84th Wisconsin Legislature

The Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 3, 1979 to January 5, 1981 in regular session, and held three special sessions during this period.^[1]

84th Wisconsin Legislature
← 83rd 85th →
Wisconsin State Capitol
Overview
Legislative body	Wisconsin Legislature
Meeting place	Wisconsin State Capitol
Term	January 1, 1979 – January 5, 1981
Election	November 7, 1978
Senate
Members	33
Senate President	Russell Olson (R) until May 1, 1979 Fred Risser (D) after May 1, 1979
President pro tempore	Fred Risser (D) until May 1, 1979
Party control	Democratic
Assembly
Members	99
Assembly Speaker	Edward Jackamonis (D)
Speaker pro tempore	David Kedrowski (D)
Party control	Democratic
Sessions
Regular January 3, 1979 – January 5, 1981
Special sessions
Sep. 1979 Spec. September 5, 1979 – September 5, 1979 Jan. 1980 Spec. January 22, 1980 – January 25, 1980 Jun. 1980 Spec. June 3, 1980 – July 3, 1980

Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected in the November 7, 1978, general election and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were also elected in the same general election and served two-year terms. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth years of their four-year terms, having been elected in the November 2, 1976, general election.^[1]

The Governor of Wisconsin during this legislative term was Republican Lee S. Dreyfus of Portage County, serving the first two years of his four-year term after winning the 1978 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

• January 1, 1979: Lee S. Dreyfus was inaugurated as the 40th Governor of Wisconsin.
• March 28, 1979: A partial meltdown occurred at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
• April 3, 1979: 1979 Wisconsin Spring Election:
  • Wisconsin voters approved four amendments to the Constitution of Wisconsin:
    • Updated the terms of gubernatorial succession.
    • Provided that the governor may appoint a lieutenant governor in the event of a vacancy, with the consent of the Legislature.
    • Separated the office of lieutenant governor from the office of president of the Senate.
    • Standardized the language describing the term lengths of the three state administrative officers.
• November 4, 1979: More than 500 Iranian radicals, mostly students, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 90 hostages, demanding the return of the deposed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to stand trial in Iran.
• April 1, 1980: 1980 Wisconsin Spring Election:
  • Donald W. Steinmetz was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed Connor T. Hansen.
  • Ronald Reagan won the Wisconsin Republican presidential primary.
  • Jimmy Carter won the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary.
• November 4, 1980: 1980 United States General Election:
  • Ronald Reagan (R) was elected President of the United States.
  • Bob Kasten (R) was elected United States senator from Wisconsin.

Major legislation

• 1979 Joint Resolution 3 – Second legislative passage of four proposed amendments to the Constitution of Wisconsin to:
  • clarify the language regarding gubernatorial succession,
  • establish a process for the governor to fill a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor with the consent of the Legislature,
  • separate the office of lieutenant governor from the role of president of the Senate, and
  • standardize the language describing the terms of election for the three administrative branch officials.

All four amendments were ratified by voters in the April 1979 election.

Party summary

Senate summary

Senate partisan composition

  Democratic: 21 seats

  Republican: 12 seats

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Dem.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	22	11	33	0
Start of Reg. Session[note 1]	21	10	31	2
From Apr. 3, 1979[note 2]		9	30	3
From Apr. 17, 1979[note 3]		11	32	1
From Jul. 11, 1979[note 4]		12	33	0
From Feb. 28, 1980[note 5]		11	32	1
From May 6, 1980[note 6]		12	33	0
From Oct. 1, 1980[note 7]	20		32	1
From Oct. 22, 1980[note 8]	19		31	2
Final voting share	61.29%	35.48%
Beginning of the next Legislature	20	13	33	0

Assembly summary

Assembly partisan composition

  Democratic: 60 seats

  Republican: 39 seats

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Dem.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	66	33	99	0
Start of Reg. Session	60	39	99	0
From Apr. 17, 1979[note 9]		37	97	2
From July 24, 1979[note 10]		39	99	0
From Jan. 26, 1980[note 11]	59		98	1
From Apr. 29, 1980[note 12]	60		99	0
From Dec. 8, 1980[note 13]		38	98	1
Final voting share	60.61%	39.39%
Beginning of the next Legislature	59	39	98	1

Sessions

• Regular session: January 3, 1979 – January 5, 1981
• September 1979 special session: September 5, 1979
• January 1980 special session: January 22, 1980 – January 25, 1980
• June 1980 special session: June 3, 1980 – July 3, 1980

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Russell Olson (R) (until May 1, 1979)
  • Fred Risser (D–Madison) (after May 1, 1979)
• President pro tempore: Fred Risser (D–Madison) (until May 1, 1979)

Senate majority leadership

• Majority Leader: William A. Bablitch (D–Stevens Point)
• Assistant Majority Leader: James T. Flynn (D–West Allis)

Senate minority leadership

• Minority Leader: Clifford Krueger (R–Merrill)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Roger P. Murphy (R–Waukesha) (until Feb. 28, 1980)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Edward Jackamonis (D–Waukesha)
• Speaker pro tempore: David Kedrowski (D–Washburn)

Assembly majority leadership

• Majority Leader: James W. Wahner (D–Milwaukee) (until Jan. 26, 1980)
  • Gary K. Johnson (after Jan. 26, 1980)
• Assistant Majority Leader: R. Michael Ferrall (D–Racine)

Assembly minority leadership

• Minority Leader: John C. Shabaz (R–New Berlin)
• Assistant Minority Leader: Tommy Thompson (R–Elroy)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Senate partisan representation

  Democratic: 21 seats

  Republican: 12 seats

Dist.	Senator	Party	Age (1979)	Home	First elected
01	Alan Lasee	Rep.	41	De Pere, Brown County	1977
02	Tom Petri (res. Apr. 3, 1979)	Rep.	38	Green Bay, Brown County	1972
	Don Hanaway (from Jul. 11, 1979)	Rep.	45	De Pere, Brown County	1979
03	Jerry Kleczka	Dem.	35	Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1974
04	--Vacant until Apr. 17, 1979--
	Rod Johnston (from Apr. 17, 1979)	Rep.	41	Whitefish Bay, Milwaukee County	1979
05	David Berger	Dem.	32	Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1974
06	Monroe Swan (rem. Oct. 22, 1980)	Dem.	41	Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1972
07	Kurt Frank	Dem.	33	Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1970
08	James T. Flynn	Dem.	34	West Allis, Milwaukee County	1972
09	Jim Moody	Dem.	43	Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1978
10	Michele Radosevich	Dem.	31	North Hudson, St. Croix County	1976
11	Warren Braun	Dem.	44	Milwaukee, Milwaukee County	1976
12	Clifford Krueger	Rep.	60	Merrill, Lincoln County	1946
13	Peter D. Bear (res. Oct. 1, 1980)	Dem.	26	Madison, Dane County	1978
14	Gerald Lorge	Rep.	56	Bear Creek, Outagamie County	1954
15	Timothy Cullen	Dem.	34	Janesville, Rock County	1974
16	Carl W. Thompson	Dem.	64	Stoughton, Dane County	1959
17	Richard Kreul	Rep.	54	Fennimore, Grant County	1978
18	Scott McCallum	Rep.	28	Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County	1976
19	Gary Goyke	Dem.	31	Oshkosh, Winnebago County	1974
20	--Vacant until Apr. 17, 1979--
	David W. Opitz (from Apr. 17, 1979)	Rep.	33	Port Washington, Ozaukee County	1979
21	Joseph A. Strohl	Dem.	32	Racine, Racine County	1978
22	John J. Maurer	Dem.	56	Kenosha, Kenosha County	1975
23	Marvin J. Roshell	Dem.	46	Lafayette, Chippewa County	1978
24	William A. Bablitch	Dem.	37	Stevens Point, Portage County	1972
25	Daniel Theno	Rep.	31	Ashland, Ashland County	1972
26	Fred Risser	Dem.	51	Madison, Dane County	1962
27	Everett Bidwell	Rep.	79	Portage, Columbia County	1970
28	Lynn Adelman	Dem.	39	New Berlin, Waukesha County	1976
29	Walter Chilsen	Rep.	55	Wausau, Marathon County	1966
30	Jerome Van Sistine	Dem.	52	Green Bay, Brown County	1976
31	Thomas Harnisch	Dem.	31	Neillsville, Clark County	1974
32	Paul Offner	Dem.	36	La Crosse, La Crosse County	1968
33	Roger P. Murphy (res. Feb. 28, 1980)	Rep.	55	Waukesha, Waukesha County	1970
	Susan Engeleiter (from May 6, 1980)	Rep.	28	Brookfield, Waukesha County	1980

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Assembly partisan representation

  Democratic: 60 seats

  Republican: 39 seats

Senate Dist.	Dist.	Representative	Party	Age (1979)	Home	First Elected
01	01	Lary J. Swoboda	Dem.	39	Luxemburg	1970
	02	Francis J. Lallensack	Dem.	62	Manitowoc	1972
	03	Daniel Fischer	Dem.	26	Reedsville	1976
02	04	Gary T. Dilweg	Rep.	41	De Pere	1978
	05	William J. Rogers	Dem.	48	Kaukauna	1962
	06	Gervase Hephner	Dem.	42	Chilton	1966
03	07	Kevin Soucie	Dem.	24	Milwaukee	1974
	08	John Norquist	Dem.	29	Milwaukee	1974
	09	Phillip Tuczynski	Dem.	31	Milwaukee	1974
04	10	Rod Johnston (res. Apr. 17, 1979)	Rep.	41	Whitefish Bay	1975
		Betty Jo Nelsen (from Jul. 24, 1979)	Rep.	43	Shorewood	1979
	11	Gus Menos	Dem.	58	Milwaukee	1971
	12	John L. Merkt	Rep.	32	Mequon	1976
05	13	Michael G. Kirby	Dem.	26	Milwaukee	1974
	14	Robert E. Behnke	Dem.	46	Milwaukee	1972
	15	James W. Wahner (res. Jan. 26, 1980)	Dem.	39	Milwaukee	1970
		Lois Plous (from Apr. 29, 1980)	Dem.	41	Milwaukee	1980
06	16	William B. Broydrick	Dem.	30	Milwaukee	1978
	17	Walter L. Ward Jr.	Dem.	35	Milwaukee	1972
	18	Marcia P. Coggs	Dem.	50	Milwaukee	1976
07	19	Louise M. Tesmer	Dem.	36	Milwaukee	1972
	20	John Plewa	Dem.	33	Milwaukee	1972
	21	Chester A. Gerlach	Dem.	31	South Milwaukee	1974
08	22	George Klicka	Rep.	44	Wauwatosa	1966
	23	Thomas A. Hauke	Dem.	40	West Allis	1972
	24	Gary J. Barczak	Dem.	39	West Allis	1972
09	25	Barbara Ulichny	Dem.	31	Milwaukee	1978
	26	Stephen R. Leopold	Dem.	34	Milwaukee	1976
	27	Joseph Czerwinski	Dem.	34	Milwaukee	1968
10	28	David E. Paulson	Rep.	47	Amery	1978
	29	Robert W. Harer	Rep.	37	Woodville	1978
	30	James Harsdorf	Rep.	28	River Falls	1977
11	31	Mordecai Lee	Dem.	30	Milwaukee	1976
	32	Dismas Becker	Dem.	42	Milwaukee	1977
	33	Richard E. Pabst	Dem.	45	Milwaukee	1966
12	34	Robert J. Larson	Rep.	46	Medford	1978
	35	Sheehan Donoghue	Rep.	35	Merrill	1972
	36	Lloyd H. Kincaid	Dem.	53	Crandon	1972
13	37	David Travis	Dem.	30	Madison	1978
	38	Harland E. Everson	Dem.	61	Edgerton	1970
	39	Milton Lorman	Rep.	51	Fort Atkinson	1976
14	40	Francis R. Byers	Rep.	58	Marion	1968
	41	Ervin Conradt	Rep.	62	Shiocton	1964
	42	David Prosser Jr.	Rep.	36	Appleton	1978
15	43	Cloyd A. Porter	Rep.	43	Burlington	1972
	44	Delmar DeLong	Rep.	47	Janesville	1972
	45	Gary K. Johnson	Dem.	39	Beloit	1970
16	46	Thomas A. Loftus	Dem.	33	Sun Prairie	1976
	47	Jonathan B. Barry	Dem.	33	Primrose	1976
	48	Wayne W. Wood	Dem.	48	Janesville	1976
17	49	Robert S. Travis Jr.	Rep.	31	Platteville	1976
	50	Joanne M. Duren	Dem.	47	Cazenovia	1970
	51	Joseph E. Tregoning	Rep.	37	Shullsburg	1967
18	52	Earl F. McEssy	Rep.	65	Fond du Lac	1956
	53	James R. Lewis	Rep.	42	West Bend	1972
	54	Esther Doughty Luckhardt	Rep.	65	Horicon	1962
19	55	Michael G. Ellis	Rep.	36	Neenah	1970
	56	Richard A. Flintrop	Dem.	33	Oshkosh	1972
	57	Gordon R. Bradley	Rep.	57	Oshkosh	1968
20	58	Carl Otte	Dem.	55	Sheboygan	1967
	59	Calvin Potter	Dem.	33	Kohler	1974
	60	David W. Opitz (res. Apr. 17, 1979)	Rep.	33	Port Washington	1972
		Donald K. Stitt (from Jul. 24, 1979)	Rep.	34	Port Washington	1979
21	61	James F. Rooney	Dem.	43	Racine	1972
	62	R. Michael Ferrall	Dem.	42	Racine	1970
	63	E. James Ladwig	Rep.	40	Caledonia	1978
22	64	Joseph F. Andrea	Dem.	51	Kenosha	1976
	65	Eugene Dorff	Dem.	48	Kenosha	1970
	66	Mary Wagner	Dem.	29	Salem	1978
23	67	David R. Hopkins	Rep.	40	Eagle Point	1978
	68	William P. Gagin	Rep.	62	Eau Claire	1968
	69	Richard Shoemaker	Dem.	27	Menomonie	1978
24	70	Donald W. Hasenohrl	Dem.	43	Pittsville	1974
	71	David Helbach	Dem.	30	Stevens Point	1978
	72	Patricia A. Goodrich	Rep.	45	Berlin	1974
25	73	Thomas B. Murray	Dem.	40	Superior	1972
	74	David Kedrowski	Dem.	36	Washburn	1972
	75	Patricia Spafford Smith	Dem.	53	Rice Lake	1978
26	76	Mary Lou Munts	Dem.	54	Madison	1972
	77	Midge Miller	Dem.	56	Madison	1970
	78	David Clarenbach	Dem.	25	Madison	1974
27	79	Tommy Thompson	Rep.	37	Elroy	1966
	80	James F. Laatsch	Rep.	38	Arlington	1978
	81	Randall J. Radtke	Rep.	27	Lake Mills	1978
28	82	James A. Rutkowski	Dem.	36	Hales Corners	1970
	83	John C. Shabaz	Rep.	47	New Berlin	1964
	84	Harry G. Snyder (res. Dec. 8, 1980)	Rep.	40	Oconomowoc	1974
29	85	Edward F. McClain	Dem.	43	Wausau	1974
	86	Raymond Omernick	Rep.	55	Wittenburg	1978
	87	Earl W. Schmidt	Rep.	42	Birnamwood	1974
30	88	Richard P. Matty	Rep.	46	Stephenson	1972
	89	Cletus J. Vanderperren	Dem.	66	Pittsfield	1958
	90	Sharon Metz	Dem.	44	Green Bay	1974
31	91	Steve Gunderson	Rep.	27	Osseo	1974
	92	Robert Quackenbush	Rep.	55	Sparta	1970
	93	Marlin Schneider	Dem.	36	Wisconsin Rapids	1970
32	94	Virgil Roberts	Dem.	56	Holmen	1970
	95	John Medinger	Dem.	30	La Crosse	1976
	96	Bernard Lewison	Rep.	76	Viroqua	1954
33	97	Ronald H. Lingren	Dem.	43	Menomonee Falls	1974
	98	Edward Jackamonis	Dem.	39	Waukesha	1970
	99	John M. Young	Rep.	52	Brookfield	1978

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Donald J. Schneider^[2]
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Daniel B. Fields

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Marcel Dandeneau^[2]
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph E. Jones

Notes

1. Republicans Jim Sensenbrenner (4th District) and Ernest Keppler (20th District) resigned before the start of the session due election to other offices.
2. Republican Tom Petri (2nd District) resigned after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
3. Republicans Rod Johnston (4th District) and David W. Opitz (20th District) were sworn in to replace Jim Sensenbrenner and Ernest Keppler, respectively.
4. Republican Don Hanaway (2nd District) was sworn in to replace Tom Petri.
5. Republican Roger P. Murphy (33rd District) resigned after he was appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge.
6. Republican Susan Engeleiter (33rd District) was sworn in to replace Roger P. Murphy.
7. Democrat Peter D. Bear (13th District) resigned.
8. Democrat Monroe Swan (6th District) was removed from office due to a criminal conviction.
9. Republicans Rod Johnston (10th District) and David W. Opitz (60th District) resigned due to their elections to the state senate.
10. Republicans Betty Jo Nelsen (10th District) and Donald K. Stitt (60th District) were sworn in to replace Rod Johnston and David W. Opitz, respectively.
11. Democrat James W. Wahner (15th District) resigned.
12. Democrat Lois Plous (15th District) was sworn in to replace James W. Wahner.
13. Republican Harry G. Snyder (84th District) resigned after he was appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge.