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State Legislative Tracker: Wisconsin legislator pleads no contest to sexual assault charges

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October 27, 2014

Edited by Joel Williams
This week’s tracker includes a look at the settlement of a case against a Wisconsin state assemblyman.

Weekly highlight

  • Pennsylvania: Before the legislative break for the upcoming general election, the Pennsylvania State Senate and Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation that would allow "membership organizations" like the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other groups that are "adversely affected" by local gun ordinances to sue municipalities.[1] The Senate passed House Bill 80 by a vote of 32 to 16, while the House passed the bill by a vote of 138 to 56.[2] According to Section 6120 of the state’s Uniform Firearms Act, "no county, municipality, or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth."[3] Currently, there are 30 municipalities in Pennsylvania that have local ordinances governing lost or stolen guns, 10 of which are located in the Philadelphia suburbs.[1][4] Also included in House Bill 80 is a provision that forces local municipalities to pay the legal fees for the plaintiff of any lawsuits filed against the municipality that they end up losing. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-153) called the bill "a dangerous provision that threatens municipalities' financial stability."[1] John Hohenwarter, the Pennsylvania liaison for the NRA, said that the new bill would "rein in" the municipalities that for the past decade have exceeded their authority on gun laws.[4] Jay Pagni, spokesman for Gov. Tom Corbett (R), said that Corbett will sign the bill.[1]
  • Wisconsin: A state assemblyman will be able to stay in office after pleading "no contest" to two sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2011. Rep. Bill Kramer (R-97) made the plea in Waukesha County Court last Thursday; under the deal, he will not be required to register as a sex offender and the reduction of the counts from felonies to fourth-degree misdemeanors means he will not be barred from the legislature. Kramer, who is not up for re-election next Tuesday, faces up to nine months in jail and $10,000 for each count, though Assistant District Attorney Debra Blasius said she would seek three years' probation with nine months in prison including work release. Eduardo Borda, Kramer's attorney, is seeking no prison time.[5][6] Prosecutors said that Kramer groped a woman after a GOP gathering in Muskego, Wisconsin in 2011. The charges came a month after Kramer was said to have harassed two other women during a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. in late February.[7][5] Kramer was consequently removed from his position as House Majority Leader and dismissed calls to resign from the Wisconsin State Assembly completely.[8] Despite this, an aide told WISC-TV in Madison that Kramer has not appeared at the Capitol since the controversy and has not talked to his staff "in some time."[6] Kramer entered a rehabilitation facility amid the controversy, though it was not known what for at the time; Borda said after the plea that his client is recovering from "a drinking problem" and has remained sober for much of the year. Kramer is due to be sentenced on November 25.[5]

Sessions

Regular sessions

Current sessions capture for the week of October 27, 2014
See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions
Click here to see a chart of each state's 2014 session information.

Currently 2 out of 50 state legislatures are meeting in regular session. Ohio is meeting in Skeleton Session. A Skeleton Session typically includes very short nonvoting sessions instead of regular sessions with a full chamber.[9]

The following states have adjourned their 2014 regular session:[10]


In recess

As of today, October 27, there are two state legislatures currently in recess:[11]

2014 Legislative Elections

See also: State legislative elections, 2014

A total of 87 of the 99 chambers will hold state legislative elections on November 4, 2014.

The 87 chambers with elections in 2014 are in 46 states. They are:

The Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico and South Carolina senates also typically hold elections in even years. However, senators are elected to 4-year terms in those states and those will not be up for election again until 2016.

1,099 of the country's 1,972 state senate seats are up for re-election in November 2014, and 4,958 of the country's 5,411 state house seats are up for re-election. Altogether, 6,057 of the country's 7,383 state legislative seats are up for re-election on November 4, 2014.

Primary Information

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2014 state legislative elections

The state legislative filing deadlines and primary dates are as follows:

Note: Ballot access is a complicated issue. The dates in the table below are primarily for candidates filing for access to the primary. For more detailed information about each state's qualification requirements -- including all relevant ballot access dates for the primary and general election -- click to our detailed pages in the state column.

