A decade has passed since the last time power was held by both parties in the state Capitol. With the election of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature, sharing control of state government will be a new experience for many lawmakers who have known only one-party dominance. The upcoming state budget will likely test those relations.
After a decade of one-party control of the governor’s office and both houses of the Legislature, Wisconsin residents are about to get an education in divided government. Chief among those for whom this will be a learning experience are many lawmakers themselves and Gov. Tony Evers (D).
A WPF review of legislative biographies found that only 28 of the Legislature’s 132 members (21%) were in office the last time control of state government was split—either with a governor of one party and the Legislature of another, as in the current situation, or with one party controlling one house and the governor’s office and another party holding the other house.
In the Assembly, just...
View Publication