Will Wisconsin have a divided Legislature next year? Democrats outline their plan to win control of Senate

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- At the steps of the state Capitol Wednesday, Oct. 8, Democrats in the state Senate presented their vision for how the party will win a majority in the chamber next fall. If that happens, it'd be the first time Democrats control part of the Wisconsin Legislature since 2010.

A group of Democratic senators and candidates said they'll craft their message around several areas where rising costs are squeezing people, including housing, food, healthcare and childcare.

Many of the proposals are Democratic bills that haven't advanced in the GOP-controlled Legislature, including universal free school breakfast and lunch, an extension of the Child Care Counts program that gives state subsidies to day care providers and a proposal to limit hedge funds' ability to amass properties.

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein also vowed a Democratic-led Senate would hold be more active than the Senate currently is.

"When, hopefully, we are in the majority, we are gonna be having more session days," Hesselbein said. "Getting to work and working for the people in the state of Wisconsin. It is absolutely inexcusable that we haven't been meeting."

The Senate was last in session on July 2, when the Legislature passed the current two-year state budget. Before that, the Legislature's database of floor calendars shows only five session dates in 2025. By contrast, the Assembly has been in session 14 times this year, in addition to the budget vote.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the Senate will be in session this coming Tuesday, and it will hold at least one more session day in November. It's unclear how often the Senate will be in session next year, but typically, the Legislature breaks in the early spring of even-number years as lawmakers shift into campaign mode.

In a statement, LeMahieu dismissed the Democrats' plans to win their first majority in 15 years.

"The Senate Democrats propose nothing but meaningless platitudes and finger pointing as Governor Evers uses the rulemaking process to increase costs and regulations on farmers and businesses across the state," LeMahieu said, referring to a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that ruled legislative committees cannot indefinitely block agencies' administrative rules.

Roadmap to a majority 

To win control of the Senate, Democrats need to flip two seats. For that to happen, they'll most likely need to take two of the following three districts:

• The 5th district, represented by State Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield). It covers several near western suburbs, running from Wauwatosa and West Allis out to Pewaukee. State Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) is the Democratic challenger.
• The 17th district, represented by State Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green). It includes parts of Dane County and covers the southwestern corner of the state. State Rep. Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon) is challenging for the Democrats.
• The 21st district represented by State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine). It includes the city of Racine and runs north, including Franklin and Greendale. Trevor Jung , who directs Racine's bus transit system, RYDE, is the Democratic challenger. Wanggaard hasn't yet announced whether he'll seek another term, saying that decision will become near the end of this year

Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming said Wednesday, Oct. 8, he believed the party was equipped to focus on issues that connect with more voters.

"Safety in the streets, reasonable but not unreasonable taxes and to control the border," Schimming said.

How a divided Legislature might look

Anthony Chergosky, a political science professor at UW-La Crosse, said Republicans will most likely retain control of the Assembly.

 If Democrats win the Senate, he said a divided Legislature would mean bill die earlier in the process. Rather than Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoing GOP bills that don't have bipartisan support, leaders in each chamber could refuse to hold votes on any of the other party's bills.

Perhaps the most fireworks would come in the powerful Joint Finance Committee, which rewrites the governor's budget every two years.

"I could imagine there could be challenging and painstaking negotiations between the leaders of both parties," Chergosky said. "And I think it would cause the politics of the budget to look much different."

Chergosky added there could be a rough adjustment period to a new normal at the Capitol. After all, there will be a new governor as Evers isn't seeking a third term, and it's been 15 years since Wisconsin last had a divided Legislature.

"The vast majority of legislators in office now have not been in office during a time in which there was divided party control of the state Legislature," he noted. "And so, there's not that muscle memory or institutional memory of what to do when the parties control different sides of the Capitol."