The Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session. 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, 1958. 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, 1956.

Major events

* January 5, 1959: Inauguration of Gaylord Nelson as the 35th

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

. * February 16, 1959:

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

became premier of Cuba. * April 25, 1959: The

St. Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway (french: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North Americ ...

opened to traffic, linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. * August 21, 1959: Hawaii was admitted as the 50th U.S. state. * April 5, 1960: Voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to allow the state to take on debt to pay for port improvements. * May 6, 1960: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law. * September 14, 1960: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (

OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...

) was founded by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. * November 8, 1960: 1960 United States general election: ** John F. Kennedy (D) elected President of the United States. ** Gaylord Nelson (D) re-elected Governor of Wisconsin. ** Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to set a county and municipal debt limit of five percent of taxable property.

Major legislation

* July 24, 1959: An Act ... relating to group health insurance and the group life insurance program for state employes, granting rule-making authority and making an appropriation
1959 Act 211
Created group life and health insurance programs for state employees. * July 31, 1959: An Act ... relating to the abolition of the department of budget and accounts, bureau of engineering, bureau of personnel, bureau of purchases, division of departmental research and the creation of a state department of administration, a board on government operations and making appropriations
1959 Act 228
Created the Wisconsin Department of Administration. * September 19, 1959: An Act ... relating to the abolition of the state planning division, division of industrial development, the creation of a department of resource development, and increasing the appropriation to the university of Wisconsin
1959 Act 442
Created the Wisconsin Department of Resource Development. * October 2, 1959: An Act ... relating to rights of employes of local units of government to form and join labor organizations
1959 Act 509
Allowed Wisconsin municipal employees to unionize. * 1959 Joint Resolution 15: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the state to take on debt to pay for port improvements. This amendment was ratified at the April 1960 election. * 1959 Joint Resolution 32: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to set a county and municipal debt limit of five percent of taxable property. This amendment was ratified at the November 1960 election.

Party summary

Senate summary

Assembly summary

Sessions

* Regular session: January 14, 1959May 27, 1960

Leaders

Senate leadership

* President of the Senate: Philleo Nash ( D) * President pro tempore:

Frank E. Panzer Frank Edward Panzer (September 1, 1890August 26, 1969) was an American farmer, teacher, and Progressive Republican politician. He served 30 years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Dodge County, and was president ''pro tempore'' from 19 ...

( R– Oakfield) * Majority leader:

Robert S. Travis Robert S. Travis (May 2, 1909 – August 14, 1980) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate. Travis was born in Platteville, Wisconsin. During World War II, he served in the United States Army crewing a r ...

( R– Platteville) * Minority leader: Henry Maier ( D– Milwaukee)

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

George Molinaro George E. Molinaro (October 1, 1902September 29, 1978) was an American businessman and politician. He was the 74th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly. A Democrat, he served a total of 30 years in the Assembly, representing Kenosha, Wisconsi ...

( D– Kenosha) * Majority leader: Keith C. Hardie ( D– Taylor) * Minority leader:

David Blanchard David James Blanchard (January 5, 1921December 23, 1962) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 63rd speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly. His father, George Washington Blanchard, was a U.S. congressman. Biograph ...

( R– Edgerton)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature: WI Senate Partisan Map 1959

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Seventy-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature: WI Assembly Partisan Map 1959

WI Assembly Partisan Map 1959 MilwaukeeCo

Committees

Senate committees

* Senate Standing Committee on AgricultureJ. E. Leverich, chair * Senate Standing Committee on ConservationC. Krueger, chair * Senate Standing Committee on EducationW. W. Clark, chair * Senate Standing Committee on Governmental and Veterans Affairs, 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 BankingW. Trinke, chair * Senate Standing Committee on Public WelfareP. P. Carr, chair * Senate Special Committee on CommitteesJ. Miller, chair * Senate Special Committee on Contingent ExpendituresR. Bice, chair * Senate Special Committee on Legislative ProcedureF. E. Panzer, chair

Assembly committees

* Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureJ. T. Pritchard, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesL. L. Merz, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationH. F. Pellant, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresJ. Kostuck, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on EducationK. C. Hardie, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsS. R. Sobocinski, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsG. Talsky, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsE. W. Warren, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesE. J. Ryczek, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysR. T. Huber, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingG. Sokolowski, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryW. W. Ward, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on LaborA. J. Flannigan, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesN. Sussman, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingB. A. Riehle, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareI. N. Coggs, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionD. Mogilka, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on RulesK. C. Hardie, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsC. J. Schmidt, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationR. A. Perala, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingR. E. Naleid, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationF. Christopherson, chair * Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military AffairsJ. A. Greco, chair

Joint committees

* Joint Standing Committee on FinanceW. Draheim (Sen.) & F. A. Risser (Asm.), co-chairs * Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform LawsG. Lorge (Sen.) & T. J. Duffey (Asm.), co-chairs * Joint Legislative CouncilG. Molinaro, chair

Employees

Senate employees

* Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen * Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold Damon

Assembly employees

* Chief Clerk:

Norman C. Anderson Norman C. Anderson (March 11, 1928June 27, 2020) was a Swedish American lawyer and Democratic politician from Madison, Wisconsin. He was the 68th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly and served a total of 18 years in the Assembly, represen ...

* Sergeant-at-Arms: Thomas H. Browne