Overview
- Democratic lawmakers chose Sen. Dianne Hesselbein as Senate majority leader and Rep. Greta Neubauer as Assembly speaker, and those two will be the first women to hold the Legislature's top posts.
- The party enters the next session with an 18-15 majority in the Senate and a 53-46 majority in the Assembly and also elevated Sen. Mark Spreitzer to senate president and Rep. Kalan Haywood to assembly majority leader.
- Leaders have announced broad priorities that include boosting K-12 school funding, lowering everyday costs for families, protecting rights and restoring conservation funding while specific bills will be developed over the coming months.
- Democrats signaled intent to revisit Act 10, the 2011 law limiting many public-employee bargaining rights, and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has estimated overturning it could add roughly $1.5 billion to school costs and nearly $500 million to municipal costs each year.
- Republicans have named new minority leaders, including Sen. Julian Bradley and a reported pick of Rep. Tyler August for the Assembly, and both parties say they will negotiate plans before the Legislature reconvenes in January.