The Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly is the presiding officer of the Wisconsin State Assembly, the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Article IV of the Constitution of Wisconsin, ratified in 1848, establishes the legislature and specifies the election of officers. The role and responsibilities of the speaker are defined in the Assembly Rules, originally in Rule 1, and also, under the present rules, Rule 3.
The Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 10, 1849, to April 2, 1849, in regular session. Senators representing odd numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Senators representing even numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term.
The Third Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1850, to February 11, 1850, in regular session. Senators representing even numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Senators representing odd numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term.
The Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 8, 1851, to March 17, 1851 in regular session. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 5, 1850. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 6, 1849.
The Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 12, 1853, to April 4, 1853, in regular session. They reconvened from June 6 to July 13 to sit as a court of impeachment for Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Levi Hubbell.
The Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 11, 1854, to April 3, 1854, in regular session.
The Tenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1857, to March 9, 1857, in regular session.
The Fourteenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1861, to April 17, 1861, in regular session. The legislature re-convened in special session from May 15, 1861, to May 27, 1861, at the request of Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall, to approve funding for a brigade of volunteers for the American Civil War.
The Fifteenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 8, 1862, to April 7, 1862, in regular session, and re-convened from June 3, 1862, through June 17, 1862. The legislature further convened in a special session from September 10, 1862, through September 26, 1862.
The Sixteenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1863, to April 2, 1863, in regular session.
The Seventeenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 13, 1864, to April 4, 1864, in regular session.
The Twentieth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1867, to April 11, 1867, in regular session.
The Twenty-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 8, 1868, to March 6, 1868, in regular session.
The Thirty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 12, 1881, to April 4, 1881, in regular session.
The Fortieth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1891, to April 25, 1891, in regular session. They met again for two special sessions in June 1892 and October 1892 to pass redistricting laws. The extra sessions were necessitated by court cases which threw out the Legislature's previous attempts at redistricting. The final redistricting act was signed just 12 days before the 1892 general election.
The Forty-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 11, 1893, to April 21, 1893, in regular session.
The Forty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1903, to May 23, 1903, in regular session. During this legislative term but after the end of the legislative session, in February 1904, the Wisconsin State Capitol suffered a severe fire that destroyed two wings and damaged the rotunda.
The Forty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 11, 1905, to June 21, 1905, in regular session, and re-convened for a special session from December 4, 1905, through December 19, 1905. During this term, legislative business was largely held in the north wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol, which was the only part of the capitol to remain intact after the 1904 fire.
The Fifty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 10, 1923, to July 14, 1923, in regular session.
The Fifty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1925, to June 29, 1925, in regular session, and reconvened in a special session in April 1926.
