The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate.
Wisconsin Senate | |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin State Legislature | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 3, 2023 |
| Leadership | |
President | |
President pro tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 33 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Authority | Article IV, Wisconsin Constitution |
| Salary | $57,408/year + $115 per diem[1] |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 3, 2020 (16 seats) |
Last election | November 6, 2022 (17 seats) |
Next election | November 5, 2024 (16 seats) |
Next election | November 3, 2026 (17 seats) |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| State Senate Chamber Wisconsin State Capitol Madison, Wisconsin | |
| Website | |
| Wisconsin State Senate | |
The Wisconsin Constitution ties the size of the State Senate to that of the Assembly, by limiting its size to no less than 1/4, nor more than 1/3, of the size of the Assembly. Currently, Wisconsin is divided into 33 Senate Districts (1/3 of the current Assembly membership of 99) apportioned throughout the state based on population as determined by the decennial census, for a total of 33 senators. A Senate district is formed by combining three Assembly districts. Similar to the U.S. Senate, in addition to its duty of reviewing and voting on all legislation passed through the legislature, the State Senate has the exclusive responsibility of confirming certain gubernatorial appointments, particularly cabinet secretaries and members of boards and commissions. Senators are elected for four-year terms, staggered so that approximately half of the Senate is up for election every two years. If a vacancy occurs in a Senate seat between elections, it may be filled only by a special election. The Senate chamber is in the south wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison. In February 2024, the legislative maps of the Senate, along with the State Assembly, were redrawn following a court decision that found them to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered in favor of Republicans.[2]
Salary and benefits
editThe salary of all legislators serving in the 2023 Wisconsin Legislature is $57,408, which is an increase of 4% from the previous biennium. In addition to salaries, senators outside Dane County may receive a per diem up to $115 to cover living expenses while they are in Dane County on state business. Members of the Dane County delegation may receive a per diem of half the amount to cover expenses.
Current session
editComposition
edit| ↓ | ||
| 10 | 22 | 1 |
| Democratic | Republican | |
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
| Begin 100th Legislature (2011) | 14 | 19 | 33 | 0 |
| End 100th (2012) | 17 | 16 | ||
| Begin 101st (2013) | 15 | 18 | 33 | 0 |
| End 101st (2014) | 17 | 32 | 1 | |
| Begin 102nd (2015) | 14 | 18 | 32 | 1 |
| End 102nd (2016) | 18 | 32 | 1 | |
| Begin 103rd (2017) | 13 | 20 | 33 | 0 |
| End 103rd (2018) | 15 | 18 | 33 | 0 |
| Begin 104th (2019) | 14 | 19 | 33 | 0 |
| End 104th (2020) | 13 | 18 | 31 | 2 |
| Begin 105th (2021) | 12 | 20 | 32 | 1 |
| End 105th (2022) | 21 | 33 | 0 | |
| Begin 106th (2023)[3] | 11 | 21 | 32 | 1 |
| May 3, 2023[4] | 22 | 33 | 0 | |
| Jan. 26, 2024[5] | 10 | 32 | 1 | |
| Latest voting share | 31.25% | 68.75% | ||
Senate officers
edit| Position | Name | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Chris Kapenga | |||
| President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Patrick Testin | |||
| Majority leader | Devin LeMahieu | |||
| Assistant Majority Leader | Dan Feyen | |||
| Majority Caucus Chair | Van Wanggaard | |||
| Majority Caucus Vice Chair | Joan Ballweg | |||
| Minority Leader | Dianne Hesselbein | |||
| Assistant Minority Leader | Jeff Smith | |||
| Minority Caucus Chair | Chris Larson | |||
| Minority Caucus Vice Chair | Mark Spreitzer | |||
| Chief Clerk | Richard Champagne (acting) | |||
| Sergeant-at-Arms | Tom Engels | |||
Members
editNotable past members
edit- C. Latham Sholes (1848–1850; 1856–1858), invented the QWERTY keyboard
- Angus Cameron (1863–1864; 1871–1872), former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin (1875–1885)
- Gaylord Nelson (1949–1958), former Governor of Wisconsin (1959–1963) and U.S. Senator from Wisconsin (1963–1981)
- Henry Maier (1951–1960), former Mayor of Milwaukee (1960–1988)
- James B. Brennan (1959–1962), former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (1962–1969) and Milwaukee City Attorney (1972–1984)
- William Bablitch (1972–1983), former Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1983–2003)
- Tom Petri (1973–1979), former U.S. House Representative (1979–2015)
- Jim Sensenbrenner (1975–1979), former U.S. House Representative (1979–2021)
- Russ Feingold (1983–1993), former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin (1993–2011)
- John Norquist (1983–1988), former Mayor of Milwaukee (1988–2004)
- Tom Barrett (1989–1993), former U.S. House Representative (1993–2003) and former Mayor of Milwaukee (2004–2021)
- Gwen Moore (1993–2005), current U.S. House Representative (2005–present)
- Glenn Grothman (2005–2015), current U.S. House Representative (2015–present)
- Tom Tiffany (2012–2020), current U.S. House Representative (2020–present)
- Scott Fitzgerald (1995–2021), current U.S. House Representative (2021–present)
List of senate presidents
edit| # | President | Party | Start of service | End of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Risser | Democratic | May 1, 1979 | April 20, 1993 |
| 2 | Brian Rude | Republican | April 20, 1993 | July 9, 1996 |
| - | Fred Risser | Democratic | July 9, 1996 | April 21, 1998 |
| - | Brian Rude | Republican | April 21, 1998 | January 4, 1999 |
| - | Fred Risser | Democratic | January 4, 1999 | January 6, 2003 |
| 3 | Alan Lasee | Republican | January 6, 2003 | January 8, 2007 |
| - | Fred Risser | Democratic | January 8, 2007 | January 3, 2011 |
| 4 | Mike Ellis | Republican | January 3, 2011 | July 17, 2012 |
| - | Fred Risser | Democratic | July 17, 2012 | January 7, 2013 |
| - | Mike Ellis | Republican | January 7, 2013 | January 5, 2015 |
| 5 | Mary Lazich | Republican | January 5, 2013 | January 3, 2017 |
| 6 | Roger Roth | Republican | January 3, 2017 | January 4, 2021 |
| 7 | Chris Kapenga | Republican | January 4, 2021 | present |
Past composition of the Senate
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Salaries of Wisconsin State Elected Officials, 2023" (PDF). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Wisconsin's Democratic governor signs his new legislative maps into law after Republicans pass them". AP News. 2024-02-19. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ Republican Alberta Darling (District 8) resigned December 1, 2022, retiring from public life. [1]
- ^ Republican Dan Knodl elected to succeed Darling. [2]
- ^ Democrat Lena Taylor (District 4) resigned after being appointed to the Milwaukee Circuit Court. [3]
External links
edit- Wisconsin State Senate Archived 2012-04-18 at the Wayback Machine official government website
- State Senate of Wisconsin at Project Vote Smart
- Wisconsin Senate at Ballotpedia
- Legislature Salary