68th Wisconsin Legislature explained

68th Wisconsin Legislature
Body:	Wisconsin Legislature
Before:	67th
After:	69th
Chamber1:	Senate
Membership1:	33
Control1:	Republican
Chamber2:	Assembly
Membership2:	100
Control2:	Republican
Session1 Type:	Regular

The Sixty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and reconvened in a special session in July 1948.^[1]

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 5, 1946. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 7, 1944.^[1]

Major events

• January 6, 1947: Third inauguration of Walter Samuel Goodland as Governor of Wisconsin.
• February 20, 1947: The U.S. Army Hermes program launched the Blossom I rocket into space, carrying plants and fruit flies. These were first the living things launched into space by humans.
• March 12, 1947:
  • U.S. President Harry S. Truman announced the Truman Doctrine to Congress, stating that it would be U.S. policy to defend democracies against authoritarian threats.
  • Wisconsin governor Walter Samuel Goodland died in office. He was immediately succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Oscar Rennebohm as the 32nd governor of Wisconsin.
• April 1, 1947: Judge Henry P. Hughes was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating incumbent justice James Ward Rector.
• April 16, 1947: The first use of the term Cold War to describe the postwar tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
• May 22, 1947: U.S. President Harry Truman signed an act of Congress implementing his Truman doctrine and providing military and economic aide to Turkey and Greece.
• June 23, 1947: The U.S. Congress overrode President Harry Truman's veto of the Taft–Hartley Act, restricting the powers of labor unions.
• July 26, 1947: U.S. President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, creating the United States Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the United States National Security Council, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
• October 5, 1947: U.S. President Harry Truman delivered the first televised presidential address.
• October 14, 1947: U.S. Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager was the first man to travel faster than the speed of sound, piloting the Bell X-1 rocket plane.
• October 30, 1947: The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was signed by 23 nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
• November 24, 1947: The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve citations of Contempt of Congress against the "Hollywood Ten" for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
• November 29, 1947: The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was approved by the United Nations General Assembly.
• January 30, 1948: Indian anti-colonial peace activist Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi.
• March 8, 1948: In the case McCollum v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court ruled that religious instruction in public schools violated the U.S. Constitution.
• April 3, 1948: U.S. President Harry Truman signed the Marshall Plan (the European Recovery Program) into law.
• April 8, 1948: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Chester A. Fowler died in office.
• June 1, 1948: Wisconsin Governor Oscar Rennebohm appointed John E. Martin to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed the deceased justice Chester A. Fowler.
• June 24, 1948: The Soviet Union implemented a blockade of West Berlin.
• June 26, 1948: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Elmer E. Barlow died in office.
• July 26, 1948: U.S. President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, ending racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces
• November 2, 1948: 1948 United States general election:
  • Harry S. Truman (D) elected President of the United States.
  • Oscar Rennebohm elected Governor of Wisconsin.
  • Wisconsin voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution to repeal the section on municipal eminent domain.
• November 12, 1948: Wisconsin Governor Oscar Rennebohm appointed Grover L. Broadfoot to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed the deceased justice Elmer E. Barlow.
• December 9, 1948: The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
• December 10, 1948: The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Major legislation

• June 26, 1947: An Act ... relating to records of state officers and making an appropriation, 1947 Act 316. Created the Committee on Public Records within the Wisconsin Historical Society.
• July 16, 1947: An Act ... providing for a commissioner of banks, a commissioner of saving and loan associations, a supervisor of credit unions, and a credit union review board, abolishing the banking commission, transferring files and personnel, making an appropriation, and providing penalties, 1947 Act 411. Reorganized the Wisconsin Department of Banking and related agencies.
• 1947 Joint Resolution 48: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to repeal the section on municipal eminent domain. This amendment was rejected by voters at the November 1948 election.

