80th Wisconsin Legislature

The Eightieth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and also convened in a special session in April 1972.
The April 1972 special session was called to come to a final agreement on a pivotal redistricting plan, which eliminated an Assembly district and broke the longstanding precedent of adhering to county boundaries.
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 3, 1970. 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 5, 1968.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat Patrick Lucey, of Crawford County, serving the first two years of a four-year term, having won election in the 1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 4, 1971: Inauguration of Patrick Lucey as the 38th Governor of Wisconsin.
March 1, 1971: A bomb exploded in a restroom in the United States Capitol, the Weather Underground claimed responsibility.
April 30, 1971: The Milwaukee Bucks won the 1971 NBA Finals.
May 3, 1971: The 1971 [May Day protests] against the Vietnam War began in D.C.">Democratic Party (United States)">D.C., attempting to disrupt government operations. Over 12,000 were arrested.
July 1, 1971: The Twenty-sixth Amendment to [the United States Constitution] came into force when a sufficient number of states ratified.
August 15, 1971: In what's known as the Nixon shock, U.S. President Richard Nixon signed Executive Order 11615, ending the convertibility of the U.S. dollar to gold at a fixed value. The order also imposed a 90-day freeze on wages, prices, and rents.
December 13, 1971: Wisconsin Assembly speaker Robert T. Huber resigned his seat in the legislature to become chair of the state highway commission.
April 4, 1972: 1972 Wisconsin Spring election:
* Wisconsin voters ratified four amendments to the state constitution:
** Allowing the legislature to create alternative systems of county government.
** Allowing counties the option to retain the office of coroner or replace it with a medical examiner.
** Allowing public school buildings to be utilized for civic, religious, or charitable events during non-school hours.
** Allowing public school students to receive separate religious instruction outside of public school facilities during school hours.
June 17, 1972: Five Nixon campaign operatives were arrested trying to break into the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate in Washington, D.C.
November 7, 1972:
* Richard Nixon 1972 [United States presidential election|re-elected] President of the United States.

Major legislation

November 19, 1971: An Act... relating to redistricting this state pursuant to the congressional apportionment based on the 1970 census of population, .
May 8, 1972: An Act... relating to districting the senate and assembly based on the number of inhabitants shown by the certified results of the 1970 census of population, .

Sessions

Regular session: January 4, 1971January 1, 1973April 1972 special session: April 19, 1972April 28, 1972

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Martin J. Schreiber
President pro tempore: Robert P. Knowles
Majority leader: Ernest Keppler
Minority leader: Fred Risser

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Robert T. Huber
* Norman C. Anderson
Speaker pro tempore: Joseph Sweda
Majority leader: Norman C. Anderson
* Tony Earl
Minority leader: Harold V. Froehlich

80th Wisconsin Legislature

Major events

Major legislation

Sessions

Leaders

Senate leadership

Assembly leadership

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Assembly

Employees

Senate employees

Assembly employees