96th Wisconsin Legislature explained

96th Wisconsin Legislature
Body:	Wisconsin Legislature
Before:	95th
After:	97th
Chamber1:	Senate
Membership1:	33
Control1:	Republican
Chamber1 Leader1 Type:	Senate President
Chamber1 Leader1:	Alan Lasee (R)
Chamber2:	Assembly
Membership2:	99
Control2:	Republican
Chamber2 Leader1:	John Gard (R)
Chamber2 Leader2:	Stephen Freese (R)
Session1 Type:	Regular

The Ninety-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and held a concurrent special session from January 30, 2003, to February 20, 2003. They also held seven extraordinary sessions during the term.^[1]

This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to the 2002 federal court decision, Baumgart v. Wendelberger.

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 5, 2002.^[2] Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of their four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 7, 2000.^[3]

Major events

• January 6, 2003: Inauguration of Jim Doyle as the 44th Governor of Wisconsin.
• February 1, 2003: U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, killing all seven crew members aboard.
• March 20, 2003: The United States invaded Iraq, initiating the Iraq War.
• April 1, 2003: 2003 Wisconsin Spring election:
  • Patience D. Roggensack was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed William A. Bablitch.
  • Wisconsin voters ratified an amendment to the state constitution codifying the right to fish, hunt, trap, and take game.
• April 9, 2003: U.S. military forces seized control of Baghdad.
• April 14, 2003: The Human Genome Project was completed.
• May 28, 2003: The U.S. Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 was signed into law.
• July 14, 2003: Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA agent by columnist Robert Novak, initiating a scandal.
• December 8, 2003: The U.S. Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act was signed into law.
• December 13, 2003: Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. military forces in Ad-Dawr, Iraq.
• February 4, 2004: Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University.
• February 29, 2004: Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in a coup d'état.
• March 29, 2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia were admitted to NATO.
• May 17, 2004: Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to issue marriage licenses for Same-sex marriages.
• June 5, 2004: Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan died at his home in Los Angeles, California.
• September 13, 2004: The Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired.
• November 2, 2004: 2004 United States general election:
  • George W. Bush (R) re-elected as President of the United States.
  • Russ Feingold (D) re-elected as United States senator from Wisconsin.
• December 17, 2004: The U.S. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act was signed into law.
• December 26, 2004: The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami resulted in more than 200,000 deaths in southeast Asia.

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	End of previous Legislature		18	15	33	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	Start of Reg. Session ^[4]	13	18	31	2
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From May 9, 2003^[5]	15		33	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Nov. 18, 2003^[6]	14		32	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Nov. 25, 2003^[7]	15		33	0
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	14		19	33	0

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	End of previous Legislature	43		56	99	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	Start of Reg. Session	41	58	99	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Feb. 1, 2003^[8]	40		98	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Apr. 30, 2003^[9]	41		99	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From May 9, 2003^[10]	39		97	2
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Aug. 4, 2003^[11]		59	98	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Aug. 11, 2003^[12]	40		99	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Nov. 25, 2003^[13]	39		98	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	From Feb. 3, 2004^[14]	40		99	0
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	39		60	99	0

Sessions

• Regular session: January 6, 2003January 3, 2005
• January 2003 Special session: January 30, 2003February 20, 2003
• February 2003 Extraordinary session: February 20, 2003February 21, 2003
• July 2003 Extraordinary session: July 1, 2003July 2, 2003
• August 2003 Extraordinary session: August 11, 2003September 25, 2003
• December 2003 Extraordinary session: December 1, 2003February 5, 2004
• March 2004 Extraordinary session: March 11, 2004March 25, 2004
• May 2004 Extraordinary session: May 18, 2004May 19, 2004
• July 2004 Extraordinary session: July 27, 2004July 28, 2004

Leadership

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Alan Lasee (R–Rockland)
• President pro tempore: Robert Welch (R–Redgranite)

Majority leadership (Republican)

• Majority Leader: Mary Panzer (R–West Bend)
• Assistant Majority Leader: David Zien (R–Wheaton)
• Majority Caucus Chairperson: Mary Lazich (R–New Berlin)

Minority leadership (Democratic)

• Minority Leader: Jon Erpenbach (D–Middleton)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Dave Hansen (D–Green Bay)
• Minority Caucus Chairperson: Robert Wirch (D–Pleasant Prairie)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: John Gard (R–Peshtigo)
• Speaker pro tempore: Stephen Freese (R–Jamestown)

Majority leadership (Republican)

• Majority Leader: Steven Foti (R–Oconomowoc)
• Assistant Majority Leader: Jean Hundertmark (R–Larrabee)
• Majority Caucus Chairperson: Daniel P. Vrakas (R–Delafield)
• Majority Caucus Vice Chairperson: Glenn Grothman (R–West Bend)
• Majority Caucus Secretary: Carol Owens (R–Nekimi)
• Majority Caucus Sergeant at Arms: Jerry Petrowski (R–Stettin)

Minority leadership (Democratic)

• Minority Leader: James Kreuser (D–Kenosha)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Jon Richards (D–Milwaukee)
• Minority Caucus Chairperson: Robert L. Turner (D–Racine)
• Minority Caucus Vice Chairperson: Gary Sherman (D–Port Wing)
• Minority Caucus Secretary: Amy Sue Vruwink (D–Milladore)
• Minority Caucus Sergeant at Arms: Jennifer Shilling (D–La Crosse)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Ninety-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature:^[15]

Dist.	Senator	Party	Age (2003)	Home	First elected
01			Rep.		De Pere, Brown County	1977
02			Rep.		Green Bay, Brown County	1987
03			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	2002
04			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1992
05			Rep.		Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County	2002
06			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1980
			Dem.		Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	2003
07	--Vacant until May 9, 2003--
			Dem.		South Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	2003
08			Rep.		River Hills, Milwaukee County	1992
09			Rep.		Sheboygan, Sheboygan County	2002
10			Rep.		River Falls, Pierce County	2000
11			Rep.		Elkhorn, Walworth County	2002
12			Dem.		Eland, Shawano County	1990
13			Rep.		Juneau, Dodge County	1994
14			Rep.		Marion, Waushara County	1995
15			Dem.		Beloit, Rock County	1987
16			Dem.		Monona, Dane County	1984
			Rep.		Richland Center, Richland County	1991
			Rep.		Oshkosh, Winnebago County	1987
			Rep.		Neenah, Winnebago County	1982
			Rep.		West Bend, Washington County	1993
			Rep.		Sturtevant, Racine County	2002
			Dem.		Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha County	1996
			Rep.		Eau Claire, Eau Claire County	1993
	--Vacant until May 9, 2003--
			Dem.		Stevens Point, Portage County	2003
25			Dem.		Poplar, Douglas County	1986
			Dem.		Madison, Dane County	1962
27			Dem.		Middleton, Dane County	1998
			Rep.		New Berlin, Waukesha County	1998
			Dem.		Schofield, Marathon County	1990
			Dem.		Green Bay, Brown County	2000
			Rep.		Eau Claire, Eau Claire County	2002
32			Dem.		La Crosse, La Crosse County	2000
			Rep.		Brookfield, Waukesha County	2001

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Ninety-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature:^[15]

Senate District	Assembly District	Representative	Party	Age (2003)	Residence	First Elected
01				Rep.	align=center		Sister Bay	align=center	2000
	02			Rep.	align=center		Bellevue	align=center	1994
	03			Rep.	align=center		Forest Junction	align=center	1986
02	04			Rep.	align=center		Ashwaubenon	align=center	1998
	05			Rep.	align=center		Green Bay	align=center	2002
	06			Rep.	align=center		Shawano	align=center	1990
03	07			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1983
	08			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1998
	09			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	2002
04	10			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1980
	11			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1992
	12			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1984
05	13			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1990
	14			Rep.	align=center		Wauwatosa	align=center	2002
	15			Dem.	align=center		West Allis	align=center	1996
06	16			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1992
	17			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1982
				Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	2004
	18			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1992
				Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	2003
07	19			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1998
	20			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1998
	21			Dem.	align=center		South Milwaukee	align=center	1996
				Rep.	align=center		South Milwaukee	align=center	2003
08	22			Dem.	align=center		Milwaukee	align=center	1994
	23			Rep.	align=center		Mequon	align=center	2002
	24			Rep.	align=center		Menomonee Falls	align=center	1996
09	25			Dem.	align=center		Manitowoc	align=center	1992
	26			Dem.	align=center		Sheboygan	align=center	2002
	27			Rep.	align=center		Elkhart Lake	align=center	1998
10	28			Rep.	align=center		Hertel	align=center	1998
	29			Dem.	align=center		Menomonie	align=center	1996
	30			Rep.	align=center		Hudson	align=center	1998
11	31			Rep.	align=center		Whitewater	align=center	1990
	32			Rep.	align=center		Williams Bay	align=center	2002
	33			Rep.	align=center		Hartland	align=center	1990
12	34			Rep.	align=center		Eagle River	align=center	2000
	35			Rep.	align=center		Merrill	align=center	2000
	36			Rep.	align=center		Spread Eagle	align=center	1992
13	37			Rep.	align=center		Fort Atkinson	align=center	1992
	38			Rep.	align=center		Oconomowoc	align=center	1982
	39			Rep.	align=center		Horicon	align=center	2000
14	40			Rep.	align=center		Clintonville	align=center	1998
	41			Rep.	align=center		Berlin	align=center	1994
	42			Rep.	align=center		Oxford	align=center	2001
15	43			Rep.	align=center		Janesville	align=center	2002
	44			Dem.	align=center		Janesville	align=center	1976
	45			Dem.	align=center		Beloit	align=center	1998
16	46			Dem.	align=center		Sun Prairie	align=center	1996
	47			Rep.	align=center		Springvale	align=center	1990
	48			Dem.	align=center		Madison	align=center	1998
17	49			Rep.	align=center		Platteville	align=center	2000
	50			Rep.	align=center		Reedsburg	align=center	1991
	51			Rep.	align=center		Dodgeville	align=center	1990
18	52			Rep.	align=center		Fond du Lac	align=center	1998
	53			Rep.	align=center		Oshkosh	align=center	1992
	54			Rep.	align=center		Oshkosh	align=center	1987
19	55			Rep.	align=center		Neenah	align=center	1990
	56			Rep.	align=center		Appleton	align=center	2000
	57			Rep.	align=center		Appleton	align=center	1996
20	58			Rep.	align=center		West Bend	align=center	1993
	59			Rep.	align=center		Cascade	align=center	2002
	60			Rep.	align=center		Port Washington	align=center	2002
21	61			Dem.	align=center		Racine	align=center	1990
	62			Dem.	align=center		Racine	align=center	1996
	63			Rep.	align=center		Mount Pleasant	align=center	1992
22	64			Dem.	align=center		Kenosha	align=center	1993
	65			Dem.	align=center		Pleasant Prairie	align=center	1996
	66			Rep.	align=center		Burlington	align=center	2000
23	67			Rep.	align=center		Chippewa Falls	align=center	2002
	68			Dem.	align=center		Eau Claire	align=center	1998
	69			Rep.	align=center		Abbotsford	align=center	1998
24	70			Dem.	align=center		Milladore	align=center	2002
	71			Dem.	align=center		Stevens Point	align=center	1998
				Dem.	align=center		Stevens Point	align=center	2003
	72			Dem.	align=center		Wisconsin Rapids	align=center	1970
25	73			Dem.	align=center		Superior	align=center	1986
	74			Dem.	align=center		Port Wing	align=center	1998
	75			Dem.	align=center		Rice Lake	align=center	1984
26	76			Dem.	align=center		Madison	align=center	1998
	77			Dem.	align=center		Madison	align=center	1984
	78			Dem.	align=center		Madison	align=center	1998
27	79			Dem.	align=center		Verona	align=center	2002
	80			Rep.	align=center		Albany	align=center	1994
	81			Dem.	align=center		Waunakee	align=center	1978
28	82			Rep.	align=center		Greendale	align=center	1998
	83			Rep.	align=center		Waterford	align=center	1994
	84			Rep.	align=center		New Berlin	align=center	1998
29	85			Dem.	align=center		Wausau	align=center	1988
	86			Rep.	align=center		Marathon	align=center	1998
	87			Rep.	align=center		Medford	align=center	2002
30	88			Rep.	align=center		Green Bay	align=center	2000
	89			Rep.	align=center		Peshtigo	align=center	1987
	90			Rep.	align=center		Green Bay	align=center	2002
31	91			Dem.	align=center		Whitehall	align=center	1982
	92			Rep.	align=center		Black River Falls	align=center	1984
	93			Rep.	align=center		Eau Claire	align=center	1992
32	94			Rep.	align=center		West Salem	align=center	1994
	95			Dem.	align=center		La Crosse	align=center	2000
	96			Rep.	align=center		Eastman	align=center	1984
33	97			Rep.	align=center		Waukesha	align=center	2002
	98			Rep.	align=center		Waukesha	align=center	1992
	99			Rep.	align=center		Hartford	align=center	1988

Changes from the 95th Legislature

The most significant structural change to the Legislature between the 95th and 96th sessions was the reapportionment and redistricting of legislative seats. The new districts were defined in the federal court decision Baumgart v. Wendelberger, from a three-judge panel of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

External links

• Wisconsin State Senate
• Wisconsin State Assembly
• 2003 - 2004 Session from Wisconsin Legislature
  • 2003 - 2004 Assembly Journal
  • 2003 - 2004 Senate Journal

Notes and References

1. Wisconsin Blue Book 2017 - 2018 . Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau . 2017 . 978-0-9752820-9-0 . https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2017_2018/210_historical_lists.pdf . Historical Lists . 646 . December 30, 2021 .
2. Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 . Wisconsin State Elections Board . December 2, 2002 . December 30, 2021 . January 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200112214409/https://elections.wi.gov/sites/elections.wi.gov/files/elec02F_results.pdf . dead .
3. Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2000 . Wisconsin State Elections Board . May 10, 2001 . February 15, 2021 . January 10, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210110070313/https://elections.wi.gov/sites/elections.wi.gov/files/2000_General_Election_Summary_Results.pdf . dead .
4. Democrats Richard Grobschmidt (District 7) and Kevin Shibilski (District 24) resigned before the start of the session to accept executive branch appointments.
5. Democrats Jeffrey Plale (District 7) and Julie Lassa (District 24) replaced Richard Grobschmidt and Kevin Shibilski, respectively.
6. Democrat Gary R. George (District 6) was recalled from office.
7. Democrat Spencer Coggs (District 6) was sworn in to replace Gary R. George.
8. Democrat Antonio R. Riley (District 18) resigned to accept an executive branch appointment.
9. Democrat Lena Taylor (District 18) was sworn in to replace Antonio R. Riley.
10. Democrats Jeffrey Plale (District 21) and Julie Lassa (District 71) resigned after election to the Wisconsin Senate.
11. Republican Mark Honadel (District 21) was sworn in to replace Jeffrey Plale.
12. Democrat Louis Molepske (District 71) was sworn in to replace Julie Lassa.
13. Democrat Spencer Coggs (District 17) resigned after his election to state senate.
14. Democrat Barbara Toles (District 17) was sworn in to replace Spencer Coggs.
15. State of Wisconsin 2003 - 2004 Blue Book . 2003 . . Barish . Lawrence S. . Biographies . 18-86 . January 16, 2024 .