2021 Wisconsin legislative session

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2021 Wisconsin legislative session
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General information
Session start:    January 4, 2021

Session end:    December 31, 2021

Leadership
Senate President
Roger Roth (R)

House Speaker
Robin Vos (R)
Majority Leader
Senate: Scott Fitzgerald (R)
Assembly: Jim Steineke (R)
Minority Leader
Senate: Janet Bewley (D)
Assembly: Gordon Hintz (D)

Elections
Next Election:    November 8, 2022

Last Election:    November 3, 2020

Previous legislative sessions
2020 • 2019 • 2018
Other 2021 legislative sessions

In 2021, the Wisconsin State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4 and adjourn on December 31.

The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2020 elections. Republicans won a 21-11 majority in the Senate and a 61-36 majority in the House. Democrats controlled the governorship, creating a divided government. At the start of the 2021 session, Wisconsin was one of 28 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.

The Wisconsin State Legislature is responsible for redistricting following each census. Legislators were expected to address redistricting as part of the 2021 legislative session. As of the 2020 Census, Wisconsin was one of 37 states where legislators were responsible for redistricting.

At the beginning of the 2021 legislative session:
  • Republicans held a majority in the Wisconsin state House and state Senate.
  • Wisconsin was one of 12 divided governments.
  • Wisconsin's governor was Democrat Tony Evers.

    • Leadership in 2021

    Wisconsin State Senate

    Wisconsin State Assembly

    Partisan control in 2021

    See also: State government trifectas

    Wisconsin was one of 12 states under divided government at the start of 2021 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 House. 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 2021 legislative session.

    Wisconsin State Senate

    Party As of January 2021
         Democratic Party 11
         Republican Party 21
    Total 32

    Wisconsin State Assembly

    Party As of January 2021
         Democratic Party 36
         Republican Party 61
    Total 99

    Regular session

    The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2021 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 2021. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Wisconsin after the 2020 census

    Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures.

    To learn more about the redistricting process in Wisconsin after the 2020 census, click here.

    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 2021 legislative session, there were 79 standing committees' in Wisconsin's state government, including 11 joint legislative committees, 19 state Senate committees, and 49 state House 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

    Historical Senate control

    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 2020. 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: 1992-2020

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20
    Democrats 18 16 17 17 18 15 14 18 18 14 15 14 13 14 12
    Republicans 15 17 16 16 15 18 19 15 15 19 18 19 20 19 21

    Control of the state Senate changed hands five times between 1992 and 2020. The chamber flipped in 1994, 1996, 2002, 2006, and 2010.

    Republicans gained four seats in 2010 and took control of the chamber. The GOP maintained majorities in the chamber between 2010 and 2020.

    Historical House control

    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 2020. 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: 1992-2020

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20
    Democrats 52 48 47 44 43 41 39 47 52 38 39 36 35 36 38
    Republicans 47 51 52 55 56 58 60 52 46 60 60 63 64 63 61

    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. Following the 2020 elections, Republicans had a 61-38 majority.

    See also

    Elections Wisconsin State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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    External links

    Footnotes

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