts and the U.S. Congressional districts. Both chambers must pass the new map, and the governor can sign or veto the map for any reason.[20]

2010

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Wisconsin's population increased from 5.36 million to 5.69 million between 2000 and 2010.[21] This population growth was large enough to allow the state to retain its eight Congressional seats.[22]

Republicans held the majority in the State Senate, State Assembly, and the governorship after the 2010 elections. As a result, the redistricting process was completely under the control of one party.

The Republican leadership dismissed the Democratic-hired firm that was going to aid with redistricting and instead brought in an outside group to aid the process. This new firm's leader had donated to Republican candidates in the past.[23] The redistricting process was accelerated by the summer 2011 recall elections, and Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that gave the legislature the power to redistrict state boundaries before the localities finished their redistricting processes.[24] The state Republicans unveiled their plan on July 8, 2011. Democrats criticized the plan as gerrymandering, but Republicans defended their map.[25] The maps passed the legislature on July 19, 2011, and signed into law by Governor Walker on August 9, 2011.[26]

Several lawsuits were filed as a result of the new maps.[27] The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board identified errors in the maps, likely due to the creation of the state boundaries before the localities finished drawing their boundaries. A court also determined that two Milwaukee-area districts needed to be redrawn to better represent minority-area populations.[28]

Senators


Tour of Wisconsin State Capitol

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2013, members of the Wisconsin Legislature are paid $49,943/year. Legislators receive a maximum of $88/day per diem, set by the compensation commission. Based on the maximum, the leadership of each house determines what amount to authorize for each session.[29]

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Wisconsin legislators assume office the first Monday in January following the election.

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Party As of May 2013
     Republican Party 18
     Democratic Party 15
Total 33


Historical

Wisconsin State Senate[30]
YearDemocratsRepublicans
August 20111617
November 20101815
November 20081815
November 20061419
November 20041518
November 20021815
November 20001716
November 1998**1617
November 1996**1716
November 1994**1716
November 1992**1914
November 1990**2013
**In the 1993, 1995, and 1997 Legislatures, majority control of the senate shifted during the session. On 4/20/93, vacancies were filled resulting in a total of 16 Democrats and 17 Republicans; on 6/16/96, there were 17 Democrats and 16 Republicans; and on 4/19/98, there were 16 Democrats and 17 Republicans.


The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Wisconsin State Senate from 1992-2013.

Partisan composition of the Wisconsin State Senate.PNG

Leadership

The Senate, by roll call vote, elects a member to serve as President of the Senate and one to serve as President pro tempore. They serve for the duration of the biennial session.[31][32]

Current leadership

Current Leadership, Wisconsin State Senate
Office Representative Party
President of the Senate Michael G. Ellis Ends.png Republican
President Pro Tempore of the Senate Joseph Leibham Ends.png Republican
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald Ends.png Republican
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Glenn Grothman Ends.png Republican
Senate Majority Caucus Leader Frank G. Lasee Ends.png Republican
Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson Electiondot.png Democratic
Senate Assistant Minority Leader Dave Hansen Electiondot.png Democratic
Senate Minority Caucus Leader Kathleen Vinehout Electiondot.png Democratic

List of current members

Architectural details on the exterior of the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin where the Wisconsin State Senate meets
Current members, Wisconsin State Senate
District Senator Party Assumed office
1 Frank Lasee Ends.png Republican 2011
2 Robert Cowles Ends.png Republican 1987
3 Tim Carpenter Electiondot.png Democratic 2003
4 Lena Taylor Electiondot.png Democratic 2005
5 Leah Vukmir Ends.png Republican 2011
6 Nikiya Harris Electiondot.png Democratic 2013
7 Chris Larson Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
8 Alberta Darling Ends.png Republican 1993
9 Joe Leibham Ends.png Republican 2003
10 Sheila Harsdorf Ends.png Republican 2001
11 Neal Kedzie Ends.png Republican 2003
12 Tom Tiffany Ends.png Republican 2013
13 Scott Fitzgerald Ends.png Republican 1995
14 Luther Olsen Ends.png Republican 2005
15 Tim Cullen Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
16 Mark Miller Electiondot.png Democratic 2005
17 Dale Schultz Ends.png Republican 1991
18 Rick Gudex Ends.png Republican 2013
19 Michael Ellis Ends.png Republican 1999
20 Glenn Grothman Ends.png Republican 2005
21 John Lehman Electiondot.png Democratic 2012
22 Robert Wirch Electiondot.png Democratic 1997
23 Terry Moulton Ends.png Republican 2011
24 Julie Lassa Electiondot.png Democratic 2003
25 Robert Jauch Electiondot.png Democratic 1987
26 Fred Risser Electiondot.png Democratic 1963
27 Jon Erpenbach Electiondot.png Democratic 1999
28 Mary Lazich Ends.png Republican 1999
29 Jerry Petrowski Ends.png Republican 2012
30 Dave Hansen Electiondot.png Democratic 2001
31 Kathleen Vinehout Electiondot.png Democratic 2007
32 Jennifer Shilling Electiondot.png Democratic 2011
33 Paul Farrow Ends.png Republican 2012

Senate committees

The Wisconsin State Senate has the following standing committees:

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Wisconsin
Partisan breakdown of the Wisconsin legislature from 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Wisconsin State Senate for 11 years while the Republicans were the majority for 11 years. The final three years of the study depicted a shift in the Wisconsin senate with all three years being Republican trifectas

Across the country, there were 544 Democratic and 517 Republican State Senates from 1992-2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin State Senate and the Wisconsin House of Representatives from 1992-2013. Partisan composition of Wisconsin state government(1992-2013).PNG

External links

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References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ Wisconsin Blue Book 2009-10, "Wisconsin Legislators"
  4. ↑ Wisconsin Blue Book 2007-08, "Wisconsin Legislators"
  5. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "With state bitterly divided, Walker promises more moderate agenda," January 7, 2013
  6. ↑ Governor Journal, "Recalls Make for Quiet Session," January 16, 2012
  7. ↑ Appleton Post Crescent, "Wisconsin legislative agenda influenced by negative effects of recalls," January 16, 2012
  8. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Cullen quits Senate Democratic caucus," July 24, 2012
  9. ↑ NBC 15, "Sen. Cullen Leaves Democratic Caucus," July 24, 2012
  10. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Cullen rejoins Democratic caucus after getting committee chairmanships," July 27, 2012
  11. ↑ Wisconsin.gov, State of Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, accessed 7 March 2011
  12. ↑ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, Wisconsin Legislative Spotlight, accessed July 1, 2011
  13. ↑ 2010 session dates for Wisconsin legislature
  14. ↑ Explanation of Wisconsin legislative floor-periods
  15. ↑ Session statistics of the 2009-2010 session of the Wisconsin State Senate
  16. ↑ Follow the Money: "Wisconsin Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  17. ↑ Wisconsin Legislature "Wisconsin Election Law"(Referenced Statute 17.19 (1), Wisconsin Statutes)
  18. ↑ Wisconsin Legislature "Wisconsin Election Law"(Referenced Statute 8.50, Wisconsin Statutes)
  19. ↑ Wisconsin Legislature "Wisconsin Election Law"(Referenced Statute 8.50(4)-(d), Wisconsin Statutes)
  20. ↑ Wisconsin Legislature "Wisconsin Redistricting Profile"
  21. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Wisconsin Profile," 2011
  22. ↑ Northland's News Center "Minnesota and Wisconsin Both to Keep Eight Seats in House", December 21, 2010
  23. ↑ Chicago Tribune "Democrats cry foul over GOP hiring law firms" 5 Jan. 2011
  24. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker allows new legislative mapping, doesn't OK actual maps yet," July 25, 2011
  25. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Parties joust over Wisconsin redistricting plan," July 13, 2011
  26. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker signs legislation to redraw district boundaries," August 9, 2011
  27. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin's redistricting trial goes to judges," February 24, 2012
  28. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Court strikes down GOP redistricting, orders just 2 districts redrawn," March 22, 2012
  29. ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
  30. ↑ Wisconsin Blue Book "2011"
  31. ↑ Wisconsin State Senate Rules
  32. ↑ 2009-2010 Wisconsin State Senate Officers
v • d • e
Republican majority Current members of the Wisconsin State Senate
Senate President: Michael G. Ellis (R) • Senate Majority Leader: Scott Fitzgerald (R) • Senate Minority Leader: Chris Larson (D)
Democratic (15) • Republican (18) • Wisconsin Senate • Wisconsin State Assembly
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