AJR15,45,1110
(15)
Committee of the whole: The membership of one house organized in
11committee for the discussion of a specific matter.
AJR15,45,1312
(16)
Concurrence: The action by which one house agrees to a proposal or action
13of the other house.
AJR15,45,1514
(18)
Contested seat: A district in which 2 or more persons claim the right to
15represent the district.
AJR15,45,1716
(20)
Current membership: The members of one of the houses omitting those
17who have resigned, have been removed, or have died.
AJR15,45,1818
(22)
Dilatory: To delay.
AJR15,45,2019
(23)
Division of the question: To break a question into 2 or more separate
20propositions.
AJR15,45,2321
(24)
Elected membership: The members of one of the houses, certified as
22elected in the last general election, including those who have subsequently resigned,
23have been removed, or have died.
AJR15,46,3
1(25)
Engrossed proposal: A proposal incorporating all adopted amendments
2and all approved technical corrections in the house of origin, whether or not it is
3reproduced as engrossed.
AJR15,46,64
(26)
Enrolled proposal: A proposal that was passed, or adopted, and
5concurred in, incorporating any amendments and corrections that were approved by
6both houses.
AJR15,46,77
(27)
Expunge: To remove material from the record and thus undo some action.
AJR15,46,128
(27m)
Extraordinary session: The convening of the legislature by the
9assembly and senate committees on organization or by petition or joint resolution of
10the legislature to accomplish the business specified in the action calling the session.
11When used to continue a floorperiod of the regular session for a limited purpose, the
12extraordinary session is referred to as an extended session.
AJR15,46,1413
(28)
Fiscal estimate: A memorandum explaining the impact of any proposal
14on state or local finances.
AJR15,46,1715
(29)
Floor of the assembly: That portion of the assembly chamber that is
16reserved for members, assembly officers, and persons granted the privilege of the
17floor.
AJR15,46,1918
(29m)
Floor of the senate: That portion of the senate chamber that is reserved
19for members, senate officers, and persons granted the privilege of the floor.
AJR15,46,2220
(30)
Floor amendment: Any amendment offered for consideration at the 2nd
21reading stage, or for committee consideration, but not drafted by the legislative
22reference bureau.
AJR15,46,2323
(31)
Germaneness: The relevance or appropriateness of amendments.
AJR15,46,2524
(32)
Hearing: A committee meeting at which the public is invited to testify on
25a proposal or issue.
AJR15,47,1
1(33)
History: A record of actions on any given proposal.
AJR15,47,32
(33m)
History file: The list of entries made by the chief clerk in the bulletin
3of proceedings, recording the actions of the legislature on a proposal.
AJR15,47,84
(34)
Incidental motions and requests: A group of motions and requests that
5generally relates to the proceedings, procedures, and subsidiary questions during
6debate, and that must be disposed of before proceeding to the main question under
7consideration. Incidental questions have lower precedence than privileged
8questions but higher precedence than subsidiary and main motions.
AJR15,47,109
(35)
Indefinite postponement: A motion to kill a proposal in its house of origin
10for a legislative session.
AJR15,47,1111
(36)
Introduction: The formal presentation of a bill before one of the houses.
AJR15,47,1312
(37)
Joint convention, also called "joint session." A joint meeting of the
13senate and the assembly.
AJR15,47,1514
(38)
Joint hearing: A hearing held by a joint committee or by committees of
15both houses.
AJR15,47,1916
(39)
Joint resolution: A proposal requiring adoption by both houses, to: a)
17express the opinion of the legislature; b) change joint rules of the legislature; c)
18propose an amendment to the state constitution; or d) propose or ratify an
19amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
AJR15,47,2020
(40)
Joint rules: The common rules of procedure adopted by both houses.
AJR15,47,2121
(41)
Journal: The official publication of one of the houses.
AJR15,47,2222
(42)
Leave: Permission to be absent from one of the houses.
AJR15,47,2323
(43)
Legislative day: Any day on which the legislature is in session.
AJR15,48,224
(44)
Main motions and questions: The final affirmative question concerning
25a proposal during any stage of its consideration or any motion made or question
1raised when no other matter is before the house. Main questions have lower
2precedence than privileged, incidental, and subsidiary questions.
AJR15,48,33
(45)
Majority: One more than one-half.
AJR15,48,64
(46)
Manual: The publication containing the rules of a house, the joint rules,
5the session schedule, the state constitution, alphabetical indexes, and other
6materials considered relevant to a legislator's job.
AJR15,48,77
(47)
Member: A duly elected senator or representative to the assembly.
AJR15,48,88
(48)
Members present: Those members in attendance at a daily session.
AJR15,48,99
(48m)
Measure: Another term for "proposal."
AJR15,48,1010
(49)
Motion: A proposed action requiring approval by a vote of a house.
AJR15,48,1211
(50)
Nonconcurrence: The refusal of one house to agree to a proposal or action
12of the other.
AJR15,48,1413
(50m)
Offer: The formal presentation of a joint resolution, resolution,
14substitute amendment, amendment, or motion before a house.
AJR15,48,1615
(51)
Opinion of the attorney general: A formal reply by the attorney general
16to a specific question.
AJR15,48,1917
(52)
Pair: A written agreement between 2 members on opposite sides of a
18question not to vote on the question if one or both are absent with leave, which
19permits the absent member to influence the outcome of a vote.
AJR15,48,2120
(53)
Parliamentary inquiry: A request for an explanation of a legislative rule
21or procedure.
AJR15,48,2222
(54)
Passage: Final approval in the first house of a bill introduced in that house.
AJR15,48,2423
(55)
Petition: A request that one of the houses take a particular course of
24action.
AJR15,49,2
1(56)
Point of order: A request that the presiding officer rule on a matter of
2parliamentary procedure.
AJR15,49,43
(57)
Precedent: A previous ruling, decision, or action used to interpret
4legislative rules.
AJR15,49,75
(57d)
President: A member of the senate elected by the membership to preside
6over the senate and carry out the duties as described in the senate rules, the joint
7rules, and the statutes.
AJR15,49,108
(57m)
President pro tempore: A member of the senate elected by the
9membership to carry out the duties of the president in his or her absence until the
10return of the president or until a president is elected.
AJR15,49,1211
(57p)
Presiding officer: The person presiding over the senate or assembly in
12session [see also subs. (11), (57d), (57m), (80), and (81)].
AJR15,49,1313
(58)
Previous question: A motion that debate on a proposal be ended.
AJR15,49,1814
(59)
Privileged motions and requests: A group of motions and requests
15relating to basic questions concerning the meetings, organization, rules, rights, and
16duties of the assembly and having the highest precedence for consideration.
17Privileged motions and requests take precedence over incidental, subsidiary, and
18main questions.
AJR15,49,2019
(60)
Proposal: A resolution, joint resolution, or bill put before a house for
20consideration.
AJR15,49,2121
(61)
Question: A statement before one of the houses for decision.
AJR15,49,2322
(62)
Quorum: A majority of the current membership of one of the houses, unless
23otherwise required by the state constitution.
AJR15,49,2424
(63)
Recess: A temporary suspension of business during a day of the year.
AJR15,50,2
1(64)
Reconsideration: A motion to nullify a decision and again consider and
2vote on the question involved.
AJR15,50,43
(65)
Regular order of business: The regular sequence of deliberations on any
4legislative day.
AJR15,50,125
(66)
Regular session: The biennial session of the legislature established by the
6constitution and by section 13.02 of the statutes. The Wisconsin legislature convenes
7in the capitol on the first Monday of January in each odd-numbered year at 2 p.m.
8to take the oath of office, to select officers, and to organize itself for the conduct of its
9business, but if the first Monday falls on January 1 or 2, the legislature organizes on
10January 3. Daily meetings begin in January of each year and continue throughout
11the biennium until the final adjournment of the session. "Session" is also often used
12to refer to the daily meetings of the legislature.
AJR15,50,1613
(67)
Rejection: An action for the adverse and final disposition of: a) a
14resolution or joint resolution for the biennial session of the legislature; b) an
15amendment or substitute amendment with regard to one specific document; c) the
16application of a motion to the current situation; and d) the report of a committee.
AJR15,50,1817
(68)
Remain informal: A temporary suspension of proceedings in one of the
18houses.
AJR15,50,2219
(69)
Request: A proposed action that does not require a vote because: a)
20unanimous consent has been asked for; b) the action is required if there are sufficient
21seconds; or c) the presiding officer has the authority to take or order the requested
22action.
AJR15,51,223
(70)
Rescind: An action by which one of the houses nullifies an action on a
24proposal so as to enable the house to again consider a proposal from a given stage.
1When a motion to rescind prevails, the house resumes its consideration of a proposal
2at the stage indicated in the motion.
AJR15,51,43
(71)
Resolution: A proposal a) expressing the opinion of one of the houses; or
4b) changing the rules of one of the houses.
AJR15,51,55
(73)
Roll call day: A legislative day on which any roll call is taken.
AJR15,51,66
(74)
Roll call vote: A vote on which each member voting is recorded by name.
AJR15,51,87
(75)
Rules of procedure: The legislative rules that govern the conduct of
8legislative business.
AJR15,51,99
(76)
Ruling: The presiding officer's decision on a point of order.
AJR15,51,1210
(77)
Senate chamber: The entire area south of the northernmost doors of the
11senate, including the floor, staff lobby, press lobby, visitor's galleries, and hallways,
12but excluding the offices of senate officers.
AJR15,51,1413
(78)
Sergeant at arms: The officer elected by the members to perform and
14direct the police and custodial functions of one of the houses.
AJR15,51,1515
(79)
Sine die adjournment: The final adjournment of a legislative session.
AJR15,51,1816
(80)
Speaker: A member of the assembly elected by the membership to preside
17over the assembly and carry out the duties as described in the assembly rules, the
18joint rules, and the statutes.
AJR15,51,2119
(81)
Speaker pro tempore: A member of the assembly elected by the
20membership to carry out the duties of the speaker in his or her absence until the
21return of the president or until a president is elected.
AJR15,51,2522
(82)
Special committee, assembly: A committee created by an assembly
23resolution, or a special committee or temporary special committee created by a
24written order of the speaker under assembly rule 10, to investigate specific matters
25during a session or committee work period, and report to the assembly.
AJR15,52,3
1(83)
Special order of business, assembly: Any proposal ordered by the
2assembly to be given consideration at a specified time and taking precedence over the
3regular orders of business at that time.
AJR15,52,54
(84)
Special session: The convening of the legislature by the governor to
5accomplish a special purpose for which convened.
AJR15,52,66
(85)
Stage: One of the formal steps in the legislative process.
AJR15,52,77
(86)
Standing committee: A permanent legislative committee.
AJR15,52,118
(87)
Subsidiary motions: A group of motions that change, or delay or accelerate
9the consideration of, a proposal before a house. Subsidiary motions have lower
10precedence than privileged and incidental questions, but higher precedence than
11main motions.
AJR15,52,1412
(88)
Substitute amendment: An amendment that, if accepted, takes the place
13of the original proposal. The term more accurately describes a "substitute bill" or
14"substitute resolution."
AJR15,52,1615
(89)
Sufficient seconds: The support of 15 assembly members necessary to
16initiate certain procedures in the assembly rules.
AJR15,52,2017
(90)
Suspension of the rules: A motion requiring the support of two-thirds
18of the members present and by which a special action on a specific proposal is
19accomplished despite the existence of a rule blocking the action. Any suspension of
20the rules is temporary.
AJR15,52,2221
(92)
Unanimous consent: A request for a specific purpose; if an objection is not
22heard, it is assumed that the request has the consent of the entire body.
AJR15,52,2323
(93)
Veto: The action by which a bill or a part thereof is rejected by the governor.
AJR15,53,2
1(94)
Voice vote: A vote taken by asking the members in favor of a question to
2say "aye" simultaneously and then the members opposed to likewise say "no."