77th Wisconsin Legislature

Major events

• January 4, 1965: Inauguration of Warren P. Knowles as the 37th Governor of Wisconsin.
• January 20, 1965: Second inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson as President of the United States.
• April 6, 1965: 1965 Wisconsin Spring election:
• * Wisconsin voters approved two amendments to the state constitution:
• ** Revising the definition of a lottery.
• ** Abolishing the county offices of coroner and surveyor for counties with more than 500,000 people.
• July 30, 1965: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, creating Medicare and Medicaid.
• January 2, 1966: The Green Bay Packers won the 1965 NFL Championship Game.
• April 5, 1966: 1966 Wisconsin Spring election:
• * Wisconsin voters approved four amendments to the state constitution:
• ** To allow state legislators to serve in the military without vacating their legislative office.
• ** To allow the legislature to create inferior courts.
• ** To eliminate Section 15 of Article VII of the constitution, abolishing the office of justice of the peace.
• ** To allow for indebtedness in special districts for public utilities.
• June 22, 1966: Wisconsin Assembly Republican leaders Paul Alfonsi and Willis J. Hutnik were indicted for accepting bribes. Alfonsi was ultimately convicted, but his conviction was overturned by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• July 27, 1966: The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in the case State v. Milwaukee Braves, Inc., lifting a lower court injunction and allowing the Milwaukee Braves to move to Atlanta.
• August 11, 1966: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Thomas E. Fairchild resigned after he was confirmed as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
• August 24, 1966: Wisconsin Governor Warren P. Knowles appointed Leo B. Hanley to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed Thomas E. Fairchild.
• November 8, 1966: 1966 United States general election:
• * Warren P. Knowles re-elected as Governor of Wisconsin.

Major legislation

• December 30, 1965: An Act... relating to a public defender at appellate level, . Created the position of state public defender and placed the role under supervision of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• 1965 Joint Resolution 2: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to revise the definition of lotteries. This amendment was ratified by voters at the April 1965 election.
• 1965 Joint Resolution 5: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to abolish the county offices of coroner and surveyor in counties with a population greater than 500,000. This amendment was ratified by voters at the April 1965 election.
• 1965 Joint Resolution 14: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow legislators to serve in the military without vacating their legislative seat. This amendment was ratified by voters at the April 1966 election.
• 1965 Joint Resolution 50: Second legislative passage of two proposed amendments to the state constitution to allow the legislature to create inferior courts and to abolish the office of justice of the peace. Both amendments were ratified by voters at the April 1966 election.

Sessions

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Patrick Lucey
• President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer
• Majority leader: Robert P. Knowles
• Minority leader: Richard J. Zaborski

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Robert T. Huber
• Speaker pro tempore: George Molinaro
• Majority leader: Frank Nikolay
• Minority leader: Robert Haase
• * Paul Alfonsi

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Assembly

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Standing Committee on AgricultureJ. E. Leverich, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on ConservationC. Krueger, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on EducationP. P. Carr, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Governmental and Veterans AffairsW. Draheim, 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 BankingG. Lorge, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Public WelfareC. Dempsey, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Senate OrganizationF. E. Panzer, chair
• Senate Special Committee on CommitteesR. Bice, chair
• Senate Special Committee on Contingent Expenditures, chair
• Senate Special Committee on Legislative ProcedureF. E. Panzer, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureD. D. O'Malley, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Assembly OrganizationR. T. Huber, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesE. S. Kaufman, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationN. C. Anderson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresK. Kunde, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on EducationA. F. Greco, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsV. R. Mathews, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsE. H. Elfers, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsL. Barbee, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesE. E. Bolle, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysJ. L. Blaska, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingJ. E. McCormick, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryF. Nikolay, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on LaborJ. E. Jones, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesF. E. Schaeffer, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingB. A. Riehle, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareH. L. Dueholm, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionL. V. Mato, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RulesF. Nikolay, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsE. W. Warren, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationR. A. Perala, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingM. Lipscomb, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationR. J. Tobiasz, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military AffairsN. Myhra, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Standing Committee on FinanceW. G. Hollander & G. Molinaro, co-chairs
• Joint Standing Committee on Legislative OrganizationR. Haase, chair
• Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform LawsE. Keppler & E. Nager, co-chairs
• Joint Legislative CouncilR. T. Huber, chair

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen
• * William P. Nugent
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold E. Damon

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: James P. Buckley
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Thomas H. Browne

Changes from the 76th Legislature

Senate redistricting

Summary of Senate changes

• Only 5 districts were left unchanged.
• 7 counties were split into two or more districts, the most since the 1892 redistricting.
• 18 districts comprised at least some split county component, the most in the history of the state.
• Brown County went from having its own district to being split between two shared districts.
• Kenosha County became its own district after previously having been in a shared district with Walworth.
• Milwaukee County went from having 8 districts to 8 plus part of a 9th.
• Rock County went from having its own district to being split between two shared districts.
• Winnebago County became its own district after previously having been in a shared district with Calumet.

Senate districts

Assembly redistricting

Summary of Assembly changes

• Only 22 districts were left unchanged.
• Barron County went from having its own district to being in a shared district with Washburn.
• Douglas County went from having 2 districts to 1.
• Green County went from having its own district to being in a shared district with Lafayette.
• Lincoln County went from having its own district to being in a shared district with Taylor.
• Marinette County went from having its own district to being in a shared district with Florence.
• Oconto County went from having its own district to being in a shared district with Langlade.
• Milwaukee County went from having 24 districts to 25.
• Outagamie County went from having 2 districts to 3.
• Waukesha County went from having 2 districts to 3.