Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly

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Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Incumbent
Robin Vos
since January 7, 2013
Wisconsin State Assembly
Style
StatusPresiding officer
SeatWisconsin State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin
AppointerThe Assembly
Term lengthAt the Assembly's pleasure; elected at the beginning of the new Legislature by a majority of the representatives-elect, and upon a vacancy during a session.
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Wisconsin
FormationJune 5, 1848; 175 years ago (1848-06-05)
First holderNinian E. Whiteside
June 5, 1848
DeputySpeaker pro tempore
Salary$53,299[1]

The Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly is the presiding officer of the Wisconsin State Assembly, the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Article IV of the Constitution of Wisconsin, ratified in 1848, establishes the legislature and specifies the election of officers. The role and responsibilities of the speaker are defined in the Assembly Rules, originally in Rule 1, and also, under the present rules, Rule 3.[2]

Selection[edit]

The speaker is chosen by a majority vote of the Assembly members at the start of each session or whenever a vacancy occurs in the role during a session, as such, the speaker is almost always the de facto leader of the Assembly's majority party. A speaker pro tempore is elected concurrent with the election of the speaker, to carry out the speaker's duties in his or her absence. Unlike the United States House of Representatives, the rules of the Assembly require that the speaker and speaker pro tempore be elected from among the members of the Assembly.[2]

Powers and duties[edit]

The speaker is empowered to make all Assembly committee assignments and office assignments for members, and supervises all officers of the Assembly. The speaker is required to authenticate all acts, orders, or proceedings from the Assembly, and, with the countersignature of the chief clerk, issues all subpoenas on behalf of the Assembly or its committees.[2]

Current Speaker[edit]

The current Speaker of the Assembly for the 105th Wisconsin Legislature is Robin Vos of Burlington, Racine County, Wisconsin. He is the 79th speaker since the establishment of the State Assembly and the 75th person to hold the office. He is currently serving his fourth term as speaker, first elected to the role on January 7, 2013.[3]

The Speaker pro tempore is Representative Tyler August of Lake Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin. This is his third full term in the role after being elected by the caucus in the October 2013.[3]

List of speakers[edit]

Wisconsin Territory (1836–1848)[edit]

Assembly Session
(years)
Speaker[4] Party Residence Notes
1st 1st Session
(1836)
Peter H. Engle Democratic Dubuque
2nd Session
(1837 – 1838)
Isaac Leffler Whig Des Moines
Special Session
(1838)
William B. Sheldon Democratic Milwaukee
2nd 1st Session
(1838)
John Wilford Blackstone Sr. Whig Iowa County
2nd Session
(1839)
Lucius Israel Barber Whig Milwaukee
3rd Session
(1839 – 1840)
Edward V. Whiton Whig Rock County
4th Session
(1840)
Nelson Dewey Democratic Grant County
3rd 1st Session
(1840 – 1841)
David Newland Democratic Iowa County
2nd Session
(1841 – 1842)
4th 1st Session
(1842 – 1843)
Albert Gallatin Ellis Democratic Portage
2nd Session
(1843 – 1844)
George H. Walker Democratic Milwaukee
3rd Session
(1845)
4th Session
(1846)
Mason C. Darling Democratic Fond du Lac
5th 1st Session
(1847)
William Shew Democratic Milwaukee
Special Session
(1847)
Isaac P. Walker Democratic Milwaukee
2nd Session
(1848)
Timothy Burns Democratic Iowa County

Wisconsin State Assembly (1848–Present)[edit]

Order Legislature
(years)
Speaker[5] Party Residence Notes
1 1st
(1848)
Ninian E. Whiteside Democratic Belmont, Lafayette County
2 2nd
(1849)
Harrison Carroll Hobart Democratic Sheboygan, Sheboygan County
3 3rd
(1850)
Moses M. Strong Democratic Mineral Point, Iowa County
4 4th
(1851)
Frederick W. Horn Democratic Cedarburg, Washington County
5 5th
(1852)
James McMillan Shafter Whig Sheboygan, Sheboygan County
6 6th
(1853)
Henry L. Palmer Democratic Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
7 7th
(1854)
Frederick W. Horn Democratic Cedarburg, Ozaukee County
8 8th
(1855)
Charles C. Sholes Republican Kenosha, Kenosha County
9 9th
(1856)
William Hull Democratic Potosi, Grant County
10 10th
(1857)
Wyman Spooner Republican Elkhorn, Walworth County
11 11th
(1858)
Frederick S. Lovell Republican Kenosha, Kenosha County
12 12th
(1859)
William P. Lyon Republican Racine, Racine County
13th
(1860)
13 14th
(1861)
Amasa Cobb Republican Mineral Point, Iowa County
14 15th
(1862)
Joseph W. Beardsley Union Democrat Prescott, Pierce County
15 16th
(1863)
J. Allen Barber Republican Lancaster, Grant County
16 17th
(1864)
William W. Field Union Fennimore, Grant County
18th
(1865)
17 19th
(1866)
Henry D. Barron Republican St. Croix Falls, Polk County
18 20th
(1867)
Angus Cameron Republican La Crosse, La Crosse County
19 21st
(1868)
Alexander McDonald Thomson Republican Janesville, Rock County
22nd
(1869)
20 23rd
(1870)
James M. Bingham Republican Palmyra, Jefferson County
21 24th
(1871)
William E. Smith Republican Fox Lake, Dodge County
22 25th
(1872)
Daniel Hall Republican Watertown, Jefferson County
23 26th
(1873)
Henry D. Barron Republican St. Croix Falls, Polk County
24 27th
(1874)
Gabriel Bouck Democratic Oshkosh, Winnebago County
25 28th
(1875)
Frederick W. Horn Democratic Cedarburg, Ozaukee County
26 29th
(1876)
Sam S. Fifield Republican Ashland, Ashland County
27 30th
(1877)
John B. Cassoday Republican Janesville, Rock County
28 31st
(1878)
Augustus Barrows Greenbacker Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County
29 32nd
(1879)
David M. Kelly Republican Green Bay, Brown County
30 33rd
(1880)
Alexander A. Arnold Republican Galesville, Trempealeau County
31 34th
(1881)
Ira B. Bradford Republican Augusta, Eau Claire County
32 35th
(1882)
Franklin L. Gilson Republican Ellsworth, Pierce County
33 36th
(1883 – 1884)
Earl P. Finch Democratic Oshkosh, Winnebago County
34 37th
(1885 – 1886)
Hiram Orlando Fairchild Republican Marinette, Marinette County
35 38th
(1887 – 1888)
Thomas Brooks Mills Republican Millston, Jackson County
39th
(1889 – 1890)
36 40th
(1891 – 1892)
James J. Hogan Democratic La Crosse, La Crosse County
37 41st
(1893 – 1894)
Edward Keogh Democratic Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
38 42nd
(1895 – 1896)
George B. Burrows Republican Madison, Dane County
39 43rd
(1897 – 1898)
George A. Buckstaff Republican Oshkosh, Winnebago County
40 44th
(1899 – 1900)
George H. Ray Republican La Crosse, La Crosse County
45th
(1901 – 1902)
41 46th
(1903 – 1904)
Irvine Lenroot Republican West Superior, Douglas County
47th
(1905 – 1906)
42 48th
(1907 – 1908)
Herman L. Ekern Republican Whitehall, Trempealeau County
43 49th
(1909 – 1910)
Levi H. Bancroft Republican Richland Center, Richland County
44 50th
(1911 – 1912)
Charles A. Ingram Republican Durand, Pepin County
45 51st
(1913 – 1914)
Merlin Hull Republican Black River Falls, Jackson County
46 52nd
(1915 – 1916)
Lawrence C. Whittet Republican Edgerton, Rock County
53rd
(1917 – 1918)
47 54th
(1919 – 1920)
Riley S. Young Republican Darien, Walworth County
55th
(1921 – 1922)
48 56th
(1923 – 1924)
John L. Dahl Republican Rice Lake, Barron County
49 57th
(1925 – 1926)
Herman W. Sachtjen Republican Madison, Dane County
50 George A. Nelson Republican Milltown, Polk County
51 58th
(1927 – 1928)
John W. Eber Republican Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
52 59th
(1929 – 1930)
Charles B. Perry Republican Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County
60th
(1931 – 1932)
53 61st
(1933 – 1934)
Cornelius T. Young Democratic Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
54 62nd
(1935 – 1936)
Jorge W. Carow Progressive Ladysmith, Rusk County
55 63rd
(1937 – 1938)
Paul R. Alfonsi Progressive Pence, Iron County
56 64th
(1939 – 1940)
Vernon Wallace Thomson Republican Richland Center, Richland County
65th
(1941 – 1942)
66th
(1943 – 1944)
57 67th
(1945 – 1946)
Donald C. McDowell Republican Soldiers Grove, Crawford County
68th
(1947 – 1948)
58 69th
(1949 – 1950)
Alex L. Nicol Republican Sparta, Monroe County
59 70th
(1951 – 1952)
Ora R. Rice Republican Delavan, Walworth County
71st
(1953 – 1954)
60 72nd
(1955 – 1956)
Mark Catlin, Jr. Republican Appleton, Outagamie County
61 73rd
(1957 – 1958)
Robert G. Marotz Republican Shawano, Shawano County
62 74th
(1959 – 1960)
George Molinaro Democratic Kenosha, Kenosha County
63 75th
(1961 – 1962)
David J. Blanchard Republican Edgerton, Rock County
64 76th
(1963 – 1964)
Robert D. Haase Republican Marinette, Marinette County
65 77th
(1965 – 1966)
Robert T. Huber Democratic West Allis, Milwaukee County
66 78th
(1967 – 1968)
Harold Vernon Froehlich Republican Appleton, Outagamie County
79th
(1969 – 1970)
67 80th
(1971 – 1972)
Robert T. Huber Democratic West Allis, Milwaukee County
68 Norman C. Anderson Democratic Madison, Dane County
81st
(1973 – 1974)
82nd
(1975 – 1976)
69 83rd
(1977 – 1978)
Edward G. Jackamonis Democratic Waukesha, Waukesha County
84th
(1979 – 1980)
85th
(1981 – 1982)
70 86th
(1983 – 1984)
Thomas A. Loftus Democratic Sun Prairie, Dane County
87th
(1985 – 1986)
88th
(1987 – 1988)
89th
(1989 – 1990)
71 90th
(1991 – 1992)
Walter Kunicki Democratic Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
91st
(1993 – 1994)
72 92nd
(1995 – 1996)
David Prosser, Jr. Republican Appleton, Outagamie County
73 93rd
(1997 – 1998)
Ben Brancel Republican Endeavor, Marquette County
74 Scott R. Jensen Republican Waukesha, Waukesha County
94th
(1999 – 2000)
95th
(2001 – 2002)
75 96th
(2003 – 2004)
John Gard Republican Peshtigo, Marinette County
97th
(2005 – 2006)
76 98th
(2007 – 2008)
Michael Huebsch Republican West Salem, La Crosse County
77 99th
(2009 – 2010)
Michael J. Sheridan Democratic Janesville, Rock County
78 100th
(2011 – 2012)
Jeff Fitzgerald Republican Horicon, Dodge County
79 101st
(2013 – 2014)
Robin Vos Republican Burlington, Racine County Longest-serving speaker
102nd
(2015 – 2016)
103rd
(2017 – 2018)
104th
(2019 – 2020)
105th
(2021 – 2022)
106th
(2023 – 2024)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Salaries of Wisconsin State Elected Officials (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 2019. p. 2. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Assembly Rules". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Wisconsin State Assembly". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  4. ^ Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 161–174. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  5. ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2019). "Statistics and Reference: Historical lists" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book 2019-2020 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 486–487. ISBN 978-1-7333817-0-3. Retrieved May 12, 2020.