58th Wisconsin Legislature

The Fifty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 12, 1927, to August 13, 1927, in regular session, and reconvened in two special sessions in 1928.[1]

58th Wisconsin Legislature
57th 59th
Wisconsin State Capitol ca.1915
Overview
Legislative bodyWisconsin Legislature
Meeting placeWisconsin State Capitol
TermJanuary 3, 1927 – January 7, 1929
ElectionNovember 2, 1926
Senate
Members33
Senate PresidentHenry Huber (R)
President pro temporeWilliam L. Smith (R)
Party controlRepublican
Assembly
Members100
Assembly SpeakerJohn W. Eber (R)
Party controlRepublican
Sessions
RegularJanuary 12, 1927 – August 13, 1927
Special sessions
Jan. 1928 Spec.January 24, 1928 – February 4, 1928
Mar. 1928 Spec.March 6, 1928 – March 13, 1928

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, 1926. 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, 1924.[1]

Major events

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Major legislation

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  • 1927 Joint Resolution 12: Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation of members of the legislature and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the April election of 1927. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to increase legislator pay to $1,000 per session. This amendment was defeated by voters in the April 1927 election.
  • 1927 Joint Resolution 13: Joint Resolution to amend section 1 of article VIII of the constitution, relating to taxation of forests and minerals and of forest and mineral lands, and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the April election of 1927. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to adjust taxation of forest land. This amendment was ratified by voters in the April 1927 election.
  • 1927 Joint Resolution 18: Joint Resolution memorializing the Congress of the United States to provide for a nation-wide referendum on the question of modifying the Volstead act. Wisconsin made several appeals to amend the alcohol probition law in order to allow the manufacture and sale of beer.
  • 1927 Joint Resolution 21: Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation of members of the legislature. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow legislator pay to be set by law rather than fixed by the constitution. This amendment would eventually be ratified by voters in the April 1929 election. This was the sixth attempt in 20 years to amend the constitution to update legislator compensation. The previous attempts were rejected by voters in elections in 1910, 1914, 1920, 1924, and 1927.
  • 1927 Joint Resolution 24: Joint Resolution to amend section 4, Article VI, of the constitution, relating to the election of sheriffs. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution allow sheriffs to serve two consecutive terms. This amendment would eventually be ratified by voters at the April 1929 election.
  • 1927 Joint Resolution 37: Joint Resolution to amend section 10 of article V of the constitution, relating to the approval of bills by the governor. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to grant the Governor the power of a partial veto on appropriation bills. This amendment would eventually be ratified by voters at the November 1930 election.

Party summary

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Senate summary

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Senate partisan composition
  Socialist: 2 seats
  Republican: 31 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Dem. Soc. Rep. Vacant
End of previous Legislature 0 3 30 33 0
Start of Reg. Session 0 2 31 33 0
Final voting share 6.06% 93.94%
Beginning of the next Legislature 0 2 31 33 0

Assembly summary

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Assembly partisan composition
  Democratic: 2 seats
  Socialist: 8 seats
  Independent: 1 seat
  Republican: 89 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Dem. Soc. Ind. Rep. Vacant
End of previous Legislature 1 7 0 88 96 4
Start of Reg. Session 2 8 1 89 100 0
Final voting share 11% 89%
Beginning of the next Legislature 5 3 1 91 100 0

Sessions

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  • Regular session: January 12, 1927 – August 13, 1927
  • January 1928 special session: January 24, 1928 – February 4, 1928
  • March 1928 special session: March 6, 1928 – March 13, 1928

Leaders

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Senate leadership

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Assembly leadership

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Members

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Members of the Senate

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Members of the Senate for the Fifty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

 
Senate partisan representation
  Socialist: 2 seats
  Republican: 31 seats
Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party
01 Door, Kewaunee, & Manitowoc John E. Cashman Denmark Rep.
02 Brown & Oconto John B. Chase Oconto Rep.
03 Milwaukee (South City) Walter Polakowski Milwaukee Soc.
04 Milwaukee (Northeast County & Northeast City) Oscar Morris Milwaukee Rep.
05 Milwaukee (Northwest City) Bernhard Gettelman Milwaukee Rep.
06 Milwaukee (North-Central City) Alex C. Ruffing Milwaukee Soc.
07 Milwaukee (Southeast County & Southeast City) Herbert H. Smith Milwaukee Rep.
08 Milwaukee (Western County) Harry Daggett West Milwaukee Rep.
09 Milwaukee (City Downtown) Irving P. Mehigan Milwaukee Rep.
10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, & St. Croix Walter H. Hunt River Falls Rep.
11 Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, & Washburn R. Bruce Johnson Superior Rep.
12 Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, & Vilas James H. Carroll Glidden Rep.
13 Dodge & Washington William H. Markham Horicon Rep.
14 Outagamie & Shawano John Englund Wittenberg Rep.
15 Rock George W. Blanchard Edgerton Rep.
16 Crawford, Grant, & Vernon Edward J. Roethe Fennimore Rep.
17 Green, Iowa, & Lafayette Charles W. Hutchison Mineral Point Rep.
18 Fond du Lac, Green Lake & Waushara William A. Titus Fond du Lac Rep.
19 Calumet & Winnebago Merritt F. White Winneconne Rep.
20 Ozaukee & Sheboygan Herman E. Boldt Sheboygan Falls Rep.
21 Racine Walter S. Goodland Racine Rep.
22 Kenosha & Walworth George W. Hull Whitewater Rep.
23 Portage & Waupaca Herman J. Severson Iola Rep.
24 Clark, Taylor, & Wood William L. Smith Neillsville Rep.
25 Lincoln & Marathon Otto Mueller Wausau Rep.
26 Dane Harry Sauthoff Madison Rep.
27 Columbia, Richland, & Sauk Robert Caldwell Lodi Rep.
28 Chippewa & Eau Claire Herman Lange Eau Claire Rep.
29 Barron, Dunn, & Polk Carl B. Casperson Frederic Rep.
30 Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, & Oneida James A. Barker Antigo Rep.
31 Adams, Juneau, Monroe, & Marquette Howard Teasdale Sparta Rep.
32 Jackson, La Crosse, & Trempealeau V. S. Keppel Holmen Rep.
33 Jefferson & Waukesha John C. Schumann Watertown Rep.

Members of the Assembly

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Members of the Assembly for the Fifty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

 
Assembly partisan composition
  Democratic: 2 seats
  Socialist: 8 seats
  Independent: 1 seat
  Republican: 89 seats
 
Milwaukee County districts
Senate
Dist.
County Dist. Representative Party Residence
31 Adams & Marquette Robert B. Wood Rep. Adams
12 Ashland Bernard J. Gehrmann Rep. Mellen
29 Barron Charles A. Beggs Rep. Rice Lake
11 Bayfield Paul Ungrodt Rep. Washburn
02 Brown 1 Malcolm A. Sellers Rep. Green Bay
2 Gustav J. Zittlow Rep. West De Pere
10 Buffalo & Pepin Arthur A. Hitt Rep. Alma
11 Burnett & Washburn Louis Thayer Rep. Birchwood
19 Calumet Carl Hillmann Rep. Brillion
28 Chippewa Gustave Rheingans Prog.Rep. Chippewa Falls
24 Clark Arlo Huckstead Rep. Neillsville
27 Columbia E. Myrwyn Rowlands Rep. Cambria
16 Crawford Archie J. McDowell Rep. Soldiers Grove
26 Dane 1 Alvin C. Reis Rep. Madison
2 James C. Hanson Rep. Deerfield
3 Albert J. Baker Rep. Mount Horeb
13 Dodge 1 John M. Dihring Rep. Brownsville
2 Philip J. Zink Dem. Beaver Dam
01 Door Bernard Hahn Rep. Gibraltar
11 Douglas 1 Walter W. Lang Rep. Superior
2 Philip E. Nelson Rep. Maple
29 Dunn James D. Millar Rep. Menomonie
28 Eau Claire C. N. Saugen Rep. Pleasant Valley
30 Florence, Forest, & Oneida Joseph D. Grandine Rep. Argonne
18 Fond du Lac 1 Math Koenigs Rep. Fond du Lac
2 Thomas Dieringer Prog.Rep. Campbellsport
16 Grant 1 Harry E. Stephens Rep. Platteville
2 Leroy D. Eastman Rep. Boscobel
17 Green Ernst J. Hoesly Prog.Rep. New Glarus
18 Green Lake & Waushara George M. O'Connor Rep. Hancock
17 Iowa John S. Jackson Rep. Mineral Point
12 Iron & Vilas Richard C. Trembath Rep. Hurley
32 Jackson Emil G. Gilbertson Rep. Black River Falls
33 Jefferson Don V. Smith Rep. Lake Mills
31 Juneau A. A. Telfer Rep. Elroy
22 Kenosha 1 Conrad Shearer Rep. Kenosha
2 Don J. Vincent Rep. Genoa City
01 Kewaunee Anton G. Schauer Rep. Kewaunee
32 La Crosse 1 Gardner R. Withrow Rep. La Crosse
2 John Larson Rep. West Salem
17 Lafayette S. Dell Penniston Rep. Argyle
30 Langlade John R. Fronek Rep. Antigo
25 Lincoln Richard Kamke Rep. Merrill
01 Manitowoc 1 Charles Schuette Rep. Manitowoc
2 Herman Roethel Rep. Kiel
25 Marathon 1 Mathias J. Berres Rep. Edgar
2 Henry Ellenbecker Rep. Wausau
30 Marinette Charles A. Budlong Rep. Marinette
09 Milwaukee 1 Thomas H. Conway Rep. Milwaukee
2 Michael Laffey Rep. Milwaukee
04 3 Albert F. Woller Soc. Milwaukee
4 Thomas Duncan Soc. Milwaukee
07 5 George L. Tews Soc. Milwaukee
06 6 Frederick Petersen Rep. Milwaukee
7 Philip Wenz Soc. Milwaukee
03 8 Louis Polewczynski Rep. Milwaukee
06 9 Julius Kiesner Soc. Milwaukee
08 10 John W. Eber Rep. Milwaukee
03 11 Elmer Baumann Soc. Milwaukee
05 12 Henry A. Staab Rep. Milwaukee
04 13 Barney F. Spott Rep. Milwaukee
07 14 George Gauer Soc. Milwaukee
05 15 Theodore Engel Rep. Milwaukee
08 16 Arthur J. Miller Rep. Wauwatosa
07 17 Clarence C. Krause Rep. Lake
04 18 Frank L. Prescott Rep. Whitefish Bay
08 19 George C. Hinkley Rep. West Allis
05 20 William Coleman Soc. Milwaukee
31 Monroe Earl D. Hall Rep. Greenfield
02 Oconto Carl Schoenebeck Rep. Lena
14 Outagamie 1 Oscar J. Schmiege Rep. Appleton
2 Anton M. Miller Rep. Kaukauna
20 Ozaukee John J. Jungers Rep. Grafton
10 Pierce Theodore Swanson Rep. Ellsworth
29 Polk E. E. Husband Rep. Balsam Lake
23 Portage Michael J. Mersch Dem. Stevens Point
12 Price Helen F. Thompson Rep. Park Falls
21 Racine 1 Wallace Ingalls Rep. Racine
2 Edward F. Hilker Rep. Racine
3 John H. Kamper Rep. Raymond
27 Richland Harley A. Martin Ind. Richland Center
15 Rock 1 John S. Baker Rep. Evansville
2 Erastus G. Smith Rep. Beloit
12 Rusk & Sawyer A. C. Schultz Rep. Bruce
27 Sauk Carl Koenig Rep. Loganville
14 Shawano Paul T. Fuhrman Rep. Bowler
20 Sheboygan 1 Ernst A. Sonnemann Rep. Sheboygan
2 John Mentink Rep. Cedar Grove
10 St. Croix Robert M. Graham Rep. Roberts
24 Taylor John Gamper Rep. Medford
32 Trempealeau George Schmidt Rep. Arcadia
16 Vernon August E. Smith Rep. Viroqua
22 Walworth Frank E. Lawson Rep. Walworth
13 Washington Joseph J. Huber Rep. West Bend
33 Waukesha 1 Evan G. Davies Rep. Wales
2 W. H. Edwards Rep. Sussex
23 Waupaca Adam A. Schider Rep. Manawa
19 Winnebago 1 Chester D. Seftenberg Rep. Oshkosh
2 Nels Larson Rep. Neenah
24 Wood Peter Ebbe Rep. Marshfield

