The Sixty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and reconvened in a special session in July 1946.
This legislative term saw the end of World War II and the establishment of the United Nations. The term also saw the end of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, which formally disbanded at a 1946 convention.
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 7, 1944. 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 3, 1942.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Walter Samuel Goodland, of Racine County, serving his second two-year term, having won election in the 1944 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
Major events January 1, 1945: Second inauguration of Walter Samuel Goodland as Governor of Wisconsin. January 20, 1945: Fourth inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States. February 11, 1945: The Yalta Conference concluded, agreeing to the denazification and postwar partition of Germany, as well as self-determination rights for a liberated Poland. April 3, 1945: Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution: Aboliting the office of justice of the peace in first class cities. Allowing the state to take on debt for aeronautical improvements. April 12, 1945: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office. Vice President Harry S. Truman immediately succeeded him as the 33rd President of the United States. April 28, 1945: Benito Mussolini was executed by partisans in Milan, Italy. April 29, 1945: Axis forces in Italy signed an unconditional surrender to the Allies. April 30, 1945: Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin, Germany. May 2, 1945: Soviet forces captured Berlin. May 8, 1945: Representatives of the German Army signed the German Instrument of Surrender, formally ending Germany's part in June 26, 1945: The Charter of the United Nations was published at the end of the United Nations Conference on International Organization. July 16, 1945: The first atomic bomb test took place at the Trinity site in New Mexico. July 21, 1945: U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed an order approving the use of atomic bombs against Imperial Japan. August 6, 1945: U.S. forces detonated an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, killing at least 90,000 people and destroying much of the city. August 8, 1945: The United States ratified the Charter of the United Nations, becoming the third nation to ratify the document. August 9, 1945: U.S. forces detonated an atomic bomb over Nagasaki, killing at least 39,000 people. August 14, 1945: Emperor Hirohito agreed to the unconditional surrender of Japan to Allied forces, ending major combat in October 24, 1945: The United Nations was established as a sufficient number of nations had ratified the Charter. March 17, 1946: At a convention in Portage, Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Progressive Party voted to disband. The majority of delegates voted to rejoin the Republican Party of Wisconsin. March 19, 1946: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Joseph Martin died in office. April 2, 1946: Wisconsin voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution which would have removed term limits from the sheriffs. April 6, 1946: Wisconsin governor Walter Samuel Goodland appointed James Ward Rector to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to succeed the deceased justice Joseph Martin. April 18, 1946: The League of Nations met for the last time, transferred its mission to the United Nations and disbanded. August 14, 1946: Wisconsin's senior United States senator Robert M. La Follette Jr., after the dissolution of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, was defeated in the Republican Party primary by Wisconsin circuit court judge Joseph McCarthy. November 5, 1946: Walter Samuel Goodland re-elected Governor of Wisconsin. Joseph McCarthy elected United States senator from Wisconsin. Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution: Removing audit powers from the Secretary of State. Assigning audit powers to the Legislature. Wisconsin voters also rejected an amendment to the state constitution: Allowing public transportation to be used for students to attend private or parochial schools.
Major legislation July 30, 1945: An Act ... relating to aeronautics, and making an appropriation, 1945 Act 513. Established Wisconsin's Aeronautics Commission. August 27, 1945: An Act ... creating a Wisconsin department of veterans' affairs, providing educational aid, economic aid, medical, hospital, or other remedial care for World War II veterans and their dependents, transferring to said department certain powers, duties, and functions vested in the soldiers' rehabilitation board and adjutant general, and custodian of memorial hall, and making an appropriation, 1945 Act 580. Created the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. 1945 Joint Resolution 2: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to abolish the office of justice of the peace in first class cities. This amendment was ratified by voters at the April 1945 election. 1945 Joint Resolution 3: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the state to take on debt to fund aeronautical improvements. 1945 Joint Resolution 47: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to abolish term limits for Wisconsin sheriffs. This amendment was rejected by voters at the April 1946 election. 1945 Joint Resolution 73: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to remove audit powers from the Secretary of State and transfer those powers to the Legislature. This amendment was ratified by voters in two separate questions at the November 1946 election. 1945 Joint Resolution 78: Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow public transportation to be used for students to attend private and parochial schools in addition to existing transportation for public schools. This amendment was rejected by voters at the November 1946 election.
Party summary Senate summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Prog. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 4 6 22 32 1 Start of Reg. Session 6 5 22 33 0 From Mar. 19, 1946Republican Melvin R. Laird Sr. (24th District) died. 21 32 1 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 5 1 27 33 0
Assembly summary
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Prog. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 14 13 73 100 0 Start of Reg. Session 20 6 74 100 0 From Jul. 16, 1945Democrat Mary O. Kryszak (Milwaukee County) died. 19 99 1 From Oct. 11, 1945Republican James C. Fritzen (Winnebago County) died. 73 98 2 From Oct. 29, 1945Republican Fred L. Feierstein (Ozaukee County) died. 72 97 3 From Mar. 25, 1946Republican Edward M. Schneider (Winnebago County) died. 71 96 4 From May 1, 1946Republican John C. Chapple (Ashland County) died. 70 95 5 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 12 0 88 100 0
Sessions Regular session: January 10, 1945September 6, 1945 July 1946 special session: July 29, 1946July 30, 1946
Leaders Senate leadership President of the Senate: Oscar Rennebohm (R) President pro tempore: Conrad Shearer (R–Kenosha) Majority leader: Warren P. Knowles (R–New Richmond) Minority leader: Anthony P. Gawronski (D–Milwaukee)
Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: Donald C. McDowell (R–Soldiers Grove) Majority leader: Vernon W. Thomson (R–Richland Center) Minority leaders: Leland McParland (D–Milwaukee) Lyall T. Beggs (P–Madison)
Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Sixty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:
Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party 01 Door, Kewaunee, Denmark Prog. 02 Brown Green Bay Dem. 03 Milwaukee (South City) Milwaukee Dem. 04 Milwaukee (Northeast County Milwaukee Rep. 05 Milwaukee Milwaukee Rep. 06 Milwaukee Milwaukee Dem. 07 Milwaukee (Southeast County Milwaukee Dem. 08 Milwaukee West MilwaukeeRep. 09 Milwaukee Milwaukee Dem. 10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, New RichmondRep. 11 Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, SuperiorProg. 12 Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, GliddenRep. 13 Dodge OakfieldRep. 14 Outagamie AppletonRep. 15 Rock BeloitRep. 16 Crawford, Grant, BloomingtonRep. 17 Green, Iowa, South WayneRep. 18 , Fond du LacRep. 19 Calumet OshkoshRep. 20 Ozaukee SheboyganRep. 21 Racine RacineRep. 22 Kenosha Kenosha Rep. 23 Portage Plover Dem. 24 Clark, Taylor, Marshfield Rep. 25 Lincoln Unity Rep. 26 Dane Madison Prog. 27 Columbia, Richland, Richland Center Rep. 28 Chippewa Stanley Rep. 29 Barron, Dunn, Luck Prog. 30 Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, Amberg Rep. 31 Adams, Juneau, Monroe, Sparta Prog. 32 Jackson, La Crosse, La Crosse Rep. 33 Jefferson Rep.
Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:
SenateDist. County Dist. Representative Party Residence 31 Adams Rep. Westfield 12 Ashland Rep. Ashland 29 Barron Rep. Cameron 11 Bayfield Rep. Mason 02 Brown 1 Dem. Green Bay 2 Dem. De Pere 10 Buffalo Rep. Mondovi 11 Burnett Rep. Spooner 19 Calumet Rep. Brillion 28 Chippewa Prog. Chippewa Falls 24 Clark Rep. Unity 27 Columbia Rep. Rio 16 Crawford Rep. Soldiers Grove 26 Dane 1 Prog. Madison 2 Prog. Blooming Grove 3 Rep. Verona 13 Dodge 1 Dem. Mayville 2 Rep. Beaver Dam 01 Door Rep. Sturgeon Bay 11 Douglas 1 Prog. Superior 2 Rep. Superior 29 Dunn Rep. Elk Mound 28 Eau Claire Rep. Eau Claire 30 Florence, Forest, Rep. Minocqua 18 Fond du Lac 1 Rep. Fond du Lac 2 Rep. Campbellsport 16 Grant 1 Rep. Cuba City 2 Rep. Lancaster 17 Green Rep. Monroe 18 Green Lake Rep. Green Lake 17 Iowa Rep. Montfort 12 Iron Rep. Hurley 32 Jackson Prog. Black River Falls 33 Jefferson Dem. Lake Mills 31 Juneau Rep. Lyndon Station 22 Kenosha 1 Rep. Kenosha 2 Dem. Salem 01 Kewaunee Rep. Luxemburg 32 La Crosse 1 Rep. La Crosse 2 Rep. West Salem 17 Lafayette Rep. Wiota 30 Langlade Rep. Antigo 25 Lincoln Rep. Merrill 01 Manitowoc 1 Prog. Manitowoc 2 Rep. Two Rivers 25 Marathon 1 Rep. Hamburg 2 Rep. Wausau 30 Marinette Rep. Marinette 09 Milwaukee 1 Dem. Milwaukee 06 2 Dem. Milwaukee 08 3 Dem. Greendale 09 4 Dem. Milwaukee 03 5 Dem. Milwaukee 09 6 Dem. Milwaukee 06 7 Rep. Milwaukee 08 8 Dem. Milwaukee 05 9 Rep. Milwaukee 07 10 Dem. Cudahy 03 11 Dem. Milwaukee 07 12 Dem. Milwaukee 04 13 Dem. Milwaukee 14 Rep. Milwaukee 05 15 Rep. Milwaukee 06 16 Rep. Milwaukee 07 17 Dem. Milwaukee 06 18 Dem. Milwaukee 05 19 Rep. Milwaukee 08 20 Rep. Wauwatosa 31 Monroe Rep. Sparta 02 Oconto Rep. Oconto 14 Outagamie 1 Rep. Appleton 2 Rep. Kimberly 20 Ozaukee Rep. Random Lake 10 Pierce Rep. Spring Valley 29 Polk Rep. Milltown 23 Portage Dem. Stevens Point 12 Price Rep. Fifield 21 Racine 1 Rep. Racine 2 Rep. Racine 3 Rep. Union Grove 27 Richland Rep. Richland Center 15 Rock 1 Rep. Edgerton 2 Rep. Beloit 12 Rusk Rep. Tony 27 Sauk Rep. Prairie du Sac 14 Shawano Rep. Gresham 20 Sheboygan 1 Dem. Sheboygan 2 Rep. Waldo 10 St. Croix Rep. Roberts 24 Taylor Rep. Medford 32 Trempealeau Rep. Osseo 16 Vernon Rep. Viroqua 22 Walworth Rep. Delavan 13 Washington Rep. West Bend 33 Waukesha 1 Rep. Waukesha 2 Rep. Hartland 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 LaborM. R. Laird, chair Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesW. P. Knowles, chair Senate Standing Committee on ConservationT. G. Brown, chair Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresE. F. Hilker, chair Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and TaxationL. J. Fellenz, chair