Wisconsin legislators to select leaders for upcoming session

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin lawmakers were expected to finish selecting their leaders for the upcoming session in a series of meetings Tuesday afternoon.

The GOP emerged from last week's elections with commanding majorities in both the Assembly and Senate. Assembly Republicans hold a 60-36 advantage with three races still too close to call; Senate Republicans expanded their advantage to 21-11 with one race still too close to call.

Assembly Republicans planned to convene in a closed session at 1 p.m. to elect leaders. Robin Vos, who has held the speaker's position since 2013, was expected to retain the post. His spokeswoman, Kit Beyer, didn't immediately respond to an email inquiring about the selection after the meeting began. Assembly Democrats meanwhile, unanimously voted Gordon Hintz as minority leader for a second straight session.

Senate Democrats, meanwhile, decided to keep Janet Bewley as minority leader. Bewley took over the post in April after Jennifer Shilling resigned to become a lobbyist.

Senate Republicans picked Devin LeMahieu as majority leader last week. He replaces Scott Fitzgerald, who won an open congressional seat on Tuesday.

The two-year legislative session is set to begin in January. Lawmakers' first tasks will be revising Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' executive budget and redrawing legislative district lines. Pressure is mounting on Republicans to do something to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin, but so far they haven't signaled any plans. The GOP passed a pandemic aid package in April but hasn't done anything to address the disease since — aside from mounting legal challenges to Evers' stay-at-home order.