95th Wisconsin Legislature

95th Wisconsin Legislature
94th 96th
Wisconsin State Capitol
Overview
Legislative bodyWisconsin Legislature
Meeting placeWisconsin State Capitol
TermJanuary 1, 2001 January 6, 2003
ElectionNovember 7, 2000
Senate
Members33
Senate PresidentFred Risser (D)
President pro temporeGary R. George (D)
Party controlDemocratic
Assembly
Members99
Assembly SpeakerScott Jensen (R)
Speaker pro temporeStephen Freese (R)
Party controlRepublican
Sessions
RegularJanuary 3, 2001 January 6, 2003
Special sessions
May 2001 Spec.May 1, 2001 May 3, 2001
Jan. 2002 Spec.January 22, 2002 July 8, 2002
May 2002 Spec.May 13, 2002 May 15, 2002

The Ninety-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 3, 2001, to January 6, 2003, in regular session, and also convened in three special sessions.

During this session, an exposé by the Wisconsin State Journal revealed sprawling corruption in both chambers and both parties in the Wisconsin Legislature. In what was referred to as the "caucus scandal", five legislators, including leaders of both major parties, were eventually implicated and prosecuted for extensive use of state-paid legislative employees for political purposes.

Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 7, 2000. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of their four-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 3, 1998.

The governor of Wisconsin at the start of this term was Republican Tommy Thompson, of Juneau County, serving the beginning of the third year of his fourth four-year term, having won re-election in the 1998 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. Thompson resigned February 1, 2001, to accept appointment as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. At that time, the lieutenant governor, Republican Scott McCallum, of Columbia County, then ascended to become governor for the remainder of this legislative term.