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The Fifty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 12, 1921, to July 14, 1921, in regular session, and re-convened in a special session in March 1922.[1]
| 55th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 Wisconsin State Capitol ca.1915 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||
| Term | January 3, 1921 – January 1, 1923 | ||||
| Election | November 2, 1920 | ||||
| Senate | |||||
| Members | 33 | ||||
| Senate President | George Comings (R) | ||||
| President pro tempore | Timothy Burke (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Assembly | |||||
| Members | 100 | ||||
| Assembly Speaker | Riley S. Young (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
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| Special sessions | |||||
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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 3, 1920. 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 5, 1918.[1]
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- January 3, 1921: Inauguration of John J. Blaine as the 24th Governor of Wisconsin.
- January 29, 1921: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice James C. Kerwin died in office.
- March 4, 1921: Inauguration of Warren G. Harding as the 29th President of the United States.
- March 11, 1921: Christian Doerfler was appointed a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor John J. Blaine, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of justice James C. Kerwin.
- May 19, 1921: U.S. President Warren G. Harding signed the Emergency Quota Act into law, limiting the immigration of southern and eastern Europeans to the United States.
- December 6, 1921: The Anglo-Irish Treaty formally ends the Irish War of Independence, establishing the Irish Free State.
- February 6, 1922: The Five Power Naval Disarmament Treaty was signed between the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Italy. The treaty placed limits on construction of battleships and placed weight limitations on other naval ships.
- February 12, 1922: Wisconsin chief justice Robert G. Siebecker died in office. Justice Aad J. Vinje immediately succeeded to the position of chief justice due to the rule of seniority.
- April 3, 1922: Joseph Stalin was appointed General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party.
- April 4, 1922: Attorney Charles H. Crownhart was appointed a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor John J. Blaine, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of chief justice Robert G. Siebecker.
- May 15, 1922: The WCAY radio station began broadcasting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- May 30, 1922: Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
- June 14, 1922: U.S. President Warren G. Harding made the first presidential speech over radio.
- October 31, 1922: Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy after leading a coup d'état with his National Fascist Party.
- November 7, 1922: 1922 United States general election:
- John J. Blaine re-elected Governor of Wisconsin.
- Robert M. La Follette re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the state constitution changing jury rules for civil trials, so that a verdict requires at least five-sixths majority.
- Wisconsin voters rejected two other amendments to the state constitution:
- to remove term limits from sheriffs
- to allow municipalities to take on additional debt to pay for streetcars or power, water, or heat infrastructure
- November 11, 1922: The Lausanne Conference recognized the Republic of Turkey as having replaced the Ottoman sultanate as the legitimate government of Turkey.
- December 30, 1922: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created by the union of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Transcaucasian Republic.
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- July 9, 1921: An Act ... relating to the re-apportionment of the state into assembly and senatorial districts, 1921 Act 470.
- Joint Resolution to amend section 5, article I of the constitution, relating to trial by jury, 1921 Joint Resolution 17. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to change jury rules for civil trials, so that a verdict requires a minimum of five-sixths of the jury. This amendment was ratified by voters in the November 1922 election.
- Joint Resolution to amend section 7 of article VII of the constitution, relating to circuit judges, 1921 Joint Resolution 24. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to expand the number of circuits eligible for having multiple judges.
- Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation or members of the legislature, 1921 Joint Resolution 28. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to raise legislative pay to $750 per year ($12,000 adjusted for inflation to 2023). Voters had just defeated another amendment which would have given the Legislature control of their own salary in 1920. This amendment would also ultimately be defeated in April 1924.
- Joint Resolution to amend section 10 of article VIII of the constitution, relating to internal improvements, 1921 Joint Resolution 29. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow state spending on forestry improvements.
- Joint Resolution to amend section 4 of article VI of the constitution, relating to county officers, 1921 Joint Resolution 36. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to remove term limits for sheriffs. This amendment was defeated by voters in the November 1922 election.
- Joint Resolution to create section 3b of article XI of the constitution, relating to the indebtedness of municipal corporations, 1921 Joint Resolution 37. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow municipalities to take on additional debt for street rail or other utilities. This amendment was defeated by voters in the November 1922 election.
- Joint Resolution to amend section 3 of article XI of the constitution, relating to powers of cities and villages, 1921 Joint Resolution 39. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to grant home rule to all cities and villages in the state.
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Senate summary
Democratic: 2 seats
Socialist: 4 seats
Republican: 27 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Soc. | Rep. | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 2 | 4 | 27 | 32 | 1 |
| Start of 1st Session | 2 | 4 | 27 | 33 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 18.18% | 81.82% | |||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 0 | 3 | 29 | 32 | 1 |
Assembly summary
Democratic: 2 seats
Socialist: 6 seats
Republican: 92 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Soc. | Rep. | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 6 | 16 | 76 | 98 | 2 |
| Start of 1st Session | 2 | 6 | 92 | 100 | 0 |
| From Jan. 15, 1921[note 1] | 91 | 99 | 1 | ||
| From Mar. 8, 1921[note 2] | 92 | 100 | 0 | ||
| Final voting share | 8% | 92% | |||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 1 | 10 | 89 | 100 | 0 |
- Regular session: January 12, 1921 – July 14, 1921
- March 1922 special session: March 22, 1922 – March 28, 1922
Senate leadership
- President of the Senate: George Comings (R)
- President pro tempore: Timothy Burke (R–Green Bay)
Assembly leadership
Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Fifty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]
Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Fifty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]
Senate committees
- Senate Standing Committee on Committees – G. B. Skogmo, chair
- Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – H. Huber, chair
- Senate Standing Committee on Corporations – G. B. Skogmo, chair
- Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – A. Kuckuk, chair
- Senate Standing Committee on Highways – E. F. Clark, chair
- Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – J. A. Conant, chair
- Senate Standing Committee on Legislative Procedure – T. Burke, chair
- Senate Standing Committee on State Affairs – H. E. Roethe, chair
Assembly committees
- Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – W. Olson, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufactures – J. E. Johnson, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – J. C. Hanson, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Education – M. L. Hineman, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – F. Hess, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – A. Becker, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – T. W. Bartingale, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – R. M. Atcherson, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Fish and Game – M. S. Catlin, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – R. Bullis, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – B. H. Mahon, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – J. B. French, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – W. A. Freehoff, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – C. M. Perry, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – F. W. Downs, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – F. J. Petersen, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – C. Weittenhiller, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – J. B. French, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – A. E. Matheson, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – W. H. Edwards, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – J. T. Oliver, chair
- Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – L. J. Pierson, chair
Joint committees
- Joint Standing Committee on Finance – R. J. Nye (Sen.) & G. Oakes (Asm.), co-chairs
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Senate employees
- Chief Clerk: Oliver G. Munson[3]
- Assistant Chief Clerk: Charles E. Mullen
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Vincent Kielpinski
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Olaf Goldstrand
- Postmaster: Frank C. Densmore
Assembly employees
- Chief Clerk: C. E. Shaffer[3]
- Journal Clerk: W. A. Lawton
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Thomas Grant Cretney
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Ernest F. Wright
- Postmaster: G. I. Brader
- Republican Samuel Owens (Green Lake County) died.
- Republican Ira W. Parker (Green Lake County) was sworn in to replace Samuel Owens.
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