Legislators consider emergency replacement list today

Talk about it

Many other states already do what a Wisconsin committee will consider today – have legislators name temporary replacements should something happen to them in a disaster.

The Assembly’s homeland security panel will vote on a bill to make legislators name 3-7 possible replacements at their start of each session.

They could be called on, if at least a quarter of the Assembly or Senate is wiped out by an enemy attack, health pandemic or other natural disaster.

The replacements would serve until special elections could be held in their districts and Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, says they’d be key in restoring order in the days following an emergency.

Kae Wornock of the National Conference of State Legislatures said other states created such back-up lists in the 1950s and 60s during the Cold War and the Cuban missile crisis.

But in most other states, the names of the possible replacements are public, while Wisconsin’s choices would remain secret.

Jauch says it’s just one disaster preparation measure suggested by a special study panel he co-chaired.

Another would have the Legislature meet on the Internet or at another location if members could not travel to Madison during an emergency.

Jauch says it’s painful to think about.

But after things like Sept. 11 and the swine flu pandemic, he says the “seemingly impossible is no longer impossible.”

Tags: homeland security, replacement list, wisconsin, legislators