The Wisconsin State Assembly is the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Repub ...

. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the

legislative branch A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

of the U.S. state of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. 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 The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The ...

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. The size of the Wisconsin State Senate is tied to the size of the Assembly; it must be between one-fourth and one-third the size of the Assembly. Presently, the Senate has 33 members, with each Senate district formed by combining three neighboring Assembly districts. The Assembly is heavily

gerrymandered In representative democracies, gerrymandering (, originally ) is the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency. The m ...

, with a 54% - 46% Democratic majority in the popular vote translating into a 61 - 38 Republican majority in the Assembly. According to the

Oshkosh Northwestern The ''Oshkosh Northwestern'' is a daily newspaper based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The ''Northwestern'' was owned by the Schwalm and Heaney families until 1998, when it was sold to Ogden Newspapers; Ogden traded the paper to Thomson Newspapers two m ...

, many experts recognise Wisconsin as the most gerrymandered state in the US, a claim rated "Mostly True" by

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. The Assembly chamber is located in the west wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol building, in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th ...

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.'' The case made it to the United States Supreme Court, which vacated and remanded the case. The Supreme Court held that the plaintiff challenging the state assembly map did not have standing to sue. In the Opinion of the Court, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that " federal court is not 'a forum for generalized grievances," and the requirement of such a personal stake 'ensures that courts exercise power that is judicial in nature." ''Gill v. Whitford, 128 S.Ct. 1916 (2018).'' We enforce that requirement by insisting that a plaintiff aveArticle III standing..." Justice Kagan filed a concurring opinion, in which Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, and Sotomayor joined. Justice Thomas filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Gorsuch joined.

Salary and benefits

Wisconsin State Assembly Chairs and Electronic Vote Board

Representatives elected or re-elected in the fall of 2016 receive an annual salary of $50,950. In addition to their salaries, representatives outside Dane County may receive up to $88 per day in living expenses while in

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

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 Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and th ...

, positions on the County

Board of Supervisors A board of supervisors is a governmental body that oversees the operation of county government in the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as 16 counties in New York. There are equivalent agen ...

and the

Milwaukee Common Council The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting liberal politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a strongho ...

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.

Current session

Composition

Assembly officers

Members

The corresponding state senate districts are shown as a senate district is formed by nesting three assembly districts.

Committees

The following is a list of the Assembly Committees: Review of Administrative Rules Aging and Long-Term Care Agriculture Assembly Organization Audit Campaigns and Elections Children and Families Colleges and Universities Constitution and Ethics Consumer Protection Corrections Criminal Justice and Public Safety Education Employment Relations Energy and Utilities Environment Family Law Finance Financial Institutions Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Government Accountability and Oversight Health Housing and Real Estate Insurance Jobs and the Economy Judiciary Labor and Integrated Employment Local Government Mental Health Public Benefit Reform Regulatory Licensing Reform Rules Rural Development Science, Technology, and Broadband Small Business Development Sporting Heritage State Affairs Substance Abuse and Prevention Tourism Transportation Veterans and Military Affairs Ways and Means Workforce Development Speaker's Task Force on Racial Disparities Special Committee on Trade and Supply Chain Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development Subcommittee on Law Enforcement Policies and Standards

Past composition of the Assembly

References

External links

Wisconsin State Assembly
''official government website''
State Assembly of Wisconsin
at Project Vote Smart *
Legislature Salary
{{Authority control State lower houses in the United States