The One Hundred Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 7, 2019, to January 4, 2021, in regular session, though it adjourned for legislative activity on May 13, 2020. The Legislature also held two extraordinary sessions and six special sessions during the legislative term.
The second year of this legislature was significantly impacted by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin.
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 6, 2018. 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 8, 2016.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat Tony Evers, of Dane County, serving the first two years of a four-year term, having won election in the 2018 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Major events January 7, 2019: Inauguration of Tony Evers as the 46th Governor of Wisconsin. January 25, 2019: The U.S. federal government shutdown over funding for President Donald Trump's planned Mexico–United States border wall expansion ended after 35 days without approving new funding for the wall. March 23, 2019: The final territory held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was liberated by Syrian Democratic Forces. April 2, 2019: 2019 Wisconsin Spring election: Brian Hagedorn was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed Shirley Abrahamson. October 21, 2019: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider gun control legislation. October 27, 2019: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, killed himself during a raid by U.S. Special Forces near Barisha, Syria. December 1, 2019: First known human case of COVID-19, in Wuhan, Hubei, China. December 18, 2019: The United States House of Representatives voted to impeach U.S. President Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. January 3, 2020: Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike, near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. January 22, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature. February 5, 2020: First case of COVID-19 detected in Wisconsin. February 5, 2020: United States Senate voted to acquit U.S. President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. February 6, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider education funding legislation. March 19, 2020: First death from COVID-19 in Wisconsin. (155 cases in Wisconsin, 175 deaths in the United States) April 3, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider legislation to push back the spring election and make other election process changes to accommodate safe voting in the COVID-19 pandemic. April 6, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider legislation to set a new date for the spring election. April 7, 2020: 2020 Wisconsin Spring election: Jill Karofsky was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating incumbent Daniel Kelly. Wisconsin voters ratified an amendment to the state constitution, establishing additional rights for crime victims (Marsy's Law). August 11, 2020: 1,000th death from COVID-19 in Wisconsin. (61,785 cases in Wisconsin, 152,795 deaths in the United States) August 23, 2020: Jacob Blake, a black man carrying a knife, was shot four times in the back and three times in the side by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, provoking several days of protests and unrest. August 24, 2020: Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to consider legislation on police reform. August 25, 2020: Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old counter-protester, shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. September 18, 2020: Caleb Frostman, the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, was fired by Governor Tony Evers due to unemployment claim backlogs. September 18, 2020: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, died in Washington, D.C. October 2, 2020: U.S. President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. October 26, 2020: Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. November 3, 2020: 2020 United States general election: Joe Biden (D) elected President of the United States. December 11, 2020: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its first approval for emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer–BioNTech) December 12, 2020: 4,000th death from COVID-19 in Wisconsin. (434,016 cases in Wisconsin, 281,590 deaths in the United States) December 19, 2020: Shirley Abrahamson, the 25th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, died in Berkeley, California.
Major legislation March 6, 2020: Act to create 753.0605 of the statutes; relating to: adding 12 circuit court branches to be allocated by the director of state courts. 2019 Wisc. Act 184 April 15, 2020: Act ... relating to: state government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2019 Wisc. Act 185
Party summary Senate summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalDemocraticRepublicanVacantEnd of previous Legislature 15 18 33 0 Start of Reg. Session 14 19 33 0from May 15, 2020Democrat Jennifer Shilling (32nd district) resigned. 13 32 1from May 18, 2020Republican Tom Tiffany (12th district) resigned due to his election to the United States House of Representatives. 18 31 2 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 12 20 32 1
Assembly summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalDemocraticRepublicanVacantEnd of previous Legislature 35 64 99 0 Start of Reg. Session 36 63 99 0 From Jan. 8, 2019Democrat Peter W. Barca (Assembly District 64) resigned after he was appointed Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. 35 98 1 From May 13, 2019Democrat Tip McGuire replaced Peter W. Barca (Assembly District 64). 36 99 0 From Jun. 18, 2020Democrat David Crowley (Assembly District 17) resigned after he was elected Milwaukee County Executive. 35 98 1 From Jul. 31, 2020Democrat Chris Taylor (Assembly District 76) resigned after she was appointed Wisconsin circuit court judge in Dane County. 34 97 2 From Dec. 2, 2020Republican John Nygren (Assembly District 89) resigned. 62 96 3 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 38 60 98 1
Sessions Regular session: January 7, 2019January 4, 2021 February 2019 extraordinary session: February 28, 2019February 28, 2019 November 2019 special session: November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 January 2020 special session: January 28, 2020April 16, 2020 February 2020 special session: February 11, 2020February 25, 2020 April 2020 special session 1: April 4, 2020April 8, 2020 April 2020 special session 2: April 7, 2020April 8, 2020 April 2020 extraordinary session: April 14, 2020April 16, 2020 August 2020 special session: August 31, 2020December 22, 2020
Leadership Senate leadership President of the Senate: Roger Roth (R–Appleton) President pro tempore: Howard Marklein (R–Spring Green)
Senate majority leadership (Republican) Senate Majority Leader: Scott L. Fitzgerald (R–Juneau) Assistant Majority Leader: Dan Feyen (R–Fond du Lac) Senate Majority Caucus Chair: Van H. Wanggaard (R–Racine) Senate Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Patrick Testin (R–Stevens Point)
Senate minority leadership (Democratic) Senate Minority Leader: Jennifer Shilling (D–La Crosse) Janet Bewley (D) Assistant Minority Leader: Janet Bewley (D–Mason) Janis Ringhand (D–Evansville) Senate Minority Caucus Chair: Mark F. Miller (D–Monona) Senate Minority Caucus Vice Chair: Janis Ringhand (D–Evansville)
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: Mary Felzkowski (R–Tomahawk) Assembly Majority Caucus Chair: Dan Knodl (R–Germantown) Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Romaine Quinn (R–Rice Lake) Assembly Majority Caucus Secretary: Jessie Rodriguez (R–Oak Creek) Assembly Majority Caucus Sergeant-at-Arms: Samantha Kerkman (R–Salem)
Assembly minority leadership (Democratic) Assembly Minority Leader: Gordon Hintz (D–Oshkosh) Assistant Minority Leader: Dianne Hesselbein (D–Middleton) Assembly Minority Caucus Chair: Mark Spreitzer (D–Beloit) Assembly Minority Caucus Vice Chair: Steve Doyle (D–Onalaska) Assembly Minority Caucus Secretary: Beth Meyers (D–Bayfield) Assembly Minority Caucus Sergeant-at-Arms: Christine Sinicki (D–Milwaukee)
Members Members of the Senate Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the One Hundred Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:
Dist. Senator Party Age(2019) Home Firstelected 01 Rep. De Pere, Brown County 2018 02 Rep. Green Bay, Brown County 1987 03 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 2002 04 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 2004 05 Rep. Brookfield, Waukesha County 2018 06 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 2016 07 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 2010 08 Rep. River Hills, Milwaukee County 1992 09 Rep. Oostburg, Sheboygan County 2014 10 Dem. Somerset, St. Croix County 2018 11 Rep. La Grange, Walworth County 2014 12 Rep. Little Rice, Oneida County 2012 --Vacant since May 18, 2020-- 13 Rep. Juneau, Dodge County 1994 14 Rep. Ripon, Fond du Lac County 2004 15 Dem. Evansville, Rock County 2014 16 Dem. Monona, Dane County 2004 17 Rep. Spring Green, Sauk County 2014 18 Rep. Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County 2016 19 Rep. Appleton, Outagamie County 2014 20 Rep. Saukville, Ozaukee County 2015 21 Rep. Racine, Racine County 2010 22 Dem. Somers, Kenosha County 1996 23 Rep. Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County 2018 24 Rep. Stevens Point, Portage County 2016 25 Dem. Mason, Bayfield County 2014 26 Dem. Madison, Dane County 1962 27 Dem. Middleton, Dane County 1998 28 Rep. Big Bend, Waukesha County 2016 29 Rep. Marathon, Marathon County 2012 30 Dem. Green Bay, Brown County 2000 31 Dem. Eau Claire, Eau Claire County 2018 32 Dem. La Crosse, La Crosse County 2011 --Vacant from May 15, 2020-- 33 Rep. Delafield, Waukesha County 2015
Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the One Hundred Fourth Wisconsin Legislature: