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61st Wisconsin Legislature

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61st Wisconsin Legislature
60th 62nd
Wisconsin State Capitol ca.1915
Overview
Legislative bodyWisconsin Legislature
Meeting placeWisconsin State Capitol
TermJanuary 2, 1933 – January 7, 1935
ElectionNovember 8, 1932
Senate
Members33
Senate PresidentThomas J. O'Malley (D)
President pro temporeOrland S. Loomis (R)
Party controlRepublican
Assembly
Members100
Assembly SpeakerCornelius T. Young (D)
Party controlDemocratic
Sessions
RegularJanuary 11, 1933 – July 25, 1933
Special sessions
Dec. 1933 Spec.December 11, 1933 – February 3, 1934

The Sixty-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 11, 1933, to July 25, 1933, in regular session, and reconvened in a special session from December 11, 1933, to February 3, 1934.[1]

This was the first legislative term after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session—although there are barely any changes from the previous map. This was also the first legislative term since 1893–1894 in which the Democratic Party of Wisconsin held a majority of one of the chambers. This session also coincided with the formal schism of the Wisconsin Progressive Party from the Republican Party of Wisconsin. It was the beginning of a major political realignment in the state.

Senators representing even-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 even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 8, 1932. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 4, 1930.[1]

Major events

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Major legislation

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  • January 28, 1933: Joint Resolution ratifying an amendment to the Constitution of the United States fixing the commencement of the terms of President and Vice President and Members of Congress and fixing the time of the assembling of Congress, 1933 Joint Resolution 5. Wisconsin's ratification of the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • May 4, 1933: Joint Resolution to amend section 11 of article XIII of the constitution relating to free passes, 1933 Joint Resolution 63. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to create exceptions to the prohibition on free passes for candidates where they are earning less than $300 of income and would otherwise receive such passes from their employer. This amendment was eventually ratified by voters at the November 1936 election.
  • June 8, 1933: Joint Resolution to amend section 1 of Article III of the constitution, relating to suffrage, to eliminate obsolete provisions and to submit this amendment to a vote of the people at the general election in November 1934, 1933 Joint Resolution 76. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to make technical fixes to the section on suffrage, eliminating references to gender. This amendment was ratified by voters at the November 1934 election.

Party summary

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Senate summary

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Senate partisan composition
  Democratic: 9 seats
  Socialist: 1 seat
  Republican: 23 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Dem. Soc. Prog. Rep. Vacant
End of previous Legislature 1 2 0 29 32 1
Start of Reg. Session 9 1 0 23 33 0
From July 28, 1934[note 1] 22 32 1
From Nov. 14, 1934[note 2] 21 31 2
Final voting share 32.26% 67.74%
Beginning of the next Legislature 14 0 13 6 33 0

Assembly summary

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Assembly partisan composition
  Democratic: 59 seats
  Socialist: 3 seats
  Republican: 38 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Dem. Soc. Prog. Rep. Vacant
End of previous Legislature 3 9 0 84 96 4
Start of Reg. Session 59 3 0 38 100 0
From Jan. 28, 1934[note 3] 58 99 1
Final voting share 58.59% 41.41%
Beginning of the next Legislature 35 3 45 17 100 0

Sessions

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  • Regular session: January 11, 1933 – July 25, 1933
  • December 1933 special session: December 11, 1933 – February 3, 1934

Leaders

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Senate leadership

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Assembly leadership

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Members

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Members of the Senate

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Members of the Senate for the Sixty-First Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

Senate partisan representation
  Democratic: 9 seats
  Socialist: 1 seat
  Republican: 23 seats
Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party
01 Door, Kewaunee, & Manitowoc John E. Cashman Denmark Rep.
02 Brown & Oconto E. F. Brunette Green Bay Dem.
03 Milwaukee (South City) Walter Polakowski Milwaukee Soc.
04 Milwaukee (Northeast County & Northeast City) Oscar Morris Milwaukee Rep.
05 Milwaukee (Northwest City) Bernhard Gettelman Milwaukee Rep.
06 Milwaukee (North-Central City) Charles H. Phillips Milwaukee Dem.
07 Milwaukee (Southeast County & Southeast City) Leonard Fons Milwaukee Rep.
08 Milwaukee (Western County) William Shenners Jr. West Allis Dem.
09 Milwaukee (City Downtown) Irving P. Mehigan Milwaukee Rep.
10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, & St. Croix Walter H. Hunt River Falls Rep.
11 Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, & Washburn Philip E. Nelson Maple Rep.
12 Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, & Vilas Bernard J. Gehrmann Mellen Rep.
13 Dodge & Washington Eugene A. Clifford Juneau Dem.
14 Outagamie & Shawano Mike Mack Shiocton Rep.
15 Rock Alexander Paul Milton Dem.
16 Crawford, Grant, & Vernon William D. Carroll Prairie du Chien Dem.
17 Green, Iowa, & Lafayette George Engebretson South Wayne Rep.
18 Fond du Lac, Green Lake & Waushara Morley G. Kelly Fond du Lac Dem.
19 Calumet & Winnebago Merritt F. White Winneconne Rep.
20 Ozaukee & Sheboygan Harry W. Bolens Port Washington Dem.
21 Racine Walter S. Goodland Racine Rep.
22 Kenosha & Walworth Conrad Shearer Kenosha Rep.
23 Portage & Waupaca Herman J. Severson Iola Prog.Rep.
24 Clark, Taylor, & Wood Walter J. Rush Neillsville Rep.
25 Lincoln & Marathon Otto Mueller Wausau Rep.
26 Dane Alvin C. Reis Madison Rep.
27 Columbia, Richland, & Sauk Fred W. Zantow Baraboo Rep.
28 Chippewa & Eau Claire G. Erle Ingram Eau Claire Prog.Rep.
29 Barron, Dunn, & Polk John A. Anderson Barron Rep.
30 Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, & Oneida Sherman W. Wade Antigo Dem.
31 Adams, Juneau, Monroe, & Marquette Orland S. Loomis Mauston Rep.
32 Jackson, La Crosse, & Trempealeau Harry W. Griswold West Salem Rep.
33 Jefferson & Waukesha William H. Edwards Sussex Rep.

Members of the Assembly

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Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-First Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

Assembly partisan composition
  Democratic: 59 seats
  Socialist: 3 seats
  Republican: 38 seats
Milwaukee County districts
Senate
Dist.
County Dist. Representative Party Residence
31 Adams & Marquette K. J. Callahan Rep. Montello
12 Ashland Clarence V. Olson Prog.Rep. Ashland
29 Barron Warren D. Leary Dem. Rice Lake
11 Bayfield Robert A. Nixon Prog.Rep. Washburn
02 Brown 1 Robert E. Lynch Dem. Green Bay
2 William J. Sweeney Dem. De Pere
10 Buffalo & Pepin Arthur A. Hitt Prog.Rep. Alma
11 Burnett & Washburn Lou J. Thompson Dem. Spooner
19 Calumet Jerome F. Fox Dem. Chilton
28 Chippewa John E. Prince Rep. Anson
24 Clark James E. Lyons Dem. Colby
27 Columbia E. Myrwyn Rowlands Rep. Cambria
16 Crawford Thorleif A. Peterson Dem. Soldiers Grove
26 Dane 1 Francis Lamb Rep. Madison
2 James C. Hanson Rep. Deerfield
3 Albert J. Baker Rep. Mount Horeb
13 Dodge 1 Lorenz Becker Dem. Woodland
2 Henry E. Krueger Dem. Beaver Dam
01 Door William H. Moore Prog.Rep. Sawyer
11 Douglas 1 Maurice Weinberg Dem. Superior
2 Joseph Westlund Rep. Superior
29 Dunn Willis E. Donley Dem. Menomonie
28 Eau Claire John T. Pritchard Rep. Eau Claire
30 Florence, Forest, & Oneida Neil McEachin Dem. Rhinelander
18 Fond du Lac 1 Maurice J. Fitzsimons Jr. Dem. Fond du Lac
2 Joseph H. Hardgrove Dem. Eden
16 Grant 1 Bert A. Clemens Rep. Cuba City
2 Hugh A. Harper Rep. Lancaster
17 Green Ernst J. Hoesly Prog.Rep. New Glarus
18 Green Lake & Waushara Alex McDonald Dem. Markesan
17 Iowa John S. Jackson Rep. Mineral Point
12 Iron & Vilas Paul Alfonsi Prog.Rep. Pence
32 Jackson William F. Dettinger Prog.Rep. Hixton
33 Jefferson Palmer F. Daugs Dem. Fort Atkinson
31 Juneau John P. Conway Rep. Hustler
22 Kenosha 1 Alfred C. Grosvenor Dem. Kenosha
2 George E. Mahoney Dem. Pleasant Prairie
01 Kewaunee Albert D. Shimek Dem. Algoma
32 La Crosse 1 John Mulder Rep. La Crosse
2 Bernhard Mau Dem. West Salem
17 Lafayette Joseph S. Robinson Rep. Platteville
30 Langlade James T. Cavanaugh Dem. Antigo
25 Lincoln Louis Leidiger Dem. Merrill
01 Manitowoc 1 Francis A. Yindra Dem. Manitowoc
2 Raymond J. Scheuer Dem. Mishicot
25 Marathon 1 Frank J. Shortner Dem. Edgar
2 Frank E. Bachhuber Dem. Wausau
30 Marinette Charles A. Budlong Rep. Marinette
09 Milwaukee 1 Cornelius T. Young Dem. Milwaukee
06 2 Clarence Kretlow Dem. Milwaukee
08 3 Arthur J. Balzer Prog.Dem. Milwaukee
09 4 John O'Malley Dem. Milwaukee
03 5 Mary O. Kryszak Dem. Milwaukee
09 6 John N. Kaiser Dem. Milwaukee
06 7 Arthur Koegel Soc. Milwaukee
08 8 James W. Higgins Dem. Milwaukee
05 9 George Weissleder Dem. Milwaukee
07 10 Frank Chermak Dem. South Milwaukee
03 11 Martin Franzkowiak Dem. Milwaukee
07 12 Max Galasinski Dem. Milwaukee
04 13 Grover Ramstack Dem. Milwaukee
14 Milton T. Murray Rep. Milwaukee
05 15 Thomas H. Caffrey Dem. Milwaukee
06 16 Herman B. Wegner Soc. Milwaukee
07 17 Edward C. Werner Dem. Milwaukee
06 18 Edward H. Kiefer Soc. Milwaukee
05 19 Joseph L. Garvens Dem. West Milwaukee
08 20 Charles B. Perry Rep. Wauwatosa
31 Monroe Earl D. Hall Rep. Greenfield
02 Oconto Gregory Flatley Dem. Oconto Falls
14 Outagamie 1 August W. Laabs Rep. Appleton
2 William M. Rohan Dem. Kaukauna
20 Ozaukee Louis G. Kieker Dem. Thiensville
10 Pierce Lloyd Tombleson Rep. Ellsworth
29 Polk Marius Dueholm Rep. Luck
23 Portage John Kostuck Prog.Rep. Stevens Point
12 Price Gustave Bliese Dem. Phillips
21 Racine 1 Joseph Clancy Dem. Racine
2 Joseph C. Hamata Dem. Racine
3 Edward F. Rakow Dem. Burlington
27 Richland Harley A. Martin Dem. Richland Center
15 Rock 1 Edward Grassman Rep. Edgerton
2 Ira E. Inman Rep. Beloit
12 Rusk & Sawyer J. W. Carow Rep. Ladysmith
27 Sauk Isaac C. Evans Dem. Spring Green
14 Shawano Walter J. Dolan Dem. Shawano
20 Sheboygan 1 Joseph M. Theisen Dem. Sheboygan
2 Charles A. Laack Dem. Plymouth
10 St. Croix Arthur D. Kelly Prog.Rep. Hudson
24 Taylor Anthony J. Opachen Dem. Medford
32 Trempealeau Frank A. Kellman Rep. Galesville
16 Vernon Hjalmer S. Halvorsen Prog.Rep. Westby
22 Walworth Daniel E. LaBar Rep. Delavan
13 Washington Joseph E. Russell Dem. Hartford
33 Waukesha 1 Walter G. Caldwell Dem. Waukesha
2 William H. Steele Rep. Pewaukee
23 Waupaca Earle Moldenhauer Dem. Clintonville
19 Winnebago 1 Ray Novotny Dem. Oshkosh
2 William P. Grimes Dem. Neenah
24 Wood Byrde M. Vaughan Rep. Wisconsin Rapids

