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54th Wisconsin Legislature

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54th Wisconsin Legislature
53rd 55th
Wisconsin State Capitol ca.1915
Overview
Legislative bodyWisconsin Legislature
Meeting placeWisconsin State Capitol
TermJanuary 6, 1919 – January 3, 1921
ElectionNovember 5, 1918
Senate
Members33
Senate PresidentEdward Dithmar (R)
President pro temporeWillard T. Stevens (R)
Party controlRepublican
Assembly
Members100
Assembly SpeakerRiley S. Young (R)
Party controlRepublican
Sessions
RegularJanuary 8, 1919 – July 30, 1919
Special sessions
Sep. 1919 Spec.September 4, 1919 – September 8, 1919
May 1920 Spec.May 25, 1920 – June 4, 1920

The Fifty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 8, 1919, to July 30, 1919, in regular session, and re-convened in two special sessions in September 1919 and May 1920.[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 5, 1918. 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 7, 1916.[1]

Major events

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Major legislation

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  • Joint Resolution ratifying an amendment to the constitution of the United States relating to intoxicating liquors, 1919 Joint Resolution 1. Wisconsin's ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • Joint Resolution relating to the league of nations, 1919 Joint Resolution 26. Endorsed the League of Nations and supported the United States joining.
  • Joint Resolution relating to the establishment of a Jewish State of Palestine and for the granting of complete liberty to the Jewish people in all countries, 1919 Joint Resolution 34.
  • Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation of members of the legislature, 1919 Joint Resolution 37. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the Legislature to set its own salary through the normal legislative process. The amendment was defeated by voters in the April 1920 election.
  • Joint Resolution to amend section 4 of article VI of the constitution, relating to county officers, 1919 Joint Resolution 38. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to remove term limits for sheriffs.
  • Joint Resolution to amend sections 6 and 7, of article VII, of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin, relating to circuit judges, 1919 Joint Resolution 47. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the Legislature to decrease the number of state judicial circuits. This amendment was also defeated by voters in the April 1920 election.
  • Joint Resolution memorializing congress in behalf of the farmers to repeal the law advancing the time one hour, 1919 Joint Resolution 48. Communicating to Congress disapproval of daylight saving time.
  • Joint Resolution to create section 3b of article XI of the constitution, relating to the indebtedness of municipal corporations, 1919 Joint Resolution 53. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to extend the allowance for municipal indebtedness for the purpose of establishing street rail projects or for heat, water, and power utility purposes.
  • Joint Resolution to amend section 5, article I, of the constitution, relating to trial by jury, 1919 Joint Resolution 58. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to change the jury rules for civil cases to require a minimum of five-sixths majority for a valid verdict.
  • Joint Resolution ratifying an amendment to the constitution of the United States relating to woman's suffrage, 1919 Joint Resolution 64. Wisconsin's ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Party summary

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Senate summary

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Senate partisan composition
  Democratic: 2 seats
  Socialist: 4 seats
  Republican: 27 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Dem. Soc. Rep. Vacant
End of previous Legislature 6 2 24 32 1
Start of 1st Session 2 4 27 33 0
Final voting share 18.18% 81.82%
Beginning of the next Legislature 2 4 27 33 0

Assembly summary

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Assembly partisan composition
  Democratic: 5 seats
  Socialist: 16 seats
  Republican: 79 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Dem. Soc. Rep. Vacant
End of previous Legislature 13 8 79 100 0
Start of 1st Session 6 16 78 100 0
From May 1, 1919[note 1] 77 99 1
From Nov. 19, 1919[note 2] 76 98 2
Final voting share 22.45% 77.55%
Beginning of the next Legislature 2 6 92 100 0

Sessions

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  • Regular session: January 8, 1919 – July 30, 1919
  • September 1919 special session: September 4, 1919 – September 8, 1919
  • May 1920 special session: May 25, 1920 – June 4, 1920

Leaders

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Senate leadership

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Assembly leadership

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Members

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Members of the Senate

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Members of the Senate for the Fifty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party
01 Door, Kewaunee, & Marinette Herbert Peterson Sturgeon Bay Rep.
02 Brown & Oconto Timothy Burke Green Bay Rep.
03 Kenosha & Racine George L. Buck Racine Rep.
04 Milwaukee (Northern Part) Herman C. Schultz Milwaukee Rep.
05 Milwaukee (Middle-West County & Central-Western City) Rudolph Beyer Milwaukee Soc.
06 Milwaukee (Northern City) W. C. Zumach Milwaukee Soc.
07 Milwaukee (Southern County) Louis A. Arnold Milwaukee Soc.
08 Milwaukee (City South) Louis Fons Milwaukee Rep.
09 Milwaukee (City Downtown) David V. Jennings Milwaukee Dem.
10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, & St. Croix George B. Skogmo River Falls Rep.
11 Burnett, Douglas, & Washburn Ray J. Nye Superior Rep.
12 Ashland, Bayfield, Price, Rusk, & Sawyer A. H. Wilkinson Bayfield Rep.
13 Dodge & Washington Herman J. F. Bilgrien Iron Ridge Rep.
14 Outagamie & Shawano Antone Kuckuk Shawano Rep.
15 Calumet & Manitowoc Henry Kleist Rantoul Soc.
16 Crawford, Grant, & Richland Henry E. Roethe Fennimore Rep.
17 Green, Iowa, & Lafayette Oscar R. Olson Blanchardville Rep.
18 Fond du Lac & Green Lake Albert J. Pullen North Fond du Lac Rep.
19 Winnebago Julius H. Dennhardt Neenah Rep.
20 Ozaukee & Sheboygan Theodore Benfey Sheboygan Rep.
21 Adams, Juneau, Marquette, & Waushara John A. Conant Westfield Rep.
22 Rock & Walworth Lawrence E. Cunningham Beloit Rep.
23 Portage & Waupaca Herman J. Severson Iola Rep.
24 Clark & Wood Isaac P. Witter Grand Rapids Rep.
25 Langlade & Marathon Claire B. Bird Wausau Rep.
26 Dane Henry Huber Stoughton Rep.
27 Columbia & Sauk George Staudenmayer Caledonia Rep.
28 Chippewa, & Eau Claire Roy P. Wilcox Eau Claire Rep.
29 Barron, Dunn, & Polk Algodt C. Anderson Menomonie Rep.
30 Florence, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Taylor, & Vilas Willard T. Stevens Rhinelander Rep.
31 Jackson, Monroe, & Vernon J. Henry Bennett Viroqua Rep.
32 La Crosse & Trempealeau Eugene F. Clark Galesville Rep.
33 Jefferson & Waukesha Charles Mulberger Watertown Dem.

Members of the Assembly

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Members of the Assembly for the Fifty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

Milwaukee County districts
Senate
Dist.
County Dist. Representative Party Residence
21 Adams & Marquette James F. McDowell Rep. Montello
12 Ashland John C. Chapple Rep. Ashland
29 Barron Clarence Clinton Coe Rep. Barron
12 Bayfield Frank W. Downs Rep. Washburn
02 Brown 1 Thomas A. Delaney Dem. Green Bay
2 Niels P. Larsen Rep. Denmark
10 Buffalo & Pepin Edwin F. Ganz Rep.
11 Burnett & Washburn James H. Jensen Rep. Grantsburg
15 Calumet Otto Lerche Soc. Rantoul
28 Chippewa Thomas W. Bartingale Rep.
24 Clark Harry Hewett Rep.
27 Columbia W. R. Chipman Rep. Leeds
16 Crawford O. P. Vaughan Rep. Wauzeka
26 Dane 1 Marcus E. Johnson Rep. Madison
2 James C. Hanson Rep. Christiana
3 Carl M. Grimstad Rep. Mount Horeb
13 Dodge 1 Jacob Scharpf Rep. Juneau
2 Samuel R. Webster Rep. Elba
01 Door Frank N. Graass Rep.
11 Douglas 1 James B. French Rep. Superior
2 J. W. Conner Rep.
29 Dunn Alonzo L. Best Rep. Tiffany
28 Eau Claire Rush Bullis Rep. Washington
30 Florence, Forest, & Oneida Ira E. Smith Rep. Cassian
18 Fond du Lac 1 Herman Schroeder Rep. Empire
2 John E. Johnson Rep. Brandon
16 Grant 1 John L. Grindell Rep. Platteville
2 John J. Ruka Rep. Boscobel
17 Green William Olson Rep. Jordan
18 Green Lake Samuel Owens Rep. Green Lake
17 Iowa John T. Williams Rep. Dodgeville
30 Iron & Vilas Joseph J. Defer Rep. Saxon
31 Jackson William F. Dettinger Rep. Hixton
33 Jefferson 1 John Mitchell Rep. Palmyra
2 John W. Porter Rep. Oakland
21 Juneau George Frohmader Rep. Camp Douglas
03 Kenosha Peter M. Anderson Rep.
01 Kewaunee William H. O'Brien Dem. Franklin
32 La Crosse 1 Carl Kurtenecker Rep. La Crosse
2 Orrin Fletcher Rep. Burns
17 Lafayette John P. Sheldon Rep. Darlington
25 Langlade Frank J. Olmsted Rep. Elcho
30 Lincoln Walter B. Chilsen Rep. Merrill
15 Manitowoc 1 John Lorfeld Rep. Meeme
2 Herman Roethel Soc. Kiel
25 Marathon 1 Charles Zarnke Soc. Flieth
2 Herman Marth Soc. Wausau
01 Marinette James Pedersen Rep. Marinette
09 Milwaukee 1 Jacob J. Killa Dem. Milwaukee
2 Joseph Klein Soc. Milwaukee
3 John P. Donnelly Dem. Milwaukee
05 4 Albert Ehlman Soc. Milwaukee
08 5 John Kaney Rep. Milwaukee
05 6 Henry Sievers Soc. Milwaukee
7 Alex C. Ruffing Soc. Milwaukee
08 8 Frank Kubatzki Dem. Milwaukee
06 9 Julius Kiesner Soc. Milwaukee
04 10 Edwin Knappe Soc. Milwaukee
08 11 William E. Jordan Soc. Milwaukee
12 George Czerwinski Dem. Milwaukee
04 13 John M. Sell Soc. Milwaukee
07 14 John Masiakowski Soc. Milwaukee
05 15 Frank X. Bauer Soc. Milwaukee
16 George A. Bowman Rep. Milwaukee
07 17 Frank Metcalfe Soc. Milwaukee
04 18 Arnold C. Otto Rep. Milwaukee
07 19 Delbert Miller Rep. West Allis
31 Monroe Miles Hineman Rep. Tomah
02 Oconto George E. Ansorge Rep. Oconto
14 Outagamie 1 Clinton B. Ballard Rep. Grand Chute
2 Anthony M. McClone Rep. Deer Creek
20 Ozaukee Louis L. Pierron Rep. Belgium
10 Pierce Charles E. Hanson Rep. River Falls
29 Polk Axel Johnson Rep. Apple River
23 Portage Harold J. Week Rep. Stevens Point
12 Price Hugo Kandutsch Rep. Kennan
03 Racine 1 Robert Mutter Rep. Racine
2 Henry F. Johnson Rep. Norway
28 Richland John C. Anderson Rep. Cazenovia
22 Rock 1 Thomas S. Nolan Rep. Janesville
2 Alonzo J. Mathison Rep. Beloit
12 Rusk & Sawyer John H. Hellweg Rep. Hayward
27 Sauk George H. Hood Rep. Baraboo
14 Shawano King Weeman Rep. Shawano
20 Sheboygan 1 Charles Burhop Soc. Sheboygan
2 R. B. Melvin Rep. Greenbush
10 St. Croix George Oakes Rep. New Richmond
30 Taylor L. W. Gibson (died May 1, 1919) Rep. Medford
32 Trempealeau John A. Markham Rep. Independence
31 Vernon Clarence H. Carter Rep. Readstown
23 Walworth Riley S. Young Rep. Darien
13 Washington Alfred G. Becker Rep. Addison
33 Waukesha 1 John F. Buckley Rep. Waukesha
2 W. H. Edwards Rep. Sussex
23 Waupaca Robert M. Hanson Rep. Scandinavia
21 Waushara Frank Ploetz Rep. Coloma
19 Winnebago 1 Clark M. Perry Rep. Oshkosh
2 Herman A. Porath Rep. Vinland
3 Eber Simpson (died Nov. 19, 1919) Rep. Oshkosh
24 Wood Byron Whittingham Rep. Arpin

