72nd Wisconsin Legislature

The Seventy-Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 12, 1955, to October 21 1955, in regular session.

This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the 1951 session (The implementation of that redistricting act had been delayed to the 1954 election).

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 2, 1954. 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 4, 1952.

Major events

 * January 3, 1955: Third inauguration of Walter J. Kohler Jr. as Governor of Wisconsin.
 * April 5, 1955: 1955 Wisconsin spring election:
 * Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution:
 * created a new section in Article VII (judiciary) establishing qualifications for state judges and setting a mandatory retirement age at 70.
 * adjusted debt limit rules for school districts.
 * May 14, 1955: Eight communist bloc counties, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact, establishing a defensive alliance.
 * August 28, 1955: Emmett Till was lynched in Money, Mississippi.
 * November 1, 1955: The United States Military Assistance Advisory Group for South Vietnam was established. This was later identified as the start of formal U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
 * December 5, 1955: The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged, forming the AFL–CIO.
 * April 3, 1956: 1956 Wisconsin spring election:
 * Thomas E. Fairchild was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed his father Edward T. Fairchild.
 * Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution:
 * expanded the language around circumstances where municipalities could acquire land for public purposes.
 * created an exception to changes to compensation for retired teachers.
 * Wisconsin voters rejected two other amendements to the state constitution:
 * would have abolished limits on sheriffs serving consecutive terms in office.
 * would have created exceptions in the prohibition on free passes for state officers.
 * June 29, 1956: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, establishing the Interstate Highway System in the United States.
 * August 28, 1956: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Edward J. Gehl died in office.
 * September 5, 1956: Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler Jr. appointed Emmert L. Wingert to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to succeed the deceased justice Edward J. Gehl.
 * November 1, 1956: Soviet forces invaded Hungary to put down the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
 * November 5, 1956: Following Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Company, French and English forces invaded the Suez Canal zone and took control of the canal. Due to sunken commercial ships in the canal, it was closed to traffic until March 1957, resulting in shortages and rationing.
 * November 6, 1956: 1956 United States general election:
 * Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) re-elected President of the United States.
 * Vernon Wallace Thomson (R) elected Governor of Wisconsin.
 * Alexander Wiley (R) re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
 * November 13, 1956: The United States Supreme Court, in the case Browder v. Gayle, found that state and local ordinances which enforced racial segregation of buses were unconstitutional.

Major legislation

 * August 3, 1955: An Act ... relating to incorporation of certain towns as fourth class cities, 1955 Act 500. This act dramatically reduced the population density requirements in order for a community to incorporate as a fourth-class city.  The act was commonly known as the "Oak Creek Law", because the Milwaukee suburb had worked to pass this law in order to avoid further annexation to the city of Milwaukee.
 * 1955 Joint Resolution 14. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to create a new section establishing qualifications for state judges and allowing the legislature to set a mandatory retirement age.  This amendment was ratified by voters at the 1955 April election.
 * 1955 Joint Resolution 17. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to add an exception for retired teachers in the rules on changes to compensation for state employees.  This amendment was ratified by voters at the 1956 April election.

Sessions

 * Regular session: January 12, 1955 –October 21, 1955

Senate leadership

 * President of the Senate: Warren P. Knowles (R)
 * President pro tempore: Frank E. Panzer (R–Oakfield)
 * Majority leader: Paul J. Rogan (R–Ladysmith)
 * Minority leader: Henry Maier (D–Milwaukee)

Assembly leadership

 * Speaker of the Assembly: Mark Catlin Jr. (R–Appleton)
 * Majority leader: Robert G. Marotz (R–Shawano)
 * Minority leader: Robert T. Huber (D–West Allis)

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

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

Senate committees

 * Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Conservation –J. E. Leverich, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Committees – J. Miller, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – L. H. Prange, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – W. W. Clark, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Governmental and Veterans Affairs –A. L. Padrutt, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Highways – J. Miller, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – A. Busby, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Labor, Taxation, Insurance, and Banking – A. Van De Zande, chair
 * Senate Standing Committee on Legislative Procedure – F. E. Panzer, chair

Assembly committees

 * Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – O. R. Rice, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufactures – M. H. Ward, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Conservation – R. La Fave, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – W. Belter, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Education – W. J. Hutnik, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – F. E. Nuernberg, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – L. M. Hagen, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – R. A. Peabody, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – E. L. Genzmer, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – G. H. Bakke, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – R. H. Sengstock, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – N. J. Lesselyoung, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – W. E. Cook, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – P. A. Luedtke, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – F. J. LeClair, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – S. H. Raihle, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – E. C. Nitschke, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – R. G. Marotz, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – E. A. Toepel, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – W. A. Grady, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – A. J. Redford, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – L. C. Romell, chair
 * Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs – B. F. Wackett, chair

Joint committees

 * Joint Standing Committee on Finance –F. B. Porter (Sen.) & A. R. Ludvigsen (Asm.), co-chairs
 * Joint Standing Committee on Revisions, Repeals, and Uniform Laws –W. Trinke (Sen.) & A. J. Cane (Asm.), co-chairs

Senate employees

 * Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold Damon
 * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Anton J. Oelmiller

Assembly employees

 * Chief Clerk: Arthur L. May
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Norris J. Kellman

Changes from the 71st Legislature
New districts for the 72nd Legislature were defined in 1951 Wisconsin Act 728, passed into law in the 70th Wisconsin Legislature. This was the most significant redistricting of the state since 1896.

Summary of Senate changes

 * 11 districts were left unchanged.
 * Brown County became its own district (2) after previously having been in a shared district with Oconto.
 * Dane County went from having 1 district to 2 (16, 26).
 * Milwaukee County went from having 7 districts to 8 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11), representing nearly a quarter of State Senate seats.

Summary of Assembly changes

 * 36 districts were left unchanged.
 * The number of counties in shared districts doubled from 15 to 30.
 * Brown County went from having 2 districts to 3.
 * Dane County went from having 3 districts to 5.
 * Eau Claire County went from having 1 district to 2.
 * Milwaukee County went from having 20 districts to 24.
 * Rock County went from having 2 districts to 3.
 * Winnebago County went from having 2 districts to 3.
 * Wood County went from having 1 district to 2.