Wisconsin State Assembly
| Wisconsin State Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin State Legislature | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 7, 2017 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker of the Assembly | |
Speaker pro tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 99 |
 | |
Political groups |
Majority Minority
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Authority | Article IV, Wisconsin Constitution |
| Salary | $50,950/year + $153 per diem |
| Elections | |
Last election |
November 8, 2016 (99 seats) |
Next election |
November 6, 2018 (99 seats) |
| Redistricting | Legislative 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 Assembly chamber is located in the west wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol building, in Madison, Wisconsin.
History
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.[2]
Salary and benefits
Representatives elected or re-elected in the fall of 2012 receive an annual salary of $49,943.
In addition to their salaries, representatives outside Dane County may receive up to $88 per day in living expenses while in Madison on state business. Members of the Dane County delegation are allowed up to $44 per day in expenses. Each representative also receives $75 per month in "out-of-session" pay when the legislature is in session for three days or less. 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.[3]
Current session
Composition
 | ||
| 63 | 35 | |
| Republican | Democratic | |
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Total | ||
| Begin of 101st legislature (2013) | 59 | 39 | 98 | 1 |
| End 101st (2014) | 60 | 99 | 0 | |
| Begin 102nd (2015) | 63 | 36 | 99 | 0 |
| August 5, 2015 | 62 | 99 | 1 | |
| End 102nd (2016) | 63 | 99 | 0 | |
| Begin 103rd (2017) | 64 | 35 | 99 | 0 |
| October 4, 2017[4] | 63 | 98 | 1 | |
| December 29, 2017[5] | 62 | 99 | 2 | |
| January 15, 2018[6] | 34 | 97 | 3 | |
| January 16, 2018[7] | 63 | 35 | 98 | 1 |
| Latest voting share | 63.6% | 35.4% | ||
Officers
| Position | Name | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker | Robin Vos | Republican | ||
| Speaker Pro Tempore | Tyler August | Republican | ||
| Majority Leader | Jim Steineke | Republican | ||
| Assistant Majority Leader | Rob Brooks | Republican | ||
| Majority Caucus Chair | Dan Knodl | Republican | ||
| Minority Leader | Gordon Hintz | Democratic | ||
| Assistant Minority Leader | Dianne Hesselbein | Democratic | ||
| Minority Caucus Chair | Mark Spreitzer | Democratic | ||
| Chief Clerk | Patrick Fuller | |||
| Sergeant-at-Arms | Anne Tonnon Byers | |||
Members
The corresponding state senate districts are shown as a senate district is formed by nesting three assembly districts.
Images
Rear of the Assembly
Past composition of the Assembly
See also
References
- ↑ Wisconsin Blue Book, 1991, p. 229.
- ↑ "Whitford v. Gill | Brennan Center for Justice". www.brennancenter.org. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ↑ Hagensick, A. Clarke. "Influences of Partisanship and Incumbency on a Nonpartisan Election System". The Western Political Quarterly, vol. 17, no. 1 (March 1964), pp. 117–124.
- ↑ Ass. Bob Gannon (R-58) dies
- ↑ Ass. Keith Ripp (R-42) resigned to take job with Gov. Scott Walker’s administration
- ↑ Ass. Cory Mason (D-66) resigns after election as mayor of Racine
- ↑ Republican Rick Gundrum and Democrat Greta Neubauer elected to replace Ass. Bob Gannon (R-58) and Ass. Cory Mason (D-66), respectively
External links
- Wisconsin State Assembly official government website
- State Assembly of Wisconsin at Project Vote Smart
- Wisconsin State Assembly at Ballotpedia
- Legislature Salary
