2020 Wisconsin legislative session
For a full list of changes, visit: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020.
Wisconsin: Gov. Tony Evers (D) ordered the Wisconsin State Legislature to convene in a special session on April 4, 2020, and again on April 7, 2020, to consider changes modifications to the state's spring elections. The legislature adjourned both sessions without taking action on Evers' proposals. Another special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature convened on April 14, 2020. The legislature adjourned on May 13, 2020.
Wisconsin State Legislature | |
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General information | |
Type: | State legislature |
Term limits: | None |
Session start: | January 14, 2020 |
Website: | Official Legislature Page |
Leadership | |
Senate President: | Roger Roth (R) |
House Speaker: | Robin Vos (R) |
Majority Leader: | Senate: Scott Fitzgerald (R) House: Jim Steineke (R) |
Minority Leader: | Senate: Jennifer Shilling (D) House: Gordon Hintz (D) |
Structure | |
Members: | 33 (Senate), 99 (Assembly) |
Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 2 years (Assembly) |
Authority: | Art IV, Wisconsin Constitution |
Salary: | $50,950/year + per diem |
Elections | |
Last election: | November 6, 2018 |
Next election: | November 3, 2020 |
Redistricting: | Wisconsin Legislature has control |
In 2020, the Wisconsin State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 14 and adjourn on May 13.
Several state legislatures suspended their sessions or otherwise limited legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic. On April 3, 2020, Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced he was signing an executive order calling the legislature to meet in a special session beginning at 4:00 PM on April 4, 2020, to discuss changes to the spring election.The legislature adjourned without taking action on Evers' proposal. Evers issued another executive order on April 6, 2020, calling on the state legislature to convene a special session on April 7, 2020, again to consider changes to the state's spring election. The legislature again adjourned without taking action on Evers' proposal. The legislature convened for another special session on April 14, 2020. The legislature adjourned on May 13, 2020.[1]
At the start of the 2020, Wisconsin was one of 28 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Following the 2018 election, Republicans had a 19-14 majority in the Senate and a 63-36 majority in the state Assembly. Democrats controlled the governorship, meaning neither party held a state government trifecta.
Click the links to read more about the 2020 state Senate and state Assembly elections.
Click the links to read more about the 2018 state Senate and state Assembly elections.
Partisan control in 2020
- See also: State government trifectas
Wisconsin was one of 14 states without a state government trifectas at the start of 2020 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state Assembly. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Wisconsin was also one of 28 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Wisconsin State Legislature in the 2020 legislative session.
Wisconsin State Senate
Party | As of January 2020 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 14 | |
Republican Party | 19 | |
Total | 33 |
Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Wisconsin State Senate fluctuated, swinging back and forth between the Democratic and Republican parties. The table below shows the partisan history of the Wisconsin State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Wisconsin State Senate election results: 1992-2018
Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democrats | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
Republicans | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Control of the state Senate changed hands five times between 1992 and 2018. The chamber flipped in 1994, 1996, 2002, 2006, and 2010. The partisan balance of the chamber remained close throughout the period between 1992 and 2020.
Republicans gained four seats in 2010 and took control of the chamber. The GOP maintained majorities in the chamber between 2010 and 2020.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Party | As of January 2020 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 36 | |
Republican Party | 63 | |
Total | 99 |
Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Wisconsin State Assembly shifted in favor of the Republican Party. The table below shows the partisan history of the Wisconsin State Assembly following every general election from 1992 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Wisconsin State Assembly election results: 1992-2018
Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democrats | 52 | 48 | 47 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 39 | 47 | 52 | 38 | 39 | 36 | 35 | 36 |
Republicans | 47 | 51 | 52 | 55 | 56 | 58 | 60 | 52 | 46 | 60 | 60 | 63 | 64 | 63 |
After the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 52-47 majority. Republicans gained four seats in 1994 and took control of the chamber. From 1994 to 2004, Republicans picked up another nine seats, resulting in a 60-39 majority following the 2004 elections. Democrats gained 13 seats between the 2006 and 2008 elections. The Democratic majority gained in 2008 lasted until after the 2010 elections. Republicans picked up 14 seats in that election, moving the chamber to a 60-38 majority. The GOP gained another three seats between 2010 and 2018.
Leadership in 2020
Wisconsin State Senate
- Senate president: Roger Roth (R)
- Majority leader: Scott Fitzgerald (R)
- Minority leader: Jennifer Shilling (D)
Wisconsin State Assembly
- Speaker of the Assembly: Robin Vos (R)
- Majority leader: Jim Steineke (R)
- Minority leader: Gordon Hintz (D)
Regular session
The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2020 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2020. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2020 legislative session, there were 79 standing committees in Wisconsin's state government, including 11 joint legislative committees, 19 state Senate committees, and 49 state Assembly committees.
Joint legislative committees
- Employment Relations Committee
- Information Policy and Technology Committee
- Joint Finance Committee
- Joint Legislative Audit Committee
- Joint Legislative Council Committee
- Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties
- Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems
- Legislative Organization Committee
- Review of Administrative Rules Committee
- Tax Exemptions Committee
Senate committees
- Administrative Rules Committee
- Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage
- Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children, and Families
- Judiciary and Public Safety Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Finance Committee
- Senate Health Committee
- Senate Organization Committee
- Transportation and Local Government Committee
- Universities and Technical Colleges Committee
Assembly committees
- Agriculture Committee
- Assembly Organization Committee
- Audit Committee
- Campaigns and Elections Committee
- Children and Families Committee
- Colleges and Universities Committee
- Constitution and Ethics Committee
- Consumer Protection Committee
- Corrections Committee
- Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee
- Education Committee
- Employment Relations Committee
- Energy and Utilities Committee
- Environment Committee
- Finance Committee
- Financial Institutions Committee
- Forestry, Parks, and Outdoor Recreation Committee
- Government Accountability and Oversight Committee
- Health Committee
- Housing and Real Estate Committee
- Insurance Committee
- Jobs and the Economy Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Local Government Committee
- Mental Health Committee
- Public Benefit Reform Committee
- Regulatory Licensing Reform Committee
- Review of Administrative Rules Committee
- Rules Committee
- Rural Development Committee
- Small Business Development Committee
- Sporting Heritage Committee
- State Affairs Committee
- Tourism Committee
- Transportation Committee
- Veterans and Military Affairs Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
- Workforce Development Committee
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Wisconsin Constitution can be amended:
Article XII of the Wisconsin Constitution provides two methods of amendment:
- A legislatively referred constitutional amendment may be proposed to the voters if approved by a simple majority of both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature in two legislative sessions.
- If an amendment is approved by a majority in both chambers of the Legislature in one session, that proposed amendment must then be considered by the state legislature chosen at the next general election in the state.
- Before that second legislative session, the proposed amendment that will be considered must be published for three months prior to the election.
- Should the amendment be approved by a simple majority of the second session that considers it, the proposed amendment is then placed on a statewide ballot at a special or general election.
- If it is approved by a simple majority of the state's electorate, it becomes part of the constitution.
- Constitutional conventions can also be used to propose amendments to the state's constitution.
- If a simple majority of both houses of the Wisconsin State Legislature votes in favor, a constitutional convention question is placed on a statewide ballot.
- If the electors of the state agree by a simple majority to call a constitutional convention, then the legislature needs to convene a convention during its next session.
Wisconsin citizens do not have the power of amending the constitution through initiated constitutional amendments.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas • Ten years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Senate | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
See also
Elections | Wisconsin State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes