The Ninety-Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and also convened in two special sessions.
This session represented the first time the Republican Party of Wisconsin held full control of state government since 1970. They used that power to make extensive changes to the organization of state government, and implemented the landmark Wisconsin Works program, which became a model for the "welfare-to-work" programs of the 1990s. This session also saw the Legislature authorizing new taxes to fund the construction of Miller Park for the Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium tax plan, however, resulted in the Republicans losing control of the state Senate in a June 1996 recall election.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 8, 1994. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 3, 1992.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Tommy Thompson, of Juneau County, serving the first two years of his third four-year term, having won re-election in the 1994 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Major events January 3, 1995: Third inauguration of Tommy Thompson as Governor of Wisconsin. April 4, 1995: 1995 Wisconsin spring election: Ann Walsh Bradley was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed Nathan Heffernan. Wisconsin voters rejected three amendments to the state constitution: Would have removed several masculine gender pronouns and replaced with gender-neutral pronouns. Would have removed a prohibition on judicial officers accepting election or appointment to another non-judicial office within the term of their elected judicial term. Would have allowed the state legislature to assign lottery profits to athletics facilities rather than the general state treasury. April 19, 1995: A truck bomb was detonated by anti-government terrorists at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing 168. July 12–16, 1995: A major heat wave effected Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin. August 1, 1995: Roland B. Day became the 24th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by rule of seniority, at the expiration of the term of chief justice Nathan Heffernan. November 14–19, 1995: Federal government shutdown. December 16, 1995January 6, 1996: Federal government shutdown. April 2, 1996: N. Patrick Crooks was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed Roland B. Day. June 14, 1996: State senator George Petak was defeated in a recall election by Kimberly Plache. Petak was the first Wisconsin state legislator to be successfully recalled from office. August 1, 1996: Shirley Abrahamson became the 25th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by rule of seniority, at the expiration of the term of chief justice Roland B. Day. August 22, 1996: U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, implementing federal welfare-to-work programs. November 5, 1996: 1996 United States general election: Bill Clinton (D) re-elected President of the United States. Wisconsin voters ratified an amendment to the state constitution making a person ineligible to run for office if they had previously been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust.
Major legislation July 28, 1995: An Act relating to: state finances and appropriations, constituting the executive budget act of the 1995 legislature, and making appropriations, 1995 Act 27. Among other things, created the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, moved the state lottery under the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and renamed the Department of Business Development as the Department of Commerce. Welfare programs were also moved from the Department of Health and Social Services to the Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations, which was renamed the Department of Industry, Labor and Job Development. It also enabled the governor to directly appoint a secretary of agriculture, rather than having that secretary chosen by the state board of agriculture. October 26, 1995: An Act ... relating to: creating a local professional baseball park district in certain jurisdictions; giving a local professional baseball park district the authority to issue bonds and granting income tax exemptions for interest income on bonds issued by the district; making a state moral obligation pledge with respect to bonds issued by a local professional baseball park district; giving a local professional baseball park district the authority to impose a sales tax and a use tax; creating an income and franchise tax exemption for a local professional baseball park district; requiring contributions to youth sports organizations; creating an exception for a local professional baseball park district from certain landlord−tenant provisions; increasing a limitation on certain economic development bonding by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority; making appropriations; and providing a penalty, 1995 Act 56. Vetoed in part, this law created the special tax-district in southeast Wisconsin to fund the building of Miller Park baseball stadium. May 9, 1996: An Act ... relating to: creating a new public assistance program for families with dependent children, modifying the sunset of the aid to families with dependent children program, modifying administration of the food stamp program, modifying the eligibility requirements of certain recipients of medical assistance, creating a program to provide payment to a relative, other than a parent, who is providing care and maintenance for a child, modifying the postsecondary education and vocational skills training option in the job opportunities and basic skills program, applying the learnfare provisions statewide to certain individuals who are 6 to 19 years of age, background investigations of day care center licensees, contractors, employes, prospective employes and adult residents, modifying eligibility requirements for low−income and at−risk child care, grants to certain individuals for vocational training or education, group health insurance reform, creating a tax exemption, making modifications to the job opportunities and basic skills program, making modifications to the food stamp employment and training program, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from rule−making procedures, granting rule−making authority, making appropriations and providing penalties, 1995 Act 289. Vetoed in part, this law implemented Wisconsin's landmark Wisconsin Works program, which became a model for the "welfare-to-work" programs of the 1990s. Also allowed the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor and Job Development to rename itself the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. June 11, 1996: An Act ... relating to: granting authority to the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration to hold administrative hearings for the department of health and family services and the department of industry, labor and job development, granting rule−making authority and making appropriations, 1995 Act 370. Transferred administrative appeals hearings from the Department of Health Services or the Department of Industry, Labor and Job Development to a new division of the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
Party summary Senate summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 16 17 33 0 Start of Reg. Session 16 17 33 0 From Feb. 17, 1995Democrat David Helbach (24th District) resigned. 15 32 1 From May 15, 1995Democrat Kevin Shibilski (24th District) was sworn in to replace David Helbach. 16 33 0 From Jul. 5, 1995Republican Joseph Leean (14th District) resigned. 16 32 1 From Sep. 13, 1995Democrat John Plewa (7th District) died. 15 31 2 From Sep. 20, 1995Republican Robert T. Welch (14th District) was sworn in to replace Joseph Leean. 17 32 1 From Jan. 2, 1996Democrat Richard Grobschmidt (7th District) was sworn in to replace John Plewa. 16 33 0 From Jun. 13, 1996Republican George Petak (21st District) was recalled from office and replaced by Democrat Kimberly Plache. 17 16 33 0 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 17 16 33 0
Assembly summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 52 47 99 0 Start of Reg. Session 48 51 99 0 From Jan. 2, 1996Democrat Richard Grobschmidt (21st District) resigned after his election to the state senate. 47 98 1 From Mar. 26, 1996Democrat Jeffrey Plale (21st District) was sworn in to replace Richard Grobschmidt. 48 99 0 From Jun. 13, 1996Democrat Kimberly Plache (62nd District) resigned after her election to the state senate. 47 98 1 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 47 52 99 0
Sessions Regular session: January 3, 1995January 6, 1997 Jan. 1995 special session: January 14, 1995 Sep. 1995 special session: September 5, 1995October 12, 1995
Leadership Senate leadership President of the Senate: Brian Rude (R–Coon Valley) Fred Risser (D–Madison) President pro tempore: Alan Lasee (R–Rockland)
Senate majority leadership Majority Leader: Michael G. Ellis (R–Neenah) Charles Chvala (D–Madison) Assistant Majority Leader: Margaret Farrow (R–Elm Grove) Rodney C. Moen (D–Whitehall)
Senate minority leadership Minority Leader: Robert Jauch (D–Poplar) Charles Chvala (D–Madison) Michael G. Ellis (R–Neenah) Assistant Minority Leader: Fred Risser (D–Madison) Brian Rude (R–Coon Valley)
Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: David Prosser Jr. (R–Appleton) Speaker pro tempore: Stephen Freese (R–Jamestown)
Assembly majority leadership Majority Leader: Scott R. Jensen (R–Waukesha) Assistant Majority Leader: Judith Klusman (R–Clayton)
Assembly minority leadership Minority Leader: Walter Kunicki (D–Milwaukee) Assistant Minority Leader: Marlin Schneider (D–Wisconsin Rapids)
Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Ninety-Second Wisconsin Legislature:
Dist. Senator Party Age(1995) Home Firstelected 01 Rep. Rockland, Brown County 1977 02 Rep. Green Bay, Brown County 1987 03 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1988 04 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1992 05 Rep. Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County 1993 06 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1980 07 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1984 Dem. South Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1995 08 Rep. River Hills, Milwaukee County 1992 09 Dem. Kohler, Sheboygan County 1990 10 Dem. Menomonie, Dunn County 1992 11 Rep. Waukesha, Waukesha County 1990 12 Dem. Elderon, Marathon County 1990 13 Rep. Juneau, Dodge County 1994 14 Rep. Dayton, Waupaca County 1984 Rep. Marion, Waushara County 1995 15 Rep. Beloit, Rock County 1987 16 Dem. Madison, Dane County 1984 17 Rep. Richland Center, Richland County 1991 18 Rep. , Winnebago County 1987 19 Rep. Neenah, Winnebago County 1982 20 Rep. West Bend, Washington County 1993 21 Rep. Racine, Racine County 1990 Dem. Racine, Racine County 1996 22 Dem. Kenosha, Kenosha County 1984 23 Rep. Eau Claire, Eau Claire County 1993 24 Dem. Stevens Point, Portage County 1983 Dem. Stevens Point, Portage County 1995 25 Dem. Poplar, Douglas County 1986 26 Dem. Madison, Dane County 1962 27 Dem. Verona, Dane County 1993 28 Dem. Mukwonago, Waukesha County 1976 29 Dem. Schofield, Marathon County 1990 30 Rep. Pulaski, Brown County 1992 31 Dem. Whitehall, Trempealeau County 1982 32 Rep. Coon Valley, Vernon County 1984 33 Rep. Elm Grove, Waukesha County 1989
Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Ninety-Second Wisconsin Legislature: