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2020 Wisconsin legislative session

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Some states made changes to 2020 state legislative sessions and legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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

Seal of Wisconsin.svg.png
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.

At the beginning of the 2020 legislative session:
  • Republicans held a majority in the Wisconsin state Senate and state Assembly.
  • Wisconsin was one of 14 states with a divided government.
  • Wisconsin’s governor was Democrat Tony Evers.

    • Black.png Click the links to read more about the 2020 state Senate and state Assembly elections.
    Black.png 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

    Wisconsin State Assembly

    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

    See also: Standing committee and List of committees in Wisconsin state government


    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


    Senate committees


    Assembly committees


    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:

    See also: Article XII of the Wisconsin Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Wisconsin

    Article XII of the Wisconsin Constitution provides two methods of amendment:

    • 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.
    • 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
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Wisconsin State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Twitter, "Tony Evers on March 3, 2020," accessed March 3, 2020
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