# 81st Wisconsin Legislature

The Eighty-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 1, 1973, to January 6, 1975, in regular session, and also convened in three special sessions.
This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session. This was also the first legislative session under the current legislative configuration, with 99 members of the Assembly and 33 state senators, with each senate district comprising three assembly districts.
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 7, 1972. 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 3, 1970.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat Patrick Lucey, of Crawford County, serving the second two years of a four-year term, having won election in the 1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

## Major events

* January 20, 1973: Second inauguration of Richard Nixon as President of the United States.
* January 27, 1973: The Paris Peace Accords were signed, ending the formal participation of the United States in the Vietnam War.
* October 10, 1973: U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew pled no contest to a charge of felony tax evasion and resigned from office.
* December 6, 1973: Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 40th Vice President of the United States.
* August 1, 1974: Wisconsin Supreme Court chief justice E. Harold Hallows resigned. Justice Horace W. Wilkie became the 21st chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court due to the rule of seniority.
* August 9, 1974: U.S. President Richard Nixon resigned from office in the midst of the Watergate scandal. Vice President Gerald Ford immediately succeeded him as the 38th President of the United States.
* November 5, 1974: 1974 United States general election:
** Patrick Lucey (D) re-elected Governor of Wisconsin.
** Gaylord Nelson (D) re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.

## Major legislation

* August 4, 1973: An Act ... constituting the executive budget bill of the 1973 legislature, and making appropriations, 1973 Act 90. The 1973 budget, it also created the Wisconsin State Ethics Board.
* July 6, 1974: An Act ... relating to regulation of elections and campaign contributions and expenditures, providing penalties and making appropriations, 1973 Act 334. Created the Wisconsin State Elections Board.

## Party summary
### Senate summary

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| | Dem. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 13 | 20 | 33 | 0 |
| Start of Reg. Session | 15 | 18 | 33 | 0 |
| From Sep. 26, 1974 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 1 |
| Final voting share | 43.75% | 56.25% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 18 | 13 | 31 | 2 |

### Assembly summary

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| | Dem. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 65 | 34 | 99 | 1 |
| Start of Reg. Session | 62 | 37 | 99 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 62.63% | 37.37% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 63 | 36 | 99 | 0 |

## Sessions

* Regular session: January 1, 1973 – January 6, 1975
* December 1973 special session: December 17, 1973 – December 21, 1973
* April 1974 special session: April 29, 1974 – June 13, 1974
* November 1974 special session: November 19, 1974 – November 20, 1974

## Leaders
### Senate leadership

* President of the Senate: Martin J. Schreiber (D)
* President pro tempore: Robert P. Knowles (R–New Richmond)
* Vice President of the Senate: Ernest Keppler (R–Sheboygan)
* Majority leader: Raymond C. Johnson (R–Eau Claire)
* Minority leader: Fred Risser (D–Madison)

### Assembly leadership

* Speaker of the Assembly: Norman C. Anderson (D–Madison)
* Speaker pro tempore: Joseph Sweda (D–Lublin)
* Majority leader: Tony Earl (D–Wausau)
* Minority leader: John C. Shabaz (R–New Berlin)

## Members
### Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Eighty-First Wisconsin Legislature:
| Dist. | Senator | Party | Age (1973) | Home | First elected |
| 01 | Jerome Martin | Dem. | 64 | Whitelaw, Manitowoc County | 1970 |
| 02 | Tom Petri | Rep. | 32 | Green Bay, Brown County | 1972 |
| 03 | Casimir Kendziorski (died Sep. 26, 1974) | Dem. | 74 | Milwaukee, Milwaukee County | 1946 |
| 04 | Robert Kasten | Rep. | 30 | Thiensville, Ozaukee County | 1972 |
| 05 | Wilfred Schuele | Dem. | 66 | Brookfield, Waukesha County | 1964 |
| 06 | Monroe Swan | Dem. | 35 | Milwaukee, Milwaukee County | 1972 |
| 07 | Kurt Frank | Dem. | 27 | Milwaukee, Milwaukee County | 1970 |
| 08 | James T. Flynn | Dem. | 28 | West Allis, Milwaukee County | 1972 |
| 09 | Ronald G. Parys | Dem. | 34 | Milwaukee, Milwaukee County | 1968 |
| 10 | Robert P. Knowles | Rep. | 56 | New Richmond, St. Croix County | 1954 |
| 11 | Wayne F. Whittow | Dem. | 39 | Milwaukee, Milwaukee County | 1968 |
| 12 | Clifford Krueger | Rep. | 54 | Merrill, Lincoln County | 1946 |
| 13 | Dale McKenna | Dem. | 35 | Jefferson, Jefferson County | 1969 |
| 14 | Gerald Lorge | Rep. | 50 | Bear Creek, Outagamie County | 1954 |
| 15 | James D. Swan | Rep. | 69 | Elkhorn, Walworth County | 1967 |
| 16 | Carl W. Thompson | Dem. | 58 | Stoughton, Dane County | 1959 |
| 17 | Gordon Roseleip | Rep. | 60 | Darlington, Lafayette County | 1962 |
| 18 | Walter G. Hollander | Rep. | 76 | Rosendale, Fond du Lac County | 1956 |
| 19 | Jack D. Steinhilber | Rep. | 41 | Oshkosh, Winnebago County | 1970 |
| 20 | Ernest Keppler | Rep. | 54 | Sheboygan, Sheboygan County | 1960 |
| 21 | Henry Dorman | Dem. | 56 | Racine, Racine County | 1965 |
| 22 | Doug La Follette | Dem. | 32 | Kenosha, Kenosha County | 1972 |
| 23 | Bruce Peloquin | Dem. | 36 | Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County | 1970 |
| 24 | William A. Bablitch | Dem. | 31 | Stevens Point, Portage County | 1972 |
| 25 | Daniel Theno | Rep. | 25 | Ashland, Ashland County | 1972 |
| 26 | Fred Risser | Dem. | 45 | Madison, Dane County | 1962 |
| 27 | Everett Bidwell | Rep. | 73 | Portage, Columbia County | 1970 |
| 28 | James C. Devitt | Rep. | 43 | Greenfield, Milwaukee County | 1968 |
| 29 | Walter Chilsen | Rep. | 49 | Wausau, Marathon County | 1966 |
| 30 | Reuben La Fave | Rep. | 57 | Oconto, Oconto County | 1956 |
| 31 | Raymond C. Johnson | Rep. | 36 | Eau Claire, Eau Claire County | 1966 |
| 32 | Milo Knutson | Rep. | 54 | La Crosse, La Crosse County | 1968 |
| 33 | Roger P. Murphy | Rep. | 49 | Waukesha, Waukesha County | 1970 |

### Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-First Wisconsin Legislature:
| Senate Dist. | Dist. | Representative | Party | Age (1973) | Home | First Elected |
| 01 | 01 | Lary J. Swoboda | Dem. | 33 | Luxemburg | 1970 |
| 01 | 02 | Francis J. Lallensack | Dem. | 56 | Manitowoc | 1972 |
| 01 | 03 | Everett E. Bolle | Dem. | 53 | Francis Creek | 1960 |
| 02 | 04 | John C. Gower | Rep. | 31 | Green Bay | 1972 |
| 02 | 05 | William J. Rogers | Dem. | 42 | Kaukauna | 1962 |
| 02 | 06 | Gervase Hephner | Dem. | 36 | Chilton | 1966 |
| 03 | 07 | Raymond J. Tobiasz | Dem. | 56 | Milwaukee | 1960 |
| 03 | 08 | Earl Keegan Jr. | Dem. | 51 | Milwaukee | 1972 |
| 03 | 09 | Jerry Kleczka | Dem. | 29 | Milwaukee | 1968 |
| 04 | 10 | Jim Sensenbrenner | Rep. | 29 | Shorewood | 1968 |
| 04 | 11 | Gus Menos | Dem. | 52 | Milwaukee | 1971 |
| 04 | 12 | Frederick C. Schroeder | Rep. | 62 | Milwaukee | 1964 |
| 05 | 13 | David G. Berger | Dem. | 26 | Milwaukee | 1970 |
| 05 | 14 | Robert E. Behnke | Dem. | 40 | Milwaukee | 1972 |
| 05 | 15 | James W. Wahner | Dem. | 33 | Milwaukee | 1970 |
| 06 | 16 | Michael Elconin | Dem. | 19 | Milwaukee | 1972 |
| 06 | 17 | Walter L. Ward Jr. | Dem. | 29 | Milwaukee | 1972 |
| 06 | 18 | Lloyd Barbee | Dem. | 47 | Milwaukee | 1964 |
| 07 | 19 | Louise M. Tesmer | Dem. | 30 | St. Francis | 1972 |
| 07 | 20 | John Plewa | Dem. | 27 | Milwaukee | 1972 |
| 07 | 21 | William P. Atkinson | Dem. | 71 | South Milwaukee | 1964 |
| 08 | 22 | George Klicka | Rep. | 38 | Wauwatosa | 1966 |
| 08 | 23 | Thomas A. Hauke | Dem. | 34 | West Allis | 1972 |
| 08 | 24 | Gary J. Barczak | Dem. | 33 | West Allis | 1972 |
| 09 | 25 | Dennis Conta | Dem. | 32 | Milwaukee | 1968 |
| 09 | 26 | Harout O. Sanasarian | Dem. | 43 | Milwaukee | 1968 |
| 09 | 27 | Joseph Czerwinski | Dem. | 28 | Milwaukee | 1968 |
| 10 | 28 | Harvey L. Dueholm | Dem. | 62 | Luck | 1958 |
| 10 | 29 | Leo Mohn | Dem. | 47 | Woodville | 1970 |
| 10 | 30 | Michael P. Early | Dem. | 54 | River Falls | 1970 |
| 11 | 31 | Paul Sicula | Dem. | 33 | Milwaukee | 1966 |
| 11 | 32 | Peter J. Tropman | Dem. | 28 | Milwaukee | 1972 |
| 11 | 33 | Richard E. Pabst | Dem. | 39 | Milwaukee | 1966 |
| 12 | 34 | Joseph Sweda | Dem. | 46 | Lublin | 1962 |
| 12 | 35 | Sheehan Donoghue | Rep. | 29 | Merrill | 1972 |
| 12 | 36 | Lloyd H. Kincaid | Rep. | 47 | Crandon | 1972 |
| 13 | 37 | Norman C. Anderson | Dem. | 44 | Madison | 1956 |
| 13 | 38 | Harland E. Everson | Dem. | 55 | Edgerton | 1970 |
| 13 | 39 | Byron F. Wackett | Rep. | 60 | Watertown | 1952 |
| 14 | 40 | Francis R. Byers | Rep. | 52 | Marion | 1968 |
| 14 | 41 | Ervin Conradt | Rep. | 56 | Shiocton | 1964 |
| 14 | 42 | Toby Roth | Rep. | 34 | Appleton | 1972 |
| 15 | 43 | Cloyd A. Porter | Rep. | 37 | Burlington | 1972 |
| 15 | 44 | Delmar DeLong | Rep. | 41 | Janesville | 1972 |
| 15 | 45 | Gary K. Johnson | Dem. | 33 | Beloit | 1970 |
| 16 | 46 | David D. O'Malley | Dem. | 60 | Waunakee | 1958 |
| 16 | 47 | Janet Soergel Mielke | Dem. | 35 | Milton | 1970 |
| 16 | 48 | Lewis T. Mittness | Dem. | 43 | Janesville | 1964 |
| 17 | 49 | James N. Azim Jr. | Rep. | 36 | Muscoda | 1964 |
| 17 | 50 | Joanne M. Duren | Dem. | 41 | Cazenovia | 1970 |
| 17 | 51 | Joseph E. Tregoning | Rep. | 31 | Shullsburg | 1967 |
| 18 | 52 | Earl F. McEssy | Rep. | 59 | Fond du Lac | 1956 |
| 18 | 53 | James R. Lewis | Rep. | 36 | West Bend | 1972 |
| 18 | 54 | Esther Doughty Luckhardt | Rep. | 59 | Horicon | 1962 |
| 19 | 55 | Michael G. Ellis | Rep. | 30 | Neenah | 1970 |
| 19 | 56 | Richard A. Flintrop | Dem. | 27 | Oshkosh | 1972 |
| 19 | 57 | Gordon R. Bradley | Rep. | 51 | Oshkosh | 1968 |
| 20 | 58 | Carl Otte | Dem. | 49 | Sheboygan | 1967 |
| 20 | 59 | Bill B. Bruhy | Rep. | 56 | Plymouth | 1972 |
| 20 | 60 | David W. Opitz | Rep. | 27 | Saukville | 1972 |
| 21 | 61 | James F. Rooney | Dem. | 37 | Racine | 1972 |
| 21 | 62 | R. Michael Ferrall | Dem. | 36 | Racine | 1970 |
| 21 | 63 | Henry Rohner | Rep. | 53 | Mount Pleasant | 1972 |
| 22 | 64 | George Molinaro | Dem. | 70 | Kenosha | 1946 |
| 22 | 65 | Eugene Dorff | Dem. | 42 | Kenosha | 1970 |
| 22 | 66 | Russell Olson | Rep. | 48 | Randall | 1960 |
| 23 | 67 | Terry A. Willkom | Dem. | 29 | Chippewa Falls | 1970 |
| 23 | 68 | Joseph Looby | Dem. | 55 | Eau Claire | 1968 |
| 23 | 69 | Alvin Baldus | Dem. | 46 | Menomonie | 1966 |
| 24 | 70 | John Oestreicher | Dem. | 36 | Marshfield | 1970 |
| 24 | 71 | Leonard A. Groshek | Dem. | 59 | Stevens Point | 1966 |
| 24 | 72 | Jon P. Wilcox | Rep. | 36 | Wautoma | 1968 |
| 25 | 73 | Thomas B. Murray | Dem. | 34 | Superior | 1972 |
| 25 | 74 | David Kedrowski | Dem. | 30 | Washburn | 1972 |
| 25 | 75 | Kenneth M. Schricker | Rep. | 51 | Spooner | 1970 |
| 26 | 76 | Mary Lou Munts | Dem. | 48 | Madison | 1972 |
| 26 | 77 | Midge Miller | Dem. | 50 | Madison | 1970 |
| 26 | 78 | Edward Nager | Dem. | 45 | Madison | 1962 |
| 27 | 79 | Tommy Thompson | Rep. | 31 | Elroy | 1966 |
| 27 | 80 | Kenyon E. Giese | Rep. | 39 | Sauk City | 1970 |
| 27 | 81 | Mel J. Cyrak | Rep. | 36 | Lake Mills | 1972 |
| 28 | 82 | James A. Rutkowski | Dem. | 30 | Hales Corners | 1970 |
| 28 | 83 | John C. Shabaz | Rep. | 41 | New Berlin | 1964 |
| 28 | 84 | John M. Alberts | Rep. | 39 | Oconomowoc | 1968 |
| 29 | 85 | Tony Earl | Dem. | 16 | Wausau | 1969 |
| 29 | 86 | Laurence J. Day | Dem. | 59 | Eland | 1968 |
| 29 | 87 | Herbert J. Grover | Dem. | 35 | Shawano | 1964 |
| 30 | 88 | Richard P. Matty | Rep. | 40 | Crivitz | 1972 |
| 30 | 89 | Cletus J. Vanderperren | Dem. | 60 | Green Bay | 1958 |
| 30 | 90 | Jerome Quinn | Rep. | 64 | Green Bay | 1954 |
| 31 | 91 | Eugene Oberle | Dem. | 43 | Stanley | 1970 |
| 31 | 92 | Robert Quackenbush | Rep. | 49 | Sparta | 1970 |
| 31 | 93 | Marlin Schneider | Dem. | 30 | Wisconsin Rapids | 1970 |
| 32 | 94 | Virgil Roberts | Dem. | 50 | Holmen | 1970 |
| 32 | 95 | Lawrence R. Gibson | Rep. | 60 | La Crosse | 1972 |
| 32 | 96 | Bernard Lewison | Rep. | 70 | Viroqua | 1954 |
| 33 | 97 | John H. Niebler | Rep. | 31 | Menomonee Falls | 1972 |
| 33 | 98 | Edward Jackamonis | Dem. | 33 | Waukesha | 1970 |
| 33 | 99 | Kenneth Merkel | Rep. | 46 | Brookfield | 1964 |

