Wisconsin State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Republican
Session start:	January 13, 2026
Session end:	March 19, 2026
Term length:	4 years
Term limits:	None
Redistricting:	Legislature-dominant
Salary:	$60,924/year + per diem
Members
Total:	33
Democrats:	15
Republicans:	18
Other:	0
Vacancies:	0
Leadership
President:	Mary Felzkowski (R)
Maj. Leader:	Devin LeMahieu (R)
Min. Leader:	Dianne Hesselbein (D)
Elections
Last election:	November 5, 2024
Next election:	November 3, 2026

TheWisconsin State Senate is theupper chamber of theWisconsin State Legislature. Alongside theWisconsin State Assembly, it forms the legislative branch of the Wisconsin state government and works alongside thegovernor of Wisconsin to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Wisconsin State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Wisconsin State Senate meets in the state capitol building inMadison, Wisconsin.

This page contains the following information on the Wisconsin State Senate.

• Which partycontrols the chamber
• The chamber'scurrent membership
• Partisan control of the chamberover time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• Adistrict map
• Howredistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list ofcommittees

Party control

Current partisan control

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Wisconsin State Senate as of February 2026:

Members

Leadership

The Senate, by roll call vote, elects a member to serve as president of the Senate.^[1][2]

Leadership and members

• Senate president:Mary Felzkowski (R)
• Majority leader:Devin LeMahieu (R)
• Minority leader:Dianne Hesselbein (D)

Salaries

See also:Comparison of state legislative salaries

Swearing in dates

See also:When state legislators assume office after a general election

Wisconsin legislators assume office the first Monday in January following the election, unless the first Monday of January falls on January 1 or 2. In those cases, legislators assume office on January 3.^[4]

Membership qualifications

See also:State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 6 of Article 4 of theWisconsin Constitution states, "No person shall be eligible to the legislature who shall not have resided one year within the state, and be a qualified elector in the district which he may be chosen to represent."^[5]

Historical party control

Republicans won control of the Wisconsin State Senate in 2010. In2024, they won a 18-15 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Wisconsin Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Trifecta history

Astate government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Wisconsin was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 2009-2010
• Republican trifecta: 1995, 1998, 2011-2018
• Divided government: 1992-1994, 1996-1997, 1999-2008, 2019-2023

Elections

Elections by year

Wisconsin state senators serve staggered,four-year terms and half of the state Senate is up for election every two years. Wisconsin holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026

See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for theWisconsin State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is onNovember 3, 2026. The primary isAugust 11, 2026. The filing deadline isJune 1, 2026.

2024

See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for theWisconsin State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was onNovember 5, 2024. The primary wasAugust 13, 2024. The filing deadline wasJune 3, 2024.

In the 2024 elections, Republicans lost four seats but maintained their majority in the Wisconsin State Senate. The Republican majority went from 22-10 to 18-15.

2022

See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for theWisconsin State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 9, 2022. The filing deadline was June 1, 2022.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 21-12 majority. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 22-11 majority.

2020

See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office ofWisconsin State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline was June 1, 2020.

In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Wisconsin State Senate from 18-13 to 21-12.

2018

See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for theWisconsin State Senate took place in2018. Anopen primary election took place on August 14, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018.^[6] The candidate filing deadline wasJune 1, 2018.

In the 2018 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Wisconsin State Senate from 18-15 to 19-14.

2016

See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for theWisconsin State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016. A total of16 seats out of the 33 seats in theWisconsin State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Republicans held an 18-14 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained two seats in the election, giving them a 20-13 majority.

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for 17 seats in theWisconsin State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 12, 2014. The general election was held onNovember 4, 2014. Thesignature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 2, 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 17-15 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained two seats in the election, giving them a 19-14 majority. Wisconsin State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 15 14      Republican Party 17 19      Vacancy 1 0 Total 33 33 2012 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 14, 2012, and the general election was held onNovember 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was July 10, 2012. Atotal of 16 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 17-15 majority with one vacancy. Democrats lost two seats in the election, giving Republicans an 18-15 majority. Wisconsin State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 17 15      Republican Party 15 18      Vacancy 1 0 Total 33 33 The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012. 2012 Margin of Victory, Wisconsin State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 18 Rick Gudex 0.7% 85,648 Jessica King District 30 Dave Hansen 8.5% 79,204 John Macco District 24 Julie Lassa 13.3% 86,024 Scott Kenneth Noble District 14 Luther Olsen 15.1% 81,941 Margarete Worthington District 12 Tom Tiffany 15.8% 90,994 Susan Sommer District 32 Jennifer Shilling 16.6% 87,769 Bill Feehan District 10 Sheila Harsdorf 18.4% 87,734 Daniel Olson District 28 Mary Lazich 26.9% 96,010 Jim Ward District 20 Glenn Grothman 37.3% 97,460 Tanya Lohr District 22 Robert Wirch 39.3% 73,559 Pam Stevens Nine of the 16 senators up for election facedrecall elections in 2011. Robert Cowles Alberta Darling Sheila Harsdorf Dave Hansen Jim Holperin Randy Hopper Dan Kapanke Luther Olsen Robert Wirch Dan Kapanke andRandy Hopper were removed by voters. The seven senators who faced re-election in2012 but did not face recall in 2011 were: Spencer Coggs Glenn Grothman Julie Lassa Mary Lazich Mark Miller Fred Risser Lena Taylor 2010 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on September 14, 2010, and the general election was held onNovember 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was July 13, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held an 18-15 majority. Democrats lost four seats in the election, giving Republicans a 19-14 majority. Wisconsin State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 18 14      Republican Party 15 19 Total 33 33 In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $4,251,736 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[7] 2010 Donors, Wisconsin State Senate Donor Amount Public Fund $56,785 Galloway, Pamela G $45,131 Elmer, Monk $34,248 Richard, Rick $30,675 Hutchison, David E $17,699 Cmte to Elect a Republican Senate $17,226 Northwestern Mutual Life $16,000 State Senate Democratic Cmte of Wisconsin $15,767 Deutsch, Dane A $11,657 United Transportation Union $11,000 2008 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 9, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $4,912,818. The top 10 contributors were:[8] 2008 Donors, Wisconsin State Senate Donor Amount Friends Of Sheldon Wasserman $200,000 Wasserman, Sheldon A $50,000 Strategy Group $38,281 State Senate Democratic Cmte $38,175 Johnson, Tara $23,662 Time Warner $23,413 Hopper, Randy $22,000 Page, Alison H $13,810 Wisconsin Credit Union League $12,100 AT&T $11,568 2006 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 12, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $4,536,726. The top 10 contributors were:[9] 2006 Donors, Wisconsin State Senate Donor Amount Riley, Donovan W $85,993 Simonson, John C $54,631 State Senate Democratic Campaign Cmte Of Wisconsin $53,654 Reynolds, Tom $44,655 Grabowski, Dimity $43,025 Charles R Most Jr GST Trust $20,000 Wisconsin Dental Association $14,320 AT&T $13,100 Wisconsin Credit Union League $11,750 Association Of Wisconsin School Administrators $10,000 2004 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 14, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $4,324,018. The top 10 contributors were:[10] 2004 Donors, Wisconsin State Senate Donor Amount Hebl, Thomas Lee $86,023 Priebus, Reince R $34,940 Taylor, Lena C $31,986 Pfaff, Brad $24,425 Bakke, Gary L $23,821 Grothman, Glenn S $22,941 Wisconsin Realtors Association $22,000 Peterson, Eric P $21,459 State Senate Democratic Campaign Cmte Of Wisconsin $14,749 Wisconsin Credit Union League $14,250 2002 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 10, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,014,637. The top 10 contributors were:[11] 2002 Donors, Wisconsin State Senate Donor Amount Reynolds, Tom $59,369 Public Fund $31,964 Wisconsin Republican Party $30,991 Carpenter, Tim $24,297 Farley, Patrick $22,200 Baumgart, James (Jim) $21,682 Kanavas, Theodore J $20,800 Panzer, Mary E $18,350 Black, Gregory A $13,274 Public Fund $11,932 2000 See also:Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 12, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,869,105. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2000 Donors, Wisconsin State Senate Donor Amount Public Fund $91,044 Cmte To Elect A Republican Senate Of Wisconsin $25,000 Wisconsin Republican Party $24,273 Friends Of Rod Moen $13,000 Wisconsin Bankers Association $11,150 Wisconsin Realtors Association $9,200 Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 75 $8,400 Wisconsin Association Of Insurance & Financial Advisors $8,000 Ziegler, Margaret $7,975 Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance $7,900

Vacancies

See also:How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in theWisconsin State Legislature, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat.^[13] Thegovernor can call for an election when allowed by law. The election cannot be held after February 1 before a spring general election, unless it is held on the same day of the election, which is the first Tuesday in April. The same requirement applies to any election preceding the fall general election (after August 1), with the exception of elections held on the first Tuesday in November.^[14] Also, all vacancies must be filled quickly as long the vacancy happened before the second Tuesday in May during an election year.^[15]

See sources:Wisconsin Cons. Art. IV, § 14

District map

See also:Wisconsin state legislative districts

The state of Wisconsin has 33 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting

See also:Redistricting in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by theWisconsin State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by thegovernor.^[16]

TheWisconsin Constitution requires that state legislative districts be compact and "that they be bounded by county, precinct, town, or ward lines where possible." The state constitution further stipulates that state legislative districts should be contiguous.^[16]

2020-2024

See also:Redistricting in Wisconsin after the 2020 census

On February 19, 2024, Gov.Tony Evers (D) signedSenate Bill 488 into law, adopting new Wisconsin legislative maps.^[17] The maps were approved by majority votes in both chambers of Wisconsin's state legislature on February 13. Thestate Senate voted 18-14 in favor of adopting the new legislative maps, while thestate Assembly vote total was 63-33.

In the 2023Wisconsin Supreme Court election,Janet Protasiewicz had defeatedDaniel Kelly, changing the balance of the court from a conservative to a liberal majority for the first time in 15 years.^[18][19] Later that year on December 22, 2023, theWisconsin Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 vote that the state's legislative maps were unconstitutional and ordered new maps to be drawn before the 2024 election.^[20] The court rejected theleast change approach the conservative majority had adopted for the 2022 maps and ruled that the new maps must satisfy the state constitution's contiguity requirements.^[21]

District map after 2020 redistricting

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for Wisconsin’s 2024 state legislative elections.

2010-2011

See also:Redistricting in Wisconsin after the 2010 census

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Wisconsin's population increased from 5.36 million to 5.69 million between 2000 and 2010.^[22] This population growth was large enough to allow the state to retain its eight Congressional seats.^[23]

Republicans held thegovernorship and majorities in thestate Senate andstate Assembly after the 2010 elections. As a result, the redistricting process was controlled by one party. The redistricting process was accelerated by thesummer 2011 recall elections, and when Gov.Scott Walker (R) signed a bill giving the legislature the power to redistrict state boundaries before the localities finished their redistricting processes.^[24] State Republicans presented their plan on July 8, 2011, and the maps passed the legislature on July 19, 2011.^[25][26] Gov. Walker signed the plan into law on August 9, 2011.^[26]

Several lawsuits were filed as a result of the new maps.^[27] TheWisconsin Government Accountability Board identified errors in the maps, and a court also determined that two Milwaukee-area districts needed to be redrawn to better represent minority-area populations.^[28]

Sessions

Legislation

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Wisconsin State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the Assembly and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated byBillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in Wisconsin by year

2025

See also:2025 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2025 state legislative sessions

In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6, 2025, and adjourn on December 31, 2025.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2024 See also:2024 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2024 state legislative sessions In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 16, 2024, and adjourn on March 12, 2024. 2023 See also:2023 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2023 state legislative sessions In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2023, and adjourn on January 6, 2025. 2022 See also:2022 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2022 state legislative sessions In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 18, 2022, and adjourn on March 8, 2022. 2021 See also:2021 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2021 state legislative sessions In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2021, and adjourn on December 31, 2021. 2020 See also:2020 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2020 state legislative sessions In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 14, 2020, and adjourn on May 13, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic See also:Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. On April 3, 2020, Gov.Tony Evers (D) announced he was signing an executive order calling the legislature to meet in a special session beginning at 4:00 PM on April 4, 2020, to discuss changes to the spring election.The legislature adjourned without taking action on Evers' proposal. Evers issued another executive order on April 6, 2020, calling on the state legislature to convene a special session on April 7, 2020, again to consider changes to the state's spring election. The legislature again adjourned without taking action on Evers' proposal. The legislature convened for another special session on April 14, 2020. The legislature adjourned on May 13, 2020.[29] 2019 See also:2019 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2019 state legislative sessions In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 7, 2019, through December 31, 2019. 2018 See also:2018 Wisconsin legislative session andDates of 2018 state legislative sessions In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 16, 2018, through March 22, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, clickhere. 2017 See also:Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2017, through December 31, 2017. The legislature began a special session on August 1, 2017, over a tax incentive package for Foxconn. Click [show] to read about the 2017 session. Lawmakers in Wisconsin failed to pass a state budget by the start of the state’s new fiscal year on July 1.[30] The missed deadline, however, was not out of the ordinary in Wisconsin. Between 1997 and 2017, the state passed only three budgets by July 1.[31] In Wisconsin, spending levels from the previous two-year budget stay in effect until a new budget passes, allowing state agencies to continue operating and sparing citizens from most effects of a government shutdown. If the budget were to continue to be ironed out months down the road, some projects could be delayed and local school districts would be in the position of setting budgets without knowing how much state funding will be available.[30] The Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a motion on September 5 that led to budget negotiations moving forward in the legislature. The plan, which was passed by the committee on a 12-4 party-line vote, put $400 million towards transportation. GovernorScott Walker’s (R) budget proposal had $500 million going into transportation. The committee's plan also included a state registration fee of $100 for electric vehicles and $75 for hybrid vehicles. On September 6, the full $76 billion budget passed in the finance committee. The state Assembly approved the budget in a 57-39 vote on September 12, and the state Senate approved it on September 15. Until the afternoon of September 15 it was unclear if Republicans would have the 17 votes required to pass the bill. However, after a three-hour recess, senators returned to the floor with Republicans suggesting that they have the votes needed for the votes to pass.[32] The bill passed the Senate on a 19-14 vote.[33] Governor Walker made 99 vetoes to the bill before signing it on September 21, exercising Wisconsin's line-item veto power that extends to individual words, exceeding the power of most state governors.[34] Throughout Wisconsin's 2017 legislative session, Republicans in the state Senate and state Assembly disagreed on how to fund road projects, how to increase funding for K-12 schools, and how to cut taxes. Assembly SpeakerRobin Vos (R) said on Wisconsin Public Radio, "If you're not willing to raise the revenues, it's not conservative to borrow and spend, which is unfortunately what it seems like our Senate colleagues are talking about."[35] On September 14, members of the state Assembly voted in 64-31 favor of a $3 billion tax incentive package aimed at bringing a Taiwanese LCD flat screen factory to southeast Wisconsin.[36] That vote sent the bill to the desk of Gov. Walker, who signed the bill not long after.[37] Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd., which trades as Foxconn Technology Group, looked to build a $10 billion campus in Southeast Wisconsin. Foxconn announced in October 2017 that the factory would be built inMount Pleasant inRacine County.[38] The new factory was projected to bring up to 13,000 jobs to the area by 2021. Salaries would start at $41,600 a year and would average $53,900. The deal would allow Foxconn to receive up to $1.35 billion after a full investment has been made into the plant and equipment. Another $1.5 billion would be given to Foxconn after the company begins to employ workers.[39] A report by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau found that it could take 25 years for the state to break even financially on the deal.[40][41] Foxconn is also looking at Dane County for a second campus. 2016 See also:Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 12 through March 15. 2015 See also:Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 5 through December 31. Major issues in 2015 Like many states, the issue that topped the Wisconsin State Legislature's to-do list was the state's budget. Wisconsin faced a $2.2 million budget shortfall, and lawmakers were forced to address the issue before any other projects. The Republican agenda also focused on reducing the size of government, tax cuts, entitlement reform, and school accountability. The Democrats, on the other hand, emphasized their interest in raising the minimum wage and income inequality. 2014 See also:Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 14 through June 4. Major issues in 2014 Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included income tax, public school funding, health care, and jobs.[42] 2013 See also:Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 7 to December 31. Major issues in 2013 Following the extreme polarization of the previous two years, Gov.Scott Walker (R) said he would push for a more moderate agenda in 2013. Alongside the creation of a new budget, main issues included job creation, workforce development, tax cuts, education reform, and transportation infrastructure.[43] 2012 See also:Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 10 through March 16 with a return for limited business on April 24. Major issues in 2012 With potential recalls ofGovernorScott Walker (R),Lieutenant GovernorRebecca Kleefisch (R) andfour Republican state senators, debate on major legislation was expected to be limited. Going into the session, Republican leaders said they were focused on passing bills on only four main issues - clearing the way for an ore mine in northern Wisconsin, easing laws regarding development on wetlands, environmental regulation, and creating a venture capital fund to help start-up businesses.[44] The six recalls dominated the session. Ultimately on June 5, 2012, recalls against the Governor, Lt. Governor, andthree of the state senators were unsuccessful. The fourth recall, that againstVan Wanggaard, went to a recount. Wanggaard was defeated, giving Democrats control of the Senate. 2011 See also:Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions In 2011, the legislature adjourned a special session at the request of GovernorScott Walker (R) on January 4, 2011. The special session was called to consider legislation regarding tax credits, tort law, medical savings accounts, other legislation relating to taxation, and the budget repair bill. The legislature's special session was ongoing. The regular session began on January 11. An extraordinary session was called by the legislature from June 13-30, with another extraordinary session held from July 19-29.[45] 2010 See also:Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions In 2010, the legislature convened its legislative session on January 19, and it ended its last scheduled floor-period on April 22.[46]

About legislative sessions in Wisconsin

TheTenth Amendment of theU.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[47] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions,legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Article IV of the Wisconsin Constitution contains provisions related to the meeting of theWisconsin State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part. Section 11 of Article IV states that the times for regular sessions are to be provided by law. Section 11 also states that theGovernor of Wisconsin has the power to call the Legislature into special session.

Legislative roles and procedures

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includesveto overrides,the role of the legislature in the state budget, andprocedures for filling membership vacancies.

Veto overrides

See also:Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Wisconsin are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.

Authority:Article V, Section 10 of theWisconsin Constitution.

Role in state budget

See also:Wisconsin state budget and finances

Wisconsinon

Check outBallotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets •Civil liberties •Education •Elections •Energy •Environment •Healthcare •Pensions

Wisconsin operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[48]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies inJune.
2. State agencies submit budget requests inSeptember.
3. Thegovernor submits his or her proposed budget to theWisconsin State Legislature inJanuary or February.
4. The legislature adopts a budget inJune or July. A simple majority is needed to pass a budget.
5. The biennial budget cycle beginsJuly 1.

Wisconsin is one of 44 states in which the governor hasline item veto authority.^[48][49]

The governor is constitutionally and statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. In addition, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.^[48]

Committees

See also:List of committees in Wisconsin state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Wisconsin State Senate has 10 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process forreferring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states,initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are alsomany other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Wisconsin Constitution can be amended:

See also:Article XII of the Wisconsin Constitution andLaws governing ballot measures in Wisconsin

Article XII of theWisconsin Constitution provides two methods of amendment:

• Alegislatively referred constitutional amendment may be proposed to the voters if approved by a simple majority of both chambers of theWisconsin State Legislature in two legislative sessions.

• If an amendment is approved by a majority in both chambers of the Legislature in one session, that proposed amendment must then be considered by the state legislature chosen at the next general election in the state.
• Before that second legislative session, the proposed amendment that will be considered must be published for three months prior to the election.
• Should the amendment be approved by a simple majority of the second session that considers it, the proposed amendment is then placed on a statewide ballot at a special or general election.
• If it is approved by a simple majority of the state's electorate, it becomes part of the constitution.

• Constitutional conventions can also be used to propose amendments to the state's constitution.

• If a simple majority of both houses of theWisconsin State Legislature votes in favor, aconstitutional convention question is placed on a statewide ballot.
• If the electors of the state agree by a simple majority to call a constitutional convention, then the legislature needs to convene a convention during its next session.

Wisconsin citizens do not have the power of amending the constitution throughinitiated constitutional amendments.

See also

Elections	Wisconsin State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2026 Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2024 Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2022 Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2020 Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2018	Wisconsin State Legislature Wisconsin State Assembly Governor of Wisconsin Wisconsin Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2026 State legislative elections, 2025 State legislative elections, 2024 State legislative elections, 2023 State legislative elections, 2022 State legislative elections, 2021 State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2019	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links

• Wisconsin State Senate

Footnotes

	v • e State ofWisconsin Madison (capital)
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Government	Who represents me? |U.S. President |U.S. Congress |Federal courts |State executives |State legislature |State and local courts |Counties |Cities |School districts |Public policy