LRB-2771/2
PJD:kmg:kaf
1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE
September 20, 1995 - Introduced by Representatives Wasserman, Handrick, Ryba,
F. Lasee and Wilder. Referred to Committee on Elections and Constitutional
Law.
AJR56,1,81
To amend so as in effect
to repeal sections 5 and 19 of article IV and section 6 of
2article XIII;
to renumber and amend section 9 of article IV;
to amend 3sections 1 to 4, 7, 8, 10, 14, 17 (1), 20, 22, 23, 25, 26 (2) (b) and (3) and 30 of article
4IV, sections 3, 4 and 10 (2) of article V, section 2 of article VI, sections 1 and 13
5of article VII, sections 6, 7 (2) (e) and (g) and 8 of article VIII, sections 1 and 2
6of article XII and section 10 (2) of article XIII; and
to create section 9 (2) of
7article IV and section 17 of article XIV of the constitution;
relating to: the
8establishment of a unicameral legislature (first consideration).
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 1995 legislature on first
consideration, transforms the Wisconsin legislature from a bicameral legislature
that consists of an assembly and a senate into a unicameral legislature that consists
of only one house, beginning with the legislature elected at the general election in
2002.
The unicameral legislature will have 75 members elected from single-member
districts on a nonpartisan basis for staggered 4-year terms.
Under the constitution presently, the assembly has the power of impeachment
and the senate is the court for the trial of impeachments. Under this proposal, the
legislature has the power of impeachment and is the court for the trial of
impeachments.
As a constitutional amendment, the proposal requires adoption by 2 successive
legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.
AJR56,2,1
1Resolved by the assembly, the Senate concurring, That:
AJR56, s. 1
2Section
1. Section 1 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,2,43
[Article IV] Section 1
. The legislative power shall be vested in
a senate and
4assembly the legislature consisting of one chamber.
AJR56, s. 2
5Section
2. Section 2 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,2,96
[Article IV] Section 2.
The
number of the members of the assembly legislature 7shall
never be less than fifty-four nor more than one hundred. The senate shall 8consist of
a number not more than one-third nor less than one-fourth of the number
9of the 75 members
of the assembly.
AJR56, s. 3
10Section
3. Section 3 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,2,1411
[Article IV] Section 3.
At its first session after each enumeration made by the
12authority of the United States, the legislature shall apportion and district anew the
13members of the senate and assembly legislative districts, according to the number
14of inhabitants.
AJR56, s. 4
15Section
4. Section 4 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,3,216
[Article IV] Section 4.
The members of the
assembly legislature shall be chosen
17biennially, by single districts
. The districts shall be numbered in the regular series,
18and the members shall be chosen, alternately from the odd-numbered and
19even-numbered districts, for the term of 4 years, on the Tuesday succeeding the first
20Monday of November in even-numbered years, by the qualified electors of the
21several districts
, such. The districts
to shall be bounded by county, precinct, town or
22ward lines, to consist of contiguous territory and be in as compact form as practicable.
23Each member shall be nominated and elected in a nonpartisan manner and without
1any indication on the ballot of affiliation with or endorsement by any political party
2or organization.
AJR56, s. 5
3Section
5. Section 5 of article IV of the constitution is amended so as in effect
4to repeal said section:
AJR56,3,105
[Article IV] Section 5.
The senators shall be elected by single districts of
6convenient contiguous territory, at the same time and in the same manner as
7members of the assembly are required to be chosen; and no assembly district shall
8be divided in the formation of a senate district. The senate districts shall be
9numbered in the regular series, and the senators shall be chosen alternately from the
10odd and even-numbered districts for the term of 4 years.
AJR56, s. 6
11Section
6. Section 7 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,3,1612
[Article IV] Section 7.
Each house The legislature shall be the judge of the
13elections, returns and qualifications of its
own members; and a majority
of each shall
14constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to
15day, and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under
16such penalties as
each house it may provide.
AJR56, s. 7
17Section
7. Section 8 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,3,2118
[Article IV] Section 8.
Each house
The legislature may determine the rules of
19its
own proceedings, punish for contempt and disorderly behavior, and with the
20concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected, expel a member; but no
21member shall be expelled a second time for the same cause.
AJR56, s. 8
22Section
8. Section 9 of article IV of the constitution is renumbered section 9
23(1) of article IV and amended to read:
AJR56,3,2524
[Article IV] Section 9
(1)
Each house The legislature shall
choose elect its
25presiding officers from its
own members.
