74th Wisconsin Legislature

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 was founded by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
November 8, 1960: 1960 United States general election:
* John F. Kennedy elected President of the United States.
* Gaylord Nelson 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, . 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, . 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, . 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, . 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.

Sessions

Regular session: January 14, 1959May 27, 1960

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Philleo Nash
President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer
Majority leader: Robert S. Travis
Minority leader: Henry Maier

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: George Molinaro
Majority leader: Keith C. Hardie
Minority leader: David Blanchard

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Seventy-Fourth 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	Dem.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
07	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
12	Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Price, Taylor,		Merrill	Rep.
13	Dodge		Oakfield	Rep.
14	Outagamie		Bear Creek	Rep.
15	Rock		Janesville	Rep.
16	Dane		Stoughton	Dem.
17	Grant, Green, Iowa,		Platteville	Rep.
18	,		Rosendale	Rep.
19	Calumet		Neenah	Rep.
20	Ozaukee		Sheboygan Falls	Rep.
21	Racine		Racine	Dem.
22	Kenosha		Lake Geneva	Rep.
23	Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer,		Rice Lake	Dem.
24	Clark, Portage,		Vesper	Rep.
25	Ashland, Bayfield,		Merrill	Dem.
26	Dane		Madison	Dem.
27	Columbia, Crawford, Richland,		Richland Center	Rep.
28	Chippewa		Eau Claire	Dem.
29	Marathon		Rothschild	Dem.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette,		Oconto	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-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 & F. A. Risser, co-chairs
Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform LawsG. Lorge & T. J. Duffey, co-chairs
Joint Legislative CouncilG. Molinaro, chair