88th Wisconsin Legislature

The Eighty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and also convened in three special sessions and two extraordinary sessions.
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, 1986. 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, 1984.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Tommy Thompson, of Juneau County, serving the first two years of a four-year term, having won election in the 1986 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 5, 1987: Inauguration of Tommy Thompson as the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin.
February 27, 1987: The Tower Commission report was published, admonishing U.S. President Ronald Reagan for lax oversight of his National Security Council in the Iran–Contra affair.
April 7, 1987: 1987 Wisconsin Spring election:
* Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution:
** Allowing pari-mutuel track betting.
** Authorizing the creation of a state lottery.
October 23, 1987: The United States Senate rejected the nomination of Robert Bork for a seat on the United States Supreme Court.
November 8, 1988: 1988 United States general election:
* George H. W. Bush elected President of the United States.
* Herb Kohl elected United States senator from Wisconsin.

Major legislation

An Act... relating to creating a state lottery, creating a lottery board, taxation of lottery winnings, granting rule-making authority, providing a penalty and making appropriations, . Established the Wisconsin Lottery. A property tax credit included in the original law was line-item vetoed.

Sessions

Regular session: January 5, 1987January 3, 1989September 1987 special session: September 15, 1987September 16, 1987November 1987 special session: November 18, 1987June 7, 1988May 1988 extraordinary session: May 17, 1988June 16, 1988June 1988 special session: June 30, 1988June 30, 1988June 1988 extraordinary session: June 30, 1988July 20, 1988

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Fred Risser

Senate majority leadership

Majority Leader: Joseph A. Strohl
Assistant Majority Leader: John Norquist
* Jerome Van Sistine

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: Thomas A. Hauke
Assistant Majority Leader: John Medinger

Assembly minority leadership

Minority Leader: Betty Jo Nelsen
Assistant Minority Leader: Joseph E. Tregoning

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Eighty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: Donald J. Schneider
Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel B. Fields

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: Thomas T. Melvin
Sergeant-at-Arms: Patrick Essie