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total
	Dem.	Prog.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	6	5		21	32	1
Start of Reg. Session	5	1		27	33	0
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	4	0		27	31	2

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total
	Dem.	Prog.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	19	5		70	95	5
Start of Reg. Session	12	0		88	100	0
From Oct. 2, 1947^[2]				87	99	1
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	26	0		74	100	0

Sessions

• Regular session: January 8, 1947September 11, 1947
• July 1948 special session: July 19, 1948July 20, 1948

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Oscar Rennebohm (R)
• President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer (R–Oakfield)
• Majority leader: Warren P. Knowles (R–New Richmond)
• Minority leader: Robert Emmet Tehan (D–Milwaukee)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Donald C. McDowell (R–Soldiers Grove)
• Majority leader: Vernon W. Thomson (R–Richland Center)
• Minority leader: Leland McParland (D–Milwaukee)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Sixty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee,		Two Rivers		Rep.
02			Green Bay		Dem.
03	Milwaukee (South City)		Milwaukee		Dem.
04	Milwaukee (Northeast County		Milwaukee		Rep.
05			Milwaukee		Rep.
06			Milwaukee		Dem.
07	Milwaukee (Southeast County		Milwaukee		Dem.
08			West Milwaukee		Rep.
09			Milwaukee		Dem.
10	Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce,		New Richmond		Rep.
11	Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas,		Superior		Rep.
12	Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer,		Glidden		Rep.
13			Oakfield		Rep.
14			Appleton		Rep.
15	Rock		Beloit		Rep.
16	Crawford, Grant,		Bloomington		Rep.
17	Green, Iowa,		South Wayne		Rep.
18	,		Fond du Lac		Rep.
19			Oshkosh		Rep.
20			Sheboygan		Rep.
21	Racine		Racine		Rep.
22			Kenosha		Rep.
23			Stevens Point		Rep.
24	Clark, Taylor,		Marshfield		Rep.
25			Merrill		Rep.
26	Dane		Madison		Prog.
27	Columbia, Richland,		Richland Center		Rep.
28			Stanley		Rep.
29	Barron, Dunn,		Luck		Rep.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette,		Amberg		Rep.
31	Adams, Juneau, Monroe,		Sparta		Rep.
32	Jackson, La Crosse,		La Crosse		Rep.
33					Rep.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Senate Dist.	County	Dist.	Representative	Party	Residence
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Adams
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ashland			Rep.	Mellen
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Barron			Rep.	Cameron
11	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Bayfield			Rep.	Mason
02	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Brown	1			Dem.	Green Bay
	2			Rep.	Denmark
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Mondovi
11	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Spooner
19	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Calumet			Rep.	Brillion
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Chippewa			Rep.	Chippewa Falls
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Clark			Rep.	Owen
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Columbia			Rep.	Lodi
16	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Crawford			Rep.	Soldiers Grove
26	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Dane	1			Rep.	Madison
	2			Rep.	Blooming Grove
	3			Rep.	Verona
13	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Dodge	1			Rep.	Mayville
	2			Rep.	Beaver Dam
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Door			Rep.	Sturgeon Bay
11	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Douglas	1			Rep.	Superior
	2			Rep.	Superior
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Dunn			Rep.	Elk Mound
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Eau Claire			Rep.	Eau Claire
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Florence, Forest,			Rep.	Minocqua
18	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Fond du Lac	1			Rep.	Fond du Lac
	2			Rep.	Campbellsport
16	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Grant	1			Rep.	Platteville
	2			Rep.	Lancaster
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Green			Rep.	Monroe
18	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Wild Rose
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Iowa			Rep.	Arena
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Hurley
32	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Jackson			Rep.	Black River Falls
33	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Jefferson			Rep.	Lake Mills
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Juneau			Rep.	Hustler
22	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Kenosha	1			Rep.	Kenosha
	2			Dem.	Kenosha
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Kewaunee			Rep.	Luxemburg
32	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	La Crosse	1			Rep.	La Crosse
	2			Rep.	Onalaska
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Lafayette			Rep.	South Wayne
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Antigo
25	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Merrill
01	Manitowoc	1			Rep.	Manitowoc
		2			Rep.	Two Rivers
25	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Marathon	1			Rep.	Hamburg
	2			Rep.	Wausau
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Marinette			Rep.	Marinette
09	text-align="left" rowspan="20"	Milwaukee	1			Rep.	Milwaukee
06	2			Dem.	Milwaukee
08	3			Rep.	West Allis
09	4			Dem.	Milwaukee
03	5			Dem.	Milwaukee
09	6			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	7			Rep.	Milwaukee
08	8			Rep.	Milwaukee
05	9			Rep.	Milwaukee
07	10			Dem.	Cudahy
03	11			Dem.	Milwaukee
07	12			Dem.	Milwaukee
04	13			Dem.	Milwaukee
	14			Rep.	Milwaukee
05	15			Rep.	Milwaukee
06	16			Rep.	Milwaukee
07	17			Rep.	Milwaukee
06	18			Rep.	Milwaukee
05	19			Rep.	Milwaukee
08	20			Rep.	Wauwatosa
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Monroe			Rep.	Sparta
02	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Oconto			Rep.	Oconto
14	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Outagamie	1			Rep.	Appleton
	2			Rep.	Kaukauna
20	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ozaukee			Rep.	Grafton
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Pierce			Rep.	Spring Valley
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Polk			Rep.	Milltown
23	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Portage			Dem.	Stevens Point
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Price			Rep.	Fifield
21	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Racine	1			Rep.	Racine
	2			Rep.	Racine
	3			Rep.	Union Grove
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Richland			Rep.	Richland Center
15	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Rock	1			Rep.	Edgerton
	2			Rep.	Beloit
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Bruce
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Sauk			Rep.	Prairie du Sac
14	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Shawano			Rep.	Gresham
20	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Sheboygan	1			Dem.	Sheboygan
	2			Rep.	Waldo
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	St. Croix			Rep.	Roberts
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Taylor			Rep.	Gilman
32	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Trempealeau			Rep.	Galesville
16	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Vernon			Rep.	Westby
22	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Walworth			Rep.	Delavan
13	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Washington			Rep.	West Bend
33	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Waukesha	1			Rep.	Waukesha
	2			Rep.	Hartland
23	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Waupaca			Rep.	Clintonville
19	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Winnebago	1			Rep.	Oshkosh
	2			Rep.	Menasha
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Wood			Rep.	Vesper