## Employees
### Senate employees

* Chief Clerk: William P. Nugent
* Sergeant-at-Arms: Kenneth Nicholson

### Assembly employees

* Chief Clerk: Thomas S. Hanson
* Sergeant-at-Arms: William F. Quick

## Changes from the 80th Legislature

New districts for the 81st Legislature were defined in 1971 Wisconsin Act 304, passed into law in the 80th Wisconsin Legislature. This was probably the most important redistricting in state history, as it established the current system of representation, ending the process of allocating Assembly districts by county and creating each Senate district as a combination of three whole Assembly districts.

### Senate redistricting
#### Summary of Senate changes

* Every district saw its boundaries change.

#### Senate districts

| Dist. | 80th Legislature | 81st Legislature |
| 1 | Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc counties | Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc counties and parts of eastern Brown County |
| 2 | Brown (south & east), Calumet counties | Calumet County and parts of central Brown County, southwest Outagamie County, eastern Fond du Lac County, northwest Sheboygan County, and northern Washington County |
| 3 | Milwaukee County (city southwest) | Milwaukee County (city southwest) |
| 4 | Milwaukee County (north) | Northeast Milwaukee County and most of Washington County and part of southern Ozaukee County |
| 5 | Milwaukee County (city northwest) | Milwaukee County (northwest) |
| 6 | Milwaukee County (city north) | Milwaukee County (city north) |
| 7 | Milwaukee County (southeast) | Milwaukee County (southeast) |
| 8 | Milwaukee County (middle-west) | Milwaukee County (middle-west) |
| 9 | Milwaukee County (city center) | Milwaukee County (city center) |
| 10 | Buffalo, Burnett, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix counties | Buffalo, Burnett, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix counties and western Barron County and part of southwest Trempealeau County |
| 11 | Milwaukee County (city west) | Milwaukee County (city west) |
| 12 | Clark, Forest, Lincoln, Oneida, Taylor, Vilas counties | Florence, Forest, Lincoln, Oneida, Rusk, Taylor, Vilas counties and parts of northeast Clark County, southern Price County, western Oconto County, northern Marinette County, and most of Langlade County |
| 13 | Dodge (east half), Jefferson, Washington counties | Central and southern Jefferson County and eastern Dane County |
| 14 | Outagamie, Waupaca counties | Waupaca County and most of Outagamie County and parts of southern Shawano County |
| 15 | Rock (east half), Walworth counties | South and eastern Rock County and most of Walworth County and part of western Racine County |
| 16 | Dane (excluding Madison), Rock (west half) counties | Northern, western, and southern Dane County and northern Rock County |
| 17 | Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland counties | Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland counties and most of Grant County and parts of northwest Dane County and western Rock County |
| 18 | Dodge (west half), Fond du Lac counties | Most of Dodge County and parts of central Fond du Lac County and western Washington County |
| 19 | Winnebago County | Most of Winnebago County and part of northern Fond du Lac County |
| 20 | Ozaukee, Sheboygan counties | Most of Sheboygan County and most of Ozaukee County |
| 21 | Racine County (southeast) | Racine County (east) |
| 22 | Kenosha County | Kenosha County and parts of central Racine County and southeast Walworth County |
| 23 | Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Washburn counties | Chippewa and Dunn counties and parts of western Eau Claire County and eastern Pepin County |
| 24 | Green Lake, Portage, Waushara, Wood counties | Green Lake and Portage counties and most of Waushara County and parts of northern Wood County, southern Marathon County, eastern Clark County, western Fond du Lac County, northwest Dodge County, and southwest Winnebago County |
| 25 | Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer counties | Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Washburn counties and eastern Barron County and northern Price County |
| 26 | Dane County (Madison) | Dane County (Madison) |
| 27 | Adams, Columbia, Juneau, Marquette, Sauk counties | Columbia, Marquette, Sauk counties and parts of southern Adams County, southern Juneau County, and western Dodge County |
| 28 | Milwaukee (southwest), Racine (most), Waukesha (south half) counties | Milwaukee (southwest) and most of Waukesha County and parts of eastern Jefferson County |
| 29 | Marathon, Menominee, Shawano counties | Menominee County and most of Marathon County and most of Shawano County and part of southern Langlade County |
| 30 | Brown (north & west), Florence, Langlade, Marinette, Oconto counties | Brown (north & west) and eastern Oconto County and southern Marinette County |
| 31 | Eau Claire, Jackson, Monroe, Trempealeau counties | Most of Eau Claire County, most of Jackson County, most of Monroe County, and most of Clark County, and northern Trempealeau County |
| 32 | Crawford, La Crosse, Vernon counties | Crawford, La Crosse, Vernon counties and parts of northwest Grant County, southwest Monroe County, southern Trempealeau County, and southeast Jackson County |
| 33 | Waukesha County (north half) | Waukesha County (northeast) |

### Assembly redistricting
#### Summary of Assembly changes

* 1 district was left unchanged (73—previously the Douglas County district).
* The Eau Claire–Chippewa Falls metro area was divided between four districts (67, 68, 69, 91) after previously being divided between three.
* The Green Bay metro area was divided between five districts (1, 3, 4, 5, 89) after previously being divided between three.
* The Madison metro area was divided between 7 districts (37, 38, 46, 47, 76, 77, 78) after previously being divided between five.
* The Racine–Kenosha metro area was divided between 6 districts (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66) after previously being divided between five.
* The Waukesha County suburbs of Milwaukee were divided between 6 districts (82, 83, 84, 97, 98, 99) after previously being divided between four.
* The size of Milwaukee County's delegation was roughly unchanged.