36th Wisconsin Legislature explained

36th Wisconsin Legislature
Body:	Wisconsin Legislature
Before:	35th
After:	37th
Chamber1:	Senate
Membership1:	33
Control1:	Republican
Chamber2:	Assembly
Membership2:	100
Control2:	Democratic

The Thirty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.^[1]

This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session.

This session also saw the implementation of an 1881 amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin. The amendment converted the Legislature from annual sessions to biennial sessions, and doubled the length of terms for legislative officeholders.

Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 7, 1882. Senators representing even-numbered districts had been elected in the general election of November 8, 1881, and their term was extended from two years to three years, with the end of their term coinciding with the end of this (36th) legislative term.^[1]

Major events

• January 10, 1883: The Newhall House Hotel Fire in Milwaukee killed 73 people, including former Wisconsin state senator and judge George B. Reed.
• January 20, 1883: The 1883 Tehachapi train wreck resulted in 15 deaths, including former Wisconsin congressman Charles H. Larrabee.
• October 15, 1883: The United States Supreme Court decided the Civil Rights Cases, striking down parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and permitting individuals and corporations to discriminate based on race.
• November 8, 1883: The partially-constructed south wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol collapsed, killing six laborers and wounding 15 others.
• November 15, 1883: The United States and Canada implemented five standard time zones for the North American continent.
• April 20, 1884: Pope Leo XIII published the encyclical Humanum genus, denouncing Freemasonry and certain liberal beliefs which he considered to be associated with it.
• May 1, 1884: The eight-hour workday was proclaimed by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions in the United States. The date would later become recognized in nearly every industrialized country as May Day or Labour Day.
• October 22, 1884: The International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C., established the Greenwich meridian as the prime meridian.
• November 4, 1884: 1884 United States general election:
  • Grover Cleveland elected President of the United States.
  • Jeremiah McLain Rusk re-elected as Governor of Wisconsin.
• December 6, 1884: The Washington Monument was completed in Washington, D.C., becoming the tallest structure in the world at that time.

Major legislation

• March 9, 1883: An Act relating to electors and general elections, and amendatory of sections 12 and 14, chapter 5, of the revised statutes, 1883 Act 29. Established that eligible voters in Wisconsin can vote in any precinct where they had been residents for at least ten days prior to the election. It also established that a person could be disqualified from voting if they were convicted of bribery, or found to be gambling on election outcomes.
• April 3, 1883: An act to create a bureau of labor statistics, 1883 Act 319.

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Dem.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	10		23	33	0
Start of 1st Session	15		18	33	0
From April 1883			17	32	1
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	13		20	33	0

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)					Total
	Dem.	Gbk.	Lab.	Ind.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	34	0	0	2		64	100	0
1st Session		53		1		2		1	43	100	0
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	39	0	0	0		61	100	0

