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2023 Wisconsin legislative session
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| 2023 Wisconsin legislative session |
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| General information |
| Session start: January 3, 2023 Session end: December 31, 2023 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Chris Kapenga House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2023 legislative sessions |
In 2023, the Wisconsin State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2023 and adjourn on December 31, 2023.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Republicans won a 21-11 majority with one vacancy in the Senate and a 64-35 majority in the House. Democrats controlled the governorship, creating a divided state government. At the start of the 2023 session, Wisconsin was one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2023
Wisconsin State Senate
- Senate president: Chris Kapenga (R)
- Majority leader: Devin LeMahieu (R)
- Minority leader: Melissa Agard (D)
Wisconsin State Assembly
- Speaker of the House: Robin Vos (R)
- Majority leader: Tyler August (R)
- Minority leader: Greta Neubauer (D)
Partisan control in 2023
- See also: State government trifectas
Wisconsin was one of 11 divided state governments where neither party held trifecta control at the start of 2023 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 23 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 2023 legislative session.
Wisconsin State Senate
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 21 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 33 | |
Wisconsin State Assembly
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 35 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | |
| Total | 99 | |
Regular session
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2023 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 2023. 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 2023 legislative session, there were 78 standing committees in Wisconsin's state government, including 10 joint legislative committees, 23 state Senate committees, and 45 state House 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
- Agriculture and Tourism Committee
- Economic and Workforce Development Committee
- Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics Committee
- Financial Institutions and Revenue Committee
- Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection Committee
- Government Operations, Technology, and Consumer Protection Committee
- Housing, Commerce and Trade Committee
- Human Services, Children and Families Committee
- Insurance, Licensing and Forestry Committee
- Judiciary and Public Safety Committee
- Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee
- Natural Resources and Energy Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Finance Committee
- Senate Health Committee
- Senate Organization Committee
- Sporting Heritage, Mining, and Forestry Committee
Sporting Heritage, Small Business and Rural Issues Committee Transportation and Local Government Committee Universities and Technical Colleges Committee Utilities, Technology, and Telecommunications Committee Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism Committee
House committees
- Aging and Long-Term Care Committee
- 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
- Family Law 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
- Labor Committee
- Labor and Integrated Employment 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
- Science and Technology Committee
- Science, Technology and Broadband Committee
- Small Business Development Committee
- Sporting Heritage Committee
- State Affairs Committee
- Substance Abuse and Prevention 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 |
Historical Senate control
Between 1992 and 2022, 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 2022. 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: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| Republicans | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 22 |
Control of the state Senate changed hands five times between 1992 and 2022. 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 2022.
Historical House control
Between 1992 and 2022, 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 2022. 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: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 52 | 48 | 47 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 39 | 47 | 52 | 38 | 39 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 38 | 35 |
| Republicans | 47 | 51 | 52 | 55 | 56 | 58 | 60 | 52 | 46 | 60 | 60 | 63 | 64 | 63 | 61 | 64 |
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 2022 elections, Republicans had a 64-35 majority.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
See also
| Elections | Wisconsin State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
