WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK 1989-1990


   Meetings of the respective houses of the legislature are held in the Senate
and Assembly cham-
bers in the State Capitol. The usual schedule is for the legislature to meet
Tuesdays through
Thursdays of each week. Toward the end of most floorperiods the houses meet
almost continu-
ously during the day Monday through Friday and hold frequent evening or night
sessions.
Under rules of the houses, unless otherwise ordered, daily sessions begin
at 10 a.m. for for the
Senate and 9 a.m. for the Assembly (10 a.m. on the first legislative day
of the week). Frequently,
however, the houses schedule themselves to begin work earlier. The daily
sessions usually last
until noon or a little later. Afternoons are often devoted to committee hearings
or a combination
of hearings and late afternoon sessions.
  In the foregoing description, the word "session" has several
meanings. The "legislative ses-
sion" usually refers to the 2-year period that comprises a particular
legislature. If the legislature
is "not in session", that may mean that it is in an interim period
between floorperiods. Saying
that either the Senate or Assembly is "not in session", however,
may mean that the house has
adjourned for the day, or it could also mean that it has recessed until a
later hour of the same
day.


   During renovation oJ the Assembly Chambers in the summer and Jall of 1988,
the Assembly
 temporarily took up business in one of the large hearing rooms in the Capitol
(photo courtesy of Vern
 Bailey, Assembly Republican Caucus).


 Session Records Are the Tools of the Trade. Each house of the legislature
keeps a record of its
 actions known as the Journal. This record differs from the federal Congressional
Record in that it
 does not provide an account, verbatim or abbreviated, of speeches given
and debates conducted
 on the floor. It is, instead, an outline record of the business before the
house, including procedu-
 ral actions taken on all measures considered on that particular day, roll
call votes, communica-
 tions received from the governor and the other house, special committee
reports and miscellane-
 ous items.
 The Bulletin of Proceedings is issued every week during floorperiods and
is composed of 5
 sections. Part 1 of this bulletin contains the record of action to date
on proposals (bills, joint
 resolutions and resolutions) originating in the Senate, together with a
record of governor's ap-
 pointments requiring Senate confirmation. Part 2 lists action on and a subject
index for adminis-
trative rule changes. Part 3 is the record of action to date on proposals
originating in the Assem-
bly. Parts 1 and 3 also list the petitions received by each house. Part 4
contains a subject and
author index to all legislation introduced, a subject index to the legislative
journals, and an
alphabetical listing of all registered lobbyists and their areas of interest.
Part 5 provides a subject


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