Committees

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Senate committees

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  • Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Labor – G. W. Hull, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Committees – H. Daggett, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – H. E. Boldt, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and Taxation – H. T. Lange, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – W. A. Titus, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on Highways – C. B. Casperson, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – I. P. Mehigan, chair
  • Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government – M. F. White, chair

Assembly committees

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  • Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – J. C. Hanson, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufactures – F. J. Petersen, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – A. A. Huckstead, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Education – J. D. Millar, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – J. Gamper, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – H. F. Thompson, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – T. Swanson, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – M. Koenigs, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Fish and Game – R. Kamke, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – C. N. Saugen, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – M. Laffey, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – A. C. Reis, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – A. M. Miller, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – F. L. Prescott, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – G. Zittlow, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – H. A. Staab, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – C. Hillman, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – A. C. Reis, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – J. H. Kamper, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – G. W. Schmidt, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – M. A. Sellers, chair
  • Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – E. D. Hall, chair

Joint committees

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  • Joint Standing Committee on Finance – W. L. Smith (Sen.) & H. Ellenbecker (Asm.), co-chairs

Employees

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Senate employees

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  • Chief Clerk: Oliver Munson[3]
    • Assistant Chief Clerk: A. J. Nelson
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: George W. Rickeman
    • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: E. A. Hartman
  • Postmaster: Arthur Dehring

Assembly employees

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  • Chief Clerk: C. E. Shaffer[3]
    • Journal Clerk: Max H. Albertz
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles F. Moulton
    • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Lincoln Neprud
  • Postmaster: William Kasiska

References

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  1. ^ a b Barish, Lawrence S.; Lemanski, Lynn, eds. (2021). "Historical Lists" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 467, 471, 475, 479–480. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Holmes, Fred L., ed. (1927). "Biographical". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1927 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. pp. 665–727. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Holmes, Fred L., ed. (1927). "Legislative". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1927 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. pp. 652–655. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
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