63rd Wisconsin Legislature explained

The Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and reconvened in a special session from to .^[1]

This was the high water mark for the power of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, as they controlled both chambers of the Legislature and the Governor's office.

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, 1936. 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 6, 1934.^[1]

Major events

• January 4, 1937: Third inauguration of Philip La Follette as Governor of Wisconsin.
• January 20, 1937: Second inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States. The first presidential inauguration to take place on January 20.
• May 6, 1937: The commercial airship LZ 129 Hindenburg was destroyed in an accidental fire while attempting to dock at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, in New Jersey, killing 35 passengers and crew.
• July 7, 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident between forces of the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China, ignited the Second Sino-Japanese War.
• July 22, 1937: The United States Senate rejected U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt's proposal to add seats to the United States Supreme Court.
• October 16, 1937: Wisconsin lieutenant governor Henry Gunderson resigned.
• March 13, 1938: German leader Adolf Hitler declared the annexation of Austria.
• May 16, 1938: Herman Ekern was appointed lieutenant governor of Wisconsin to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry Gunderson.
• September 29, 1938: The Munich Agreement was signed by German, Italian, French, and British delegates, resolving the Sudetenland crisis by allowing Germany to annex the contested territory from Czechoslovakia.
• November 8, 1938: 1938 United States general election:
  • Julius P. Heil (R) elected Governor of Wisconsin.
  • Alexander Wiley (R) elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
• November 9, 1938: Nazi activists and paramilitaries in Germany engaged in a nationwide pogrom against Jewish businesses and religious spaces, known as Kristallnacht.
• December 17, 1938: Otto Hahn discovered the nuclear fission of Uranium.

Major legislation

• 1937 Act 51: Created the Wisconsin Labor Relations Board.

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total
	Dem.	Prog.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature		14		13	6	33	0
Start of Reg. Session	9		16	8	33	0
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	6	11		16	33	0

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)				Total
	Dem.	Soc.	Prog.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	35	3		43	17	98	2
Start of Reg. Session	31	0	48	21	100	0
From May 30, 1937[2]				20	99	1
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature	15	0	32		53	100	0

Sessions

• Regular session: January 13, 1937July 2, 1937
• September 1937 special session: September 15, 1937October 16, 1937

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Henry Gunderson (P)
  • Herman Ekern (P)
• President pro tempore: Walter J. Rush (P–Neillsville)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Paul Alfonsi (P–Pence)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee,		Denmark		Prog.
02			Green Bay		Prog.
03	Milwaukee (South City)		Milwaukee		Dem.
04	Milwaukee (Northeast County		Milwaukee		Rep.
05			Milwaukee		Dem.
06			Milwaukee		Prog.
07	Milwaukee (Southeast County		Milwaukee		Dem.
08			West Milwaukee		Prog.
09			Milwaukee		Dem.
10	Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce,		River Falls		Rep.
11	Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas,		Maple		Rep.
12	Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer,		Ladysmith		Prog.
13			Oakfield		Prog.
14			Shiocton		Rep.
15	Rock		Beloit		Rep.
16	Crawford, Grant,		Fennimore		Rep.
17	Green, Iowa,		South Wayne		Prog.
18	,		Fond du Lac		Rep.
19			Rush Lake		Dem.
20			Port Washington		Dem.
21	Racine		Racine		Dem.
22			Kenosha		Rep.
23			Iola		Prog.
24	Clark, Taylor,		Neillsville		Prog.
25			Wausau		Prog.
26	Dane		Madison		Prog.
27	Columbia, Richland,		Cambria		Prog.
28			Eau Claire		Prog.
29	Barron, Dunn,		Barron		Prog.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette,		Pembine		Dem.
31	Adams, Juneau, Monroe,		Sparta		Prog.
32	Jackson, La Crosse,		La Crosse		Prog.
33					Dem.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Senate Dist.	County	Dist.	Representative	Party	Residence
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Prog.	Adams
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ashland			Prog.	Ashland
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Barron			Prog.	Rice Lake
11	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Bayfield			Prog.	Bayfield
02	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Brown	1			Dem.	Green Bay
	2			Dem.	De Pere
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Prog.	Alma
11	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Prog.	Siren
19	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Calumet			Dem.	Harrison
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Chippewa			Rep.	Stanley
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Clark			Prog.	Neillsville
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Columbia			Dem.	Portage
16	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Crawford			Rep.	Soldiers Grove
26	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Dane	1			Prog.	Madison
	2			Prog.	Deerfield
	3			Prog.	Mount Horeb
13	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Dodge	1			Dem.	Mayville
	2			Dem.	Beaver Dam
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Door			Rep.	Sturgeon Bay
11	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Douglas	1			Prog.	Superior
	2			Prog.	Poplar
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Dunn			Prog.	Menomonie
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Eau Claire			Prog.	Eau Claire
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Florence, Forest,			Prog.	Rhinelander
18	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Fond du Lac	1			Dem.	Fond du Lac
	2			Rep.	Ripon
16	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Grant	1			Rep.	Cuba City
	2			Rep.	Lancaster
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Green			Prog.	New Glarus
18	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Berlin
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Iowa			Prog.	Mineral Point
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Prog.	Pence
32	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Jackson			Prog.	Humbird
33	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Jefferson			Dem.	Fort Atkinson
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Juneau			Prog.	New Lisbon
22	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Kenosha	1			Dem.	Kenosha
	2			Prog.	Kenosha
01	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Kewaunee			Dem.	Algoma
32	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	La Crosse	1			Prog.	La Crosse
	2			Prog.	Onalaska
17	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Lafayette			Rep.	Wiota
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Dem.	Antigo
25	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Prog.	Merrill
01	Manitowoc	1			Dem.	Manitowoc
		2			Prog.	Two Rivers
25	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Marathon	1			Prog.	Marathon
	2			Dem.	Wausau
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Marinette			Rep.	Marinette
09	text-align="left" rowspan="20"	Milwaukee	1			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	2			Prog.	Milwaukee
08	3			Prog.Dem.	Milwaukee
09	4			Dem.	Milwaukee
03	5			Dem.	Milwaukee
09	6			Prog.	Milwaukee
06	7			Prog.	Milwaukee
08	8			Dem.	Milwaukee
05	9			Prog.	Milwaukee
07	10			Prog.	South Milwaukee
03	11			Dem.	Milwaukee
07	12			Dem.	Milwaukee
04	13			Dem.	Milwaukee
	14			Rep.	Milwaukee
05	15			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	16			Prog.	Milwaukee
07	17			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	18			Prog.	Milwaukee
05	19			Dem.	West Milwaukee
08	20			Rep.	Wauwatosa
31	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Monroe			Prog.	Greenfield
02	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Oconto			Dem.	Oconto
14	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Outagamie	1			Rep.	Appleton
	2			Dem.	Kaukauna
20	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ozaukee			Dem.	Belgium
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Pierce			Prog.	Ellsworth
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Polk			Prog.	Amery
23	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Portage			Prog.	Stevens Point
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Price			Prog.	Phillips
21	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Racine	1			Prog.	Racine
	2			Prog.	Racine
	3			Dem.	Burlington
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Richland			Rep.	Richland Center
15	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Rock	1			Rep.	Edgerton
	2			Rep.	Beloit
12	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Prog.	Hayward
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Sauk			Prog.	Sauk City
14	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Shawano			Prog.	Bowler
20	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Sheboygan	1			Dem.	Sheboygan
	2			Dem.	Plymouth
10	text-align="left" colspan="2"	St. Croix			Prog.	Hudson
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Taylor			Rep.	Medford
32	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Trempealeau			Prog.	Osseo
16	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Vernon			Prog.	Westby
22	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Walworth			Rep.	Delavan
13	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Washington			Dem.	West Bend
33	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Waukesha	1			Rep.	Waukesha
	2			Rep.	Pewaukee
23	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Waupaca			Prog.	Manawa
19	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Winnebago	1			Rep.	Oshkosh
	2			Rep.	Neenah
24	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Wood			Prog.	Wisconsin Rapids

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and LaborJ. E. Leverich, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesE. M. Rowlands, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresR. E. Kannenberg, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and TaxationW. J. Rush, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareP. E. Nelson, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysF. E. Panzer, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryH. J. Severson, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureW. J. Rush, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on State and Local GovernmentA. L. Zimny, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureH. W. Schilling, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesE. W. Blomquist, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationP. A. Hemmy, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresJ. L. Sieb, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on EducationA. A. Hitt, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsA. D. Kelly, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsB. B. Kroenke, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsM. Franzkowiak, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesA. J. Balzer, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysE. D. Hall, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingJ. W. Grobschmidt, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryB. M. Vaughan, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on LaborD. Sigman, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesM. H. Hall, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingT. Swanson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareE. H. Kiefer, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionJ. L. Barber, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on RulesH. B. Wegner, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsJ. D. Millar, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationH. S. Halvorsen, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingM. O. Kryszak, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationJ. T. Pritchard, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Standing Committee on FinanceE. M. Rowlands (Sen.) & E. J. Hoesly (Asm.), co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen^[4]
  • Assistant Chief Clerk: Arno C. Handel
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Emil A. Hartman
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Albert E. Daley

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Lester R. Johnson^[4]
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Gustave Rheingans
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Phillip K. Lalor

External links

• 1937: Related Documents from Wisconsin Legislature

Notes and References

1. State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 . 2021 . Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau . 978-1-7333817-1-0 . Barish . Lawrence S. . Lemanski . Lynn . https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2021_2022/160_historical_lists.pdf . Historical Lists . 468, 471, 475, 479–480 . March 11, 2023 .
2. Republican Nels Larson (Winnebago County) died.
3. The Wisconsin Blue Book 1937 . . 1937 . Ohm. Howard F. . Bryhan . Leone G. . Members of the Legislature . 23–70 . August 1, 2023 .
4. The Wisconsin Blue Book 1937 . . 1937 . Ohm. Howard F. . Bryhan . Leone G. . Officers of the Senate and Assembly . 541–546 . August 1, 2023 .