Assembly Bill 476
Filling vacancies in elective state offices in the executive branch
Vetoed by the governor
Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Mar 21, 2024. Lawmakers did not , so it stands.
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Introduced, passed
Oct 12, 2023
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Nov 9, 2023
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Senate vote, passed
Passed 22 to 10
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Governor, stopped here
Vetoed Mar 21, 2024.
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, May 15, 2024: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”
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Terms on this page
Veto override
Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Currently, the governor fills by appointment all vacancies in the offices of secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, and state superintendent of public instruction. The person appointed to fill any such vacancy is not subject to senate confirmation and holds office until a successor is elected by special election and qualified. If no special election is held, the person appointed by the governor holds office for the remainder of the unexpired term.
This bill eliminates the ability of the governor to fill vacancies in these offices by appointment without senate confirmation, instead providing that the vacancies are filled by special election. However under the bill, if a vacancy occurs in any of these offices on or after January 1 of a year in which there is a regularly scheduled election for the office, the vacancy must be filled by nomination of the governor and appointment with the advice and consent of the senate of a person to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
Who's behind it
16 representatives are its . All 16 are Republicans.
6 more lawmakers .
See all 22 names Hide the names
Authors (16)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Gus Gustafson · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Gae Magnafici · Republican, Assembly
- Tom Michalski · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Donna Rozar · Republican, Assembly
- Ellen Schutt · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (6)
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Ty Bodden · Republican, Assembly
- Jesse James · Republican, Senate
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There were 3 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 3 · Nov 7, 2023
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Government Operations vote to recommend it
Passed, 3 to 2 · Feb 6, 2024
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote to pass it
Passed, 22 to 10 · Feb 20, 2024
See how each of the 32 senators voted Hide the names
D: Democrat, R: Republican
Yes (22)
- André Jacque (R, 1)
- Chris Kapenga (R, 33)
- Cory Tomczyk (R, 29)
- Dan Feyen (R, 20)
- Dan Knodl (R, 24)
- Devin LeMahieu (R, 9)
- Duey Stroebel (R, 20)
- Eric Wimberger (R, 2)
- Howard Marklein (R, 17)
- Jesse James (R, 23)
- Joan Ballweg (R, 14)
- John Jagler (R, 13)
- Julian Bradley (R, 28)
- Mary Felzkowski (R, 12)
- Patrick Testin (R, 24)
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R, 19)
- Rob Cowles (R, 2)
- Rob Hutton (R, 5)
- Rob Stafsholt (R, 10)
- Romaine Quinn (R, 25)
- Steve Nass (R, 11)
- Van Wanggaard (R, 21)
No (10)
- Bob Wirch (D, 22)
- Brad Pfaff (D, 32)
- Chris Larson (D, 7)
- Dianne Hesselbein (D, 27)
- Jeff Smith (D, 31)
- Kelda Roys (D, 26)
- LaTonya Johnson (D, 6)
- Mark Spreitzer (D, 15)
- Melissa Agard (D, 16)
- Tim Carpenter (D, 3)
Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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May 15, 2024
The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.
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Mar 21, 2024
The governor vetoed it.
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Mar 18, 2024
Sent to the governor.
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Feb 20, 2024
The Senate passed it too, 22 to 10.
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Feb 6, 2024
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.
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Feb 1, 2024
The committee held a public hearing.
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Nov 13, 2023
Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations.
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Nov 10, 2023
The Senate received it.
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Nov 9, 2023
The Assembly passed it.
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Nov 8, 2023
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Nov 7, 2023
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Nov 7, 2023
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 3.
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Nov 7, 2023
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 31, 2023
The committee held a public hearing.
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Oct 30, 2023
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 12, 2023
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
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Oct 12, 2023
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Oct 12, 2023 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Magnafici, Behnke, Brandtjen, Brooks, Edming, Goeben, Green, Gundrum, Gustafson, Kitchens, Michalski, Murphy, O'Connor, Rozar, Schutt and Steffen; cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk, Ballweg and James
- Oct 12, 2023 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections
- Oct 30, 2023 · Assembly
Representative Wichgers added as a coauthor
- Oct 31, 2023 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Nov 7, 2023 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Nov 7, 2023 · Assembly
Representative Bodden added as a coauthor
- Nov 7, 2023 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 3
- Nov 7, 2023 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Nov 7, 2023 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 11-9-2023 by Committee on Rules
- Nov 8, 2023 · Assembly
Representative Maxey added as a coauthor
- Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 10, 2023 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Nov 13, 2023 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Government Operations
- Feb 1, 2024 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 6, 2024 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 6, 2024 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Feb 6, 2024 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 19, 2024 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-20-2024 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 20, 2024 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 20, 2024 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 20, 2024 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Feb 20, 2024 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 22, Noes 10
- Feb 20, 2024 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Feb 26, 2024 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 2-26-2024
- Mar 18, 2024 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2024
- Mar 21, 2024 · Assembly
Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-21-2024
- May 14, 2024 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 5-14-2024 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)
- May 15, 2024 · Assembly
Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82
Terms on this page
Veto override
Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Veto override
Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote