The Eighty-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and also convened in three special sessions.

This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session. This was also the first legislative session under the current legislative configuration, with 99 members of the Assembly and 33 state senators, with each senate district comprising three assembly districts.

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, 1972. 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, 1970.

The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat Patrick Lucey, of Crawford County, serving the second two years of a four-year term, having won election in the 1970 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events January 20, 1973: Second inauguration of Richard Nixon as President of the United States. January 27, 1973: The Paris Peace Accords were signed, ending the formal participation of the United States in the Vietnam War. October 10, 1973: U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew pled no contest to a charge of felony tax evasion and resigned from office. December 6, 1973: Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 40th Vice President of the United States. August 1, 1974: Wisconsin Supreme Court chief justice E. Harold Hallows resigned. Justice Horace W. Wilkie became the 21st chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court due to the rule of seniority. August 9, 1974: U.S. President Richard Nixon resigned from office in the midst of the Watergate scandal. Vice President Gerald Ford immediately succeeded him as the 38th President of the United States. November 5, 1974: 1974 United States general election: Patrick Lucey (D) re-elected Governor of Wisconsin. Gaylord Nelson (D) re-elected United States senator from Wisconsin.

Major legislation August 4, 1973: An Act ... constituting the executive budget bill of the 1973 legislature, and making appropriations, 1973 Act 90. The 1973 budget, it also created the Wisconsin State Ethics Board. July 6, 1974: An Act ... relating to regulation of elections and campaign contributions and expenditures, providing penalties and making appropriations, 1973 Act 334. Created the Wisconsin State Elections Board.

Party summary Senate summary

Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 13 20 33 0 Start of Reg. Session 15 18 33 0 From Sep. 26, 1974Democrat Casimir Kendziorski (3rd District) died. 14 32 1 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 18 13 31 2

Assembly summary

Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 65 34 99 1 Start of Reg. Session 62 37 99 0 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 63 36 99 0

Sessions Regular session: January 1, 1973January 6, 1975 December 1973 special session: December 17, 1973December 21, 1973 April 1974 special session: April 29, 1974June 13, 1974 November 1974 special session: November 19, 1974November 20, 1974

Leaders Senate leadership President of the Senate: Martin J. Schreiber (D) President pro tempore: Robert P. Knowles (R–New Richmond) Vice President of the Senate: Ernest Keppler (R–Sheboygan) Majority leader: Raymond C. Johnson (R–Eau Claire) Minority leader: Fred Risser (D–Madison)

Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: Norman C. Anderson (D–Madison) Speaker pro tempore: Joseph Sweda (D–Lublin) Majority leader: Tony Earl (D–Wausau) Minority leader: John C. Shabaz (R–New Berlin)

Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Eighty-First Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist. Senator Party Age(1973) Home Firstelected 01 Dem. Whitelaw, Manitowoc County 1970 02 Rep. Green Bay, Brown County 1972 03 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1946 04 Rep. Thiensville, Ozaukee County 1972 05 Dem. Brookfield, Waukesha County 1964 06 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1972 07 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1970 08 Dem. West Allis, Milwaukee County 1972 09 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1968 10 Rep. New Richmond, St. Croix County 1954 11 Dem. Milwaukee, Milwaukee County 1968 12 Rep. Merrill, Lincoln County 1946 13 Dem. Jefferson, Jefferson County 1969 14 Rep. Bear Creek, Outagamie County 1954 15 Rep. Elkhorn, Walworth County 1967 16 Dem. Stoughton, Dane County 1959 17 Rep. Darlington, Lafayette County 1962 18 Rep. Rosendale, Fond du Lac County 1956 19 Rep. Oshkosh, Winnebago County 1970 20 Rep. Sheboygan, Sheboygan County 1960 21 Dem. Racine, Racine County 1965 22 Dem. Kenosha, Kenosha County 1972 23 Dem. Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County 1970 24 Dem. Stevens Point, Portage County 1972 25 Rep. Ashland, Ashland County 1972 26 Dem. Madison, Dane County 1962 27 Rep. Portage, Columbia County 1970 28 Rep. Greenfield, Milwaukee County 1968 29 Rep. Wausau, Marathon County 1966 30 Rep. Oconto, Oconto County 1956 31 Rep. Eau Claire, Eau Claire County 1966 32 Rep. La Crosse, La Crosse County 1968 33 Rep. Waukesha, Waukesha County 1970

Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Eighty-First Wisconsin Legislature:

SenateDist.Dist.RepresentativePartyAge(1973)HomeFirstElected 01 01 Dem. Luxemburg 1970 02 Dem. Manitowoc 1972 03 Dem. Francis Creek 1960 02 04 Rep. Green Bay 1972 05 Dem. Kaukauna 1962 06 Dem. Chilton 1966 03 07 Dem. Milwaukee 1960 08 Dem. Milwaukee 1972 09 Dem. Milwaukee 1968 04 10 Rep. Shorewood 1968 11 Dem. Milwaukee 1971 12 Rep. Milwaukee 1964 05 13 Dem. Milwaukee 1970 14 Dem. Milwaukee 1972 15 Dem. Milwaukee 1970 06 16 Dem. Milwaukee 1972 17 Dem. Milwaukee 1972 18 Dem. Milwaukee 1964 07 19 Dem. St. Francis 1972 20 Dem. Milwaukee 1972 21 Dem. South Milwaukee 1964 08 22 Rep. Wauwatosa 1966 23 Dem. West Allis 1972 24 Dem. West Allis 1972 09 25 Dem. Milwaukee 1968 26 Dem. Milwaukee 1968 27 Dem. Milwaukee 1968 10 28 Dem. Luck 1958 29 Dem. Woodville 1970 30 Dem. River Falls 1970 11 31 Dem. Milwaukee 1966 32 Dem. Milwaukee 1972 33 Dem. Milwaukee 1966 12 34 Dem. Lublin 1962 35 Rep. Merrill 1972 36 Rep. Crandon 1972 13 37 Dem. Madison 1956 38 Dem. Edgerton 1970 39 Rep. Watertown 1952 14 40 Rep. Marion 1968 41 Rep. Shiocton 1964 42 Rep. Appleton 1972 15 43 Rep. Burlington 1972 44 Rep. Janesville 1972 45 Dem. Beloit 1970 16 46 Dem. Waunakee 1958 47 Dem. Milton 1970 48 Dem. Janesville 1964 17 49 Rep. Muscoda 1964 50 Dem. Cazenovia 1970 51 Rep. Shullsburg 1967 18 52 Rep. Fond du Lac 1956 53 Rep. West Bend 1972 54 Rep. Horicon 1962 19 55 Rep. Neenah 1970 56 Dem. Oshkosh 1972 57 Rep. Oshkosh 1968 20 58 Dem. Sheboygan 1967 59 Rep. Plymouth 1972 60 Rep. Saukville 1972 21 61 Dem. Racine 1972 62 Dem. Racine 1970 63 Rep. Mount Pleasant 1972 22 64 Dem. Kenosha 1946 65 Dem. Kenosha 1970 66 Rep. Randall 1960 23 67 Dem. Chippewa Falls 1970 68 Dem. Eau Claire 1968 69 Dem. Menomonie 1966 24 70 Dem. Marshfield 1970 71 Dem. Stevens Point 1966 72 Rep. Wautoma 1968 25 73 Dem. Superior 1972 74 Dem. Washburn 1972 75 Rep. Spooner 1970 26 76 Dem. Madison 1972 77 Dem. Madison 1970 78 Dem. Madison 1962 27 79 Rep. Elroy 1966 80 Rep. Sauk City 1970 81 Rep. Lake Mills 1972 28 82 Dem. Hales Corners 1970 83 Rep. New Berlin 1964 84 Rep. Oconomowoc 1968 29 85 Dem. Wausau 1969 86 Dem. Eland 1968 87 Dem. Shawano 1964 30 88 Rep. Crivitz 1972 89 Dem. Green Bay 1958 90 Rep. Green Bay 1954 31 91 Dem. Stanley 1970 92 Rep. Sparta 1970 93 Dem. Wisconsin Rapids 1970 32 94 Dem. Holmen 1970 95 Rep. La Crosse 1972 96 Rep. Viroqua 1954 33 97 Rep. Menomonee Falls 1972 98 Dem. Waukesha 1970 99 Rep. Brookfield 1964

Employees Senate employees Chief Clerk: William P. Nugent Sergeant-at-Arms: Kenneth Nicholson

Assembly employees Chief Clerk: Thomas S. Hanson Sergeant-at-Arms: William F. Quick

Changes from the 80th Legislature New districts for the 81st Legislature were defined in 1971 Wisconsin Act 304, passed into law in the 80th Wisconsin Legislature. This was probably the most important redistricting in state history, as it established the current system of representation, ending the process of allocating Assembly districts by county and creating each Senate district as a combination of three whole Assembly districts.

Senate redistricting Summary of Senate changes Every district saw its boundaries change.

Senate districts