Committees

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Senate committees

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  • Senate Standing Committee on Committees – I. P. Witter, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – H. E. Roethe, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Corporations – J. H. Bennett, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – A. J. Pullen, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Highways – L. E. Cunningham, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – T. Benfey, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Legislative Procedure – W. T. Stevens, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Reconstruction and Readjustment – R. P. Wilcox, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on State Affairs – W. T. Stevens, chair

Assembly committees

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  • Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – S. R. Webster, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufactures – J. E. Johnson, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – J. W. Conner, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Education – M. L. Hineman, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – W. R. Chipman, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – E. F. Ganz, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – C. E. Hanson, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – J. C. Anderson, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Fish and Game – H. Kandutsch, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – J. J. Ruka, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – J. C. Chapple, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – T. S. Nolan, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – J. H. Jensen, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – F. N. Graass, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – G. H. Hood, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – R. B. Melvin, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – W. F. Dettinger, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – J. F. Buckley, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – A. Johnson, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – W. H. Edwards, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – G. E. Ansorge, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – C. H. Carter, chair

Joint committees

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  • Joint Standing Committee on Finance – A. H. Wilkinson (Sen.) & C. Kurtenacker (Asm.), co-chairs
  • Joint Special Committee on Drainage – I. P. Witter (Sen.), chair
  • Joint Special Committee for the Historical Society Investigation – H. E. Roethe (Sen.), chair
  • Joint Special Committee for the International Harvester Co. Investigation – J. H. Bennett (Sen.), chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Legislative Visiting – E. F. Clark (Sen.), chair
  • Joint Special Committee for the Milwaukee Street Railway Investigation – G. B. Skogmo (Sen.), chair
  • Joint Special Committee on Pensions, Annuities, and Retirement Funds for Teachers – A. Kuckuk (Sen.), chair

Employees

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Senate employees

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  • Chief Clerk: Oliver G. Munson[3]
    • Assistant Chief Clerk: C. E. Mullen
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: John Turner
    • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Olaf Goldstrand
  • Postmaster: Frank C. Densmore

Assembly employees

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Notes

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  1. ^ Republican Levi Withee Gibson (Taylor County) died.
  2. ^ Republican Eber Simpson (Winnebago County) died.

References

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  1. ^ 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. 467, 471, 475, 479–480. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Hunter, Paul F., ed. (1919). "Biographical Sketches". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1919 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. pp. 451–508. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Hunter, Paul F., ed. (1919). "Organization of Legislature, 1919". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1919 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. pp. 446–449. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
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