Wisconsin Legislature
Encyclopedia
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state
of Wisconsin
. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house
Wisconsin Senate and the lower
Wisconsin Assembly. With both houses combined together, the Wisconsin Legislature is composed of 132 members representing an equal number of constituent districts.
The Legislature convenes at the state capitol
in Madison
.
. Similarly, all 33 members of the Senate are elected in a four year cycle, also without term limits. Half of the Senate is elected every two years. Prior to an amendment in the Wisconsin Constitution
in 1881, Assembly members served a one year term, while Senators were elected every two years. The 100th Wisconsin Legislature
began on January 3, 2011.
and the President of the Senate
. These high level positions reflect the party majority in both chambers. An amendment to the state constitution in 1979 removed the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
as the presiding officer of the Senate, allowing Senators to vote within their ranks for a chamber president. Similarly, majority
and minority leader
s are also selected by party strength in the legislative houses and within their own respective caucus.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
Wisconsin Senate and the lower
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
Wisconsin Assembly. With both houses combined together, the Wisconsin Legislature is composed of 132 members representing an equal number of constituent districts.
The Legislature convenes at the state capitol
Wisconsin State Capitol
The Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed during 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the first territorial legislature...
in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
.
Members and terms
All 99 members of the Assembly are elected in a two year term cycle without term limitsTerm limits in the United States
Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...
. Similarly, all 33 members of the Senate are elected in a four year cycle, also without term limits. Half of the Senate is elected every two years. Prior to an amendment in the Wisconsin Constitution
Wisconsin Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens...
in 1881, Assembly members served a one year term, while Senators were elected every two years. The 100th Wisconsin Legislature
100th Wisconsin Legislature
-Senate:-Assembly:-Senate:President of the Senate: Sen. Michael EllisPresident pro tempore: Sen. Joe LeibhamChief Clerk: Hon. Robert J. MarchantSergeant at arms: Hon. Edward Blazel -Assembly:Speaker of the Assembly: Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald...
began on January 3, 2011.
Officers
Members of both houses of the Legislature vote within their ranks to select presiding officers, such as the Speaker of the AssemblySpeaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
and the President of the Senate
President of the Senate
The President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is the speaker of other assemblies.The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line...
. These high level positions reflect the party majority in both chambers. An amendment to the state constitution in 1979 removed the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
The Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the order of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to illness of the Governor of Wisconsin...
as the presiding officer of the Senate, allowing Senators to vote within their ranks for a chamber president. Similarly, majority
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
and minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
s are also selected by party strength in the legislative houses and within their own respective caucus.