2014 State Legislative Primary Information
State Filing Deadline Primary Date Days from Deadline to Primary
Alabama Red padlock.png 2/7/2014 Red padlock.png 6/3/2014 116
Alaska Red padlock.png 6/2/2014[12] Red padlock.png 8/19/2014 78
Arizona Red padlock.png 5/28/2014[13] Red padlock.png 8/26/2014 90
Arkansas Red padlock.png 3/3/2014[14][15] Red padlock.png 5/20/2014 78
California Red padlock.png 3/7/2014[16][17][18] Red padlock.png 6/3/2014 88
Colorado Red padlock.png 3/31/2014[19][20] Red padlock.png 6/24/2014 85
Connecticut Red padlock.png 6/10/2014[21] Red padlock.png 8/12/2014 90
Delaware Red padlock.png 7/8/2014 Red padlock.png 9/9/2014 63
Florida Red padlock.png 6/20/2014[22][23] Red padlock.png 8/26/2014 67
Georgia Red padlock.png 3/7/2014 Red padlock.png 5/20/2014 74
Hawaii Red padlock.png 6/3/2014[24] Red padlock.png 8/9/2014 67
Idaho Red padlock.png 3/14/2014 Red padlock.png 5/20/2014 78
Illinois Red padlock.png 12/2/2013 Red padlock.png 3/18/2014 106
Indiana Red padlock.png 2/7/2014 Red padlock.png 5/6/2014 88
Iowa Red padlock.png 3/14/2014 Red padlock.png 6/3/2014 81
Kansas Red padlock.png 6/2/2014 Red padlock.png 8/5/2014 65
Kentucky Red padlock.png 1/28/2014[25][26] Red padlock.png 5/20/2014 112
Maine Red padlock.png 3/17/2014[27] Red padlock.png 6/10/2014 85
Maryland Red padlock.png 2/25/2014[28] Red padlock.png 6/24/2014 119
Massachusetts Red padlock.png 6/3/2014[29] Red padlock.png 9/9/2014 98
Michigan Red padlock.png 4/22/2014 Red padlock.png 8/5/2014 105
Minnesota Red padlock.png 6/3/2014 Red padlock.png 8/12/2014 70
Missouri Red padlock.png 3/25/2014 Red padlock.png 8/5/2014 133
Montana Red padlock.png 3/10/2014 Red padlock.png 6/3/2014 85
Nebraska Red padlock.png 3/3/2014[30] Red padlock.png 5/13/2014 85
Nevada Red padlock.png 3/14/2014 Red padlock.png 6/10/2014 88
New Hampshire Red padlock.png 6/13/2014 Red padlock.png 9/9/2014 88
New Mexico Red padlock.png 2/4/2014 Red padlock.png 6/3/2014 119
New York Red padlock.png 7/10/2014 Red padlock.png 9/9/2014 61
North Carolina Red padlock.png 2/28/2014 Red padlock.png 5/6/2014 67
North Dakota Red padlock.png 4/7/2014 Red padlock.png 6/10/2014 64
Ohio Red padlock.png 2/5/2014 Red padlock.png 5/6/2014 90
Oklahoma Red padlock.png 4/11/2014 Red padlock.png 6/24/2014 74
Oregon Red padlock.png 3/11/2014 Red padlock.png 5/20/2014 70
Pennsylvania Red padlock.png 3/11/2014 Red padlock.png 5/20/2014 70
Rhode Island Red padlock.png 6/25/2014 Red padlock.png 9/9/2014 76
South Carolina Red padlock.png 3/30/2014 Red padlock.png 6/10/2014 72
South Dakota Red padlock.png 3/25/2014 Red padlock.png 6/3/2014 70
Tennessee Red padlock.png 4/3/2014 Red padlock.png 8/7/2014 126
Texas Red padlock.png 12/9/2013 Red padlock.png 3/4/2014 85
Utah Red padlock.png 3/20/2014 Red padlock.png 6/24/2014 96
Vermont Red padlock.png 6/12/2014 Red padlock.png 8/26/2014 75
Washington Red padlock.png 5/17/2014 Red padlock.png 8/5/2014 80
West Virginia Red padlock.png 1/25/2014 Red padlock.png 5/13/2014 108
Wisconsin Red padlock.png 6/2/2014 Red padlock.png 8/12/2014 71
Wyoming Red padlock.png 5/30/2014 Red padlock.png 8/19/2014 81


Special Elections

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See also: State legislative special elections, 2014

There are no special elections scheduled this week. The next special elections will take place on November 4 in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Looking ahead

Upcoming special elections include:

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Philly.com, "NRA-backed bill clears Pa. legislature; Corbett indicates he'll sign it," accessed October 23, 2014
  2. ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Gun bill passed by House could lead to NRA lawsuit against Pittsburgh," accessed October 23, 2014
  3. ↑ The Washington Free Beacon, "Pennsylvania Democrats Angry They Can Now be Sued for Passing Illegal Gun Laws," accessed October 23, 2014
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Newsmax, "Pennsylvania Set to Let Gun-Rights Groups Sue Over Gun Laws," accessed October 23, 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Rep. Bill Kramer faces jail time after pleading to sexual assault," October 23, 2014
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 WISC-TV, "State representative cuts plea deal, remains in office," October 23, 2014
  7. ↑ Associated Press, "Lawmaker reaches plea deal on sex assault charges," October 23, 2014
  8. ↑ Wheeler News Service, "Former Assembly Majority Leader Kramer gets plea deal for sex assault," October 23, 2014
  9. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Ohio's 2014 legislative calendar will be crammed with election-year politicking and backroom pleading: Thomas Suddes," December 15, 2013
  10. ↑ Stateside Associates, " Session Calendar 2014," accessed October 27, 2014
  11. ↑ StateNet, " Daily Session Summary," accessed October 27, 2014
  12. ↑ Alaska Statutes, "Section 15.25, Nomination of Candidates," accessed October 31, 2013
  13. ↑ Secretary of State Website, "2014 Election Important Dates," accessed November 4, 2013
  14. ↑ Running for Public Office, "A 'Plain English' Handbook for Candidates," 2012 Edition, accessed October 21, 2013 (dead link)
  15. ↑ Arkansas Code of 1987, "Title 7, Elections," accessed October 30, 2013
  16. ↑ Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Office of State Senator, Member of the Assembly, "June 3, 2014, Primary Election," accessed October 21, 2013
  17. ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8100-8107," accessed October 28, 2013
  18. ↑ California Secretary of State Website, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed October 21, 2013
  19. ↑ Colorado Secretary of State Website, "Major Political Parties FAQs," accessed October 31, 2013
  20. ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "Title 1, Elections," accessed October 31, 2013
  21. ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State Website, "Frequently Asked Questions, Nominating Papers," accessed October 31, 2013
  22. ↑ Florida Department of State Division of Elections, "2013-2014 Dates to Remember," accessed November 6, 2013
  23. ↑ 2013 Florida Statutes, "Section 99.061," accessed December 2, 2014
  24. ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "HRS §12-6 Nomination papers: time for filing; fees", accessed May 22, 2013
  25. ↑ 2014 Kentucky Election Calendar, accessed November 12, 2013
  26. ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections "Candidate Qualifications and Filing Fees" accessed November 26, 2011
  27. ↑ Maine Secretary of State "State of Maine 2014 Candidate's Guide to Ballot Access," accessed February 11, 2014
  28. ↑ The State Board of Elections, "Candidacy," accessed November 5, 2013
  29. ↑ 2014 Massachusetts State Primary and State Election Schedule, accessed December 2, 2013
  30. ↑ Official Election Calendar for the State of Nebraska, accessed November 18, 2014
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