AJR56, s. 9
1Section
9. Section 9 (2) of article IV of the constitution is created to read:
AJR56,4,32
[Article IV] Section 9 (2) The legislature shall elect a chief clerk and a sergeant
3at arms, from outside its membership, for the biennial session of the legislature.
AJR56, s. 10
4Section
10. Section 10 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,4,95
[Article IV] Section 10.
Each house The legislature shall keep a journal of its
6proceedings and publish the same, except such parts as require secrecy. The doors
7of
each house the legislature shall be kept open except when the public welfare shall
8require secrecy.
Neither house shall, without consent of the other, adjourn for more
9than three days.
AJR56, s. 11
10Section
11. Section 14 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,4,1211
[Article IV] Section 14.
The governor shall issue writs of election to fill such
12vacancies as may occur in
either house of the legislature.
AJR56, s. 12
13Section
12. Section 17 (1) of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,4,1614
[Article IV] Section 17 (1) The style of all laws of the state shall be "The people
15of the state of Wisconsin, represented in
senate and assembly the legislature, do
16enact as follows:".
AJR56, s. 13
17Section
13. Section 19 of article IV of the constitution is amended so as in effect
18to repeal said section:
AJR56,4,2019
[Article IV] Section 19.
Any bill may originate in either house of the legislature,
20and a bill passed by one house may be amended by the other.
AJR56, s. 14
21Section
14. Section 20 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,4,2422
[Article IV] Section 20.
The yeas and nays of the members of
either house the
23legislature on any question shall, at the request of one-sixth of those present, be
24entered on the journal.
AJR56, s. 15
25Section
15. Section 22 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,5,3
1[Article IV] Section
22. The legislature may confer upon the boards of
2supervisors of the several counties of the state such powers of a local, legislative and
3administrative character as
they the legislature shall from time to time prescribe.
AJR56, s. 16
4Section
16. Section 23 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,5,105
[Article IV] Section 23. The legislature shall establish but one system of town
6government, which shall be as nearly uniform as practicable; but the legislature may
7provide for the election at large once in every 4 years of a chief executive officer in
8any county with such powers of an administrative character as
they the legislature 9may from time to time prescribe in accordance with this section and shall establish
10one or more systems of county government.
AJR56, s. 17
11Section
17. Section 25 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,5,1712
[Article IV] Section 25. The legislature shall provide by law that all stationery
13required for the use of the state, and all printing authorized and required by
them 14the legislature to be done for
their
the use
of the legislature, or for the state, shall
15be let by contract to the lowest bidder, but the legislature may establish a maximum
16price; no member of the legislature or other state officer shall be interested, either
17directly or indirectly, in any such contract.
AJR56, s. 18
18Section
18. Section 26 (2) (b) of article IV of the constitution is amended to
19read:
AJR56,5,2320
[Article IV] Section 26 (2)
(b) Any increase in the compensation of members of
21the legislature shall take effect, for all
senators and representatives to the assembly 22members of the legislature, after the next general election beginning with the new
23assembly term biennial session of the legislature.
AJR56, s. 19
24Section
19. Section 26 (3) of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,6,6
1[Article IV] Section 26 (3) Subsection (1) shall not apply to increased benefits
2for persons who have been or shall be granted benefits of any kind under a retirement
3system when such increased benefits are provided by a legislative act passed on a call
4of ayes and noes by a three-fourths vote of all the members elected to
both houses
5of the legislature and such act provides for sufficient state funds to cover the costs
6of the increased benefits.
AJR56, s. 20
7Section
20. Section 30 of article IV of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,6,98
[Article IV] Section 30. All elections made by the legislature shall be by roll call
9vote entered in the
journals journal.
AJR56, s. 21
10Section
21. Section 3 of article V of the constitution is amended to read:
AJR56,6,2111
[Article V] Section 3. The governor and lieutenant governor shall be elected by
12the qualified electors of the state at the times and places of choosing members of the
13legislature. They shall be chosen jointly, by the casting by each voter of a single vote
14applicable to both offices beginning with the general election in 1970. The persons
15respectively having the highest number of votes cast jointly for them for governor
16and lieutenant governor shall be elected; but in case two or more slates shall have
17an equal and the highest number of votes for governor and lieutenant governor, the
18two houses of the legislature, at its next annual session shall forthwith, by
joint 19ballot, choose one of the slates so having an equal and the highest number of votes
20for governor and lieutenant governor. The returns of election for governor and
21lieutenant governor shall be made in such manner as shall be provided by law.
AJR56, s. 22
22Section
22. Section 4 of article V of the constitution is amended to read: