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Bills · 2017-2018 Regular Session

SB 782

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: legislative vacancies.

Elections Governor Legislature — Member Legislature — Procedure

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, under the Wisconsin Constitution, when there is a vacancy in the

membership of the senate or assembly, the governor is directed to call a special

election to fill the vacancy. The constitution does not specify a deadline for issuing

the order. Under the statutes, with a limited exception relating to legislative session

scheduling, if the vacancy occurs before the second Tuesday in May in the year in

which the office is regularly filled, the vacancy must be filled “as promptly as

possible."

This bill changes the statutes to specify that the special election must be

ordered within 60 days after the vacancy occurs, subject to the current exception.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Hansen (D) , L. Taylor (D) , Ringhand (D) , Risser (D) , Shilling (D)

17 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Barca (D) , Berceau (D) , C. Taylor (D) , Considine (D) , Crowley (D) , Hesselbein (D) , Hintz (D) , Kolste (D) , Ohnstad (D) , Pope (D) , Sargent (D) , Sinicki (D) , Spreitzer (D) , Subeck (D) , Wachs (D) , Zamarripa (D)

Full history

  1. Feb 7, 2018 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Shilling, Hansen, Risser, L. Taylor and Ringhand; cosponsored by Representatives Hintz, C. Taylor, Hesselbein, Zamarripa, Kolste, Sinicki, Berceau, Spreitzer, Pope, Anderson, Ohnstad, Considine, Sargent, Subeck, Crowley and Wachs

  2. Feb 7, 2018 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Elections and Utilities

  3. Feb 27, 2018 · Senate

    Representative Barca added as a cosponsor

  4. Mar 28, 2018 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1