The second regular session of the Wisconsin State Assembly concluded on May 15.

During the session, lawmakers passed campaign finance bills related to disclosures and lobbyist contributions.

Assembly Bill 664 requires any audio or video communication paid for by a candidate, committee, or party containing synthetic media to include a disclaimer at both the beginning and the end of the communication.

Senate Bill 822 requires local committees supporting or opposing local candidates and referendums to register and file campaign finance reports with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission instead of local clerks beginning July 1, 2025.

Senate Bill 741 clarifies only a special election to fill a vacancy in a state office opens the lobbyist contribution window for personal contributions to a partisan elected state official or state candidate.

Conduits receiving and releasing earmarked contributions will be required to pay a $100 annual filing fee.

Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District Rep. Mike Gallagher announced his resignation effective April 19.

The resignation does not trigger a special election under the statute because the effective date occurs after the second Tuesday in April.

All of the state’s eight U.S. House districts are up for election on November 5, with the primary election scheduled for August 13.

Republicans will hold a 217-213 majority in the U.S. House after Gallagher leaves the chamber.

Lawmakers convened the special session called by Gov. Tony Evers in an executive order issued in August on September 20.

The session immediately adjourned without considering proposals to enact a comprehensive workforce development package using some of the state’s projected $4 billion surplus in this biennium.

None of the 86 Republican legislators responded to the legislative survey launched by Evers last week, refusing to publicly state their positions on specific policy components of the governor’s workforce plan, the workforce plan in its entirety, and what initiatives or plans, if any, they support.

The special session reconvened September 21 for a skeletal session.

Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order 208 calling for a special session of the Legislature to begin Wednesday, September 20.

The session will consider and act upon two proposals to enact a comprehensive workforce development package.

The proposals would use some of the state’s projected $4 billion surplus in this biennium to:

• Support child care providers,
• Support a paid family and medical leave program for private employers,
• And create new investment in higher education.

A vote on the future of Wisconsin’s top elections official ended in partisan deadlock amid Republican calls for the nonpartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe to resign over how she ran the 2020 presidential election.

The six commissioners are evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.

Republican commissioners voted to reappoint Wolfe, but Democrats abstained from Tuesday’s vote for fear that reappointing her would allow the Republican-controlled state Senate to reject her confirmation.

If the commission eventually appoints Wolfe or someone else to replace her, they will need to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate.

If a commission appointee is rejected by the Senate, then commissioners would need to make a new appointment within 45 days or else a legislative committee controlled by Republicans could choose the next administrator.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ordered a special election to be held on July 18, to fill a vacancy in the Assembly District 24 seat.

The seat was vacated when Sen. Dan Knodl won a special election for the Senate District 8 seat.

The term of office for the Assembly District 24 seat will expire on January 6, 2025.

If a primary election is necessary, it will be held on June.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ordered a special election to be held on April 4, 2023.

The session is being held to fill a vacancy in the Senate District 8 seat created by the retirement of Sen. Alberta Darling.

If a primary election is necessary, it will be held on February 21, 2023.

Milwaukee Common Council President José G. Pérez called a special election to be held on April 4, 2023, to fill the vacant aldermanic seats in districts 1, 5, and 9.

If a primary election is necessary to fill any of these seats, it will be held on February 21, 2023.

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers narrowly won the gubernatorial race over Republican Tim Michaels.

With 95% of votes counted, Evers prevailed over Michaels by just over 3 percentage points.

Independent candidate Joan Ellis Beglinger pulled in just one percent of the vote.

Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order 175 calling for a special session of the Wisconsin Legislature to begin Tuesday, October 4 to consider and act upon two proposals allowing voters to introduce ballot initiatives and amending the constitution to create a statewide binding referendum process that would allow voters to propose laws and constitutional amendments and repeal state laws.

Currently, any constitutional amendment must be passed by two consecutive legislatures before it is placed on a ballot for voters.

Lawmakers convened the special session called by Gov. Tony Evers on June 22 and immediately adjourned without considering Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban.

Evers called the special session for lawmakers to consider legislation to repeal the abortion ban enacted in 1849.

The ban on contributions while lawmakers are in special session ended when the special session adjourned.

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission issued a memo reminding lobbyists of the ban on contributions while lawmakers are in special session.

Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order 168, calling for a special session of the Legislature to begin Wednesday, June 22.

The Ethics Commission announced the window for personal contributions from lobbyists closes at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22 and lasts until the special session is adjourned.

Once the session is adjourned, the commission will provide notice the window is open.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order 168 calling for a special session of the Legislature to begin Wednesday, June 22.

Evers wants lawmakers to take up legislation to repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban.

The last general-business floorperiod of the 2021-2022 session of the Wisconsin General Assembly adjourned March 15.

Lawmakers finished work on 80 bills so they can focus on campaigning for the fall election.

Some bills are likely to be vetoed, including an expansion of the state’s school voucher program and a bill dividing the Milwaukee school district into four to eight smaller districts beginning in 2024.

A constitutional amendment also passed that would strip the governor of his ability to spend federal aid, giving that power to the Legislature.

Constitutional amendments must pass two consecutive legislative sessions and a statewide referendum.

Senate approval Tuesday marked the first session the proposal has passed.

A limited-business floorperiod will be held in April and a veto review floorperiod in May.