Wisconsin State Assembly

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Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 3, 2023
Leadership
Robin Vos (R)
since January 7, 2013
Speaker pro tempore
Kevin Petersen (R)
since January 3, 2023
Majority Leader
Tyler August (R)
since January 3, 2023
Minority Leader
Greta Neubauer (D)
since January 10, 2022
Structure
Seats99
Political groups
Majority
  •   Republican (64)

Minority

Length of term
2 years
AuthorityArticle IV, Wisconsin Constitution
Salary$50,950/year + $153 per diem
Elections
Last election
November 8, 2022
Next election
November 5, 2024
RedistrictingLegislative control
Meeting place
State Assembly Chamber
Wisconsin State Capitol
Madison, Wisconsin
Website
Wisconsin State Assembly

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

Representatives are elected for two-year terms, elected during the fall elections. If a vacancy occurs in an Assembly seat between elections, it may be filled only by a special election.

The Wisconsin Constitution limits the size of the State Assembly to between 54 and 100 members inclusive. Since 1973, the state has been divided into 99 Assembly districts apportioned amongst the state based on population as determined by the decennial census, for a total of 99 representatives. From 1848 to 1853 there were 66 assembly districts; from 1854 to 1856, 82 districts; from 1857 to 1861, 97 districts; and from 1862 to 1972, 100 districts.[1] The size of the Wisconsin State Senate is tied to the size of the Assembly; it must be between one-fourth and one-third the size of the Assembly. Presently, the Senate has 33 members, with each Senate district formed by combining three neighboring Assembly districts.

The Assembly is heavily gerrymandered,[2] with a 53–45% Democratic majority in the popular vote in the 2018 election translating into a 63–36 Republican majority in the Assembly.[3][4] According to the Oshkosh Northwestern, many experts recognize Wisconsin as the most gerrymandered state in the United States,[5] a claim rated "Mostly True" by Politifact.[6] After the Republican redistricting in 2021, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism reported the efficiency gap had further increased to 16.6% in favor of Republicans.[7]

On December 22, 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission that the gerrymandered districts were unconstitutional and must be redrawn before the 2024 legislative elections.[8]

The Assembly chamber is located in the west wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol building, in Madison, Wisconsin.

History[edit]

The United States first organized Wisconsin in 1787 under the Northwest Ordinance after Great Britain yielded the land to them in the Treaty of Paris. It became the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. The then-territorial assembly, after elections, was seated in Burlington for three sessions before they relocated to the permanent capital, Madison.

During the period of territorial assembly, the assembled members helped to set up the court system, established the borders and number of counties, and regularized the spelling of Wisconsin. In 1842, an assemblyman (Charles Arndt, a Whig of Brown County) was shot dead by another assemblyman, James Vineyard, a Democrat of Grant County, over an appointment for Grant County sheriff.

Wisconsin became a U.S. state on May 29, 1848, and special elections were held to fill the first session of the State Assembly; at the time, the body consisted of 66 members.[9] The Assembly was expanded to 82 seats in 1852, and then to 97 seats in 1856, then to 100 seats in 1861, which is the maximum allowed in the Constitution of Wisconsin. The membership remained at 100 seats until the 1971 redistricting act, which decreased membership to 99 in order to comply with federal equal representation requirements within the limits of the Wisconsin Constitution. The current number of 99 seats is set in order to maintain a 3:1 ratio of Assembly to Senate seats.

On July 8, 2015, a case was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin arguing that Wisconsin's 2011 state assembly map was unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering favoring the Republican-controlled legislature which discriminated against Democratic voters. This case became filed with the court as Whitford v Gill.[10] The case made it to the United States Supreme Court, which vacated and remanded the case. The Supreme Court held that the plaintiff challenging the state assembly map did not have standing to sue. In the Opinion of the Court, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that "[a] federal court is not 'a forum for generalized grievances," and the requirement of such a personal stake 'ensures that courts exercise power that is judicial in nature." Gill v. Whitford, 128 S.Ct. 1916 (2018). We enforce that requirement by insisting that a plaintiff [have] Article III standing..." Justice Elena Kagan filed a concurring opinion, in which Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, and Sonia Sotomayor joined. Justice Clarence Thomas filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Neil Gorsuch joined.[11]

Salary and benefits[edit]

Desks and voting board

Representatives elected or re-elected in the fall of 2016 receive an annual salary of $57,408.[12]

In addition to their salaries, representatives are allowed to claim a per diem for travel expenses. The maximum rate is set by the 2001 Wisconsin Act 16 to 90% of the U.S. General Services Administration rate, but the houses are permitted to establish additional criteria for determining per diem. The State Assembly per diem is set to $155.70 per overnight stay and $77.85 for day visits. A maximum of 153 days may be claimed for per diem in 2023, and 80 days may be claimed in 2024. Over two years, each representative is allotted $12,000 to cover general office expenses, printing, postage and district mailings.

According to a 1960 study, at that time Assembly salaries and benefits were so low that in Milwaukee County, positions on the County Board of Supervisors and the Milwaukee Common Council were considered more desirable than seats in the Assembly, and an average of 23% of Milwaukee legislators did not seek re-election. This pattern was not seen to hold to the same extent in the rest of the state, where local offices tended to pay less well.[13]

Current session[edit]

Composition[edit]

35 64
Democratic Republican
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Vacant
Democratic Republican Total
Begin of 101st legislature (2013) 39 59 98 1
End 101st (2014) 60 99 0
Begin 102nd (2015) 36 63 99 0
End 102nd (2016)
Begin 103rd (2017) 35 64 99 0
End 103rd (2018)
Begin 104th (2019) 36 63 99 0
End 104th (2020) 34 62 96 3
Begin 105th (2021) 38 60 98 1
End 105th (2022) 38 57 95 4
Begin 106th (2023) 35 64 99 0
Current composition
Latest voting share 35.35% 64.65%

Assembly officers[edit]

Position Name Party
Speaker Robin Vos Republican
Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin D. Petersen Republican
Majority Leader Tyler August Republican
Assistant Majority Leader Jon Plumer Republican
Majority Caucus Chair Rob Summerfield Republican
Minority Leader Greta Neubauer Democratic
Assistant Minority Leader Kalan Haywood Democratic
Minority Caucus Chair Lisa Subeck Democratic
Chief Clerk Ted Blazel
Sergeant-at-Arms Anne Tonnon Byers

Members[edit]

The corresponding state senate districts are shown as a senate district is formed by nesting three assembly districts.

Senate
District
Assembly
District
Representative Party Age Residence First Elected
01 01 Joel Kitchens Rep 65 Sturgeon Bay 2014
02 Shae Sortwell Rep 37 Two Rivers 2018
03 Ron Tusler Rep 38 Harrison 2016
02 04 David Steffen Rep 50 Green Bay 2014
05 Joy Goeben Rep Hobart 2022
06 Peter Schmidt Rep 30 Bonduel 2022
03 07 Daniel Riemer Dem 36 Milwaukee 2012
08 Sylvia Ortiz-Velez Dem Milwaukee 2020
09 Marisabel Cabrera Dem 47 Milwaukee 2018
04 10 Darrin Madison Dem 27 Milwaukee 2022
11 Dora Drake Dem Milwaukee 2020
12 LaKeshia Myers Dem 38 Milwaukee 2018
05 13 Tom Michalski Rep 71 Elm Grove 2022
14 Robyn Vining Dem 46 Wauwatosa 2018
15 Dave Maxey Rep 50 New Berlin 2022
06 16 Kalan Haywood Dem 23 Milwaukee 2018
17 Supreme Moore Omokunde Dem 43 Milwaukee 2020
18 Evan Goyke Dem 40 Milwaukee 2012
07 19 Ryan Clancy Dem 46 Milwaukee 2022
20 Christine Sinicki Dem 62 Milwaukee 1998
21 Jessie Rodriguez Rep 45 Oak Creek 2013
08 22 Janel Brandtjen Rep 56 Menomonee Falls 2014
23 Deb Andraca Dem 52 Whitefish Bay 2020
24 Paul Melotik Rep 66 Grafton 2023
09 25 Paul Tittl Rep 61 Manitowoc 2012
26 Terry Katsma Rep 64 Oostburg 2014
27 Amy Binsfeld Rep 47 Sheboygan 2022
10 28 Gae Magnafici Rep 70 Dresser 2018
29 Clint Moses Rep 46 Menomonie 2020
30 Shannon Zimmerman Rep 50 River Falls 2016
11 31 Ellen Schutt Rep 27 Clinton 2022
32 Tyler August Rep 39 Lake Geneva 2010
33 Scott Johnson Rep 69 Jefferson 2022
12 34 Rob Swearingen Rep 59 Rhinelander 2012
35 Calvin Callahan Rep 23 Tomahawk 2020
36 Jeffrey Mursau Rep 68 Crivitz 2004
13 37 William Penterman Rep 26 Columbus 2021
38 Barbara Dittrich Rep 58 Oconomowoc 2018
39 Mark Born Rep 46 Beaver Dam 2012
14 40 Kevin David Petersen Rep 58 Waupaca 2006
41 Alex Dallman Rep 30 Green Lake 2020
42 Jon Plumer Rep 67 Lodi 2018
15 43 Jenna Jacobson Dem 41 Oregon 2022
44 Sue Conley Dem 62 Janesville 2020
45 Clinton Anderson Dem 29 Beloit 2022
16 46 Melissa Ratcliff Dem 46 Cottage Grove 2022
47 Jimmy P. Anderson Dem 36 Fitchburg 2016
48 Samba Baldeh Dem 52 Madison 2020
17 49 Travis Tranel Rep 37 Cuba City 2010
50 Tony Kurtz Rep 56 Wonewoc 2018
51 Todd Novak Rep 57 Dodgeville 2014
18 52 Jerry L. O'Connor Rep 69 Fond du Lac 2022
53 Michael Schraa Rep 61 Oshkosh 2012
54 Lori Palmeri Dem 55 Oshkosh 2022
19 55 Nate Gustafson Rep 28 Neenah 2022
56 Dave Murphy Rep 68 Greenville 2012
57 Lee Snodgrass Dem 53 Appleton 2020
20 58 Rick Gundrum Rep 57 Slinger 2018
59 Ty Bodden Rep 29 Hilbert 2022
60 Robert Brooks Rep 57 Saukville 2014
21 61 Amanda Nedweski Rep 47 Pleasant Prairie 2022
62 Robert Wittke Rep 65 Racine 2018
63 Robin Vos Rep 54 Rochester 2004
22 64 Tip McGuire Dem 36 Kenosha 2019
65 Tod Ohnstad Dem 70 Kenosha 2012
66 Greta Neubauer Dem 31 Racine 2018
23 67 Rob Summerfield Rep 42 Bloomer 2016
68 Karen Hurd Rep 50 Fall Creek 2022
69 Donna Rozar Rep 72 Marshfield 2020
24 70 Nancy VanderMeer Rep 64 Tomah 2014
71 Katrina Shankland Dem 35 Stevens Point 2012
72 Scott Krug Rep 47 Nekoosa 2010
25 73 Angie Sapik Rep 38 Lake Nebagamon 2022
74 Chanz Green Rep 32 Grandview 2022
75 David Armstrong Rep 61 Rice Lake 2020
26 76 Francesca Hong Dem 34 Madison 2020
77 Shelia Stubbs Dem 51 Madison 2018
78 Lisa Subeck Dem 51 Madison 2014
27 79 Alex Joers Dem 31 Middleton 2022
80 Mike Bare Dem 37 Verona 2022
81 Dave Considine Dem 70 Baraboo 2014
28 82 Chuck Wichgers Rep 57 Muskego 2016
83 Nik Rettinger Rep 32 Mukwonago 2022
84 Bob Donovan Rep 67 Greenfield 2022
29 85 Patrick Snyder Rep 66 Schofield 2016
86 John Spiros Rep 61 Marshfield 2012
87 James W. Edming Rep 77 Glen Flora 2014
30 88 John Macco Rep 64 Ledgeview 2014
89 Elijah Behnke Rep 39 Oconto 2021
90 Kristina Shelton Dem 42 Green Bay 2020
31 91 Jodi Emerson Dem 49 Eau Claire 2018
92 Treig Pronschinske Rep 55 Mondovi 2016
93 Warren Petryk Rep 67 Washington 2010
32 94 Steve Doyle Dem 64 Onalaska 2011
95 Jill Billings Dem 58 La Crosse 2011
96 Loren Oldenburg Rep 57 Viroqua 2018
33 97 Scott Allen Rep 57 Waukesha 2014
98 Adam Neylon Rep 38 Pewaukee 2013
99 Cindi Duchow Rep 64 Delafield 2015

