84th Wisconsin Legislature

The Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 3, 1979, to January 5, 1981, in regular session, and also convened in three special sessions.

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.

Major events

 * 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.
 * 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

 * 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.

Sessions

 * 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

Senate leadership

 * 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

 * Majority Leader: William A. Bablitch (D–Stevens Point)
 * Assistant Majority Leader: James T. Flynn (D–West Allis)

Senate minority leadership

 * Minority Leader: Clifford Krueger (R–Merrill)
 * Assistant Minority Leader: Roger P. Murphy (R–Waukesha) (until Feb. 28, 1980)

Assembly leadership

 * Speaker of the Assembly: Edward Jackamonis (D–Waukesha)
 * Speaker pro tempore: David Kedrowski (D–Washburn)

Assembly majority leadership

 * 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

 * Minority Leader: John C. Shabaz (R–New Berlin)
 * Assistant Minority Leader: Tommy Thompson (R–Elroy)

Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:

Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:

Senate employees

 * Chief Clerk: Donald J. Schneider
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel B. Fields

Assembly employees

 * Chief Clerk: Marcel Dandeneau
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph E. Jones