The One-Hundredth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 3, 2011, through January 7, 2013, in regular session, though it adjourned for legislative activity on May 22, 2012. The legislature also held two special sessions and an extraordinary session during this legislative term.
This session was the start of eight years of unified Republican control of the governor's office and both chambers of the legislature. In this session, new governor Scott Walker pushed through the controversial 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, referred to at the time as the "Budget Repair Bill". The most controversial provision of the law was the stripping of state employees of collective bargaining rights. During consideration of the bill, mass protests erupted at the state capitol, and Democratic state senators fled the state in order to deny the Senate a quorum needed for budgetary legislation. Republicans in the state senate were eventually able to circumvent the quorum issue by stripping out all budgetary items from the bill and passing it as ordinary legislation. The session also saw passage of 2011 Wisconsin Act 43, the dramatic gerrymander which successfully locked in Republican control of the legislature for the next decade.
Following the outrage over Act 10, recall elections were held in 2011 and 2012 in which 13 state senators were challenged. Three were eventually removed from office and replaced by Democrats—one other resigned, but was replaced by a senator of the same party. The result was that Democrats briefly regained the senate majority in the second half of 2012. The governor was also subject to a recall election in 2012, but survived with roughly the same election margin as he had won in the 2010 election.
Senators representing odd-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 odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 2, 2010. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of their four-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 4, 2008.
Jerry Petrowski was elected to the Senate in a special election.
Major legislation
March 11, 2011: Act relating to state finances, collective bargaining for public employees, compensation and fringe benefits of public employees, the state civil service system, the Medical Assistance program, 2011 Act 10. The controversial Budget Repair Bill which removed collective bargaining rights from state employees, prompted months of protests at the state capitol, and ultimately led to recall elections for thirteen senators and Governor Scott Walker.
August 9, 2011: Act relating to legislative redistricting, 2011 Act 43. An overhaul of Wisconsin legislative voting districts fortified the Republican majorities through gerrymandering.
^Democrat John Lehman (21st district) and Republican Jerry Petrowski (29th district) were sworn in to replace Van H. Wanggaard and Pam Galloway, respectively.
^Democrat Joe Parisi (48th district) resigned after being elected county executive.
^Republicans Duey Stroebel (60th district) and David Craig (83rd district) and Democrat Steve Doyle (94th district) were sworn in to replace Mark Gottlieb, Scott Gunderson, and Michael Huebsch, respectively.
^Democrat Jennifer Shilling (95th district) resigned after her election to the state senate. Democrat Chris Taylor (48th district) was sworn in to replace Joe Parisi.
^Democrat Jill Billings (95th district) was sworn in to replace Jennifer Shilling.
^Republican Jerry Petrowski (86th district) resigned after his election to the state senate.