71st Wisconsin Legislature

The Seventy-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1953, to November 6, 1953, in regular session.

During this session, the Legislature attempted to pass another redistricting plan to supersede the "Rosenberry plan" that had passed during the previous session. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ultimately struck down this second plan, finding that the state constitution did not allow for the Legislature to pass more than one redistricting plan per decennial census. The Rosenberry plan went into effect for the 1954 election. This was the first time in 60 years that the court got involved in a Wisconsin redistricting dispute, but it would be the start of a pattern of state and federal courts handling Wisconsin redistricting for subsequent decades.

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 4, 1952. 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 7, 1950.

Major events

 * January 5, 1953: Second inauguration of Walter J. Kohler Jr. as Governor of Wisconsin.
 * January 20, 1953: Inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower as 34th President of the United States.
 * March 5, 1953: Joseph Stalin, the premier of the Soviet Union, died after suffering a stroke.
 * March 18, 1953: Major League Baseball's National League approved the relocation of the Boston Braves franchise to Milwaukee.
 * March 26, 1953: Jonas Salk announced his polio vaccine.
 * April 7, 1953: Wisconsin voters approved two amendments to the state constitution:
 * Changing the apportionment rules for legislative districts to include consideration of district size alongside consideration of population.
 * Changing judicial term rules so that judicial special elections would be for a new full term, rather than for the remaining years on the previous incomplete term.
 * April 13, 1953: The Milwaukee Braves Major League Baseball team played their first game at Milwaukee County Stadium.
 * July 27, 1953: The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, dividing Korea and effectively ending the Korean War.
 * October 6, 1953: The Wisconsin Supreme Court, in the case State ex rel. Thomson v. Zimmerman, resolved the several questions arising from the legislative redistricting process. They ruled the April 1953 constitutional amendment was nullified because the ballot language did not properly describe the proposed amendment.  They further found that the state constitution did not allow the legislature to enact more than one redistricting plan per census.
 * January 1, 1954: Wisconsin chief justice Oscar M. Fritz resigned due to poor health. Justice Edward T. Fairchild immediately succeeded to the position of chief justice due to the rule of seniority.  Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler Jr. appointed Roland J. Steinle to succeed him as justice.
 * March 9, 1954: Journalists Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly released their 30-minute documentary on Wisconsin's controversial U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy.
 * April 7, 1954: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his "Domino theory" speech, warning of the spread of communism in southeast Asia.
 * May 17, 1954: The United States Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional.
 * July 21, 1954: The 1954 Geneva Conference dismantled French Indochina and divided Vietnam.
 * September 8, 1954: The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty was signed, establishing the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization defensive alliance.
 * November 2, 1954: Walter J. Kohler Jr. re-elected as Governor of Wisconsin.
 * December 2, 1954: The United States Senate voted 67–22 to condemn Wisconsin's U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."

Major legislation

 * June 6, 1953: An Act ... relating to the apportionment of assemblymen and senators, 1953 Act 242. This was a new redistricting plan to supersede the plan they passed in 1951 utilizing the language of the constitutional amendment passed in April 1953.  The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down this act, along with the related constitutional amendment, in October 1953.
 * 1953 Joint Resolution 9: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to change the apportionment rules for legislative districts to add consideration for district size. This amendment was approved by voters at the April 1953 election, but was that referendum was later ruled invalid.
 * 1953 Joint Resolution 12: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to change judicial terms in cases of special elections, so that special elections would now award a full term rather than the remainder of any incomplete term. This amendment was approved by voters at the April 1953 election.

Sessions

 * Regular session: January 14, 1953 –November 6, 1953

Senate leadership

 * President of the Senate: George M. Smith (R)
 * President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer (R–Oakfield)
 * Majority leader: Warren P. Knowles (R–New Richmond)
 * Minority leader: Henry Maier (D–Milwaukee)

Assembly leadership

 * Speaker of the Assembly: Ora R. Rice (R–Delavan)
 * Majority leader: Mark Catlin Jr. (R–Appleton)
 * Minority leader: George Molinaro (D–Kenosha)

Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Seventy-First Wisconsin Legislature:

Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Seventy-First Wisconsin Legislature:

Senate committees

 * Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Conservation –M. Olson, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Committees – J. Miller, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – F. B. Porter, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – R. P. Robinson, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Highways – J. Miller, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – W. P. Knowles, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Labor and Management – G. A. Bubolz, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Legislative Procedure – F. E. Panzer, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government – B. Gettelman, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs –J. E. Leverich, chair

Assembly committees

 * Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – J. T. Pritchard, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufacturing – E. L. Genzmer, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Conservation – R. S. Travis, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – E. D. Hall, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Education – M. C. Kintz, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – H. W. Timmer, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – L. R. Larsen, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – R. A. Peabody, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – H. R. Abraham, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – H. A. Keegan, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – B. M. Engebretson, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – A. O. Mockrud, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – W. E. Cook, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – P. A. Luedtke, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – C. H. Sykes, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – H. Rasmusen, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – C. A. Peterson, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – B. M. Engebretson, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – B. J. Gehrmann, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – E. C. Nitschke, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – M. O. Monson, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – J. R. Stone, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs – G. H. Bakke, chair

Joint committees

 * Joint Standing Committee on Finance –A. Lenroot (Sen.) & A. R. Ludvigsen (Asm.), co-chairs
 * Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform Laws –A. Busby (Sen.) & R. G. Marotz (Asm.), co-chairs

Senate employees

 * Chief Clerk: Thomas M. Donahue
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold Damon
 * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Anton J. Oelmiller

Assembly employees

 * Chief Clerk: Arthur L. May
 * Assistant Chief Clerk: Lois H. Vethe
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Norris J. Kellman