Jan 13, 2025 – The 107th Wisconsin Legislature was ceremonially sworn in on January 6, officially beginning the 2025-26 session. Much has changed, and much has stayed the same. Republicans continue to hold majorities in both the Senate and Assembly, but with smaller margins after new maps were implemented in the fall 2024 elections.
The State Senate returns with 18 Republican and 15 Democratic members, down from a 22-11 split in 2023-24. In the Assembly, Republicans retained 54 seats and the Democrats won 45 seats, a difference of 10 seats from 2023-24 when the split was 64-35. The biggest change is that 25 percent of those sworn in this month are brand new legislators.
Legislative Leaders Remain
While the legislative composition changed in the recent election cycle, the legislative leaders in the Assembly and Senate will not. Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) returns as the Speaker of the Assembly, a position he has held since 2013, making him the longest tenured Assembly Speaker in Wisconsin history. Rep. Tyler August (R-Walworth) remains as the Assembly Majority Leader. On the Democratic side of the Assembly, Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) will continue as the Assembly Minority Leader after being elected to that position by her colleagues in early 2022.
In the Senate, Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) returns as Majority Leader, but the body will have a new Senate President next session. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) was elected to that position by her caucus for the upcoming session. On the Democratic side, Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) returns to the Minority Leader post after she took over the position at the end of last session.
Joint Finance Committee leadership will also stay the same as the last two sessions. Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) will jointly lead the committee as it deals with Governor Evers’ biennial budget proposal this spring.
Cale Battles, is the government relations program manager with the State Bar of Wisconsin. He can be reached by
email, or by phone at (608) 250-6077.
State Bar to Focus on Budget Issues
The State Bar of Wisconsin’s lobbying focus, especially in the early spring session, will be on justice system funding needs on the civil and criminal side. Court funding and budget needs of District Attorneys, the State Public Defender, and the private bar rate will continue to be a bedrock of the State Bar’s agenda. Additionally, a high priority and focus is being placed on securing funding of civil legal needs and expanding funding opportunities so Wisconsinites can receive assistance from attorneys with expertise in civil matters including employment, veterans’ issues, elder abuse, domestic violence issues, and more. The State Bar also continues to advocate for the Wisconsin Judicial Council to receive staff support funding.
Legal Voices Needed to Advocate for Profession
To help ensure that legislators keep the needs of the justice system and legal profession in mind during the busy budget cycle, we are asking all State Bar members to help kick off the legislative session by reaching out and introducing themselves to their lawmakers as State Bar members and as constituents. Our next issue of Rotunda Report will provide more detail about how and why you should introduce yourself to your legislators. But there’s no need to wait—you can send a message to your lawmakers today!
What You Can Do: State Bar of Wisconsin Advocacy Network
State Bar members are encouraged to send a message to introduce themselves to their lawmakers at the state of the legislative session using the
Advocacy Network. Pre-written email messages are editable to suit your own thoughts and opinions and help to demonstrate the breadth of support for policies that prioritize access to justice.
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