84th Wisconsin Legislature
| 84th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 Wisconsin State Capitol | |||||||
| Overview | |||||||
| Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||||
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||||
| Term | January 1, 1979 – January 5, 1981 | ||||||
| Election | November 7, 1978 | ||||||
| Senate | |||||||
| Members | 33 | ||||||
| Senate President |
| ||||||
| President pro tempore | Fred Risser (D) until May 1, 1979 | ||||||
| Party control | Democratic | ||||||
| Assembly | |||||||
| Members | 99 | ||||||
| Assembly Speaker | Edward Jackamonis (D) | ||||||
| Speaker pro tempore | David Kedrowski (D) | ||||||
| Party control | Democratic | ||||||
| Sessions | |||||||
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| Special sessions | |||||||
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The Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 3, 1979, to January 5, 1981, in regular session, and also convened in three special sessions.[1]
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 7, 1978. 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 2, 1976.[1]
Major events[edit]
- January 1, 1979: Inauguration of Lee S. Dreyfus 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 state constitution:
- Updating terms of the gubernatorial succession.
- Providing that when there is a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor, the governor can appoint a replacement with the consent of the Legislature.
- Separating the office of Lieutenant Governor from the office of President of the Senate.
- Making uniform the wording of the election terms for the three state administrative branch officials.
- Wisconsin voters approved four amendments to the state constitution:
- November 4, 1979: 500 Iranian radicals, mostly students, invaded the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 90 hostages and demanding that the United States return their recently 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 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 (R) elected President of the United States.
- Bob Kasten (R) elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
Major legislation[edit]
- 1979 Joint Resolution 3: Second legislative passage of four proposed amendments to the state constitution to clarify language about the gubernatorial succession, add a process by which the governor and legislature can fill a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor, separate the office of Lieutenant Governor from the office of President of the Senate, and making uniform the language of the terms of election for the three administrative branch officials. All four amendments were ratified by voters at the April 1979 election.
Party summary[edit]
Senate summary[edit]
Democratic: 21 seats
Republican: 12 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Rep. | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 22 | 11 | 33 | 0 |
| Start of Reg. Session[note 1] | 21 | 10 | 31 | 2 |
| From Apr. 3, 1979[note 2] | 9 | 30 | 3 | |
| From Apr. 17, 1979[note 3] | 11 | 32 | 1 | |
| From Jul. 11, 1979[note 4] | 12 | 33 | 0 | |
| From Feb. 28, 1980[note 5] | 11 | 32 | 1 | |
| From May 6, 1980[note 6] | 12 | 33 | 0 | |
| From Oct. 1, 1980[note 7] | 20 | 32 | 1 | |
| From Oct. 22, 1980[note 8] | 19 | 31 | 2 | |
| Final voting share | 61.29% | 35.48% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 20 | 13 | 33 | 0 |
Assembly summary[edit]
Democratic: 60 seats
Republican: 39 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Rep. | Vacant | |||
| End of previous Legislature | 66 | 33 | 99 | 0 | |
| Start of Reg. Session | 60 | 39 | 99 | 0 | |
| From Apr. 17, 1979[note 9] | 37 | 97 | 2 | ||
| From July 24, 1979[note 10] | 39 | 99 | 0 | ||
| From Jan. 26, 1980[note 11] | 59 | 98 | 1 | ||
| From Apr. 29, 1980[note 12] | 60 | 99 | 0 | ||
| From Dec. 8, 1980[note 13] | 38 | 98 | 1 | ||
| Final voting share | 60.61% | 39.39% | |||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 59 | 39 | 98 | 1 | |
Sessions[edit]
- Regular session: January 3, 1979 – January 5, 1981
- September 1979 special session: September 5, 1979
- January 1980 special session: January 22, 1980 – January 25, 1980
- June 1980 special session: June 3, 1980 – July 3, 1980
Leaders[edit]
Senate leadership[edit]
- President of the Senate: Russell Olson (R) (until May 1, 1979)
- Fred Risser (D–Madison) (after May 1, 1979)
- President pro tempore: Fred Risser (D–Madison) (until May 1, 1979)
Senate majority leadership[edit]
- Majority Leader: William A. Bablitch (D–Stevens Point)
- Assistant Majority Leader: James T. Flynn (D–West Allis)
Senate minority leadership[edit]
- Minority Leader: Clifford Krueger (R–Merrill)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Roger P. Murphy (R–Waukesha) (until Feb. 28, 1980)
Assembly leadership[edit]
- Speaker of the Assembly: Edward Jackamonis (D–Waukesha)
- Speaker pro tempore: David Kedrowski (D–Washburn)
Assembly majority leadership[edit]
- Majority Leader: James W. Wahner (D–Milwaukee) (until Jan. 26, 1980)
- Gary K. Johnson (after Jan. 26, 1980)
- Assistant Majority Leader: R. Michael Ferrall (D–Racine)
Assembly minority leadership[edit]
- Minority Leader: John C. Shabaz (R–New Berlin)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Tommy Thompson (R–Elroy)
Members[edit]
Members of the Senate[edit]
Members of the Senate for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]
Democratic: 21 seats
Republican: 12 seats
Members of the Assembly[edit]
Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]
Democratic: 60 seats
Republican: 39 seats
Employees[edit]
Senate employees[edit]
- Chief Clerk: Donald J. Schneider[2]
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel B. Fields
Assembly employees[edit]
- Chief Clerk: Marcel Dandeneau[2]
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph E. Jones
Notes[edit]
- ^ Republicans Jim Sensenbrenner (4th District) and Ernest Keppler (20th District) resigned before the start of the session due election to other offices.
- ^ Republican Tom Petri (2nd District) resigned after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
- ^ Republicans Rod Johnston (4th District) and David W. Opitz (20th District) were sworn in to replace Jim Sensenbrenner and Ernest Keppler, respectively.
- ^ Republican Don Hanaway (2nd District) was sworn in to replace Tom Petri.
- ^ Republican Roger P. Murphy (33rd District) resigned after he was appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge.
- ^ Republican Susan Engeleiter (33rd District) was sworn in to replace Roger P. Murphy.
- ^ Democrat Peter D. Bear (13th District) resigned.
- ^ Democrat Monroe Swan (6th District) was removed from office due to a criminal conviction.
- ^ Republicans Rod Johnston (10th District) and David W. Opitz (60th District) resigned due to their elections to the state senate.
- ^ Republicans Betty Jo Nelsen (10th District) and Donald K. Stitt (60th District) were sworn in to replace Rod Johnston and David W. Opitz, respectively.
- ^ Democrat James W. Wahner (15th District) resigned.
- ^ Democrat Lois Plous (15th District) was sworn in to replace James W. Wahner.
- ^ Republican Harry G. Snyder (84th District) resigned after he was appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Barish, Lawrence S.; Lemanski, Lynn, eds. (2021). "Historical Lists" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 468, 471, 475, 479–480. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1979). "Biographies". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1979–1980 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 20–88. Retrieved November 24, 2023.