Wisconsin Constitution Article IV - Legislative
Wisconsin Constitution – Article IV: Legislative
Article IV of the Wisconsin Constitution establishes and governs the legislative branch of the state government. It outlines the structure, powers, responsibilities, and limitations of the Wisconsin State Legislature, which is bicameral—composed of the Senate and the Assembly.
🔹 Key Sections & Provisions of Article IV:
Section 1 – Legislative Power
The legislative power is vested in a Senate and Assembly, collectively known as the Wisconsin Legislature.
Section 2 – Legislature Size
The Assembly must have between 54 and 100 members.
The Senate must have between 17 and 33 members.
Section 3 – Apportionment
Legislators must be elected from single-member districts.
Districts must be contiguous and as compact as possible.
Reapportionment occurs after each federal decennial census.
Section 4 – Terms of Office
Assembly members serve 2-year terms.
Senators serve 4-year terms, staggered so half are elected every two years.
Section 6 – Qualifications
Legislators must be U.S. citizens and qualified voters in the district they represent.
Section 10 – Governor’s Veto Power
The Governor has partial veto power over appropriation bills—able to veto specific items without rejecting the entire bill.
Section 17 – Legislative Sessions
The Legislature meets annually, with regular sessions scheduled by law.
Section 18 – Open Proceedings
Legislative proceedings are to be open to the public, except in certain limited cases.
Section 21 – Impeachment
The Assembly has the sole power of impeachment, and the Senate conducts trials.
Section 26 – Compensation
The Legislature sets its own compensation, but changes can’t take effect during the same term in which they are enacted.
Section 35 – Publication of Laws
All laws must be published to be valid.
🔸 Summary:
Article IV provides a comprehensive framework for how the legislature is elected, operates, and checks other branches of government. It balances democratic principles (like open government and fair apportionment) with institutional structure (terms, size, and qualifications).
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