104th Wisconsin Legislature

The One Hundred Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 7, 2019, to January 4, 2021, in regular session, though it adjourned for legislative activity on May 13, 2020. The Legislature also held two extraordinary sessions and six special sessions during the legislative term.

The second year of this legislature was significantly impacted by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin.

Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 6, 2018. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of their four-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 8, 2016.

The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat Tony Evers, of Dane County, serving the first two years of a four-year term, having won election in the 2018 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

• January 7, 2019: Inauguration of Tony Evers as the 46th Governor of Wisconsin.
• January 25, 2019: The U.S. federal government shutdown over funding for President Donald Trump's planned Mexico–United States border wall expansion ended after 35 days without approving new funding for the wall.
• March 23, 2019: The final territory held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was liberated by Syrian Democratic Forces.
• April 2, 2019: 2019 Wisconsin Spring election:
• Brian Hagedorn was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed Shirley Abrahamson.
• October 21, 2019: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider gun control legislation.
• October 27, 2019: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, killed himself during a raid by U.S. Special Forces near Barisha, Syria.
• December 1, 2019: First known human case of COVID-19, in Wuhan, Hubei, China.
• December 18, 2019: The United States House of Representatives voted to impeach U.S. President Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
• January 3, 2020: Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike, near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq.
• January 22, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature.
• February 5, 2020: First case of COVID-19 detected in Wisconsin.
• February 5, 2020: United States Senate voted to acquit U.S. President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
• February 6, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider education funding legislation.
• March 19, 2020: First death from COVID-19 in Wisconsin. (155 cases in Wisconsin, 175 deaths in the United States)
• April 3, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider legislation to push back the spring election and make other election process changes to accommodate safe voting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
• April 6, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider legislation to set a new date for the spring election.
• April 7, 2020: 2020 Wisconsin Spring election:
• Jill Karofsky was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating incumbent Daniel Kelly.
• Wisconsin voters ratified an amendment to the state constitution, establishing additional rights for crime victims (Marsy's Law).
• August 11, 2020: 1,000th death from COVID-19 in Wisconsin. (61,785 cases in Wisconsin, 152,795 deaths in the United States)
• August 23, 2020: Jacob Blake, a black man carrying a knife, was shot four times in the back and three times in the side by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, provoking several days of protests and unrest.
• August 24, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider legislation on police reform.
• August 25, 2020: Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old counter-protester, shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
• September 18, 2020: Caleb Frostman, the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, was fired by Governor Tony Evers due to unemployment claim backlogs.
• September 18, 2020: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, died in Washington, D.C.
• October 2, 2020: U.S. President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
• October 26, 2020: Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
• November 3, 2020: 2020 United States general election:
• Joe Biden (D) elected President of the United States.
• December 11, 2020: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its first approval for emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer–BioNTech)
• December 12, 2020: 4,000th death from COVID-19 in Wisconsin. (434,016 cases in Wisconsin, 281,590 deaths in the United States)
• December 19, 2020: Shirley Abrahamson, the 25th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, died in Berkeley, California.

Major legislation

• March 6, 2020: Act to create 753.0605 of the statutes; relating to: adding 12 circuit court branches to be allocated by the director of state courts. 2019 Wisc. Act 184
• April 15, 2020: Act ... relating to: state government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2019 Wisc. Act 185

Party summary

Senate summary

Assembly summary

Sessions

• Regular session: January 7, 2019January 4, 2021
• February 2019 extraordinary session: February 28, 2019February 28, 2019
• November 2019 special session: November 7, 2019November 7, 2019
• January 2020 special session: January 28, 2020April 16, 2020
• February 2020 special session: February 11, 2020February 25, 2020
• April 2020 special session 1: April 4, 2020April 8, 2020
• April 2020 special session 2: April 7, 2020April 8, 2020
• April 2020 extraordinary session: April 14, 2020April 16, 2020
• August 2020 special session: August 31, 2020December 22, 2020

Leadership

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Roger Roth (R–Appleton)
• President pro tempore: Howard Marklein (R–Spring Green)

Senate majority leadership (Republican)

• Senate Majority Leader: Scott L. Fitzgerald (R–Juneau)
• Assistant Majority Leader: Dan Feyen (R–Fond du Lac)
• Senate Majority Caucus Chair: Van H. Wanggaard (R–Racine)
• Senate Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Patrick Testin (R–Stevens Point)

Senate minority leadership (Democratic)

• Senate Minority Leader: Jennifer Shilling (D–La Crosse)
• Janet Bewley (D)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Janet Bewley (D–Mason)
• Janis Ringhand (D–Evansville)
• Senate Minority Caucus Chair: Mark F. Miller (D–Monona)
• Senate Minority Caucus Vice Chair: Janis Ringhand (D–Evansville)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Robin Vos (R–Burlington)
• Speaker pro tempore: Tyler August (R–Lake Geneva)

Assembly majority leadership (Republican)

• Assembly Majority Leader: Jim Steineke (R–Kaukauna)
• Assistant Majority Leader: Mary Felzkowski (R–Tomahawk)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Chair: Dan Knodl (R–Germantown)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Romaine Quinn (R–Rice Lake)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Secretary: Jessie Rodriguez (R–Oak Creek)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Sergeant-at-Arms: Samantha Kerkman (R–Salem)

Assembly minority leadership (Democratic)

• Assembly Minority Leader: Gordon Hintz (D–Oshkosh)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Dianne Hesselbein (D–Middleton)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Chair: Mark Spreitzer (D–Beloit)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Vice Chair: Steve Doyle (D–Onalaska)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Secretary: Beth Meyers (D–Bayfield)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Sergeant-at-Arms: Christine Sinicki (D–Milwaukee)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the One Hundred Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the One Hundred Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:

Committees

Legislative committees and leadership for the 104th Legislature.

Joint committees

• Joint Legislative Audit Committee (Assembly Co-chair: Samantha Kerkman; Senate Co-chair: Robert Cowles)
• Joint Legislative Council (Assembly Co-chair: Robert Brooks; Senate Co-chair: Roger Roth)
• Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (Assembly Co-chair: Joan Ballweg; Senate Co-chair: Stephen Nass)
• Joint Committee on Employment Relations (Assembly Co-chair: Robin Vos; Senate Co-chair: Roger Roth)
• Joint Committee on Finance (Assembly Co-chair: John Nygren; Senate Co-chair: Alberta Darling)
• Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology (Assembly Co-chair: Dan Knodl; Senate Co-chair: André Jacque)
• Joint Committee on Legislative Organization (Assembly Co-chair: Robin Vos; Senate Co-chair: Roger Roth)
• Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties (Assembly Co-chair: Rob Hutton; Senate Co-chair: Van H. Wanggaard)
• Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems (Assembly Co-chair: Kathy Bernier; Senate Co-chair: Mary Felzkowski)
• Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions (Assembly Co-chair: Tyler August; Senate Co-chair: Dale P. Kooyenga)
• Speaker's Task Force on Water Quality (Chair: Todd Novak)

Senate committees

• Senate Committee on Administrative Rules (Chair: Stephen Nass)
• Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions (Chair: Howard Marklein)
• Senate Committee on Economic Development, Commerce and Trade (Chair: Dan Feyen)
• Senate Committee on Education (Chair: Luther Olsen)
• Senate Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rural Issues (Chair: Kathy Bernier)
• Senate Committee on Finance (Chair: Alberta Darling)
• Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection (Chair: Duey Stroebel)
• Senate Committee on Health and Human Services (Chair: Patrick Testin)
• Senate Committee on Insurance, Financial Services, Government Oversight and Courts (Chair: Dave Craig)
• Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety (Chair: Van H. Wanggaard)
• Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform (Chair: Stephen Nass)
• Senate Committee on Local Government, Small Business, Tourism and Workforce Development (Chair: André Jacque)
• Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy (Chair: Robert Cowles)
• Senate Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations (Chair: Chris Kapenga)
• Senate Committee on Senate Organization (Chair: Scott L. Fitzgerald)
• Senate Committee on Sporting Heritage, Mining and Forestry (Chair: Devin LeMahieu)
• Senate Committee on Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs (Chair: Jerry Petrowski)
• Senate Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families (Chair: Dale P. Kooyenga)
• Senate Committee on Utilities and Housing (Chair: Devin LeMahieu)

Assembly committees

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

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Jeff Renk
• Sergeant at Arms: Ted Blazel

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Patrick Fuller
• Sergeant at Arms: Anne Tonnon Byers

See also

• 2016 Wisconsin elections
• 2016 Wisconsin State Senate election
• 2018 Wisconsin elections
• 2018 Wisconsin State Senate election
• 2018 Wisconsin State Assembly election

Notes

References

External links

• 2019: Related Documents from Wisconsin Legislature