84th Wisconsin Legislature
The Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and held three special sessions during this period.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected in the November 7, 1978, general election and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were also elected in the same general election and served two-year terms. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth years of their four-year terms, having been elected in the November 2, 1976, general election.
The Governor of Wisconsin during this legislative term was Republican Lee S. Dreyfus of Portage County, serving the first two years of his four-year term after winning the 1978 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Major events
- January 1, 1979: Lee S. Dreyfus was inaugurated as the 40th Governor of Wisconsin.
- March 28, 1979: A partial meltdown occurred at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
- April 3, 1979: 1979 Wisconsin Spring Election:
- * Wisconsin voters approved four amendments to the Constitution of Wisconsin:
- ** Updated the terms of gubernatorial succession.
- ** Provided that the governor may appoint a lieutenant governor in the event of a vacancy, with the consent of the Legislature.
- ** Separated the office of lieutenant governor from the office of president of the Senate.
- ** Standardized the language describing the term lengths of the three state administrative officers.
- November 4, 1979: More than 500 Iranian radicals, mostly students, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 90 hostages, demanding the return of the deposed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to stand trial in Iran.
- April 1, 1980: 1980 Wisconsin Spring Election:
- * Donald W. Steinmetz was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed Connor T. Hansen.
- * Ronald Reagan won the Wisconsin Republican presidential primary.
- * Jimmy Carter won the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary.
- November 4, 1980: 1980 United States General Election:
- * Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States.
- * Bob Kasten was elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
Major legislation
- 1979 Joint Resolution 3 – Second legislative passage of four proposed amendments to the Constitution of Wisconsin to:
- * clarify the language regarding gubernatorial succession,
- * establish a process for the governor to fill a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor with the consent of the Legislature,
- * separate the office of lieutenant governor from the role of president of the Senate, and
- * standardize the language describing the terms of election for the three administrative branch officials.
Sessions
Regular session: January 3, 1979January 5, 1981September 1979 special session: September 5, 1979January 1980 special session: January 22, 1980January 25, 1980June 1980 special session: June 3, 1980July 3, 1980Leaders
Senate leadership
- President of the Senate: Russell Olson
- * Fred Risser
- President pro tempore: Fred Risser
Senate majority leadership
- Majority Leader: William A. Bablitch
- Assistant Majority Leader: James T. Flynn
Senate minority leadership
- Minority Leader: Clifford Krueger
- Assistant Minority Leader: Roger P. Murphy
Assembly leadership
- Speaker of the Assembly: Edward Jackamonis
- Speaker pro tempore: David Kedrowski
Assembly majority leadership
- Majority Leader: James W. Wahner
- * Gary K. Johnson
- Assistant Majority Leader: R. Michael Ferrall
Assembly minority leadership
- Minority Leader: John C. Shabaz
- Assistant Minority Leader: Tommy Thompson
Members
Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:Employees
Senate employees
- Chief Clerk: Donald J. Schneider
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel B. Fields
Assembly employees
- Chief Clerk: Marcel Dandeneau
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph E. Jones