The roll was called, disclosing the presence of a quorum.
Pursuant to Senate Rule
15, the official attendance for session was:
Senators Carpenter, Cowles, Cullen, Darling, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Galloway, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Holperin, Hopper, Jauch, Kapanke, Kedzie, Larson, F. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, Miller, Moulton, Olsen, Risser, Schultz, Taylor, Vinehout, Vukmir, Wanggaard, Wirch and Zipperer - 32.
Absent - 0.
Absent with leave - Senator Coggs - 1.
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Senator Miller, with unanimous consent, asked that Senator Coggs be granted a leave of absence for today's session.
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Considered as privileged and taken up.
Senate Resolution 1
Relating to: notifying the assembly and the governor that the 2011-2012 senate is organized.
By Senators Fitzgerald, Ellis, Grothman, Miller and Hanen.
Read.
The question was: Shall Senate Resolution 1 be adopted?
The ayes and noes were required and the vote was: ayes, 32; noes, 0; absent or not voting, 1; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Carpenter, Cowles, Cullen, Darling, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Galloway, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Holperin, Hopper, Jauch, Kapanke, Kedzie, Larson, F. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, Miller, Moulton, Olsen, Risser, Schultz, Taylor, Vinehout, Vukmir, Wanggaard, Wirch and Zipperer - 32.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - Senator Coggs - 1.
Adopted.
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Remarks of President Risser
"With the adoption of Senate Resolution 1, the Senate has elected new officers for itself. In a few moments, I will ask those officers to come before the bar to take the oath of office. Before I do that, however, I would like to say a few words on behalf of myself and each of the Senate Presidents who came before me.
First, I want to say thank you to my fellow Senators for allowing me to serve as Senate President. It is a great honor to serve as President and I have enjoyed that opportunity. I especially appreciate the fact that the members of this body---regardless of party or personal philosophy - have maintained an order and decorum that has give the Wisconsin State Senate a reputation as a model legislative body. I'm sure that this tradition and long history of fair, respectful debate on the many issues that confront our state will continue under its new leadership.
The Wisconsin State Senate did not always select its presiding officer. The Lieutenant Governor acted as President of the Senate until 1979 when the state constitution was changed to provide that the Senate select its own president.
I was the first Senator selected for that position in 1979 and have served on and off as president for approximately 24 of the past 32 years since that time. Senator Mike Ellis, who will be receiving the gavel from me today, will become the fourth person to hold this position along with Senator Brian Rude, Senator Alan Lasee and myself.
Senator Ellis, by the way, will be the first Senate President who is less than 6'2" tall - but I am sure he will make up the difference in other ways. Senator Ellis - as mentioned by Senator Fitzgerald earlier - has served longer in the State Legislature than any other legislator in the states history, other than myself. He is well versed in the Senate Rules and I know he will do a great job as our president.
Historically, until 1882, Wisconsin Senators served only two year terms. One of these two year term State Senators was my own Great-Grandfather, Col. Clement Warner, who came to the Senate in 1868 after the Civil War with one arm missing - having lost it in the war.
Our proceedings this afternoon are being broadcast by Wisconsin Eye. You will notice the little black boxes in the balcony which contain cameras to cover our proceedings. In addition to covering all Senate sessions, Wisconsin Eye also covers numerous committee hearings throughout the session making it possible for people throughout Wisconsin to follow the activities of the Senate.
It is fortunate that the Senate will continue to have the services of our Chief Clerk Rob Marchant and his staff for the coming session. This body used to select its staff on a patronage, partisan basis, but for over thirty years - beginning with our former Chief Clerk Don Schneider - we have maintained a non-partisan, professional Chief Clerk who has served everyone in this body regardless of which party holds the majority and Rob Marchant has done an excellent job of upholding this tradition.
Our current Sergeant at Arms Ted Blazel will also be staying with us. He joins a list of top-notch professional, non-partisans who help make this partisan body work.
Finally, I would like to recognize my wife, Nancy, who is here today. Without her help and support, I would not be standing before you now.
With that, I would like to call Senators Ellis and Leibham, as well as Chief Clerk Marchant and Sergeant at Arms Blazel before the bar to take the oath of office."
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The President, Michael G. Ellis, the President Pro Tempore, Joe Leibham, the Chief Clerk, Robert J. Marchant, and the Sergeant at Arms, Edward A. Blazel, having been duly elected by the adoption of Senate Resolution 1, appeared together before the bar of the Senate, took and subscribed the oath of office which was administered by the Honorable Michael Gableman, Associate Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
President Ellis in the chair.
President Ellis and President Pro Tempore Leibham introduced the Senators returning from the 99th Session: Senators Cowles, Taylor, Coggs, Darling, Harsdorf, Holperin, Olsen, Miller, Hopper, Grothman, Wirch, Lassa, Risser, Lazich, Hansen and Kapanke.
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With unanimous consent, Senator Fitzgerald addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Majority Leader Fitzgerald
"It is an honor and also very humbling to be chosen as the next Majority Leader. We've got an enormous challenge ahead of us, and the stakes are simply too high for us to fail.
I'd like to quickly congratulate our new governor, Scott Walker, as well, and the recently announced members of his cabinet. I also look forward to working with our colleagues in the state Assembly - which we know as the Lower House - but I do sometimes wonder about that new Speaker they've got over there.
I'd like to give a note of appreciation to the minority leadership as well, for the standards of decorum they've always held in this body. I am hopeful that this will continue over the next two years.
Every single person working under this dome has a responsibility. We all made a promise to the five-and-a-half-million people in the state of Wisconsin that we would work to make this state a better place.
For those of you here in attendance, and for everyone who has a stake in what we do here, I have a message for you. If you're expecting more of the same, you're going to be disappointed.
Under Scott Walker and the speaker and I - the phrase "that's the way we've always done things" is no longer a valid reason. There are going to be some disappointed lobbyists. There are going to be some disappointed bureaucrats. And there are going to be some very real changes to the status quo.
We all have a role in this building, and we all have a role in re-building the future of this great state. And we all need to ask the Lord for strength to face these challenges together, and not to let our differences tear us apart.
We all have to remember that this job is bigger than just ourselves, and more important than our own ambitions and personal desires.
If there's one piece of advice I can give to the newly elected freshmen, that's what it would be - remember that truth. Remember that we OWE it, to the people of Wisconsin and to the future of our great state - to work together in order to move forward."
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With unanimous consent, Senator Miller addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Minority Leader Miller
"Today we celebrate the opening of the 100th session of the Wisconsin State Legislature.
Since 1848 over 1,000 men and women have served in the Senate, and today we welcome both the new and returning members who will have the honor of serving the people of Wisconsin for the next four years.
Throughout our history, the Senate has taken on the issues of the day, large and small. Debated (and debated and debated) them and arrived at solutions.
The results of our deliberations have helped to build Wisconsin's history of progressive leadership on issues like education, health care and worker's rights.
One hundred years ago Wisconsin's state government implemented the workmen's compensation law, established the first state-supported system for vocational, technical and adult education, put into effect the first modern income-tax law and issued the first limited, low-cost individual life insurance and annuity contracts for state residents.
One decade ago Wisconsin addressed the crisis of affordable prescription drugs for seniors by passing the landmark SeniorCare prescription drug plan.
And today the Wisconsin spirit of innovation and leadership lives on with cutting research on embryonic stem cells and innovations in clean energy, manufacturing and agriculture.
Our work in the coming weeks and months will challenge us all. But the people we serve are counting on us.
Creating jobs in Wisconsin was a priority in the last session as we struggled with the 2008 national recession. Our efforts resulted in 50% more jobs created in the first three quarters of 2010 than projected for the entire year. If we keep pace in 2011, our efforts will create 80,000 jobs in 2010 and 2011.
The workers of Wisconsin are counting on us to continue to create the new, well paying jobs they want and need and to ensure they are treated fairly in the workplace.
The families of Wisconsin are counting on us to make sure that critical community services like police and fire protection are there when they need them.
The children of Wisconsin are counting on us to provide them with the opportunity to get the K-12 and continuing education - be it technical college or university - to succeed in our global economy.
The seniors of Wisconsin are counting on us to help secure their retirement, help them stay in their homes and afford their prescription drugs.
The businesses of Wisconsin are counting on us to foster entrepreneurism and a spirit of innovation along with a providing a modern, efficient transportation infrastructure and a well-trained workforce.
The citizens of Wisconsin expect that the benefits of economic recovery will be shared by all, not just an elite few.
We will certainly have our disagreements as we discuss these and the other important issues that come before us. But our commitment to public service and finding real solutions must prevail - the people we serve deserve and expect no less.
Wisconsin's motto is "forward". So with a nod to our state's proud progressive history and respect for the service of those who came before us, "forward" is the direction in which Democrats will seek to move in the 100th session of the state legislature."
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S7
Considered as privileged and taken up.
Senate Resolution 2
Relating to: the senate rules.
By Senators Fitzgerald and Ellis.
Read.
The question was: Shall Senate Resolution 2 be adopted?
The ayes and noes were required and the vote was: ayes, 32; noes, 0; absent or not voting, 1; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Carpenter, Cowles, Cullen, Darling, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Galloway, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Holperin, Hopper, Jauch, Kapanke, Kedzie, Larson, F. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, Miller, Moulton, Olsen, Risser, Schultz, Taylor, Vinehout, Vukmir, Wanggaard, Wirch and Zipperer - 32.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - Senator Coggs - 1.
Adopted.
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The joint committee on Legislative Organization reports and recommends:
Senate Joint Resolution 1
