AJR45: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-3669/1

PJD:skg:jlb

1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 45

May 23, 1995 - Introduced by Representatives Owens, Ladwig, Baldus, Kelso, Hahn, Otte, Kaufert, Ainsworth, Olsen, Seratti, F. Lasee, Boyle, Wilder and Hasenohrl. Referred to Committee on Elections and Constitutional Law.

AJR45,1,3 To amend sections 4, 5 and 26 (2) (b) of article IV; and to create section 17 of article XIV of the constitution; relating to: terms of office of members of the senate and assembly (first consideration).

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Presently the constitution provides that representatives to the assembly are elected to 2-year terms and state senators are elected to staggered 4-year terms.

This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 1995 legislature on first consideration, provides that representatives to the assembly are elected to staggered 4-year terms and senators to staggered 6-year terms. The changes to the length of terms first apply to the terms for which the election in November 2000 is held.

As a constitutional amendment, the proposal requires adoption by 2 successive legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.

AJR45,1,4 Resolved by the assembly, the Senate concurring, That:

AJR45, s. 1 Section 1. Section 4 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:

AJR45,2,2 [Article IV] Section 4. The members of the assembly shall be chosen biennially, by single elected from single-member districts . The assembly districts shall be numbered in the regular series, and the representatives shall be chosen, alternately from the odd-numbered and even-numbered districts, for the term of 4 years, on the Tuesday succeeding after the first Monday of November in even-numbered years, by the qualified electors of the several districts, such districts to be bounded by county, precinct, town or ward lines, to consist of contiguous territory and be in as compact form as practicable.

AJR45, s. 2 Section 2. Section 5 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:

AJR45,2,11 [Article IV] Section 5. The senators shall be elected by single from single-member districts of convenient contiguous territory, at the same time and in the same manner as members of the assembly are required to be chosen; and no assembly district shall be divided in the formation of a senate district whole assembly districts. The senate districts shall be numbered in the regular series, and one-third of the senators shall be chosen alternately from the odd and even-numbered districts in each even-numbered year, for the term of 4 6 years, on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November.

AJR45, s. 3 Section 3. Section 26 (2) (b) of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:

AJR45,2,16 {Article IV] Section 26 (2) (b) Any increase in the compensation of members of the legislature shall take effect, for all senators and representatives to the assembly, after the next general election beginning with the new assembly term biennial session of the legislature.

AJR45, s. 4 Section 4. Section 17 of article XIV of the constitution is created to read:

AJR45,3,7 [Article XIV] Section 17. The changes to the constitution made by this 1995/1997 amendment lengthening the terms of legislators first apply to the election held on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2000, and to the term of office of the members elected at that election. The terms of all senators in office on the day preceding the first Monday of January in 2001 who were elected for terms expiring in January 2003 expire with the end of the day preceding the first Monday of January in 2001. Notwithstanding section 5 of article IV, the terms of senators elected in November 2000 to senate districts 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 shall be for 2 years; the terms of senators elected in November 2000 to districts 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29 and 32 shall be for 4 years; and the terms of senators elected in November 2000 to districts 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30 and 33 shall be for 6 years. Notwithstanding section 4 of article IV, the terms of representatives elected in November 2000 to even-numbered districts shall be for 2 years; and the terms of representatives elected in November 2000 to odd-numbered districts shall be for 4 years.

AJR45, s. 5 Section 5. Numbering of new section. The new section 17 of article XIV of the constitution, created in this joint resolution, shall be designated by the next higher open whole section number in that article if, prior to or simultaneously with the ratification by the people of the amendment proposed in this joint resolution, any other ratified amendment has created a section 17 of article XIV of the constitution of this state. If several ratified amendments simultaneously create a section 17 of article XIV, the chief of the legislative reference bureau shall determine the sequence and the numbering.

AJR45,3,18 Be it further resolved, That this proposed amendment be referred to the legislature to be chosen at the next general election and that it be published for 3 months previous to the time of holding such election.

AJR45,3,19 (End)