87th Wisconsin Legislature
The Eighty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and also convened in eight special sessions.
This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session.
Senators representing even-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 even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 6, 1984. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 2, 1982.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat Tony Earl, of Marathon County, serving the second two years of a four-year term, having won election in the 1982 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Major events
- January 20, 1985: Second inauguration of Ronald Reagan as President of the United States.
- March 1, 1985: Milwaukee businessman Herb Kohl reached a deal to purchase the Milwaukee Bucks professional basketball team, in order to prevent the team from leaving Milwaukee.
- September 6, 1985: Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 crashed just after takeoff from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, killing all 31 people on board.
- January 28, 1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B, resulting in the death of all seven astronauts on board.
- April 1, 1986: 1986 Wisconsin Spring election:
- * Wisconsin voters ratified four amendments to the state constitution:
- ** Rewording the section on inherent rights, to more directly mirror the language of the Declaration of Independence.
- ** Repealing the old contents of Article III, replacing it with a simplified statement of the right and circumstances where the legislature can modify that right. Also updated the voting age at 18.
- ** Removing more obsolete language left in the constitution by the 1881 term-lengths amendments.
- ** Removing obsolete reference to suffrage on Indian lands.
- November 4, 1986: 1986 United States general election:
- * Tommy Thompson elected Governor of Wisconsin.
- * Bob Kasten re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
Major legislation
- July 18, 1985: An Act... relating to creating the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation and granting a property tax exemption, . Creating an entity to construct and manage the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
Sessions
Regular session: January 7, 1985January 5, 1987March 1985 special session: March 19, 1985March 21, 1985September 1985 special session: September 24, 1985October 19, 1985October 1985 special session: October 31, 1985November 1985 special session: November 20, 1985January 1986 special session: January 27, 1986May 30, 1986March 1986 special session: March 24, 1986March 26, 1986May 1986 special session: May 20, 1986May 29, 1986July 1986 special session: July 15, 1986Leaders
Senate leadership
- President of the Senate: Fred Risser
Senate majority leadership
- Majority Leader: Timothy Cullen
- Assistant Majority Leader: John Norquist
Senate minority leadership
- Minority Leader: Susan Engeleiter
- Assistant Minority Leader: Michael G. Ellis
Assembly leadership
- Speaker of the Assembly: Thomas A. Loftus
- Speaker pro tempore: David Clarenbach
Assembly majority leadership
- Majority Leader: Dismas Becker
- Assistant Majority Leader: John Medinger
Assembly minority leadership
- Minority Leader: Tommy Thompson
- Assistant Minority Leader: Robert S. Travis Jr.
Members
Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Eighty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:Employees
Senate employees
- Chief Clerk: Donald J. Schneider
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel B. Fields
Assembly employees
- Chief Clerk: Joanne M. Duren
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Patrick Essie
Changes from the 86th Legislature
New districts for the 87th Legislature were defined in 1983 Wisconsin Act 29, passed into law in the 86th Wisconsin Legislature. This redistricting superseded the court-ordered plan imposed in the 1982 federal court case Wisconsin State AFL-CIO v. Elections Board.Senate redistricting
Summary of Senate changes
- 8 districts were left unchanged.
Senate districts
| Dist. | 86th Legislature | 87th Legislature |
| 01 | Door, Kewaunee counties and northern Manitowoc County and parts of eastern Brown County and eastern Calumet County | Door, Kewaunee counties and most of Calumet County, northern Manitowoc County, and parts of northeast Fond du Lac County, southeast Outagamie County, and southern and eastern Brown County |
| 02 | Most of Calumet County, eastern Outagamie County, eastern Shawano County, and parts of southern Brown County and southern Oconto County | Most of eastern Outagamie County, most of eastern Shawano County, parts of central Oconto County and central Brown County |
| 03 | Milwaukee County | Milwaukee County |
| 04 | Milwaukee County | Milwaukee County |
| 05 | Milwaukee County | Milwaukee County |
| 06 | Milwaukee County | Milwaukee County |
| 07 | Milwaukee County | Milwaukee County |
| 08 | Milwaukee County | Milwaukee County |
| 09 | Most of Sheboygan County and southern Manitowoc County and parts of southeast Calumet County and eastern County | Most of Sheboygan County and southern Manitowoc County and part of southeast Calumet County |
| 10 | Burnett, Pierce, Polk, counties and western Dunn County | Burnett, Pierce, Polk, counties and western Dunn County |
| 11 | Western Waukesha County and parts of southeast Washington County, southeast Jefferson County, and northwest Walworth County | Most of Waukesha County and parts of southern Washington County and eastern Jefferson County |
| 12 | Florence, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Menominee, Oneida, Vilas and northern Marinette County, western Shawano County, and parts of northwest Oconto County, and northern Marathon County | Florence, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Menominee, Oneida, Vilas and northern Marinette County, western Shawano County, and parts of northern Oconto County, and northern and eastern Marathon County |
| 13 | Most of Jefferson County and most of Dodge County and part of northeast Rock County | Most of Jefferson County and most of Dodge County and parts of northeast Rock County, northwest Walworth County, and southwestern County |
| 14 | Adams, Green Lake, Juneau, Marquette, Waushara counties and eastern Waupaca County and western Outagamie County and parts of northwest Winnebago County and western County | Green Lake, Marquette, Waushara counties, most of Juneau County, and most of Waupaca County and parts of western Outagamie County, western County, western Winnebago County, southeast Monroe County, and southern and eastern Adams County |
| 15 | Central and southeast Rock County and most of Walworth County | Central and southeast Rock County and most of Walworth County |
| 16 | Most of Dane County and parts of northern Green County and northwest Rock County | Eastern Dane County, most of Green County, and parts of southeast Jefferson County and northern and western Rock County |
| 17 | Iowa, Lafayette counties and most of Grant County, most of Green County, and parts of southwest Richland County and western and northern Rock County | Iowa, Lafayette, Richland counties and most of Grant County, most of Sauk County, and parts of southeast Vernon County and southern Juneau County |
| 18 | Most of County, southern Winnebago County, and parts of western Washington County and eastern Dodge County | Most of eastern County and parts of southeast Winnebago County, southwest Sheboygan County, northwest Ozaukee County, and northeast Washington County |
| 19 | Northeast Winnebago County and part of southern Outagamie County | Most of Winnebago County and parts of southern Outagamie County and central County |
| 20 | Most of Ozaukee County, eastern Washington County, and parts of southeast Sheboygan County | Most of Ozaukee County, most of Washington County, and parts of southeast Sheboygan County, eastern Dodge County, and southeast County |
| 21 | Racine County | Racine County |
| 22 | Kenosha County and parts of southwest Racine County and southeast Walworth County | Kenosha County and parts of southwest Racine County and southeast Walworth County |
| 23 | Chippewa and Clark counties and parts of eastern Dunn County, northern Eau Claire County, western Marathon County, southern Taylor County, and southeast Barron County | Most of Chippewa County, most of Clark County, eastern Dunn county, most of western Taylor County, and parts of western Marathon County, northwest Eau Claire County, and southern Rusk County |
| 24 | Portage and Wood counties and western Waupaca County | Portage and Wood counties and most of northern Adams County and parts of western Waupaca County and southwest Marathon County |
| 25 | Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Washburn counties and most of Barron County | Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Washburn counties and most of Barron County and part of northeast Rusk County |
| 26 | Dane County | Dane County |
| 27 | Columbia County, most of Sauk County, most of Richland County, and part of western Dodge County | Most of Columbia County, western Dane County, and parts of northern Green County, northwest Rock County, western Dodge County, and northeast Sauk County |
| 28 | and parts of southeast Waukesha County, western Racine County, and northeast Walworth County | and parts of southeast Waukesha County, western Racine County, and northeast Walworth County |
| 29 | Price, Rusk counties and most of Marathon County and most of Taylor County | Price County and most of Rusk County, most of Marathon County, eastern Taylor County, and parts of western Shawano County, northwest Waupaca County, northern Chippewa County, and eastern Barron County |
| 30 | Northwest Brown County and eastern Oconto County and southern Marinette County | Northwest Brown County and southern Marinette County and parts of eastern Oconto County and eastern Shawano County |
| 31 | Buffalo, Jackson, Pepin, Trempealeau counties and most of Eau Claire County and most of Monroe County | Buffalo, Jackson, Pepin, Trempealeau counties and most of Eau Claire County, northern Monroe County, and part of western Clark County |
| 32 | Crawford, La Crosse, Vernon counties and parts of northern Grant County and western Monroe County | Crawford, La Crosse counties and most of Vernon County, and parts of northern Grant County and southwest Monroe County |
| 33 | Northeast Waukesha County, parts of southern Washington County and western Milwaukee County | Northeast Waukesha County and parts of western Milwaukee County |
Assembly redistricting
Summary of Assembly changes
- 34 districts were left unchanged.