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FACT BRIEF

Can a majority in the Wisconsin Assembly impeach elected officials?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

The Wisconsin Constitution gives the Wisconsin Legislature "the power of impeaching all civil officers of this state for corrupt conduct in office, or for crimes and misdemeanors." (Civil officer is not defined, however.)

If a majority of the state Assembly votes in favor of impeachment, the state Senate tries the impeachment. If two-thirds of the state Senate votes in favor of conviction, an impeached official would be removed and could be disqualified from holding "any office of honor, profit or trust under the state." Republicans now have a two-thirds majority in the state Senate as a result of the 2022 midterm elections.

The provision allows for the impeachment of state elected officials such as governor, lieutenant governor and judges.

The only impeachment proceedings in Wisconsin history took place against a state Supreme Court justice in the mid-1800s — and he was acquitted. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Ballotpedia Article VII, Wisconsin Constitution
Wisconsin State Legislature Wisconsin Legislative Council information memorandum: Removal of elected officials
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Wisconsin Republicans fell short of a legislative supermajority, but they now have enough senators to impeach state officials, speed up bills
Wisconsin Courts Wisconsin Court System
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.