Assembly plans virtual session for Tuesday, convening for 1st time since COVID-19 outbreak

MADISON — The state Assembly plans to convene next week for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak began in Wisconsin.

Assembly leaders notified members Friday they they plan to call an extraordinary session beginning Tuesday morning. The session would be a virtual meeting.

It's unclear what legislation the chamber may consider. Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate have been negotiating for days with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on a pandemic aid bill. They appeared to reach a sticking point earlier this week, however, when Evers said he would veto the measure because Republicans want to give the Legislature's budget committee carte blanche authority to cut state spending.

The call for an Assembly session suggests that the two sides have reached some a compromise on the bill. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke tweeted that Republicans have removed the budget committee provisions from the bill.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’ spokeswoman, Kit Beyer, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald’s spokesman, Alec Zimmerman, didn’t immediately return messages Friday morning. Neither did Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff.