87th Wisconsin Legislature

The Eighty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 7, 1985, to January 5, 1987, in regular session, and also convened in eight special sessions.

This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session.

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 6, 1984. 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 2, 1982.

Major events

 * January 20, 1985: Second inauguration of Ronald Reagan as President of the United States.
 * March 1, 1985: Milwaukee businessman Herb Kohl reached a deal to purchase the Milwaukee Bucks professional basketball team, in order to prevent the team from leaving Milwaukee.
 * September 6, 1985: Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 crashed just after takeoff from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, killing all 31 people on board.
 * January 28, 1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B, resulting in the death of all seven astronauts on board.
 * April 1, 1986: 1986 Wisconsin Spring election:
 * Wisconsin voters ratified four amendments to the state constitution:
 * Rewording the section on inherent rights, to more directly mirror the language of the Declaration of Independence.
 * Repealing the old contents of Article III (suffrage), replacing it with a simplified statement of the right and circumstances where the legislature can modify that right. Also updated the voting age at 18.
 * Removing more obsolete language left in the constitution by the 1881 term-lengths amendments.
 * Removing obsolete reference to suffrage on Indian lands.
 * November 4, 1986: 1986 United States general election:
 * Tommy Thompson (R) elected Governor of Wisconsin.
 * Bob Kasten (R) re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.

Major legislation

 * July 18, 1985: An Act ... relating to creating the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation and granting a property tax exemption, 1985 Act 26. Creating an entity to construct and manage the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Sessions

 * Regular session: January 7, 1985 –January 5, 1987
 * March 1985 special session: March 19, 1985 –March 21, 1985
 * September 1985 special session: September 24, 1985 –October 19, 1985
 * October 1985 special session: October 31, 1985
 * November 1985 special session: November 20, 1985
 * January 1986 special session: January 27, 1986 –May 30, 1986
 * March 1986 special session: March 24, 1986 –March 26, 1986
 * May 1986 special session: May 20, 1986 –May 29, 1986
 * July 1986 special session: July 15, 1986

Senate leadership

 * President of the Senate: Fred Risser (D–Madison)

Senate majority leadership

 * Majority Leader: Timothy Cullen (D–Janesville)
 * Assistant Majority Leader: John Norquist (D–Milwaukee)

Senate minority leadership

 * Minority Leader: Susan Engeleiter (R–Menomonee Falls)
 * Assistant Minority Leader: Michael G. Ellis (R–Neenah)

Assembly leadership

 * Speaker of the Assembly: Thomas A. Loftus (D–Sun Prairie)
 * Speaker pro tempore: David Clarenbach (D–Madison)

Assembly majority leadership

 * Majority Leader: Dismas Becker (D–Milwaukee)
 * Assistant Majority Leader: John Medinger (D–La Crosse)

Assembly minority leadership

 * Minority Leader: Tommy Thompson (R–Elroy)
 * Assistant Minority Leader: Robert S. Travis Jr. (R–Platteville)

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

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

Senate employees

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

Assembly employees

 * Chief Clerk: Joanne M. Duren
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Patrick Essie

Changes from the 86th Legislature
New districts for the 87th Legislature were defined in 1983 Wisconsin Act 29, passed into law in the 86th Wisconsin Legislature. This redistricting superseded the court-ordered plan imposed in the 1982 federal court case Wisconsin State AFL-CIO v. Elections Board.

Summary of Senate changes

 * 8 districts were left unchanged.

Summary of Assembly changes

 * 34 districts were left unchanged (but re-numbered).