The state Assembly is the people’s house in Wisconsin’s Legislature. There are 99 seats. Representatives are elected every two years in the November general election. Racine is located in the 62nd District.

A profile of the Legislative branch

The legislative branch consists of the bicameral Wisconsin Legislature, made up of the senate with 33 members and the assembly with 99 members, together with the service agencies created by the legislature and the staff employed by each house. The legislature’s main responsibility is to make policy by enacting state laws. Its service agencies assist it by performing fiscal analysis, research, bill drafting, auditing, statute editing, and information technology functions.

A new legislature is sworn into office in January of each odd-numbered year, and it meets in continuous biennial session until its successor is sworn in. The 2005 Legislature is the 97th Wisconsin Legislature. It convened on January 3, 2005, and will continue until January 3, 2007. U.S. and Wisconsin Constitutions Grant Broad Legislative Powers. The power to determine the state's policies and programs lies primarily in the legislative branch of state government.

According to the Wisconsin Constitution: "The legislative power shall be vested in a senate and assembly." This power is quite extensive, but certain limitations are imposed by the U.S. Constitution and the Wisconsin Constitution. In addition, the legislature’s power is restricted by the governor’s authority to veto legislation, but a veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature.

All actions taken by the legislature must conform with the U.S. Constitution. For example, the U.S. Congress has exclusive powers to regulate foreign affairs and coin money, and states are denied the power to make treaties with foreign countries. In addition, state legislation may not abridge the rights guaranteed in the U.S. Bill of Rights. Powers that are not granted exclusively to the U.S. Congress or denied the states are considered to be reserved for the individual states.

In addition to the boundaries set by the U.S. Constitution, the legislature’s authority is also limited by the state constitution. For instance, the Wisconsin Constitution requires the legislature to establish as uniform a system of town government as practicable, prevents it from enacting private or special laws on certain subjects, and prohibits laws that would infringe on the rights of Wisconsin citizens, as protected by the Declaration of Rights of the Wisconsin Constitution. Biennial Sessions: 4-Year Senate Terms; 2-Year Assembly Terms.

Originally, members of the assembly served for one year, while senators served for 2 years. An 1881 constitutional amendment doubled the respective terms to the current 2 and 4 years and converted the legislaturefrom annual to biennial sessions. Since its adoption on March 13, 1848, the Wisconsin Constitution has provided that the membership of the assembly shall be not less than 54 nor more than 100, and the membership of the senate shall consist of not more than one-third nor less than one-fourth of the number of assembly members. The first legislature had 85 members – 19 senators and 66 assemblymen. (Assembly members were renamed "representatives to the assembly" in 1969.) The number increased several times until the legislature became a 133-member body in 1862, with the constitutionally permitted maximums of 33 in the senate and 100 in the assembly. Over a century later, membership dropped to 132 in the 1973 Legislature, when the number of representatives was reduced to 99 so that each of the 33 senate districts would encompass 3 assembly districts. This is the current number and structure.
Reprinted from the Wisconsin Blue Book, p255.

In what District do I live?

Click here to find out which Assembly district in which you reside. If it says that John Lehman is your current representative, you are in the 62nd Assembly District. John Lehman is vacating his seat to run for the state Senate. This district includes:

City of Racine Wards: 5, 8, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31 & 32.

Village of Mt. Pleasant Wards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 23.

Village of Sturtevant (all)

Village of Elmwood Park (all)

Where do I vote?

If you live in the city of Racine, click here to find your polling location
(from cityofracine.org).

For a map of Racine with the 62nd district, please click here (you will need Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, please click here to download a free copy).