The Thirty-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.

This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session.

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 6, 1888. 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 2, 1886.

The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican William D. Hoard, of Jefferson County, serving a two-year term, having won election in the 1888 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events January 7, 1889: Inauguration of William D. Hoard as the 16th Governor of Wisconsin. March 4, 1889: Inauguration of Benjamin Harrison as the 23rd President of the United States April 2, 1889: At the state's spring general election, Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin which abolished the separate offices of "chief justice" and "associate justices" of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, converting all members to "justices" and designating that the most senior justice would serve as chief justice. May 1889: First reported cases associated with the 1889–1890 pandemic. November 8, 1889: Montana was admitted as the 41st U.S. state. November 11, 1889: Washington was admitted as the 42nd U.S. state. March 18, 1890: The Wisconsin Supreme Court published its decision in State ex rel. Weiss v. District Board of School District No. Eight, also known as the Edgerton Bible Case. The Court ruled that the use of the bible in public school instruction was an unconstitutional merging of church and state. This decision was later cited by the United States Supreme Court in its 1963 decision banning compulsory prayer in schools. March 20, 1890: The new German Emperor Wilhelm II dismissed long-time German chancellor Otto von Bismarck. May 1, 1890: Coordinated mass rallies and strikes were held in the United States to call for an eight-hour workday. July 2, 1890: U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 into law. July 3, 1890: Idaho was admitted as the 43rd U.S. state. July 10, 1890: Wyoming was admitted as the 44th U.S. state. July 14, 1890: U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act into law. The law increased the amount of silver the U.S. government would purchase, in order to encourage inflation. October 1, 1890: U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signed the Tariff Act of 1890, raising the average tariff on imports to 50%. November 4, 1890: George Wilbur Peck elected Governor of Wisconsin. December 29, 1890: The 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment killed 153 Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in an incident known as the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Major legislation April 18, 1889: An Act concerning the education and employment of children, 1889 Act 519. Referred to as the "Bennett Law". The main purpose of the act was to raise the minimum employment age from 12 to 13 and required parents and guardians to ensure that children between the ages of 7 and 14 were receiving at least 12 weeks of education per year. "Section 5" of the act defined a "school" as only one which provided instructions solely in the English language. This proved to be a highly controversial move in a state which had many German, Polish, and Scandinavian language schools. The backlash against the law likely contributed significantly to the Democratic wave election in 1890. Joint Resolution agreeing to a proposed amendment to the constitution, 1889 Joint Resolution 3. This was the required second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution to abolish the separate offices of "chief justice" and "associate justices" of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and instead define all members of the court as "justices" with the most senior justice acting as "chief justice". This amendment was ratified by voters at the 1889 spring general election. Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to section 1, of article 10, of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin, relating to Education, 1889 Joint Resolution 7. This was another attempt to amend the section of the Constitution of Wisconsin dealing with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The previous attempt had just been defeated in an 1888 referendum.

Party summary Senate summary

Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Union Labor Ind. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 6 1 1 25 33 0 1st Session 6 2 1 24 33 0 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 19 0 0 14 33 0

Assembly summary

Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Union Labor Ind. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 34 5 4 57 100 0 1st Session 29 0 0 71 100 0 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 66 1 0 33 100 0

Sessions 1st Regular session: January 9, 1889April 19, 1889

Leaders Senate leadership President of the Senate: George W. Ryland (R) President pro tempore: Thomas A. Dyson (R)

Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: Thomas B. Mills (R)

Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Thirty-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party 01 Door, Marinette, Oconto Rep. 02 Brown De Pere Dem. 03 Racine Racine Rep. 04 Milwaukee Milwaukee Rep. 05 Milwaukee Milwaukee Union Lab. 06 Milwaukee Milwaukee Union Lab. 07 Milwaukee Milwaukee Rep. 08 Kenosha & Walworth Lake GenevaRep. 09 Green Lake, Portage, Waushara, BerlinRep. 10 Pierce HudsonRep. 11 Ashland, Florence, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Price, AshlandRep. 12 Green & Lafayette MonroeRep. 13 Dodge JuneauInd. 14 Juneau & Sauk BarabooRep. 15 Kewaunee Two RiversDem. 16 Crawford MillvilleRep. 17 Rock JanesvilleRep. 18 Fond du LacRep. 19 Winnebago (Except Manasha) OshkoshRep. 20 Sheboygan Plymouth Dem. 21 Shawano, Waupaca, WausauRep. 22 Outagamie (Plus Manasha) Appleton Dem. 23 Jefferson Fort Atkinson Dem. 24 Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, Sawyer, Barron Rep. 25 Clark Eau Claire Rep. 26 Dane Madison Rep. 27 Adams, Columbia Westfield Rep. 28 Iowa & Richland Wyoming Rep. 29 Buffalo, Trempealeau, Alma Rep. 30 Chippewa Rep. 31 La Crosse La Crosse Rep. 32 Jackson, Monroe, Black River Falls Rep. 33 Ozaukee, Washington, Dem.

Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Thirty-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:

SenateDistrict County Dist. Representative Party Residence 27 Adams Rep. Friendship 11 Ashland, Florence, Forest, Oneida, Rep. Fifield 24 Barron Rep. Chetek Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Sawyer, Rep. Shell Lake 02 Brown 1 Dem. Fort Howard 2 Dem. De Pere 29 Buffalo Rep. Mondovi 02 Calumet Dem. Brillion 30 Chippewa Rep. Chippewa Falls 25 Clark Rep. Neillsville 27 Columbia 1 Rep. Portage 2 Rep. Otsego 16 Crawford Rep. Seneca 26 Dane 1 Rep. Madison 2 Dem. Mazomanie 3 Rep. Primrose 4 Rep. Nora 13 Dodge 1 Dem. Shields 2 Dem. Fox Lake 3 Dem. Mayville 01 Door Rep. Liberty Grove 30 Dunn Rep. Menomonie 25 Eau Claire 1 Rep. Eau Claire 2 Rep. Otter Creek 18 Fond du Lac 1 Rep. Ripon 2 Dem. Fond du Lac 20 3 Dem. Forest 16 Grant 1 Rep. Platteville 2 Rep. Lancaster 3 Rep. Muscoda 12 Green 1 Rep. Cadiz 2 Rep. Darlington 3 Rep. Shullsburg 09 Green Lake Dem. Markesan 28 Iowa 1 Rep. Mineral Point 2 Rep. Clyde 32 Jackson Rep. Millston 23 Jefferson 1 Dem. Watertown 2 Rep. Hebron 14 Juneau Rep. Necedah 08 Kenosha Rep. Salem 15 Kewaunee 1 Dem. Centerville 2 Dem. Mishicot 3 Rep. Manitowoc 4 Dem. Darbellay 31 La Crosse 1 Dem. La Crosse 2 Rep. Bangor 11 Langlade, Lincoln, Dem. Merrill 09 Marathon 1 Dem. Rietbrock 21 2 Dem. Wausau 01 Marinette Dem. Marinette 04 Milwaukee 1 Dem. Milwaukee 05 2 Rep. Milwaukee 06 3 Dem. Milwaukee 05 4 Rep. Milwaukee 06 5 Rep. Milwaukee 04 6 Rep. Milwaukee 05 7 Rep. Milwaukee 07 8 Rep. Milwaukee 04 9 Rep. Milwaukee 07 10 Rep. Milwaukee 11 Rep. Milwaukee 06 12 Dem. Milwaukee 32 Monroe 1 Rep. Sparta 2 Rep. Glendale 01 Oconto Rep. Oconto 33 Outagamie 1 Dem. Appleton 2 Dem. New London 33 Ozaukee Ind.D. Cedarburg 29 Pepin Rep. Durand 10 Pierce Rep. Prescott 24 Polk Rep. St. Croix Falls 09 Portage Rep. Stevens Point 03 Racine Rep. Dover 28 Richland Rep. Richland Center 17 Rock 1 Rep. Evansville 2 Rep. Janesville 3 Rep. La Prairie 14 Sauk 1 Rep. Spring Green 2 Rep. La Valle 21 Shawano 1 Rep. Waupaca 2 Rep. Iola 3 Rep. Shawano 20 Sheboygan 1 Dem. Sheboygan 2 Rep. Greenbush 3 Rep. Holland 10 St. Croix Rep. Woodville 29 Trempealeau Rep. Ettrick 31 Vernon 1 Rep. Chaseburg 2 Rep. Hillsboro 08 Walworth 1 Rep. Whitewater 2 Rep. Lake Geneva 33 Washington Dem Farmington Waukesha 1 Dem. Waukesha 23 2 Rep. Merton 09 Waushara Rep. Plainfield 19 Winnebago 1 Dem. Oshkosh 2 Rep. Winneconne 3 Rep. Oshkosh 32 Wood Rep. Auburndale

Committees Senate committees Senate Committee on AgricultureS. B. Stanchfield, chair Senate Committee on Assessment and Collection of TaxesJ. E. Leahy, chair Senate Committee on EducationC. Widule, chair Senate Committee on Enrolled BillsJ. W. DeGroff, chair Senate Committee on Engrossed BillsP. J. Clawson, chair Senate Committee on Federal RelationsH. A. Cooper, chair Senate Committee on Finance, Banks, and InsuranceG. H. Buckstaff, chair Senate Committee on IncorporationsW. A. Rust, chair Senate Committee on the JudiciaryGeorge F. Merrill, chair Senate Committee on Legislative ExpendituresW. S. Main, chair Senate Committee on Manufacturing and CommerceH. A. Taylor, chair Senate Committee on Military AffairsE. Scofield, chair Senate Committee on Privileges and ElectionsE. Scofield, chair Senate Committee on Public LandsR. E. Joiner, chair Senate Committee on RailroadsGeorge Fitch, chair Senate Committee on Roads and BridgesFrank Avery, chair Senate Committee on State AffairsA. P. Lovejoy, chair Senate Committee on Town and County OrganizationsJ. C. Reynolds, chair

Assembly committees Assembly Committee on AgricultureE. Beaumont, chair Assembly Committee on Assessment and Collection of TaxesJ. W. Whelan, chair Assembly Committee on Bills on their Third ReadingHugh Porter, chair Assembly Committee on CitiesH. E. Legler, chair Assembly Committee on EducationM. J. Bennett, chair Assembly Committee on Engrossed BillsH. G. Klinefelter, chair Assembly Committee on Enrolled BillsC. F. Simmons, chair Assembly Committee on Federal RelationsJames W. Freeman, chair Assembly Committee on IncorporationsJ. W. Babcock, chair Assembly Committee on Insurance, Banks, and BankingW. H. Blyton, chair Assembly Committee on the JudiciaryW. J. McElroy, chair Assembly Committee on Legislative ExpendituresDwight S. Allen, chair Assembly Committee on Labor and ManufacturesV. W. Dorwin, chair Assembly Committee on Lumber and MiningJ. H. McCourt, chair Assembly Committee on Medical SocietiesR. H. Delap, chair Assembly Committee on MilitiaJ. B. McCoy, chair Assembly Committee on Privileges and ElectionsW. B. La Selle, chair Assembly Committee on Public ImprovementsK. K. Hagestad, chair Assembly Committee on Public LandsC. F. Mohr, chair Assembly Committee on RailroadsR. W. Jackson, chair Assembly Committee on Roads and BridgesJohn Stevenson, chair Assembly Committee on State AffairsH. M. Stocking, chair Assembly Committee on Town and County OrganizationCharles Hall, chair Assembly Committee on Ways and MeansE. C. Oliver, chair Assembly Special Committee on Labor and IndustriesHenry Siebers, chair

Joint committees Joint Committee on Charitable and Penal InstitutionsL. E. Pond (Sen.) & R. B. Showalter (Asm.), co-chairs Joint Committee on ClaimsE. I. Kidd (Sen.) & Evan Coolidge (Asm.), co-chairs Joint Committee on PrintingC. A. Pettibone (Sen.) & E. McGlachlin (Asm.), co-chairs

Changes from the 38th Legislature