The Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.
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.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat Gaylord Nelson, of Dane County, serving a two-year term, having won election in the 1958 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
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
Assembly summary
Sessions
- Regular session: January 14, 1959May 27, 1960
Leaders
Senate leadership
Assembly leadership
Members
Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:
Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:
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
Assembly employees
Notes
References
External links