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]
| Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | |
| Style |
|
| Status | Presiding officer |
| Seat | Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin |
| Appointer | The Assembly |
| Term length | At 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 instrument | Constitution of Wisconsin |
| Formation | June 5, 1848 |
| First holder | Ninian E. Whiteside June 5, 1848 |
| Deputy | Speaker pro tempore |
| Salary | $53,299[1] |
Selection
editThe 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
editThe 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
editThe 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
editWisconsin 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)
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Salaries of Wisconsin State Elected Officials (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 2019. p. 2. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Assembly Rules". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin State Assembly". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.