70th Wisconsin Legislature

The Seventieth 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 7, 1950. 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 2, 1948.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Walter J. Kohler Jr., of Sheboygan County, serving a two-year term, having won election in the 1950 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 1, 1951: Inauguration of Walter J. Kohler Jr. as the 33rd Governor of Wisconsin.
February 27, 1951: The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution came into force, establishing the two term limit for U.S. presidents.
April 3, 1951: Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution:
* Repealing the prohibition on taxing federal lands.
* Setting an 8% combined municipal debt limit for city and school purposes.
April 11, 1951: Amidst disagreements over strategy in the Korean War, U.S. president Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur from command.
May 8, 1951: The first thermonuclear weapon was tested by the United States at Enewetak Atoll.
July 28, 1951: The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was signed.
August 13, 1951: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Henry P. Hughes resigned.
September 1, 1951:
* Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler appointed George R. Currie to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed Henry P. Hughes.
* The United States, Australia, and New Zealand signed the ANZUS mutual defense pact.
September 8, 1951: The United States and Japan signed the Security Treaty between the United States and Japan, allowing for a continuation of United States military forces basing in Japan.
February 6, 1952: King George VI of the United Kingdom died and was immediately succeeded by his daughter, who was later crowned as Queen Elizabeth II.
November 4, 1952: 1952 United States general election:
* Dwight D. Eisenhower elected President of the United States.
* Walter J. Kohler Jr. re-elected Governor of Wisconsin.
* Joseph McCarthy re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
* Wisconsin voters rejected a non-binding referendum on changes to constitutional guidelines for redistricting. Holding the referendum was part of a compromise which enabled the passage of the Rosenberry redistricting plan.

Major legislation

April 12, 1951: An Act... relating to the inclusion of public employes under the Federal Old Age and Survivors Insurance System, and making an appropriation, . Created the Wisconsin Public Employees Social Security Fund, and made Wisconsin the first state to allow some state and local employees to be covered by Social Security.
July 10, 1951: An Act... relating to civil defense, . Established the state office of civil defense.
August 17, 1951: An Act... relating to the apportionment of assemblymen and senators, . This was the first full legislative redistricting of Wisconsin since 1921. This plan was the product of a nonpartisan redistricting commission, popularly referred to as the "Rosenberry Commission" for its chairman, the former Wisconsin Supreme Court chief justice Marvin B. Rosenberry. Because of a compromise, implementation of the plan was delayed until the 1954 election to allow the consideration of a constitutional amendment which would have altered redistricting rules.

Sessions

Regular session: January 10, 1951June 14, 1951

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: George M. Smith
President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer
Majority leader: Warren P. Knowles
Minority leader: Gaylord Nelson

Assembly leadership

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Seventieth Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee,		Two Rivers	Rep.
02	Brown		Green Bay	Rep.
03	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
04	Milwaukee (Northeast County		Milwaukee	Rep.
05	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
07	Milwaukee (Southeast County		Milwaukee	Dem.
08	Milwaukee		West Milwaukee	Rep.
09	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
10	Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce,		New Richmond	Rep.
11	Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas,		Superior	Rep.
12	Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer,		Phillips	Rep.
13	Dodge		Oakfield	Rep.
14	Outagamie		Appleton	Rep.
15	Rock		Beloit	Rep.
16	Crawford, Grant,		Bloomington	Rep.
17	Green, Iowa,		South Wayne	Rep.
18	,		Campbellsport	Rep.
19	Calumet		Neenah	Dem.
20	Ozaukee		Sheboygan	Rep.
21	Racine		Racine	Dem.
22	Kenosha		Lake Geneva	Rep.
23	Portage		Stevens Point	Rep.
24	Clark, Taylor,		Marshfield	Rep.
25	Lincoln		Merrill	Rep.
26	Dane		Madison	Dem.
27	Columbia, Richland,		Richland Center	Rep.
28	Chippewa		Chippewa Falls	Rep.
29	Barron, Dunn,		Menomonie	Rep.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette,		Amberg	Rep.
31	Adams, Juneau, Monroe,		Sparta	Rep.
32	Jackson, La Crosse,		La Crosse	Rep.
33	Jefferson			Rep.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Seventieth Wisconsin Legislature:

Committees

Senate committees

Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and ConservationM. Olson, chair
Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesW. P. Knowles, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresB. Gettelman, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareR. P. Robinson, chair
Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysJ. Miller, chair
Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryG. W. Buchen, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Labor and ManagementG. A. Bubolz, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureF. E. Panzer, chair
Senate Standing Committee on State and Local GovernmentR. Schlabach, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Veterans AffairsM. Laird, chair

Assembly committees

Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureJ. T. Pritchard, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturingH. W. Brooks, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationR. S. Travis, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresE. C. Nitschke, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on EducationW. W. Clark, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsH. W. Timmer, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsT. S. Jones, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsR. A. Peabody, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesH. R. Abraham, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysH. A. Harper, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingB. M. Engebretson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryA. O. Mockrud, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on LaborE. L. Genzmer, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesP. A. Luedtke, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingC. H. Sykes, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareH. Rasmusen, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionC. A. Peterson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on RulesB. M. Engebretson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsB. J. Gehrmann, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationA. F. Betts, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingC. E. Nelson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationR. Bice, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military AffairsR. H. Sengstock, chair

Joint committees

Joint Standing Committee on FinanceF. B. Porter & A. R. Ludvigsen, co-chairs
Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform LawsA. Busby & E. Grassman, co-chairs
Joint Special Committee on ReapportionmentR. P. Robinson, chair