Committees

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Senate committees

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  • Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Labor – C. Shearer, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Committees – W. H. Edwards, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – B. Gettelman, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and Taxation – O. Morris, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – W. H. Hunt, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Highways – J. E. Cashman, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – H. J. Severson, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Legislative Procedure – O. S. Loomis, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government – M. F. White, chair
  • Senate Special Committee on Building and Loan Association Legislation – H. W. Griswold, chair
  • Senate Special Committee on Investigation of Grain and Warehouse Commission – M. G. Kelly, chair
  • Senate Special Committee on Mortgage Foreclosures – O. S. Loomis, chair

Assembly committees

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  • Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – H. A. Martin, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufactures – P. F. Daugs, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Conservation – G. Bliese, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – W. J. Dolan, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Education – E. F. Rakow, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – J. M. Theisen, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – A. J. Opachen, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – M. Weinberg, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – L. Leidiger, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – W. G. Caldwell, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – B. Mau, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – J. F. Fox, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – A. J. Balzer, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – M. Galasinski, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – W. D. Leary, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – M. O. Kryszak, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – W. P. Grimes, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – H. E. Krueger, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – F. Chermak, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – E. Moldenhauer, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – J. E. Russell, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – I. C. Evans, chair
  • Assembly Special Committee on Building and Loan Association Legislation – W. D. Leary, chair

Joint committees

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  • Joint Standing Committee on Finance – O. Mueller (Sen.) & J. C. Hamata (Asm.), co-chairs
  • Joint Special Committee on Additional Farm Lands for State Prison – O. Mueller, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Farm Machinery Prices – H. J. Severson, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Huber Memorial Exercises – J. E. Cashman, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Investigation of the Department of Agriculture and Markets – G. E. Ingram, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Investigation of the Quality and Price of Beer – M. G. Kelly, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Reduction in Cost of Government – E. A. Clifford, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Small Loans Lobbying – H. W. Bolens, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Sources of Revenue for School Purposes – B. Gettelman, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Stabilization of Milk Prices – B. J. Gehrmann, chair
  • Joint Special Committee on State Fair for 1933 – W. Shenners, chair

Employees

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Senate employees

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  • Chief Clerk: Robert A. Cobban[2]
    • Assistant Chief Clerk: C. J. Knoche
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Emil A. Hartman
    • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Norman J. Hippert
  • Postmaster: William H. Kasiska

Assembly employees

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  • Chief Clerk: John J. Slocum[2]
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: George C. Faust
    • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: John E. Rohan
  • Postmaster: James Carew

Changes from the 60th Legislature

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New districts for the 61st Legislature were defined in 1931 Wisconsin Special Session Act 27, passed into law in the 60th Wisconsin Legislature.

Senate redistricting

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Summary of Senate changes

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  • 26 districts were left unchanged
  • Milwaukee's 7 districts were slightly reconfigured without losing their geographic position within the county.

Assembly redistricting

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Summary of Assembly changes

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  • 74 districts were left unchanged
  • Two of Dane County's districts were slightly adjusted.
  • Kenosha County's 2 districts were slightly adjusted.
  • Marathon County's 2 districts were reconfigured.
  • Milwaukee County's 20 districts were reconfigured.

Notes

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  1. ^ Republican Merritt F. White (19th District) died.
  2. ^ Republican Fred W. Zantow (27th District) died.
  3. ^ Democrat Walter G. Caldwell (Waukesha County) died.

References

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  1. ^ a b Barish, Lawrence S.; Lemanski, Lynn, eds. (2021). "Historical Lists" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 468, 471, 475, 479–480. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1931). "Legislative Branch of the State Government". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1933 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 191–260. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
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