The Sixty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.
This legislative term coincided with the United States entrance into World War II. This session also represents the first time the Legislature failed to pass a redistricting act on schedule. Ultimately, no redistricting would occur in Wisconsin in the 1940s.
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 5, 1940. 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 8, 1938.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Julius P. Heil, of Milwaukee County, serving his second two-year term, having won re-election in the 1940 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Major events January 6, 1941: Second inauguration of Julius P. Heil as Governor of Wisconsin. At his State of the Union address, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented his Four Freedoms as fundamental human rights. January 20, 1941: Third inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States. January 21, 1941: The keel of the USS Wisconsin (BB-64) was laid down at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. March 11, 1941: The Lend-Lease Act was signed into law by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. April 1, 1941: Wisconsin voters ratified an amendment to the state constitution allowing real estate taxes to be paid in installments. May 27, 1941: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed an unlimited national emergency. The Germany Navy battleship Bismarck was scuttled and sunk after being damaged in battle with British Navy off the coast of France. June 14, 1941: All German and Italian assets in the United States were frozen. June 22, 1941: Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union and breaking their non-aggression pact. July 1, 1941: Commercial television was authorized in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission. July 8, 1941: Wisconsin U.S. representative Stephen Bolles (WI-01) died in office. August 14, 1941: The United States and United Kingdom issued the Atlantic Charter, describing their goals for a postwar world. October 30, 1941: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt approved a $1 billion lend–lease aide package for the Soviet Union (over $20 billion adjusted for inflation to 2023). December 7, 1941: Naval forces of the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States Navy at Pearl Harbor. December 8, 1941: The United States declared war on Japan. January 7, 1942: The German Army abandoned their attempt to take Moscow after a three-month battle. January 20, 1942: At the Wannsee Conference in Berlin, officers of the Nazi German government decided that the Final Solution to the "Jewish Problem" would be deportations to extermination camps. March 9, 1942: The first prisoners of war arrived at Wisconsin's Fort McCoy. March 18, 1942: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9102, creating the War Relocation Authority. April 26, 1942: The German Reichstag met for the last time, dissolving and declaring Adolf Hitler supreme judge of the German people. May 8, 1942: Imperial Japanese forces completed the conquest of the Philippines, taking roughly 100,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war. June 4, 1942: United States Navy aviators sank all four of Japan's fleet carriers present at the Battle of Midway. November 3, 1942: Orland Steen Loomis (P) elected Governor of Wisconsin. November 8, 1942: About 100,000 men of the United States and allied nations under the command of Dwight D. Eisenhower landed at various points along the coast of North Africa. November 9, 1942: German Army forces controlled roughly 90% of the city of Stalingrad, representing the closest the Germans would come to capturing the city. December 2, 1942: At a lab below Stagg Field at the University of Chicago, a team led by Enrico Fermi created the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction as part of the Manhattan Project. December 7, 1942: Wisconsin governor-elect Orland Steen Loomis died of a heart attack. December 11, 1942: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice George B. Nelson resigned. December 12, 1942: Wisconsin governor Julius P. Heil appointed Elmer E. Barlow to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed the retired justice George B. Nelson. December 29, 1942: In a unanimous decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the lieutenant governor-elect, Walter S. Goodland, would be sworn in as the next governor in place of the deceased governor-elect.
Major legislation 1941 Joint Resolution 18: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow payment of real estate taxes in installments. This amendment was ratified by voters at the April 1941 election.
Party summary Senate summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Prog. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 5 11 15 31 2 Start of Reg. Session 3 6 24 33 0 From Feb. 12, 1941Republican Carl Lovelace (17th District) died. 23 32 1 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 4 6 23 33 0
Assembly summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Prog. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 14 30 52 96 4 Start of Reg. Session 15 24 61 100 0 From Apr. 15, 1941Progressive Dougald D. Kennedy (Polk County) died. 23 99 1 From Sep. 30, 1941Democrat Nicholas J. Bichler (Ozaukee County) resigned. 14 98 2 From Feb. 24, 1942Progressive Ben Rubin (Milwaukee County) died. 22 97 3 From Nov. 21, 1942Republican John Egan (Manitowoc County) died. 60 96 4 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 14 13 73 100 0
Sessions Regular session: January 8, 1941June 6, 1941
Leaders Senate leadership President of the Senate: Walter S. Goodland (R) President pro tempore: Conrad Shearer (R–Kenosha) Majority leader: Maurice Coakley (R–Beloit) Minority leader: Cornelius T. Young (D–Milwaukee)
Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: Vernon W. Thomson (R–Richland Center) Majority leader: Mark Catlin Jr. (R–Appleton) Minority leaders: Andrew Biemiller (P–Milwaukee) Robert Emmet Tehan (D–Milwaukee)
Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Sixty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:
Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party 01 Door, Kewaunee, Denmark Prog. 02 Brown Green Bay Rep. 03 Milwaukee (South City) Milwaukee Dem. 04 Milwaukee (Northeast County Milwaukee Rep. 05 Milwaukee Milwaukee Rep. 06 Milwaukee Milwaukee Prog. 07 Milwaukee (Southeast County Milwaukee Dem. 08 Milwaukee West MilwaukeeRep. 09 Milwaukee Milwaukee Dem. 10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, New RichmondRep. 11 Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, MapleProg. 12 Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, GliddenRep. 13 Dodge HartfordRep. 14 Outagamie ShioctonRep. 15 Rock BeloitRep. 16 Crawford, Grant, BoscobelRep. 17 Green, Iowa, WoodfordRep. --Vacant from Feb. 12, 1941-- 18 , Fond du LacRep. 19 Calumet OshkoshRep. 20 Ozaukee SheboyganRep. 21 Racine RacineProg. 22 Kenosha Kenosha Rep. 23 Portage Waupaca Rep. 24 Clark, Taylor, Marshfield Rep. 25 Lincoln Wausau Rep. 26 Dane Madison Prog. 27 Columbia, Richland, Richland Center Rep. 28 Chippewa Stanley Rep. 29 Barron, Dunn, Barron Prog. 30 Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, Amberg Rep. 31 Adams, Juneau, Monroe, Necedah Rep. 32 Jackson, La Crosse, La Crosse Rep. 33 Jefferson Rep.
Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:
SenateDist. County Dist. Representative Party Residence 31 Adams Rep. Westfield 12 Ashland Prog. Ashland 29 Barron Prog. Cameron 11 Bayfield Prog. Bayfield 02 Brown 1 Dem. Green Bay 2 Dem. De Pere 10 Buffalo Rep. Cochrane 11 Burnett Rep. Spooner 19 Calumet Rep. Brillion 28 Chippewa Prog. Chippewa Falls 24 Clark Rep. Unity 27 Columbia Rep. Rio 16 Crawford Rep. Soldiers Grove 26 Dane 1 Prog. Madison 2 Prog. Edgerton 3 Prog. Mount Horeb 13 Dodge 1 Dem. Mayville 2 Rep. Beaver Dam 01 Door Rep. Sturgeon Bay 11 Douglas 1 Prog. Superior 2 Prog. Poplar 29 Dunn Rep. Elk Mound 28 Eau Claire Prog. Eau Claire 30 Florence, Forest, Prog. Rhinelander 18 Fond du Lac 1 Rep. Fond du Lac 2 Rep. Campbellsport 16 Grant 1 Rep. Cuba City 2 Rep. Lancaster 17 Green Rep. Monroe 18 Green Lake Rep. Wautoma 17 Iowa Rep. Montfort 12 Iron Prog. Hurley 32 Jackson Rep. Black River Falls 33 Jefferson Dem. Fort Atkinson 31 Juneau Rep. Lyndon Station 22 Kenosha 1 Rep. Kenosha 2 Dem. Salem 01 Kewaunee Rep. Luxemburg 32 La Crosse 1 Rep. La Crosse 2 Rep. West Salem 17 Lafayette Rep. Wiota 30 Langlade Dem. Antigo 25 Lincoln Prog. Merrill 01 Manitowoc 1 Rep. Manitowoc 2 Rep. Two Rivers 25 Marathon 1 Rep. Hamburg 2 Rep. Wausau 30 Marinette Rep. Marinette 09 Milwaukee 1 Rep. Milwaukee 06 2 Prog. Milwaukee 08 3 Prog. Milwaukee 09 4 Dem. Milwaukee 03 5 Dem. Milwaukee 09 6 Prog. Milwaukee 06 7 Prog. Milwaukee 08 8 Dem. Milwaukee 05 9 Rep. Milwaukee 07 10 Dem. Cudahy 03 11 Dem. Milwaukee 07 12 Dem. Milwaukee 04 13 Dem. Milwaukee 14 Rep. Milwaukee 05 15 Rep. Milwaukee 06 16 Prog. Milwaukee 07 17 Rep. Milwaukee 06 18 Prog. Milwaukee 05 19 Rep. Milwaukee 08 20 Rep. Wauwatosa 31 Monroe Prog. Sparta 02 Oconto Rep. Oconto 14 Outagamie 1 Rep. Appleton 2 Rep. Kimberly 20 Ozaukee Dem. Belgium 10 Pierce Rep. Spring Valley 29 Polk Prog. Amery 23 Portage Prog. Stevens Point 12 Price Rep. Ogema 21 Racine 1 Rep. Racine 2 Rep. Racine 3 Rep. Union Grove 27 Richland Rep. Richland Center 15 Rock 1 Rep. Edgerton 2 Rep. Beloit 12 Rusk Rep. Ladysmith 27 Sauk Prog. Sauk City 14 Shawano Rep. Gresham 20 Sheboygan 1 Dem. Sheboygan 2 Rep. Plymouth 10 St. Croix Rep. Roberts 24 Taylor Rep. Medford 32 Trempealeau Rep. Arcadia 16 Vernon Rep. Viroqua 22 Walworth Rep. Delavan 13 Washington Rep. Germantown 33 Waukesha 1 Rep. Waukesha 2 Rep. Pewaukee 23 Waupaca Rep. Clintonville 19 Winnebago 1 Rep. Oshkosh 2 Rep. Neenah 24 Wood Prog. Marshfield
Committees Senate committees Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and LaborF. R. Fisher, chair Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesM. Coakley, chair Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresT. G. Brown, chair Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and TaxationM. T. Murray, chair Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareW. A. Freehoff, chair Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysM. Mack, chair Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryJ. Peters, chair Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureC. Shearer, chair Senate Standing Committee on State and Local GovernmentR. Schlabach, chair
Assembly committees Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureO. R. Rice, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesB. M. Engebretson, chair Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationF. N. Graass, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresE. Grassman, chair Assembly Standing Committee on EducationW. H. Goldthorpe, chair Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsR. H. Burns, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsH. Youngblood, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsC. M. Nelson, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesE. F. Hilker, chair Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysD. C. McDowell, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingJ. C. McBride, chair Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryM. Catlin, chair Assembly Standing Committee on LaborA. R. Ludvigsen, chair Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesL. T. Niemuth, chair Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingC. W. Fowell, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareE. W. Hanson, chair Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionC. F. Westfahl, chair Assembly Standing Committee on RulesM. Catlin, chair