Nearly a dozen veteran lawmakers have announced they won't seek re-election this fall, and it could be a sign of growing frustrations over the job.
UW-Milwaukee political scientist Mordecai Lee says their decision may be based on the changing face of politics in the 21st Century. He says many long time legislators are finding it harder to reach consensus within their own parties on key issues, and that may be making the job much more unsatisfying for many of them.
Lee says it's especially hard for moderate politicians, who don't always follow the party line. That can result in aggression from members of their own party if they take a differing position.
Lee says some lawmakers could also just be getting tired of partisan bickering at the Capitol, especially after very little was accomplished during the last legislative session because of Democratic control of the Senate and Republican control of the Assembly.
So far, there's nearly an equal split in the Assembly of Republicans and Democrats who are leaving. However, Lee says there's no way to tell if that may help Democrats claim control of both chambers this fall, because the political landscape could change a lot over the next six months.