72nd Wisconsin Legislature

The Seventy-Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.
This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the 1951 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 2, 1954. 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 4, 1952.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Walter J. Kohler Jr., of Sheboygan County, serving his third two-year term, having won re-election in the 1954 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 3, 1955: Third inauguration of Walter J. Kohler Jr. as Governor of Wisconsin.
April 5, 1955: 1955 Wisconsin spring election:
* Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution:
** created a new section in Article VII establishing qualifications for state judges and setting a mandatory retirement age at 70.
** adjusted debt limit rules for school districts.
May 14, 1955: Eight communist bloc counties, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact, establishing a defensive alliance.
August 28, 1955: Emmett Till was lynched in Money, Mississippi.
November 1, 1955: The United States Military Assistance Advisory Group for South Vietnam was established. This was later identified as the start of formal U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
December 5, 1955: The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged, forming the AFL–CIO.
April 3, 1956: 1956 Wisconsin spring election:
* Thomas E. Fairchild was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed his father Edward T. Fairchild.
* Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution:
** expanded the language around circumstances where municipalities could acquire land for public purposes.
** created an exception to changes to compensation for retired teachers.
* Wisconsin voters rejected two other amendements to the state constitution:
** would have abolished limits on sheriffs serving consecutive terms in office.
** would have created exceptions in the prohibition on free passes for state officers.
June 29, 1956: U.S. President D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, establishing the Interstate Highway System in the United States.
August 28, 1956: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Edward J. Gehl died in office.
September 5, 1956: Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler Jr. appointed Emmert L. Wingert to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed the deceased justice Edward J. Gehl.
November 1, 1956: Soviet forces invaded Hungary to put down the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
November 5, 1956: Following Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Company, French and English forces invaded the Suez Canal zone and took control of the canal. Due to sunken commercial ships in the canal, it was closed to traffic until March 1957, resulting in shortages and rationing.
November 6, 1956: 1956 United States general election:
* Dwight D. Eisenhower re-elected President of the United States.
* Vernon Wallace Thomson elected Governor of Wisconsin.
* Alexander Wiley re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
November 13, 1956: The United States Supreme Court, in the case Browder v. Gayle, found that state and local ordinances which enforced racial segregation of buses were unconstitutional.

Major legislation

August 3, 1955: An Act... relating to incorporation of certain towns as fourth class cities, . This act dramatically reduced the population density requirements in order for a community to incorporate as a fourth-class city. The act was commonly known as the "Oak Creek Law", because the Milwaukee suburb had worked to pass this law in order to avoid further annexation to the city of Milwaukee.
1955 Joint Resolution 14. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to create a new section establishing qualifications for state judges and allowing the legislature to set a mandatory retirement age. This amendment was ratified by voters at the 1955 April election.
1955 Joint Resolution 17. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to add an exception for retired teachers in the rules on changes to compensation for state employees. This amendment was ratified by voters at the 1956 April election.

Sessions

Regular session: January 12, 1955October 21, 1955

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Warren P. Knowles
President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer
Majority leader: Paul J. Rogan
Minority leader: Henry Maier

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Mark Catlin Jr.
Majority leader: Robert G. Marotz
Minority leader: Robert T. Huber

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Seventy-Second Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee,		Kiel	Rep.
02	Brown		Green Bay	Rep.
03	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
04	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
05	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
07	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
12	Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Price, Taylor,		Mellen	Rep.
13	Dodge		Oakfield	Rep.
14	Outagamie		Bear Creek	Rep.
15	Rock		Janesville	Rep.
16	Dane		Bloomington	Rep.
17	Grant, Green, Iowa,		Platteville	Rep.
18	,		Campbellsport	Rep.
19	Calumet		Neenah	Rep.
20	Ozaukee		Plymouth	Rep.
21	Racine		Racine	Dem.
22	Kenosha		Lake Geneva	Rep.
23	Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer,		Ladysmith	Rep.
24	Clark, Portage,		Vesper	Rep.
25	Ashland, Bayfield,		Merrill	Dem.
26	Dane		Madison	Dem.
27	Columbia, Crawford, Richland,		Richland Center	Rep.
28	Chippewa		Chippewa Falls	Rep.
29	Marathon		Wausau	Rep.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette,		Amberg	Rep.
31	Adams, Juneau, Monroe, Marquette,		Sparta	Rep.
32	Jackson, La Crosse,		La Crosse	Rep.
33	Jefferson		Hartland	Rep.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Seventy-Second Wisconsin Legislature:

Committees

Senate committees

Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and ConservationJ. E. Leverich, chair
Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesJ. Miller, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresL. H. Prange, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareW. W. Clark, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Governmental and Veterans AffairsA. L. Padrutt, chair
Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysJ. Miller, chair
Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryA. Busby, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Labor, Taxation, Insurance, and Banking chair
Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureF. E. Panzer, chair

Assembly committees

Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureO. R. Rice, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesM. H. Ward, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Conservation, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresW. Belter, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on EducationW. J. Hutnik, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsF. E. Nuernberg, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsL. M. Hagen, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsR. A. Peabody, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesE. L. Genzmer, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysG. H. Bakke, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingR. H. Sengstock, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryN. J. Lesselyoung, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on LaborW. E. Cook, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesP. A. Luedtke, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingF. J. LeClair, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareS. H. Raihle, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionE. C. Nitschke, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on RulesR. G. Marotz, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsE. A. Toepel, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationW. A. Grady, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingA. J. Redford, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationL. C. Romell, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military AffairsB. F. Wackett, chair

Joint committees

Joint Standing Committee on FinanceF. B. Porter & A. R. Ludvigsen, co-chairs
Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform LawsW. Trinke & A. J. Cane, co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen
Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold Damon
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Anton J. Oelmiller

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: Arthur L. May
Sergeant-at-Arms: Norris J. Kellman

Changes from the 71st Legislature

New districts for the 72nd Legislature were defined in 1951 Wisconsin Act 728, passed into law in the 70th Wisconsin Legislature. This was the most significant redistricting of the state since 1896.

Senate redistricting

Summary of Senate changes

11 districts were left unchanged.
Brown County became its own district after previously having been in a shared district with Oconto.
Dane County went from having 1 district to 2.
Milwaukee County went from having 7 districts to 8, representing nearly a quarter of State Senate seats.

Assembly redistricting

Summary of Assembly changes

36 districts were left unchanged.
The number of counties in shared districts doubled from 15 to 30.
Brown County went from having 2 districts to 3.
Dane County went from having 3 districts to 5.
Eau Claire County went from having 1 district to 2.
Milwaukee County went from having 20 districts to 24.
Rock County went from having 2 districts to 3.
Winnebago County went from having 2 districts to 3.
Wood County went from having 1 district to 2.