Sessions

• 1st Regular session: January 10, 1883April 4, 1883

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Sam S. Fifield (R)
• President pro tempore: George W. Ryland (R)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Earl Finch (D)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Thirty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette,		Sturgeon Bay		Rep.
02	Brown		Green Bay		Dem.
03	Racine		Racine		Dem.
04	Crawford & Vernon		Whitestown		Rep.
05			Milwaukee		Dem.
06			Milwaukee		Dem.
07			Milwaukee		Rep.
08	Kenosha & Walworth		Geneva		Rep.
09	Green Lake, Portage,		Hancock		Rep.
10	Waukesha		Oconomowoc		Dem.
11	Ashland, Clark, Lincoln, Price, Taylor,		Grand Rapids		Rep.
12	Green & Lafayette		Brodhead		Rep.
13	Dodge		Beaver Dam		Dem.
14	Juneau & Sauk		Necedah		Rep.
15	Manitowoc		Meeme		Dem.
16	Grant		Lancaster		Rep.
17	Rock		Edgerton		Rep.
18			Fond du Lac		Rep.
19	Winnebago		Oshkosh		Dem.
20			Plymouth		Dem.
21	Marathon, Shawano,		Wausau		Dem.
22	Calumet & Outagamie		Appleton		Dem.
23	Jefferson		Jefferson		Dem.
24	Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk,		Warren		Rep.
25	Eau Claire, Pepin,		Ellsworth		Rep.
26	Dane		Black Earth		Dem.
27			Portage		Rep.
28	Iowa & Richland		Arena		Rep.
29			Arcadia		Rep.
30					Rep.
31	La Crosse		La Crosse		Dem.
32			Tomah		Rep.
33	Ozaukee & Washington				Dem.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Thirty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Senate District	County	Dist.	Representative	Party	Residence
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Dem.	Westfield
11	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ashland, Lincoln, Price,			Rep.	Merrill
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Barron, Bayfield, Burnett,			Rep.	Grantsburg
02	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Brown	1			Dem.	Green Bay
	2			Rep.	Fort Howard
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Buffalo			Rep.	Alma
22	text-align="left" rowspan="4"		1			Dem.	Mackville
	2			Dem.	New London
	3			Dem.	Appleton
	4			Dem.	Chilton
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Chippewa			Dem.	Chippewa Falls
11	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Clark			Dem.	Neillsville
27	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Columbia	1			Rep.	Dekorra
	2			Rep.	Columbus
04	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Crawford			Dem.	Bell Center
26	text-align="left" rowspan="5"	Dane	1			Dem.	Madison
	2			Rep.	Windsor
	3			Rep.	Madison
	4			Rep.	Primrose
	5			Dem.	Middleton
13	text-align="left" rowspan="4"	Dodge	1			Dem.	Beaver Dam
	2			Rep.	Juneau
	3			Dem.	Mayville
	4			Dem.	Ashippun
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Door			Rep.	Sturgeon Bay
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Dunn			Rep.	Menomonie
25	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Eau Claire			Dem.	Eau Claire
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Marinette
18	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Fond du Lac	1			Rep.	Ripon
	2			Rep.	Fond du Lac
20	3			Dem.	Forest
16	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Grant	1			Rep.	Platteville
	2			Dem.	Lancaster
	3			Rep.	Millville
12	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Green	1			Rep.	York
	2			Rep.	Monroe
09	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Green Lake			Dem.	Kingston
28	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Iowa	1			Dem.	Ridgeway
	2			Dem.	Highland
32	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Jackson			Rep.	City Point
23	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Jefferson	1			Dem.	Ixonia
	2			Dem.	Fort Atkinson
14	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Juneau			Dem.	Wonewoc
08	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Kenosha			Rep.	Somers
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Kewaunee			Dem.	Kewaunee
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"	La Crosse			Dem.	La Crosse
12	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Lafayette	1			Dem.	Gratiot
	2			Dem.	Shullsburg
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Langlade & Oconto			Dem.	Oconto
15	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Manitowoc	1			Dem.	Maple Grove
	2			Dem.	Two Rivers
	3			Dem.	Centerville
21	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Marathon			Ind. D.	Wausau
05	text-align="left" rowspan="12"	Milwaukee	1			Dem.	Milwaukee
07	2			Dem.	Milwaukee
	3			Lab.	Milwaukee
	4			Rep.	Milwaukee
06	5			Lab.	Milwaukee
05	6			Dem.	Milwaukee
07	7			Rep.	Milwaukee
06	8			Dem.	Milwaukee
05	9			Dem.	Milwaukee
	10			Rep.	Milwaukee
	11			Dem.	Granville
06	12			Dem.	Franklin
32	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Monroe	1			Rep.	Sparta
	2			Dem.	Tomah
33	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ozaukee			Dem.	Fredonia
25	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Pepin			Rep.	Durand
	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Pierce			Dem.	River Falls
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Polk			Rep.	Osceola
09	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Portage			Rep.	Plover
03	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Racine	1			Dem.	Racine
	2			Dem.	Norway
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Richland			Rep.	Buena Vista
17	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Rock	1			Rep.	Avon
	2			Rep.	Janesville
	3			Rep.	Clinton
14	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Sauk	1			Ind.	Sauk City
	2			Rep.	Baraboo
21	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Shawano			Ind. D.	Shawano
20	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Sheboygan	1			Dem.	Elkhart Lake
	2			Dem.	Plymouth
	3			Dem.	Wilson
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	St. Croix			Rep.	Boardman
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Trempealeau			Rep.	Ettrick
04	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Vernon	1			Gbk.	Franklin
	2			Rep.	Viroqua
08	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Walworth	1			Rep.	Sugar Creek
	2			Rep.	Spring Prairie
33	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Washington	1			Dem.	Richfield
	2			Dem.	Farmington
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Waukesha			Dem.	Eagle
21	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Waupaca	1			Rep.	Weyauwega
	2			Dem.	Matteson
09	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Waushara			Rep.	Wautoma
19	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Winnebago	1			Dem.	Oshkosh
	2			Rep.	Winneconne
	3			Rep.	Oshkosh
11	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Wood			Rep.	Grand Rapids

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Committee on Agriculture
• Senate Committee on Assessment and Collection of Taxes
• Senate Committee on Education
• Senate Committee on Engrossed Bills
• Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills
• Senate Committee on Federal Relations
• Senate Committee on Finance, Banks, and Insurance
• Senate Committee on Incorporations
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary
• Senate Committee on Legislative Expenditures
• Senate Committee on Manufactures and Commerce
• Senate Committee on Military Affairs
• Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
• Senate Committee on Public Lands
• Senate Committee on Railroads
• Senate Committee on Roads and Bridges
• Senate Committee on State Affairs
• Senate Committee on Town and County Organizations

Assembly committees

• Assembly Committee on Agriculture
• Assembly Committee on Assessment and Collection of Taxes
• Assembly Committee on Bills on their Third Reading
• Assembly Committee on Cities
• Assembly Committee on Education
• Assembly Committee on Engrossed Bills
• Assembly Committee on Enrolled Bills
• Assembly Committee on Federal Relations
• Assembly Committee on Incorporations
• Assembly Committee on Insurance, Banks, and Banking
• Assembly Committee on the Judiciary
• Assembly Committee on Legislative Expenditures
• Assembly Committee on Lumber and Manufactures
• Assembly Committee on Medical Societies
• Assembly Committee on Militia
• Assembly Committee on Privileges and Elections
• Assembly Committee on Public Improvements
• Assembly Committee on Public Lands
• Assembly Committee on Railroads
• Assembly Committee on Roads and Bridges
• Assembly Committee on State Affairs
• Assembly Committee on Town and County Organization
• Assembly Committee on Ways and Means

Joint committees

• Joint Committee on Charitable and Penal Institutions
• Joint Committee on Claims
• Joint Committee on Printing

Changes from the 35th Legislature

New districts for the 36th Legislature were defined in 1882 Wisconsin Act 242, passed into law in the 35th Wisconsin Legislature.

Senate redistricting

Summary of changes

• 23 Senate districts were left unchanged (or were only renumbered).
• Dane County went from having 2 districts to 1 (26).

Partisan implications

• Republicans had 18 safe seats, down from 20.
• Democrats had 6 safe seats, no change from the previous map.
• 9 seats were competitive, up from 7.

Senate districts

Dist.	35th Legislature	36th Legislature
1	Door, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette, Oconto, Shawano counties	Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette, Oconto counties
2	Brown County	Brown County
3	Racine County	Racine County
4	Crawford, Vernon counties	Crawford, Vernon counties
5	Northern Milwaukee County	Northern Milwaukee County
6	Southern Milwaukee County	Southern Milwaukee County
7	Central Milwaukee County	Central Milwaukee County
8	Kenosha, Walworth counties	Kenosha, Walworth counties
9	Green Lake, Marquette, Waushara counties	Green Lake, Portage, Waushara counties
10	Waukesha County	Waukesha County
11	Chippewa, Clark, Lincoln, Price, Taylor, Wood counties	Ashland, Clark, Lincoln, Price, Taylor, Wood counties
12	Green, Lafayette counties	Green, Lafayette counties
13	Dodge County	Dodge County
14	Juneau, Sauk counties	Juneau, Sauk counties
15	Manitowoc County	Manitowoc County
16	Grant County	Grant County
17	Rock County	Rock County
18	Western Fond du Lac County	Western Fond du Lac County
19	Winnebago County	Winnebago County
20	Sheboygan, Eastern Fond du Lac counties	Sheboygan, Eastern Fond du Lac counties
21	Marathon, Portage, Waupaca counties	Marathon, Shawano, Waupaca counties
22	Calumet, Outagamie counties	Calumet, Outagamie counties
23	Jefferson County	Jefferson County
24	Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, counties	Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, counties
25	Eastern Dane County	Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce counties
26	Western Dane County	Dane County
27	Adams, Columbia counties	Adams, Columbia, Marquette counties
28	Iowa, Richland counties	Iowa, Richland counties
29	Buffalo, Pepin, Trempealeau counties	Buffalo, Trempealeau counties
30	Dunn, Eau Claire, Pierce counties	Chippewa, Dunn counties
31	La Crosse County	La Crosse County
32	Jackson & Monroe counties	Jackson & Monroe counties
33	Ozaukee, Washington counties	Ozaukee, Washington counties

Assembly redistricting

Summary of changes

• 51 Assembly districts were left unchanged (or were only renumbered).
• Adams and Marquette counties were combined into a shared district after previously being separate districts.
• Brown County went from having 3 districts to 2.
• Calumet County went from having its 1 district to having 1 whole district and 1 shared district with Outagamie County.
• Chippewa County became its own district after previously having been in a shared district with Price.
• Clark and Wood counties each became their own Assembly districts after previously having been in a shared district with Lincoln and Taylor counties.
• Dane County went from having 3 districts to 5.
• Fond du Lac County went from having 4 districts to 3.
• Jefferson County went from having 3 districts to 2.
• Juneau County went from having 2 districts to 1.
• The northeast corner of the state, comprising Florence, Langlade, Marinette, Oconto, and Shawano counties, went from 1 shared district to 3.
• Milwaukee County went from having 11 districts to 12.
• Pepin County became its own district after previously having been in a shared district with Buffalo County.
• Polk County became its own district after previously having been in a shared district with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, and Douglas counties.
• Walworth County went from having 3 districts to 2.
• Richland County went from having 2 districts to 1.
• Waukesha County went from having 2 districts to 1.
• Winnebago County went from having 4 districts to 3.

Assembly districts

County	Districts in 35th Legislature	Districts in 36th Legislature	Change
Adams	1 District	Shared with Marquette
Ashland	Shared with Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk	Shared with Lincoln, Price, Taylor
Barron	Shared with Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk	Shared with Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas
Bayfield	Shared with Ashland, Barron, Burnett, Douglas, Polk	Shared with Barron, Burnett, Douglas
Brown	3 Districts	2 Districts
Buffalo	2 shared with Pepin	1 District
Burnett	Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Douglas, Polk	Shared with Barron, Bayfield, Douglas
Calumet	1 District	2 shared with Outagamie
Chippewa	Shared with Price	1 District
Clark	Shared with Lincoln, Taylor & Wood	1 District
Columbia	3 Districts	2 Districts
Crawford	1 District	1 District
Dane	3 Districts	5 Districts
Dodge	4 Districts	4 Districts
Door	1 District	1 District
Douglas	Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Polk	Shared with Barron, Bayfield, Burnett
Dunn	1 District	1 District
Eau Claire	1 District	1 District
	4 Districts	3 Districts
Grant	3 Districts	3 Districts
Green	2 Districts	2 Districts
Green Lake	1 District	1 District
Iowa	2 Districts	2 Districts
Jackson	1 District	1 District
Jefferson	3 Districts	2 Districts
Juneau	2 Districts	1 District
Kenosha	1 District	1 District
Kewaunee	1 District	1 District
La Crosse	1 District	1 District
Lafayette	2 Districts	2 Districts
Langlade	Shared with Marinette, Oconto, Shawano	Shared with Oconto
Lincoln	Shared with Clark, Taylor, Wood	Shared with Ashland, Price, Taylor
Manitowoc	3 Districts	3 Districts
Marathon	1 District	1 District
Marinette	Shared with Langlade, Oconto, Shawano	Shared with Florence
Marquette	1 District	Shared with Adams
Milwaukee	11 Districts	12 Districts
Monroe	2 Districts	2 Districts
Oconto	Shared with Langlade, Marinette, Shawano	Shared with Langlade
Outagamie	2 Districts	3 shared with Calumet
Ozaukee	1 District	1 District
Pepin	Shared with Buffalo	1 District
Pierce	1 District	1 District
Polk	Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas	1 District
Portage	1 District	1 District
Price	Shared with Chippewa	Shared with Ashland, Lincoln, Taylor
Racine	2 Districts	2 Districts
Richland	2 Districts	1 District
Rock	3 Districts	3 Districts
Sauk	2 Districts	2 Districts
Shawano	Shared with Oconto	1 District
Sheboygan	3 Districts	3 Districts
St. Croix	1 District	1 District
Taylor	Shared with Clark, Lincoln, Wood	Shared with Ashland, Lincoln, Price
Trempealeau	1 District	1 District
Vernon	2 Districts	2 Districts
Walworth	3 Districts	2 Districts
Washington	2 Districts	2 Districts
Waukesha	2 Districts	1 District
Waupaca	2 Districts	2 Districts
Waushara	1 District	1 District
Winnebago	4 Districts	3 Districts
Wood	Shared with Clark, Lincoln, Taylor	1 District

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Charles E. Bross^[2]
  • Assistant Clerk: J. W. Bates
  • Bookkeeper: Oliver Munson
  • Engrossing Clerk: Thomas Bright
  • Enrolling Clerk: James T. Greene
  • Transcribing Clerk: Samuel S. Lockhart
  • Proofreader: Willard W. Flinn
  • Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: A. T. E. Blessing
  • Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: Stephen Thomas
  • Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: E. S. Hotchkiss
  • Clerk for the Committee on Claims: J. H. Whitney
  • Document Clerk: Thomas Watson
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Adelbert D. Thorp
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles A. Landridge
• Postmaster: H. C. Spaulding
  • Assistant Postmaster: John J. Marshall
• Gallery Attendant: Claus Johnson
• Committee Room Attendant: A. A. Curtis
• Document Room Attendant: Frank Hutson
• Doorkeepers:
  • Joseph Granvogel
  • H. T. E. Tilleson
  • Jos. S. Adlington
  • Jos. W. Hodges
• Porter: O. L. Wright
• Night Watch: G. W. Churchill
• Janitor: Owen Pritchard
• Messengers:
  • Charlie Adamson
  • Lemuel R. Parry
  • Emile Forgeot
  • Fred. D. Irish
  • Elliot B. Davis
  • A. M. Kneeland
  • Dennie M. Wright

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Isaac T. Carr^[2]
  • 1st Assistant Clerk: James W. Murphy
    • 2nd Assistant Clerk: J. L. O'Connor
  • Bookkeeper: Clarence L. Clark
  • Engrossing Clerk: C. R. Blumenfeld
  • Enrolling Clerk: Charles N. Holden
  • Transcribing Clerk: James Douglas
  • Proofreader: George Stone
  • Clark for the Judiciary Committee: Joseph Roy
  • Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: W. C. Brawley
  • Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: J. C. Conners
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Thomas Kennedy
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Bernard McGinty
• Postmaster: T. W. Wiebold
  • Assistant Postmaster: William H. Fitzgerald
• Doorkeepers:
  • Byron Abert
  • John D. Bradford
  • O. B. Phelps
• Fireman: Frank Grams
• Gallery Attendants:
  • T. F. McCarty
  • Michael Riedy
• Engrossing Room Attendant: J. B. Rand
• Policeman: John W. Liebenstein
• Night Watch: A. H. Burns
• Wash Room Attendant: Matthew Dunne
• Messengers:
  • W. G. Kropf
  • H. Allman
  • J. F. Donovan

External links

• 1883: Related Documents from Wisconsin Legislature

Notes and References

1. State of Wisconsin 2011–2012 Blue Book . 2011 . Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau . 978-0-9752820-1-4 . Barish . Lawrence S. . Lemanski . Lynn . https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2011_2012/840_stats_history.pdf . Statistics: History . 709, 714, 717, 719 . March 2, 2022 .
2. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin . State of Wisconsin . 1883 . Heg . J. E. . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1883/reference/wi.wibluebk1883.i0021.pdf . Biographical Sketches . 470–517 . March 5, 2022 .