The Fifty-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session. During this term, legislative business was largely held in the north wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol, which was the only part of the capitol to remain intact after the 1904 fire.
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 5, 1912. 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, 1910.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Francis E. McGovern, of Milwaukee County, serving his second two-year term, having won re-election in the 1912 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Major events March 4, 1913: Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson as the 28th President of the United States November 6–11, 1913: The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 resulted in more than 250 deaths and the destruction of 19 ships. December 23, 1913: President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law, creating the Federal Reserve System. January 7, 1914: First ship to transit the completed Panama Canal. April 21, 1914: The United States began an occupation of Veracruz, Mexico, in response to the Tampico Affair, leading to a break in diplomatic relations. June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir-presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated in Sarajevo by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. The Austrian response would initiate the July Crisis. July 28, 1914: Austria-Hungary declared war on the Kingdom of Serbia, initiating World War I. July 30, 1914: The Russian Empire announced a general mobilization in support of Serbia. This quickly resulted in the general mobilization of Austria-Hungary and their ally the German Empire. August 1, 1914: Germany declared war on Russia. August 3, 1914: Germany declared war on France. August 4, 1914: The German Army began the invasion of Belgium. The United Kingdom declared war on Germany. August 20, 1914: Pope Pius X died at the Apostolic Palace after a brief illness. September 3, 1914: Giacomo della Chiesa was elected the 258th pope, taking the name Benedict XV. September 5–12, 1914: The First Battle of the Marne occurred near Brasles in northern France. A victory for England and France, it halted the German offensive toward Paris. Nearly 2,000,000 men participated in the battle, resulting in almost 500,000 casualties. September 26, 1914: President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914. October 29, 1914: The Ottoman Empire launched a surprise attack against Russian ports on the Black Sea, resulting in a declaration of war by Russia and its allies France and England. November 3, 1914: 1914 U.S. general election: Emanuel L. Philipp elected Governor of Wisconsin. Paul O. Husting was elected U.S. senator from Wisconsin—the first by popular election. Wisconsin voters rejected ten different amendments to the state constitution: to allow petition-initiated referendums to bypass the legislature to increase legislative salary to allow the legislature to decrease the number of judicial circuits to establish state annuity insurance home rule for cities and villages municipal power of condemnation to create a fast track for future constitutional amendments—a 3/5 vote of the legislature in favor of a constitutional amendment would remove the need for a second vote by the subsequent legislature. to allow petition-initiated amendments to the state constitution to allow recall of state officers December 17, 1914: President Woodrow Wilson signed the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act.
Major legislation February 18, 1913: Joint Resolution ratifying an amendment to the constitution of the United States relating to popular election of United States Senators, 1913 Joint Resolution 5. This was Wisconsin's ratification of the seventeenth amendment to the United States Constitution. May 7, 1913: An Act to authorize the industrial commission to investigate the subject of old-age pensions, 1913 Act 185. Initial steps toward establishing a state pension system. May 14, 1913: An Act ... relating to the law of the road for automobiles, and providing a penalty, 1913 Act 249. Established in law that automobiles and other vehicles should move to their right when encountering oncoming traffic. May 27, 1913: An Act ... relating to pecuniary assistance to prisoners and their families, 1913 Act 353. Enabled prisoners to receive payment for participating in state work release programs. May 28, 1913: An Act ... relating to infectious diseases, 1913 Act 308. Established that persons suffering from tuberculosis but not abiding by public health directives could be involuntarily committed to a hospital to prevent spread of the disease. May 29, 1913: An Act ... to appropriate a certain sum of money to the normal school fund to build a normal school at Eau Claire, 1913 Act 359. Establishing the school that would become University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. June 14, 1913: An Act ... relating to the employments of minors and females, 1913 Act 466. Specified a wide range of dangerous job duties for which it would be illegal to employ minors.
Party summary Senate summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. S.D. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 4 2 26 32 1 Start of 1st Session 7 1 25 33 0 From Mar. 4, 1913Republican Edward E. Browne (21st District) resigned March 4, 1913, due to his election to the United States House of Representatives. 24 32 1 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 9 1 23 33 0
Assembly summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. S.D. Ind. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 29 12 0 59 100 0 Start of 1st Session 35 6 0 59 100 0 From Jan. 19, 1913Republican Albert E. Schwittay (Marinette District) died January 19, 1913. 58 99 1 From Feb. 25, 1913Independent James Larson (Marinette District) replaced Albert Schittay. 1 100 0 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 29 8 0 63 100 0
Sessions 1st Regular session: January 8, 1913August 9, 1913
Leaders Senate leadership President of the Senate: Thomas Morris (R) President pro tempore: Harry C. Martin (R–Darlington)
Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: Merlin Hull (R–Black River Falls)
Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Fifty-First Wisconsin Legislature:
Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party 01 Door, Kewaunee, Algoma Rep. 02 Brown Green Bay Rep. 03 Kenosha Somers Rep. 04 Milwaukee Milwaukee Rep. 05 Milwaukee Milwaukee Rep. 06 Milwaukee Milwaukee Dem. 07 Milwaukee Milwaukee Soc.D. 08 Milwaukee Milwaukee Rep. 09 Milwaukee WautomaRep. 10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, River FallsRep. 11 Burnett, Douglas, SuperiorRep. 12 Ashland, Bayfield, Price, Rusk, AshlandRep. 13 Dodge Mayville Dem. 14 Outagamie Rep. 15 Calumet Manitowoc Dem. 16 Crawford, Grant, WyalusingRep. 17 Green, Iowa, DarlingtonRep. 18 RiponDem. 19 Winnebago WinneconneRep. 20 Ozaukee BelgiumDem. 21 Adams, Juneau, Marquette, WaupacaRep. --Vacant from Mar. 4, 1913-- 22 Rock BeloitRep. 23 Portage Fort AtkinsonDem. 24 Clark Neillsville Rep. 25 Langlade Wausau Dem. 26 Dane Stoughton Rep. 27 Columbia Baraboo Rep. 28 Chippewa, Chippewa Falls Rep. 29 Barron, Dunn, Prairie Farm Rep. 30 Florence, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Taylor, Rep. 31 Jackson, Monroe, Sparta Rep. 32 La Crosse La Crosse Rep. 33 Jefferson Rep.
Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Fifty-First Wisconsin Legislature:
SenateDistrict County Dist. Representative Party Residence 21 Adams Rep. Friendship 12 Ashland Rep. Mellen 29 Barron Rep. Stanley 12 Bayfield Rep. Washburn 02 Brown 1 Rep. Green Bay 2 Rep. De Pere 10 Buffalo Rep. Maxville 11 Burnett Rep. Shell Lake 15 Calumet Dem. Harrison 28 Chippewa Rep. 24 Clark Rep. Thorp 27 Columbia Rep. Portage 16 Crawford Rep. Soldiers Grove 26 Dane 1 Rep. Madison 2 Rep. DeForest 3 Dem. Verona 13 Dodge 1 Dem. Herman 2 Dem. Beaver Dam 01 Door Rep. Clay Banks 11 Douglas 1 Rep. Superior 2 Rep. Superior 29 Dunn Rep. Menomonie 28 Eau Claire Rep. Eau Claire 30 Florence, Forest, Rep. Rhinelander 18 Fond du Lac 1 Dem. Marshfield 2 Rep. Oakfield 16 Grant 1 Dem. Platteville 2 Rep. Fennimore 17 Green Rep. New Glarus 18 Green Lake Rep. Berlin 17 Iowa Rep. Wyoming 30 Iron Rep. 31 Jackson Rep. Black River Falls 33 Jefferson 1 Dem. Watertown 2 Dem. Jefferson 21 Juneau Rep. Elroy 03 Kenosha Rep. Kenosha 01 Kewaunee Rep. Franklin 32 La Crosse 1 Dem. La Crosse 2 Dem. Bangor 17 Lafayette Rep. Wiota 25 Langlade Dem. Polar 30 Lincoln Dem. Merrill 15 Manitowoc 1 Dem. Manitowoc 2 Dem. Cato 25 Marathon 1 Rep. Cassel 2 Dem. Wausau 01 Marinette Rep. Marinette Ind. Marinette 09 Milwaukee 1 Dem. Milwaukee 2 Dem. Milwaukee 3 Dem. Milwaukee 05 4 Soc.D. Milwaukee 08 5 Dem. Milwaukee 05 6 Dem. Milwaukee 7 Soc.D. Milwaukee 08 8 Dem. Milwaukee 06 9 Dem. Milwaukee 04 10 Soc.D. Milwaukee 08 11 Soc.D. Milwaukee 12 Soc.D. Milwaukee 04 13 Rep. Milwaukee 07 14 Soc.D. Milwaukee 05 15 Rep. Milwaukee 16 Dem. Milwaukee 07 17 Dem. Milwaukee 04 18 Dem. Milwaukee 07 19 Dem. Oak Creek 31 Monroe Rep. Kendall 02 Oconto Rep. Oconto 14 Outagamie 1 Dem. 2 Rep. Cicero 20 Ozaukee Dem. Cedarburg 10 Pierce Rep. Rock Elm 29 Polk Rep. Apple River 23 Portage Rep. Stevens Point 12 Price Rep. Ogema 03 Racine 1 Rep. Racine 2 Dem. Racine 28 Richland Rep. Westford 22 Rock 1 Dem. Milton 2 Rep. Beloit 12 Rusk Rep. Ladysmith 27 Sauk Rep. Baraboo 14 Shawano Rep. Birnamwood 20 Sheboygan 1 Dem. Sheboygan 2 Rep. Plymouth 10 St. Croix Rep. Hudson 30 Taylor Rep. Medford 32 Trempealeau Rep. Gale 31 Vernon Rep. Westby 23 Walworth Rep. Elkhorn 13 Washington Dem. Slinger 33 Waukesha 1 Rep. Waukesha 2 Dem. Merton 23 Waupaca Rep. Dayton 21 Waushara Rep. Hancock 19 Winnebago 1 Rep. Oshkosh 2 Dem. Neenah 3 Rep. Oshkosh 24 Wood Dem. Grand Rapids
Changes from the 50th Legislature New districts for the 51st Legislature were defined in 1911 Wisconsin Act 661, passed into law in the 50th Wisconsin Legislature.
Senate redistricting Summary of changes 11 districts were left unchanged Dodge County went from having its own district to sharing with Washington County (13). Milwaukee County went from having 5 districts to 6 (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Rock County went from having its own district to sharing again with Walworth County (22). Only two single-county districts remain (19, 26).
Senate districts