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Wisconsin Legislative SpotlightMaintained by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB), this page provides an overview of recent and upcoming activities in the Wisconsin Legislature. The LRB revises its content weekly during legislative floorperiods and less often when the legislature is not in session. Links to more detailed information are highlighted in the text. |
Session. The 2005 Wisconsin Legislature completed its last general business floorperiod on Wednesday, May 31, 2006, pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1. SJR-1 establishes the 2005-2006 Session Schedule. The session does not officially end until the inauguration of the 2007 Legislature on January 3, 2007. There are no more scheduled regular floorperiods until that time.
Action on Bills. The governor has acted upon 538 bills passed by both houses of the legislature, signing 491 into law, vetoing 47, and partially vetoing 2. View the Acts and veto messages on the Wisconsin Legislature’s Web site.
Seventeen of the 33 seats in the state Senate and all 99 Assembly seats will be on the general election ballot on November 7, 2006. Also to be decided are all eight members of the state’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the state’s two seats in the U.S. Senate, and all state constitutional officers except the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Attorney General). The Legislative Reference Bureau has released Wisconsin Brief 06-14 listing the candidates for state and federal office in the general election.
On October 5, the Elections Board certified Robert Dobbs, a member of the Manitowoc County Board of Supervisors, as a write-in candidate for the 2nd Assembly District seat held by Representative Frank Lasee (R-Bellevue.)
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau recently released a report on school finance.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue recently released the report: Wisconsin Economic Outlook.
There is one constitutional amendment to be considered by the Wisconsin electorate at the November 7, 2006 general election.
2005 Senate Joint Resolution 53 (Enrolled Joint Resolution 30) provides that only a marriage between one man and one woman is valid or recognized as a marriage in Wisconsin, and that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals is also not valid or recognized in Wisconsin.
Also on the November 7, 2006 ballot will be an advisory referendum regarding the death penalty in Wisconsin. 2005 Senate Joint Resolution 5 (Enrolled Joint Resolution 58) provides the advisory question: "Should the death penalty be enacted in the State of Wisconsin for cases involving a person who is convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, if the conviction is supported by DNA evidence?"
Study committees are established by the Joint Legislative Council to examine major issues and problems identified by the Legislature. The study committees are made up of legislators and citizens who are interested in or knowledgeable about the study topic. Among the special committees established for the 2006 interim are those relating to: Review of the State School Aid Formula, Affirmative Action, Charter Schools, Disaster Preparedness Planning, Nuclear Power, the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact, the Placement of Sex Offenders, Review of Crimes Against Children, and Strengthening Wisconsin’s Families. Information about the committees, including their membership, schedule of meetings and agendas, minutes of meetings, and related publications may be accessed on the Wisconsin Legislative Council’s Web site.
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Last revised: October 22, 2012