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FACT BRIEF

Did Wisconsin have one of the least active full-time legislatures in the country during the pandemic?

By Hope Karnopp
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YES

An October 2020 review by WisPolitics.com found Wisconsin had the least active full-time legislature during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

That year, the legislature went six months without passing a bill, a USA Today fact check confirmed. Lawmakers passed a COVID-19 relief bill in April but had not taken up any legislation by the fall.

Wisconsin is one of 10 states with full-time legislatures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bipartisan organization considers states to have full-time legislatures if lawmakers work close to full-time hours, have large staffs and are paid well.

A more recent FiscalNote report also determined Wisconsin had one of the least active legislatures in 2021. The analysis found Wisconsin enacted 121 bills during that session, the sixth lowest overall.  

However, three states with full-time legislatures —Alaska, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania — enacted even fewer bills than Wisconsin.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
WisPolitics Review finds Wisconsin has least active full-time legislature in nation since pandemic
USA Today Fact check: Wisconsin legislators have gone about 6 months without passing a bill
National Conference of State Legislatures Full- and Part-Time Legislatures
Fiscal Note The Most Effective States 2021 Report
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Wisconsin Watch
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.