102nd Wisconsin Legislature explained

102nd Wisconsin Legislature
Body:	Wisconsin Legislature
Before:	101st
After:	103rd
Chamber1:	Senate
Membership1:	33
Control1:	Republican
Chamber1 Leader1 Type:	Senate President
Chamber1 Leader1:	Mary Lazich (R)
Chamber1 Leader2:	Rick Gudex (R)
Chamber2:	Assembly
Membership2:	99
Control2:	Republican
Chamber2 Leader1:	Robin Vos (R)
Session1 Type:	Regular

The One Hundred Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 5, 2015, through January 4, 2017, in regular session, though it adjourned for legislative activity on May 18, 2016.^[1]

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 4, 2014. 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 6, 2012.

Major events

• January 5, 2015: Second inauguration of Scott Walker as Governor of Wisconsin.
• April 7, 2015: 2015 Wisconsin Spring election:
  • Wisconsin voters ratified an amendment to the state constitution, changing the rules for selecting the chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• April 29, 2015: Utilizing the recently passed constitutional amendment, Patience D. Roggensack became the 26th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by a majority vote of the court's members.
• June 26, 2015: The United States Supreme Court published their decision in the case Obergefell v. Hodges, establishing the right to marriage for same-sex couples.
• September 21, 2015: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice died.
• October 12, 2015: Wisconsin governor Scott Walker appointed Rebecca Bradley to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed
• July 31, 2016: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice David Prosser Jr. resigned.
• August 1, 2016: Wisconsin governor Scott Walker appointed Daniel Kelly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed
• October 12, 2016: Wisconsin state senator Rick Gudex died in office.
• November 8, 2016: 2016 United States general election:
  • Donald Trump (R) elected President of the United States.
  • Ron Johnson (R) re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.

Major legislation

• July 13, 2015: An Act relating to: state finances and appropriations, constituting the executive budget act of the 2015 legislature, 2015 Act 55.
• December 17, 2015: An Act relating to: reorganizing the Government Accountability Board, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and making appropriations, 2015 Act 118. Abolished the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board and replaced it with the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	End of previous Legislature	15		16	31	2
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	Start of Reg. Session^[2]	14		18	32	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Apr. 15, 2015^[3]			19	33	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Jul. 17, 2015^[4]			18	32	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Aug. 6, 2015^[5]			19	33	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Oct. 12, 2016^[6]			18	32	1
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	13		20	33	0

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	End of previous Legislature	39		60	99	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	Start of Reg. Session	36		63	99	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Aug. 6, 2015^[7]			62	98	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Oct. 9, 2015^[8]			63	99	0
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	35		64	99	0

Sessions

• Regular session: January 5, 2015January 4, 2017

Leadership

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Mary Lazich (R - New Berlin)
• President pro tempore: Rick Gudex (R - Fond du Lac)

Senate majority leadership (Republican)

• Senate Majority Leader: Scott L. Fitzgerald (R - Juneau)
• Assistant Majority Leader: Paul Farrow (R - Pewaukee)
  • Leah Vukmir (R - Wauwatosa)
• Senate Majority Caucus Chair: Sheila Harsdorf (R - River Falls)
• Senate Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Van H. Wanggaard (R - Racine)

Senate minority leadership (Democratic)

• Senate Minority Leader: Jennifer Shilling (D - La Crosse)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Dave Hansen (D - Green Bay)
• Senate Minority Caucus Chair: Julie Lassa (D - Stevens Point)
• Senate Minority Caucus Vice Chair: Kathleen Vinehout (D - Alma)

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: Dan Knodl (R - Germantown)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Chair: John Murtha (R - Baldwin)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Lee Nerison (R - Westby)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Secretary: Jessie Rodriguez (R - Franklin)
• Assembly Majority Caucus Sergeant-at-Arms: Samantha Kerkman (R - Salem)

Assembly minority leadership (Democratic)

• Assembly Minority Leader: Peter Barca (D - Kenosha)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Katrina Shankland (D - Stevens Point)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Chair: Andy Jorgensen (D - Fort Atkinson)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Vice Chair: JoCasta Zamarripa (D - Milwaukee)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Secretary: Beth Meyers (D - Bayfield)
• Assembly Minority Caucus Sergeant-at-Arms: Josh Zepnick (D - Milwaukee)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the One Hundred Second Wisconsin Legislature:^[9]

Dist.	Senator	Party	Age (2015)	Home	First elected
			Rep.		Ledgeview, Brown County	2010
			Rep.		Green Bay, Brown County	1987
03			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	2002
			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	2004
			Rep.		Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County	2010
			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	2012
			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	2010
			Rep.		River Hills, Milwaukee County	1992
			Rep.		Oostburg, Sheboygan County	2014
			Rep.		River Falls, Pierce County	2000
			Rep.		La Grange, Walworth County	2014
			Rep.		Little Rice, Oneida County	2012
			Rep.		Juneau, Dodge County	1994
			Rep.		Ripon, Fond du Lac County	2004
			Dem.		Evansville, Rock County	2014
			Dem.		Monona, Dane County	2004
			Rep.		Spring Green, Sauk County	2014
			Rep.		Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County	2012
	--Vacant from Oct. 12, 2016--
			Rep.		Appleton, Outagamie County	2014
	--Vacant until Apr. 15, 2015--
			Rep.		Saukville, Ozaukee County	2015
			Rep.		Racine, Racine County	2010
			Dem.		Somers, Kenosha County	1996
			Rep.		Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County	2010
			Dem.		Stevens Point, Portage County	2003
25			Dem.		Mason, Bayfield County	2014
			Dem.		Madison, Dane County	1962
27			Dem.		Middleton, Dane County	1998
			Rep.		New Berlin, Waukesha County	1998
			Rep.		Marathon, Marathon County	2012
			Dem.		Green Bay, Brown County	2000
			Dem.		Alma, Buffalo County	2006
32			Dem.		La Crosse, La Crosse County	2011
			Rep.		Pewaukee, Waukesha County	2012
			Rep.		Delafield, Waukesha County	2015

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the One Hundred Second Wisconsin Legislature:^[9]

Senate District	Assembly District	Representative	Party	Age (2015)	Home	First Elected
01	01			Rep.		Sturgeon Bay	2014
	02			Rep.		De Pere	2010
	03			Rep.		Brillion	1986
02	04			Rep.		Howard	2014
	05			Rep.		Kaukauna	2010
	06			Rep.		Bonduel	2006
03	07			Dem.		Milwaukee	2012
	08			Dem.		Milwaukee	2010
	09			Dem.		Milwaukee	2002
04	10			Dem.		Milwaukee	2014
	11			Dem.		Milwaukee	2012
	12			Dem.		Milwaukee	1960
05	13			Rep.		Brookfield	2012
	14			Rep.		Brookfield	2010
	15			Rep.		New Berlin	2012
06	16			Dem.		Milwaukee	1992
	17			Dem.		Milwaukee	2012
	18			Dem.		Milwaukee	2012
07	19			Dem.		Milwaukee	1998
	20			Dem.		Bay View	1998
	21			Rep.		Franklin	2013
08	22			Rep.		Menomonee Falls	2014
	23			Rep.		Mequon	2006
	24			Rep.		Germantown	2008
09	25			Rep.		Manitowoc	2012
	26			Rep.		Oostburg	2014
	27			Rep.		Plymouth	2014
10	28			Rep.		Balsam Lake	2014
	29			Rep.		Baldwin	2006
	30			Rep.		Hudson	2010
11	31			Rep.		Clinton	2010
	32			Rep.		Lake Geneva	2010
	33			Rep.		Mukwonago	2014
12	34			Rep.		Rhinelander	2012
	35			Rep.		Birch	2012
	36			Rep.		Crivitz	2004
13	37			Rep.		Watertown	2012
	38			Rep.		Oconomowoc	2004
	39			Rep.		Beaver Dam	2012
14	40			Rep.		Waupaca	2006
	41			Rep.		Markesan	2004
	42			Rep.		Lodi	2008
15	43			Dem.		Fort Atkinson	2006
	44			Dem.		Janesville	2012
	45			Dem.		Beloit	2014
16	46			Dem.		Sun Prairie	2004
	47			Dem.		Monona	2012
	48			Dem.		Madison	2012
17	49			Rep.		Cuba City	2010
	50			Rep.		Reedsburg	2008
	51			Rep.		Dodgeville	2014
18	52			Rep.		Fond du Lac	2010
	53			Rep.		Oshkosh	2008
	54			Dem.		Oshkosh	2006
19	55			Rep.		Neenah	2014
	56			Rep.		Greenville	2012
	57			Dem.		Appleton	2014
20	58			Rep.		Slinger	2014
	59			Rep.		Kewaskum	2014
	60			Rep.		Saukville	2014
21	61			Rep.		Salem	2000
	62			Rep.		Caledonia	2012
	63			Rep.		Burlington	2004
22	64			Dem.		Kenosha	1993
	65			Dem.		Kenosha	2012
	66			Dem.		Racine	2006
23	67			Rep.		Colfax	2010
	68			Rep.		Chippewa Falls	2010
	69			Rep.		Stratford	2013
24	70			Rep.		Tomah	2014
	71			Dem.		Stevens Point	2012
	72			Rep.		Rome	2010
25	73			Dem.		Parkland	2008
	74			Dem.		Bayfield	2014
	75			Rep.		Rice Lake	2014
26	76			Dem.		Madison	2011
	77			Dem.		Madison	1998
	78			Dem.		Madison	2014
27	79			Dem.		Middleton	2012
	80			Dem.		Cross Plains	2002
	81			Dem.		Baraboo	2014
28	82			Rep.		Franklin	2013
	83			Rep.		Big Bend	2011
	84			Rep.		New Berlin	2010
29	85			Rep.		Wausau	2014
	86			Rep.		Marshfield	2012
	87			Rep.		True	2014
30	88			Rep.		De Pere	2014
	89			Rep.		Marinette	2006
	90			Dem.		Green Bay	2012
31	91			Dem.		Eau Claire	2008
	92			Dem.		Trempealeau	2008
	93			Rep.		Eleva	2010
32	94			Dem.		Onalaska	2011
	95			Dem.		La Crosse	2011
	96			Rep.		Westby	2004
33	97			Rep.		Waukesha	2014
	98			Rep.		Pewaukee	2013
	99			Rep.		Delafield	2010
				Rep.		Delafield	2015

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Jeffrey Renk
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Edward A. Blazel

Assembly employees

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

External links

• 2015: Related Documents from Wisconsin Legislature

Notes and References

1. State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2023–2024 . 2023 . . 978-1-7333817-2-7 . https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2023_2024/180_historical_lists.pdf . Historical Lists . 492–493, 496, 501, 513–514 . December 23, 2023 .
2. Republican Glenn Grothman (20th district) resigned before the start of the session due to his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
3. Republican Duey Stroebel (20th district) was sworn in to succeed Glenn Grothman.
4. Republican Paul Farrow (33rd district) resigned after his election as county executive.
5. Republican Chris Kapenga (33rd district) was sworn in to succeed Paul Farrow.
6. Republican Rick Gudex (18th district) died.
7. Republican Chris Kapenga (99th district) resigned after his election to the state senate.
8. Republican Cindi Duchow (99th district) was sworn in to succeed Chris Kapenga.
9. State of Wisconsin 2015 - 2016 Blue Book . 2015 . . 978-0-9752820-7-6 . Pohlman . Julie . Lemanski . Lynn . https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2015_2016/200_biographies.pdf . Biographies . 18–86 . February 4, 2024 .