55th Wisconsin Legislature

The Fifty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and re-convened in a special session in March 1922.
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 3, 1920. 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 5, 1918.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican John J. Blaine, of Grant County, serving a two-year term, having won election in the 1920 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 3, 1921: Inauguration of John J. Blaine as the 24th Governor of Wisconsin.
January 29, 1921: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice James C. Kerwin died in office.
March 4, 1921: Inauguration of Warren G. Harding as the 29th President of the United States.
March 11, 1921: Christian Doerfler was appointed a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of justice
May 19, 1921: U.S. President Warren G. Harding signed the Emergency Quota Act into law, limiting the immigration of southern and eastern Europeans to the United States.
December 6, 1921: The Anglo-Irish Treaty formally ends the Irish War of Independence, establishing the Irish Free State.
February 6, 1922: The Five Power Naval Disarmament Treaty was signed between the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Italy. The treaty placed limits on construction of battleships and placed weight limitations on other naval ships.
February 12, 1922: Wisconsin chief justice Robert G. Siebecker died in office. Justice Aad J. Vinje immediately succeeded to the position of chief justice due to the rule of seniority.
April 3, 1922: Joseph Stalin was appointed General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party.
April 4, 1922: Attorney Charles H. Crownhart was appointed a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of chief justice
May 15, 1922: The WCAY radio station began broadcasting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
May 30, 1922: Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
June 14, 1922: U.S. President Warren G. Harding made the first presidential speech over radio.
October 31, 1922: Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy after leading a coup d'état with his National Fascist Party.
November 7, 1922: 1922 United States general election:
* John J. Blaine re-elected Governor of Wisconsin.
* Robert M. La Follette re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
* Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the state constitution changing jury rules for civil trials, so that a verdict requires at least five-sixths majority.
* Wisconsin voters rejected two other amendments to the state constitution:
** to remove term limits from sheriffs
** to allow municipalities to take on additional debt to pay for streetcars or power, water, or heat infrastructure
November 11, 1922: The Lausanne Conference recognized the Republic of Turkey as having replaced the Ottoman sultanate as the legitimate government of Turkey.
December 30, 1922: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created by the union of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Transcaucasian Republic.

Major legislation

July 9, 1921: An Act... relating to the re-apportionment of the state into assembly and senatorial districts, .
Joint Resolution to amend section 5, article I of the constitution, relating to trial by jury, . Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to change jury rules for civil trials, so that a verdict requires a minimum of five-sixths of the jury. This amendment was ratified by voters in the November 1922 election.
Joint Resolution to amend section 7 of article VII of the constitution, relating to circuit judges, . First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to expand the number of circuits eligible for having multiple judges.
Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation or members of the legislature, . First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to raise legislative pay to $750 per year. Voters had just defeated another amendment which would have given the Legislature control of their own salary in 1920. This amendment would also ultimately be defeated in April 1924.
Joint Resolution to amend section 10 of article VIII of the constitution, relating to internal improvements, . First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow state spending on forestry improvements.
Joint Resolution to amend section 4 of article VI of the constitution, relating to county officers, . Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to remove term limits for sheriffs. This amendment was defeated by voters in the November 1922 election.
Joint Resolution to create section 3b of article XI of the constitution, relating to the indebtedness of municipal corporations, . Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow municipalities to take on additional debt for street rail or other utilities. This amendment was defeated by voters in the November 1922 election.
Joint Resolution to amend section 3 of article XI of the constitution, relating to powers of cities and villages, . First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to grant home rule to all cities and villages in the state.

Sessions

Regular session: January 12, 1921July 14, 1921March 1922 special session: March 22, 1922March 28, 1922

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: George Comings
President pro tempore: Timothy Burke

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Riley S. Young

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Fifty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee,		Sturgeon Bay	Rep.
02	Brown		Green Bay	Rep.
03	Kenosha		Racine	Rep.
04	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
05	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Soc.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Soc.
07	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Soc.
08	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
09	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
10	Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce,		River Falls	Rep.
11	Burnett, Douglas,		Superior	Rep.
12	Ashland, Bayfield, Price, Rusk,		Ashland	Rep.
13	Dodge		Iron Ridge	Rep.
14	Outagamie		Shawano	Rep.
15	Calumet		Rantoul	Soc.
16	Crawford, Grant,		Fennimore	Rep.
17	Green, Iowa,		Blanchardville	Rep.
18			Fond du Lac	Rep.
19	Winnebago		Neenah	Rep.
20	Ozaukee		Sheboygan	Rep.
21	Adams, Juneau, Marquette,		Westfield	Rep.
22	Rock		Elkhorn	Rep.
23	Portage		Iola	Rep.
24	Clark		Neillsville	Rep.
25	Langlade		Wausau	Rep.
26	Dane		Stoughton	Rep.
27	Columbia		Caledonia	Rep.
28	Chippewa,		Eau Claire	Rep.
29	Barron, Dunn,		Menomonie	Rep.
30	Florence, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Taylor,		Rhinelander	Rep.
31	Jackson, Monroe,		Viroqua	Rep.
32	La Crosse		Galesville	Rep.
33	Jefferson			Dem.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Fifty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:

Committees

Senate committees

Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesG. B. Skogmo, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresH. Huber, chair
Senate Standing Committee on CorporationsG. B. Skogmo, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareA. Kuckuk, chair
Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysE. F. Clark, chair
Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryJ. A. Conant, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureT. Burke, chair
Senate Standing Committee on State AffairsH. E. Roethe, chair

Assembly committees

Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureW. Olson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesJ. E. Johnson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresJ. C. Hanson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on EducationM. L. Hineman, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsF. Hess, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsA. Becker, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsT. W. Bartingale, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesR. M. Atcherson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Fish and GameM. S. Catlin, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysR. Bullis, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingB. H. Mahon, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryJ. B. French, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on LaborW. A. Freehoff, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesC. M. Perry, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingF. W. Downs, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareF. J. Petersen, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionC. Weittenhiller, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on RulesJ. B. French, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsA. E. Matheson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationW. H. Edwards, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingJ. T. Oliver, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationL. J. Pierson, chair

Joint committees

Joint Standing Committee on FinanceR. J. Nye & G. Oakes, co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: Oliver G. Munson
* Assistant Chief Clerk: Charles E. Mullen
Sergeant-at-Arms: Vincent Kielpinski
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Olaf Goldstrand
Postmaster: Frank C. Densmore

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: C. E. Shaffer
* Journal Clerk: W. A. Lawton
Sergeant-at-Arms: Thomas Grant Cretney
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Ernest F. Wright
Postmaster: G. I. Brader