58th Wisconsin Legislature

Major events

• January 3, 1927: Inauguration of Fred R. Zimmerman as the 25th Governor of Wisconsin.
• January 7, 1927: The first transatlantic telephone call was made via radio from New York City, United States, to London, United Kingdom.
• January 24, 1927: United States marines invaded Nicaragua to bolster the conservative government forces against liberal rebels in the Nicaraguan Civil War.
• February 23, 1927: U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signed the Radio Act of 1927, creating the Federal Radio Commission.
• March 21, 1927: The Orpheum Theatre opened in Madison, Wisconsin.
• April 5, 1927: 1927 Wisconsin Spring general election:
• * Wisconsin voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution to increase legislator pay to $1,000 per session.
• * Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to adjust taxation of forest land.
• May 20-21, 1927: Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight—from New York to Paris—in his single-engine aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis.
• July 2, 1927: The Oriental Theatre opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• August 2, 1927: U.S. President Calvin Coolidge announced he would not run for re-election in 1928.
• September 13, 1927: The Eagles Club opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• October 3, 1927: Farmers Mutual Insurance Company—which later became American Family Insurance—was founded in Madison, Wisconsin.
• June 29, 1928: Al Smith accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party for President of the United States, becoming the first Catholic presidential nominee of a major American political party.
• August 27, 1928: The Kellogg–Briand Pact was signed in Paris, becoming the first treaty renouncing the policy of aggressive war.
• September 4, 1928: Incumbent Wisconsin governor Fred R. Zimmerman lost renomination in the Republican primary.
• November 6, 1928: 1928 United States general election:
• * Herbert Hoover elected President of the United States.
• * Walter J. Kohler Sr. elected Governor of Wisconsin.
• * Robert La Follette Jr. re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.

Major legislation

• 1927 Joint Resolution 12: Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation of members of the legislature and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the April election of 1927. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to increase legislator pay to $1,000 per session. This amendment was defeated by voters in the April 1927 election.
• 1927 Joint Resolution 13: Joint Resolution to amend section 1 of article VIII of the constitution, relating to taxation of forests and minerals and of forest and mineral lands, and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the April election of 1927. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to adjust taxation of forest land. This amendment was ratified by voters in the April 1927 election.
• 1927 Joint Resolution 18: Joint Resolution memorializing the Congress of the United States to provide for a nation-wide referendum on the question of modifying the Volstead act. Wisconsin made several appeals to amend the alcohol probition law in order to allow the manufacture and sale of beer.
• 1927 Joint Resolution 21: Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation of members of the legislature. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow legislator pay to be set by law rather than fixed by the constitution. This amendment would eventually be ratified by voters in the April 1929 election. This was the sixth attempt in 20 years to amend the constitution to update legislator compensation. The previous attempts were rejected by voters in elections in 1910, 1914, 1920, 1924, and 1927.
• 1927 Joint Resolution 24: Joint Resolution to amend section 4, Article VI, of the constitution, relating to the election of sheriffs. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution allow sheriffs to serve two consecutive terms. This amendment would eventually be ratified by voters at the April 1929 election.
• 1927 Joint Resolution 37: Joint Resolution to amend section 10 of article V of the constitution, relating to the approval of bills by the governor. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to grant the Governor the power of a partial veto on appropriation bills. This amendment would eventually be ratified by voters at the November 1930 election.

Sessions

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Henry Huber
• President pro tempore: William L. Smith

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: John W. Eber

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Assembly

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and LaborG. W. Hull, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesH. Daggett, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresH. E. Boldt, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and TaxationH. T. Lange, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareW. A. Titus, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysC. B. Casperson, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryI. P. Mehigan, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on State and Local GovernmentM. F. White, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureJ. C. Hanson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesF. J. Petersen, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresA. A. Huckstead, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on EducationJ. D. Millar, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsJ. Gamper, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsH. F. Thompson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsT. Swanson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesM. Koenigs, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Fish and GameR. Kamke, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysC. N. Saugen, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingM. Laffey, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryA. C. Reis, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on LaborA. M. Miller, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesF. L. Prescott, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingG. Zittlow, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareH. A. Staab, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionC. Hillman, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RulesA. C. Reis, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsJ. H. Kamper, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationG. W. Schmidt, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingM. A. Sellers, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationE. D. Hall, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Standing Committee on FinanceW. L. Smith & H. Ellenbecker, co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Oliver Munson
• * Assistant Chief Clerk: A. J. Nelson
• Sergeant-at-Arms: George W. Rickeman
• * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: E. A. Hartman
• Postmaster: Arthur Dehring

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: C. E. Shaffer
• * Journal Clerk: Max H. Albertz
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles F. Moulton
• * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Lincoln Neprud
• Postmaster: William Kasiska