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and ConservationM. Olson, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesJ. Miller, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresE. F. Hilker, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareR. P. Robinson, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysJ. Miller, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryG. W. Buchen, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Labor and ManagementL. J. Fellenz, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureF. E. Panzer, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on State and Local GovernmentR. Schlabach, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Veterans AffairsF. B. Porter, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureO. R. Rice, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturingC. R. Barnard, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationJ. E. Youngs, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresJ. M. Mleziva, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on EducationW. W. Clark, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsC. E. Collar, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsC. Ebert, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsE. L. Rundell, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesW. S. Fisher, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysH. A. Harper, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingB. M. Engebretson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryV. W. Thomson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on LaborE. L. Genzmer, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesP. A. Luedtke, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingG. J. Woerth, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareE. W. Hanson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionT. Holtebeck, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RulesF. Pfennig, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsR. H. Runden, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationJ. A. Canniff, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingF. H. Frank, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationA. Van De Zande, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military AffairsC. C. Christensen, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Standing Committee on FinanceG. H. Hipke (Sen.) & J. Spearbraker (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform LawsJ. C. McBride (Sen.) & M. F. Burmaster (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Legislative CouncilW. P. Knowles (Sen.), chair

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Thomas M. Donahue^[4]
  • Assistant Chief Clerk: W. Wrenn O'Connell
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold Damon
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Edward R. Stoker

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Arthur L. May^[4]
  • Assistant Chief Clerk: Robert H. Boyson
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Norris J. Kellman

External links

• 1947: Related Documents from Wisconsin Legislature

Notes and References

1. State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 . 2021 . Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau . 978-1-7333817-1-0 . Barish . Lawrence S. . Lemanski . Lynn . https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2021_2022/160_historical_lists.pdf . Historical Lists . 468, 471, 475, 479–480 . August 5, 2023 .
2. Republican Ernest L. Riebau (Milwaukee County) died.
3. The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 . . 1948 . Ohm. Howard F. . Kuehn . Hazel L. . Members of the Legislature . 28–74 . August 10, 2023 .
4. The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 . . 1948 . Ohm. Howard F. . Kuehn . Hazel L. . The State Government: Legislative Branch . 269- . August 10, 2023 .