The Sixty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.

This session saw a significant reorganization of several state government functions, including the creation of the Department of Taxation, the Department of Public Welfare, the Department of Securities, and the Department of Motor Vehicles. This legislative term also coincided with the outbreak of World War II in Europe.

Senators representing odd-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 odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 8, 1938. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 3, 1936.

The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Julius P. Heil, of Milwaukee County, serving a two-year term, having won election in the 1938 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events January 2, 1939: Inauguration of Julius P. Heil as the 30th Governor of Wisconsin. February 10, 1939: Pope Pius XI died from a heart attack. March 2, 1939: The 1939 papal conclave elected Cardinal Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli as the next pope, he then took the papal name Pius XII. March 15, 1939: German forces occupied the remaining independent portions of Bohemia and Moravia, abolishing the Republic of Czechoslovakia. April 1, 1939: The Spanish Civil War came to an end when the last republican forces surrendered to the fascists. April 3, 1939: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Reorganization Act of 1939, granting the president powers for two years to reorganize the executive branch. July 1, 1939: The Executive Office of the President of the United States was established using the powers under the Reorganization Act of 1939. July 4, 1939: Wisconsin U.S. representative Harry W. Griswold (WI-03) died in office. August 2, 1939: Albert Einstein signed the Einstein–Szilard letter to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, advising him of the potential use of uranium to construct an atomic bomb. August 23, 1939: The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was signed pledging non-aggression between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and dividing eastern Europe into spheres of influence for the two empires. September 1, 1939: German forces began the Invasion of Poland, inititating World War II. September 3, 1939: The United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Australia, and India declared war on Germany. September 23, 1939: The recently completed Mississippi River Bridge at La Crosse, Wisconsin, was opened to traffic. October 8, 1939: Germany officially annexed western Poland. October 21, 1939: The first meeting of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Uranium, a precursor of the Manhattan Project. November 4, 1939: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Neutrality Act of 1939, allowing the sale of weapons to the United Kingdom and France. November 30, 1939: Soviet forces invaded Finland, initiating the Winter War. December 10, 1939: The Green Bay Packers won the 1939 NFL Championship Game. March 5, 1940: Leaders of the Soviet Union signed the order leading to the Katyn massacre, mass executions of Polish intelligentsia. March 12, 1940: The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed, ending the Winter War. Finland made territorial concessions to the Soviet Union. April 9, 1940: German forces began Operation Weserübung, invading neutral countries Denmark and Norway. May 10, 1940: German forces began the invasion of the Low Countries and the Battle of France. Neville Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in favor of Winston Churchill. May 16, 1940: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt requested from Congress credit of $900 million for the construction of 50,000 airplanes per year. May 17, 1940: German forces fully occupied the Netherlands, ending the Battle of Netherlands. June 4, 1940: The Dunkirk evacuation ended after safely evacuating 338,226 British and allied soldiers from German-occupied Europe. June 10, 1940: Italy declared war on the United Kingdom and France. June 13, 1940: Paris was declared an open city to avoid destruction. June 22, 1940: France and Germany signed the Armistice of 22 June 1940, ending the Battle of France. France was divided into a German occupied territory covering the north and west of the country, and a free state of Vichy France in the south. July 10, 1940: The Battle of Britain began. July 22, 1940: The United Kingdom refused a peace offer from Germany. September 7, 1940: German air forces began a campaign of carpet bombing in Britain, known as The Blitz. September 16, 1940: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. September 27, 1940: Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact. November 5, 1940: 1940 United States general election: Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) re-elected President of the United States. The first and only time a president was elected to a third term. Julius P. Heil (R) re-elected Governor of Wisconsin. Robert M. La Follette Jr. (P) re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin. November 11, 1940: The British Navy launched the first aircraft carrier strike in naval history against Italian naval units at the Battle of Taranto. November 11–12, 1940: The 1940 Armistice Day Blizzard resulted in 154 deaths, including 13 in Wisconsin. December 29, 1940: At one of his fireside chats, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt declared that the United States must become "the great arsenal of democracy."

Major legislation 1939 Act 57: Replaced the Wisconsin Labor Relations Board with the Employment Relations Board. 1939 Act 68: Created the Wisconsin Department of Securities to regulate the sale of stocks, bonds, etc. 1939 Act 85: Renamed the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Markets to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. 1939 Act 410: Consolidated automobile registration, licensing, inspection, and enforcement with the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles. 1939 Act 412: Created the Wisconsin Department of Taxation and the Wisconsin Board of Tax Appeals. 1939 Act 435: Created the Wisconsin Department of Public Welfare.

Party summary Senate summary

Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Prog. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 9 16 8 33 0 Start of Reg. Session 6 11 16 33 0 From Sep. 20, 1939Republican Morvin Duel (18th District) resigned to become state insurance commissioner. 15 32 1 From Dec. 6, 1939Democrat Francis A. Yindra (1st District) resigned. 5 31 2 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 31 48 20 99 1 Start of Reg. Session 15 32 53 100 0 From Sep. 1, 1939Democrat Alfred C. Grosvenor (Kenosha County) resigned. 14 99 1 From Sep. 6, 1939Progressive John W. Grobschmidt (Milwaukee County) died. 31 98 2 From Sep. 25, 1939Progressive Arthur D. Kelly (St. Croix County) died. 30 97 3 From Oct. 5, 1939Republican Reuben W. Peterson (Green Lake & Waushara counties) resigned. 52 96 4 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 15 25 60 100 0

Sessions Regular session: January 11, 1939October 6, 1939

Leaders Senate leadership President of the Senate: Walter S. Goodland (R) President pro tempore: Edward J. Roethe (R–Fennimore) Majority leader: Maurice Coakley (R–Beloit) Minority leader: Philip E. Nelson (P–Maple)

Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: Vernon W. Thomson (R–Richland Center)

Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Sixty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party 01 Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc Dem. 02 Brown Green Bay Prog. 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 Milwaukee Prog. 09 Milwaukee Milwaukee Dem. 10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, River FallsRep. 11 Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, MapleProg. 12 Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, LadysmithProg. 13 Dodge HartfordRep. 14 Outagamie ShioctonRep. 15 Rock BeloitRep. 16 Crawford, Grant, FennimoreRep. 17 Green, Iowa, WoodfordRep. 18 , Fond du LacRep. 19 Calumet OshkoshRep. 20 Ozaukee Port WashingtonDem. 21 Racine RacineProg. 22 Kenosha Kenosha Rep. 23 Portage Waupaca Rep. 24 Clark, Taylor, Neillsville Prog. 25 Lincoln Wausau Rep. 26 Dane Madison Prog. 27 Columbia, Richland, Richland Center Rep. 28 Chippewa Eau Claire Prog. 29 Barron, Dunn, Barron Prog. 30 Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, Pembine Dem. 31 Adams, Juneau, Monroe, Necedah Rep. 32 Jackson, La Crosse, La Crosse Prog. 33 Jefferson Rep.

Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-Fourth 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 Prog. Chilton 28 Chippewa Rep. Stanley 24 Clark Rep. Unity 27 Columbia Rep. Rio 16 Crawford Rep. Soldiers Grove 26 Dane 1 Prog. Madison 2 Prog. Deerfield 3 Rep. Middleton 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 Dem. Fond du Lac 2 Rep. Ripon 16 Grant 1 Rep. Cuba City 2 Rep. Lancaster 17 Green Rep. Monroe 18 Green Lake Rep. Berlin 17 Iowa Rep. Montfort 12 Iron Prog. Pence 32 Jackson Prog. Humbird 33 Jefferson Dem. Fort Atkinson 31 Juneau Prog. New Lisbon 22 Kenosha 1 Dem. Kenosha 2 Dem. Salem 01 Kewaunee Dem. Algoma 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 Prog. Manitowoc 2 Rep. Two Rivers 25 Marathon 1 Rep. Mosinee 2 Prog. Ringle 30 Marinette Rep. Marinette 09 Milwaukee 1 Dem. Milwaukee 06 2 Prog. Milwaukee 08 3 Lib.Dem. Milwaukee 09 4 Dem. Milwaukee 03 5 Prog. Milwaukee 09 6 Prog. Milwaukee 06 7 Prog. Milwaukee 08 8 Rep. Milwaukee 05 9 Rep. Milwaukee 07 10 Prog. South Milwaukee 03 11 Prog. 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. Kaukauna 20 Ozaukee Dem. Belgium 10 Pierce Prog. Ellsworth 29 Polk Prog. Amery 23 Portage Prog. Stevens Point 12 Price Rep. Ogema 21 Racine 1 Prog. Racine 2 Prog. Racine 3 Prog. Sturtevant 27 Richland Rep. Richland Center 15 Rock 1 Rep. Edgerton 2 Rep. Beloit 12 Rusk Rep. Ladysmith 27 Sauk Rep. Sauk City 14 Shawano Rep. Wittenberg 20 Sheboygan 1 Rep. Sheboygan 2 Rep. Plymouth 10 St. Croix Prog. Hudson 24 Taylor Rep. Medford 32 Trempealeau Rep. Galesville 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 Rep. Vesper

Committees Senate committees Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and LaborC. Shearer, chair Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesH. W. Bolens, chair Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresM. Duel, chair Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and TaxationC. T. Young, chair Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareE. J. Roethe, chair Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysM. Mack, chair Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryM. Coakley, chair Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureE. J. Roethe, chair