74th Wisconsin Legislature explained

74th Wisconsin Legislature
Body:	Wisconsin Legislature
Before:	73rd
After:	75th
Chamber1:	Senate
Membership1:	33
Control1:	Republican
Chamber2:	Assembly
Membership2:	100
Control2:	Democratic
Session1 Type:	Regular

The Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.^[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 4, 1958. 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 6, 1956.^[1]

Major events

• January 5, 1959: Inauguration of Gaylord Nelson as the 35th Governor of Wisconsin.
• February 16, 1959: Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba.
• April 25, 1959: The St. Lawrence Seaway opened to traffic, linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
• August 21, 1959: Hawaii was admitted as the 50th U.S. state.
• April 5, 1960: Voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to allow the state to take on debt to pay for port improvements.
• May 6, 1960: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law.
• September 14, 1960: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
• November 8, 1960: 1960 United States general election:
  • John F. Kennedy (D) elected President of the United States.
  • Gaylord Nelson (D) re-elected Governor of Wisconsin.
  • Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to set a county and municipal debt limit of five percent of taxable property.

Major legislation

• July 24, 1959: An Act ... relating to group health insurance and the group life insurance program for state employes, granting rule-making authority and making an appropriation, 1959 Act 211. Created group life and health insurance programs for state employees.
• July 31, 1959: An Act ... relating to the abolition of the department of budget and accounts, bureau of engineering, bureau of personnel, bureau of purchases, division of departmental research and the creation of a state department of administration, a board on government operations and making appropriations, 1959 Act 228. Created the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
• September 19, 1959: An Act ... relating to the abolition of the state planning division, division of industrial development, the creation of a department of resource development, and increasing the appropriation to the university of Wisconsin, 1959 Act 442. Created the Wisconsin Department of Resource Development.
• October 2, 1959: An Act ... relating to rights of employes of local units of government to form and join labor organizations, 1959 Act 509. Allowed Wisconsin municipal employees to unionize.
• 1959 Joint Resolution 15: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the state to take on debt to pay for port improvements. This amendment was ratified at the April 1960 election.
• 1959 Joint Resolution 32: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to set a county and municipal debt limit of five percent of taxable property. This amendment was ratified at the November 1960 election.

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Dem.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	10		22	32	1
Start of Reg. Session	13		20	33	0
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	13		20	33	0

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Dem.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	33		66	99	1
Start of Reg. Session		55	45	100	0
From Apr. 23, 1960^[2]		54		99	1
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	45		55	100	0

Sessions

• Regular session: January 14, 1959May 27, 1960

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Philleo Nash (D)
• President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer (R–Oakfield)
• Majority leader: Robert S. Travis (R–Platteville)
• Minority leader: Henry Maier (D–Milwaukee)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: George Molinaro (D–Kenosha)
• Majority leader: Keith C. Hardie (D–Taylor)
• Minority leader: David Blanchard (R–Edgerton)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee,		Kiel		Rep.
02	Brown		Green Bay		Rep.
03	Milwaukee (South City)		Milwaukee		Dem.
04	Milwaukee (North County)		Milwaukee		Rep.
05			Milwaukee		Dem.
06			Milwaukee		Dem.
07	Milwaukee (South County		Cudahy		Dem.
08			West Milwaukee		Rep.
09			Milwaukee		Dem.
10	Buffalo, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce,		New Richmond		Rep.
11	Milwaukee (Western City)		Milwaukee		Dem.
12	Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Price, Taylor,		Merrill		Rep.
13			Oakfield		Rep.
14			Bear Creek		Rep.
15	Rock		Janesville		Rep.
16	Dane (Excluding Madison)		Stoughton		Dem.
17	Grant, Green, Iowa,		Platteville		Rep.
18	,		Rosendale		Rep.
19			Neenah		Rep.
20			Sheboygan Falls		Rep.
21	Racine		Racine		Dem.
22			Lake Geneva		Rep.
23	Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer,		Rice Lake		Dem.
24	Clark, Portage,		Vesper		Rep.
25	Ashland, Bayfield,		Merrill		Dem.
26	Dane (Madison)		Madison		Dem.
27	Columbia, Crawford, Richland,		Richland Center		Rep.
28			Eau Claire		Dem.
29			Rothschild		Dem.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette,		Oconto		Rep.
31	Adams, Juneau, Monroe, Marquette,		Sparta		Rep.
32	Jackson, La Crosse,		La Crosse		Rep.
33			Hartland		Rep.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Senate Dist.	County	Dist.	Representative	Party	Residence
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Adams, Juneau,			Rep.	Hustler
25	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Dem.	Mellen
23	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Barron			Rep.	Rice Lake
02	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Brown	1			Rep.	Green Bay
	2			Rep.	Green Bay
	3			Dem.	Green Bay
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Buffalo, Pepin,			Dem.	Prescott
23	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Dem.	Luck
19	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Calumet			Rep.	New Holstein
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Chippewa			Dem.	Chippewa Falls
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Clark			Dem.	Abbotsford
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Columbia			Rep.	Portage
	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Dem.	Richland Center
26	text-align="left" rowspan="5"	Dane	1			Dem.	Madison
	2			Dem.	Madison
	3			Dem.	Madison
16	4			Dem.	Sun Prairie
	5			Dem.	Waunakee
13	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Dodge	1			Rep.	Mayville
	2			Rep.	Beaver Dam
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Sturgeon Bay
25	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Douglas	1			Dem.	Superior
	2			Dem.	Superior
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Dunn			Dem.	Menomonie
28	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Eau Claire	1			Dem.	Eau Claire
	2			Dem.	Eau Claire
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Florence, Forest,			Dem.	Antigo
18	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Fond du Lac	1			Rep.	Fond du Lac
	2			Rep.	Ripon
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Grant			Rep.	Lancaster
	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Green			Rep.	Monticello
18	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Markesan
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Benton
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Iron, Oneida,			Rep.	Minocqua
32	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Dem.	Taylor
33	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Jefferson			Rep.	Watertown
22	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Kenosha	1			Dem.	Kenosha
	2			Rep.	Kenosha
32	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	La Crosse	1			Rep.	La Crosse
	2			Dem.	Holmen
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Merrill
01	Manitowoc	1			Dem.	Manitowoc
		2			Rep.	Two Rivers
29	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Marathon	1			Dem.	Athens
	2			Rep.	Wausau
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Marinette			Rep.	Marinette
04	text-align="left" rowspan="24"	Milwaukee	1			Dem.	Milwaukee
09	2			Dem.	Milwaukee
	3			Dem.	Milwaukee
11	4			Dem.	Milwaukee
05	5			Rep.	Milwaukee
09	6			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	7			Dem.	Milwaukee
11	8			Dem.	Milwaukee
05	9			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	10			Dem.	Milwaukee
03	11			Dem.	Milwaukee
	12			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	13			Dem.	Milwaukee
03	14			Dem.	Milwaukee
05	15			Dem.	Milwaukee
11	16			Dem.	Milwaukee
07	17			Dem.	Milwaukee
04	18			Dem.	Milwaukee
	19			Rep.	Bayside
08	20			Rep.	Wauwatosa
	21			Dem.	Wauwatosa
	22			Dem.	West Allis
07	23			Dem.	Milwaukee
	24			Dem.	South Milwaukee
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Monroe			Rep.	Tomah
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Oconto			Rep.	Lena
14	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Outagamie	1			Rep.	Appleton
	2			Rep.	Kaukauna
20	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ozaukee			Rep.	Port Washington
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Portage			Dem.	Stevens Point
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Dem.	Phillips
21	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Racine	1			Dem.	Racine
	2			Dem.	Racine
	3			Dem.	Raymond
15	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Rock	1			Rep.	Janesville
	2			Rep.	Edgerton
	3			Rep.	Beloit
23	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Rusk, Sawyer,			Rep.	Tony
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Sauk			Rep.	Baraboo
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Shawano			Rep.	Tigerton
20	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Sheboygan	1			Dem.	Sheboygan
	2			Rep.	Sheboygan
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	St. Croix			Dem.	New Richmond
16	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Vernon			Dem.	Hillsboro
22	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Walworth			Rep.	Delavan
13	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Washington			Rep.	Jackson
33	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Waukesha	1			Dem.	Waukesha
	2			Rep.	Oconomowoc
14	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Waupaca			Rep.	Clintonville
19	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Winnebago	1			Rep.	Oshkosh
	2			Rep.	Oshkosh
	3			Rep.	Menasha
24	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Wood	1			Rep.	Marshfield
	2			Dem.	Wisconsin Rapids

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Standing Committee on AgricultureJ. E. Leverich, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on ConservationC. Krueger, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on EducationW. W. Clark, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Governmental and Veterans Affairs, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysJ. Miller, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Interstate CooperationF. E. Panzer, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryA. Busby, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Labor, Taxation, Insurance, and BankingW. Trinke, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Public WelfareP. P. Carr, chair
• Senate Special Committee on CommitteesJ. Miller, chair
• Senate Special Committee on Contingent ExpendituresR. Bice, chair
• Senate Special Committee on Legislative ProcedureF. E. Panzer, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureJ. T. Pritchard, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesL. L. Merz, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationH. F. Pellant, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresJ. Kostuck, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on EducationK. C. Hardie, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsS. R. Sobocinski, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsG. Talsky, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsE. W. Warren, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesE. J. Ryczek, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysR. T. Huber, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingG. Sokolowski, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryW. W. Ward, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on LaborA. J. Flannigan, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesN. Sussman, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingB. A. Riehle, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareI. N. Coggs, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionD. Mogilka, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RulesK. C. Hardie, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsC. J. Schmidt, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationR. A. Perala, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingR. E. Naleid, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationF. Christopherson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military AffairsJ. A. Greco, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Standing Committee on FinanceW. Draheim (Sen.) & F. A. Risser (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform LawsG. Lorge (Sen.) & T. J. Duffey (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Legislative CouncilG. Molinaro, chair

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen^[4]
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold Damon

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Norman C. Anderson^[4]
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Thomas H. Browne

External links

• 1959: 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. Democrat Robert M. Curley (Milwaukee County) resigned to accept appointment as a Wisconsin circuit court judge.
3. The Wisconsin Blue Book 1960 . . 1960 . Toepel . M. G. . Kuehn . Hazel L. . Biographies . 19–64 . October 10, 2023 .
4. The Wisconsin Blue Book 1960 . . 1960 . Toepel . M. G. . Kuehn . Hazel L. . The Legislative Branch . 292–302 . October 10, 2023 .