The Sixtieth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1931, to June 27, 1931, in regular session, and reconvened in a special session from November 24, 1931, to February 5, 1932.[1]
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 4, 1930. 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 6, 1928.[1]
September 20, 1932: Wisconsin partisan primary election. In the ongoing intra-party feud in the Republican Party between Progressives and Stalwarts, the Stalwarts struck back in this primary:
Wisconsin voters ratified four amendments to the state constitution:
to allow the Governor's salary to be set by legislation rather than fixed in the constitution
to allow the Lieutenant Governor's salary to be set by legislation rather than fixed in the constitution
to make technical corrections to the impeachment clause
to allow new options for municipal indebtedness
Major legislation
Regular session
1931 Joint Resolution 52: Joint Resolution to amend Section 5 of Article V of the constitution, relating to the compensation of the governor, so as to in effect repeal the said section, and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the general election of November 1932. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the governor's salary to be set by legislation rather than fixed in the constitution. This amendment was ratified by voters at the November 1932 election.
1931 Joint Resolution 53: Joint Resolution to amend Section 9 of Article V of the constitution, relating to the compensation of the lieutenant governor, so as to in effect repeal this section, and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the general election of November 1932. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the lieutenant governor's salary to be set by legislation rather than fixed in the constitution. This amendment was ratified by voters at the November 1932 election.
1931 Joint Resolution 58: Joint Resolution to amend Section 1 of Article VII of the constitution, relating to impeachments, and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the general election of November 1932. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to make technical fixes to the impeachment section. This amendment was ratified by voters at the November 1932 election.
1931 Joint Resolution 71: Joint Resolution to amend section 3 of article XI of the constitution, relating to indebtedness secured by public utility and other income producing property of municipalities, and to submit this amendment to vote of the people at the general election of November, 1932. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow new options and exceptions for municipalities taking on debt. This amendment was ratified by voters at the November 1932 election.
1931 Joint Resolution 86: Joint Resolution to amend section 1 of article IV and article XII of the constitution to give the people the power to propose laws and amendments to the constitution and to enact or reject the same at the polls, and to approve and reject at the polls any act of the legislature. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow legislation to be proposed and enacted by public petition and referendum. This was the second time such an amendment was proposed, but this amendment also would not be enacted.
1931 Joint Resolution 86: Joint Resolution to amend section 1 of article III of the constitution, relating to suffrage, to eliminate obsolete provisions. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to make technical updates to the suffrage section, removing references to "male" in qualifications for electors. Legally, women already had the right to vote in Wisconsin due to the federal constitution's 19th amendment. This amendment would eventually be ratified by voters at the November 1934 election.
1931 Joint Resolution 125: Joint Resolution memorializing The Congress to propose an amendment to the constitution of the United States repealing the Eighteenth Amendment. One of many Wisconsin resolutions objecting to the prohibition of alcohol and seeking to limit or repeal prohibition.
Special session
January 19, 1932: An Act ... relating to the banking department, the banking review board, and the regulation of banks, providing penalties, and making appropriations, 1932 Special Session Act 10. Created the state Banking Review Board.
January 29, 1932: An Act ... relating to unemployment reserves and compensation, providing penalties, and making appropriations, 1932 Special Session Act 20. Established Wisconsin's unemployment insurance program, the first such program in the United States and a model for the future Social Security Act.
February 8, 1932: An Act ... relating to reapportionment of assembly and senatorial districts, 1931 Special Session Act 27.
February 8, 1932: An Act ... relating to congressional districts, 1931 Special Session Act 28. Reduced the number of Wisconsin congressional districts from 11 to 10, the first time Wisconsin lost a representative in Congress during reapportionment.
