56                        1967 WISCONSIN        BOOK
its proceedings and publish the same, except such parts as require secrecy. The doors
of each house shall be kept open except when the public welfare shall require secrecy.
Neither house shall, without consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days.
Meeting of legislature. Section 11. The legislature shall meet at the seat of govern-
ment at such time as shall be provided by law, once in two years, and no oftener,
unless convened by the governor in special session, and when so convened no business
shall be transacted except as shall be necessary to accomplish the special purposes for
which it was convened.
Ineligibility of legislators to office. Section 12. No member of the legislature shall,
during the term for which he was elected, be appointed or elected to any civil office
in the state, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have
been increased, during the term for which he was elected.
Ineligibility of federal officers. Section 13. No person being a member of congress,
or holding any military or civil office under the United States, shall be eligible to a
seat in the legislature; and if any person shall, after his election as a member of the
legislature, be elected to congress, or be appointed to any office, civil or military, under
the government of the United States, his acceptance thereof shall vacate his seat. This
restriction shall not prohibit a legislator from accepting short periods of active duty
as a member of the reserve or from serving in the armed forces during any emergency
declared by the executive.
Filling vacancies. Section 14. The governor shall issue writs of election to fill such
vacancies as may occur in either house of the legislature.
Exemption from arrest and civil process. Section 15. Members of the legislature
shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from
arrest; nor shall they be subject to any civil process, during the session of the legis-
lature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement and after the termination
of each session.
Privilege in debate. Section 16. No member of the legislature shall be liable in any
civil action, or criminal prosecution whatever, for words spoken in debate.
Style of laws; bills. Section 17. The style of the laws of the state shall be "The
people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as fol-
lows:" and no law shall be enacted except by bill.
Title of private bills. Section 18. No private or local bill which may be passed by
the legislature shall embrace more than one subject, and that shall be expressed in
the title.
Origin of bills. Section 19. Any bill may originate in either house of the legislature,
and a bill passed by one house may be amended by the other.
Yeas and nays. Section 20. The yeas and nays of the members of either house on
any question shall, at the request of one-sixth of those present, be entered on the
journal.
Compensation of members. Section 21. Repealed Apr. 1929, Jt. Res. 6, 1929.
Powers of county boards. Section 22. The legislature may confer upon the boards
of supervisors of the several counties of the state such powers of a local, legislative
and administrative character as they shall from time to time prescribe.
Uniform town and county government. Section 23. The legislature shall establish
but one system of town and county government, which shall be as nearly uniform as
practicable; but the legislature may provide for the election at large once in every
four years of a chief executive officer in any county having a population of five hun-
dred thousands or more with such powers of an administrative character as they may
from time to time prescribe in accordance with this section.
Chief executive officer to approve or veto resolutions or ordinances; proceedings on
veto. Section 23a. Every resolution or ordinance passed by the county board in any
county having a population of five hundred thousand or more shall, before it becomes
effective, be pr-sented to the chief executive officer. If he approves, he shall sign it;
if not, he shall return it with his objections, which objections shall be entered at large
upon the journal and the board shall proceed to reconsider the matter. Appropriations
may be approved in whole or in part by the chief executive officer and the part ap-
proved shall become law, and the part objected to.shall be returned in the same
manner as provided for in other resolutions or ordinances. If, after such reconsidera-
tion, two-thirds of the members-elect of the county board agree to pass the resolution or
ordinance or the part of the resolution or ordinance objected to, it shall become effec-
tive on the date prescribed but not earlier than the date of passage following recon-
sideration. In all such cases, the votes of the members of the county board shall be
determined by ayes and nays and the names of the members voting for or against the
resolution or ordinance or the part thereof objected to shall be entered on the journal.
If any resolution or ordinance is not returned by the chief executive officer to the
county board at its first meeting occurring not less than six days, Sundays excepted,
after it has been presented to him, it shall become effective unless the county board
has recessed or adjourned for a period in excess of sixty days, in which case it shall
not be effective without his approval.