Committees[edit]

The following is a list of the Assembly Committees:[14]

  • Review of Administrative Rules
  • Aging and Long-Term Care
  • Agriculture
  • Assembly Organization
  • Audit
  • Campaigns and Elections
  • Children and Families
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Constitution and Ethics
  • Consumer Protection
  • Corrections
  • Criminal Justice and Public Safety
  • Education
  • Employment Relations
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Environment
  • Family Law
  • Finance
  • Financial Institutions
  • Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation
  • Government Accountability and Oversight
  • Health
  • Housing and Real Estate
  • Insurance
  • Jobs and the Economy
  • Judiciary
  • Labor and Integrated Employment
  • Local Government
  • Mental Health
  • Public Benefit Reform
  • Regulatory Licensing Reform
  • Rules
  • Rural Development
  • Science, Technology, and Broadband
  • Small Business Development
  • Sporting Heritage
  • State Affairs
  • Substance Abuse and Prevention
  • Tourism
  • Transportation
  • Veterans and Military Affairs
  • Ways and Means
  • Workforce Development
  • Speaker's Task Force on Racial Disparities
  • Special Committee on Trade and Supply Chain
  • Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development
  • Subcommittee on Law Enforcement Policies and Standards

Past composition of the Assembly[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wisconsin Blue Book, 1991, p. 229.
  2. ^ New election data highlights the ongoing impact of 2011 GOP redistricting in Wisconsin, Journal Sentinel
  3. ^ Election Shows How Gerrymandering Is Difficult to Overcome, US News
  4. ^ No Contest, Isthmus
  5. ^ "Many experts recognize Wisconsin as the most gerrymandered state in the country". Oshkosh Northwestern. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  6. ^ On whether Wisconsin is the most gerrymandered state, Politifact
  7. ^ DeFour, Matthew (December 7, 2022). "Wisconsin's Assembly maps are more skewed than ever — what happens in 2023?". Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  8. ^ Bosman, Julie (December 22, 2023). "Justices in Wisconsin Order New Legislative Maps". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "History of Dane County, Wisconsin : containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, an extensive and minute sketch of its cities, towns and villages--their improvements, industries, manufactories, churches, schools and societies, its war record, biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers : the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin, statistics of the state, and an abstract of its laws and constitution and of the Constitution of the United States". content.wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  10. ^ "Whitford v. Gill | Brennan Center for Justice". www.brennancenter.org. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  11. ^ "Gill v. Whitford". SCOTUS blog. Retrieved February 9, 2019. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. ^ "Salaries of Wisconsin State Elected Officials, 2023" (PDF). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. February 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  13. ^ Hagensick, A. Clarke (1964). "Influences of Partisanship and Incumbency on a Nonpartisan Election System". The Western Political Quarterly. 17 (1): 117–124. doi:10.2307/445376. JSTOR 445376.
  14. ^ docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, retrieved November 27, 2020

External links[edit]