How the Senate Works
The Senate VS The Assembly, and Positions Within
Senate
Has 33 Members
Senators are elected for four-year terms.
How are they divided?
The Senate is the upper house
of Wisconsin’s bicameral (having two distinct
branches or chambers) legislature.
Each Senate district is made up of three
Assembly districts.
Every member of the legislature must establish residence in their respective district.
Assembly
Has 99 Members
Assembly members are elected for two-year terms
After each November general election, the majority and minority caucus’ elect their leaders.
The majority caucus elects the Majority Leader and Assistant Majority Leader, and selects nominees to be elected by the full body to be President and President Pro Tempore. The minority caucus elects the Minority Leader and Assistant Minority Leader. This typically takes place after the November general election in preparation for the upcoming Legislative Session.
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Majority Leader
The Majority Leader serves as the chairperson of the Committee on Senate Organization and floor leader of their party. Through the Committee on Senate Organization they oversee the general operations of the Senate, and set the calendar of proposals to come before the body. The Majority Leader also appoints committee chairs, and the majority party members of committees.
Minority Leader
The Minority Leader is the floor leader for the minority party, and serves as the ranking member of the Committee on Senate Organization. The Minority Leader nominates the ranking members and minority party members of committees.
Senate President
The Senate President is the presiding officer during Senate Session and authenticates the acts, orders, and proceedings of the Senate. They also are a member of the Committee on Senate Organization, and the Co-Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. While presiding the President’s duties include: enforcing order and decorum in the senate chamber, announcing the business before the Senate in the order in which it is to be acted upon, and putting to a vote all questions that are regularly moved, or that necessarily arise in the course of proceedings.
Assistant Majority Leader
The Assistant Majority Leader is a member of the Committee on Senate Organization, and serves as the floor leader of their party in the absence of the Majority Leader.
Assistant Minority Leader
The Assistant Minority Leader is a member of the Committee on Senate Organization and serves as the floor leader of their party in the absence of the Minority Leader.
President Pro Tempore
The President Pro Tempore serves as the presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the Senate President, or when the President goes to the floor in order to debate as a Senator. Pro tempore is a Latin term meaning "for the time being,”
The senators and representatives draft bills to send to the Governor for enactment into law. The Senate and Assembly must pass the same bill before the Legislature may send the bill to the Governor. The Governor can then enact the bill into law or veto the bill. As a check on the executive branch, the Legislature can override a veto with two-thirds support in each house.
One unique power of the Senate is that it has the power to confirm the Governor’s appointment of non-elected state officials to Boards and Commissions. After a committee hearing and votes on the appointments, the full Senate will vote on confirmation of the appointment.