The Thirty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 12, 1881, to April 4, 1881, in regular session.
This was the first legislative session after the 1880 United States census, and—as prescribed by the Wisconsin Constitution—this legislature attempted to pass a redistricting law. For the first time, the Legislature failed in this task due to a technical problem with the proposed legislation—they forgot to include the town of Ridgeway, in Iowa County. The Governor vetoed the legislation due to this technical fault. Since the Legislature had already adjourned for the year, it was considered too late to complete redistricting before the 1881 election.[1]
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 2, 1880. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 4, 1879.[2]
November 8, 1881: At the state's general election, Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin. The amendment doubled the terms of Wisconsin legislators—Assembly terms went from 1 year to 2 years; Senate terms went from 2 years to 4 years. The amendment also adjusted the frequency of legislative sessions from annual to biennial, with new sessions beginning in odd-numbered years.[3]
Major legislation
March 19, 1881: An Act to provide for more light on various subjects, 1881 Act 110. Directed the governor to implement electric lighting in the Wisconsin capitol building.
April 2, 1881: An Act relating to state officers and making the railroad commissioner and commissioner of insurance elective, as other state officers, and prescribing their duties and salary, and amendatory of sections one hundred and twenty-eight and one thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven of the revised statutes, and to repeal section one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two of the revised statutes, and amendatory of section six of chapter two hundred and forty of the laws of 1880, 1881 Act 300. Converted the offices of insurance commissioner and railroad commissioner to statewide elected offices, rather than gubernatorial appointees.
Joint Resolution amending sections number four, five, eleven and twenty-one, article four of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin, 1881 Joint Resolution 7. This was the required second legislative resolution supporting the amendment to change the length of legislative terms. The amendment was ratified by voters in the November 1881 general election.
Joint Resolution proposing amendments to section four of article six, section twelve of article seven, and section one of article thirteen of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin, so as to provide for biennial general elections, 1881 Joint Resolution 16. Proposed changes to the state constitution to bring all terms for county officers into uniformity, with elections taking place in even-numbered years. This was the first legislative approval for this amendment, a second legislative approval was passed in 1882, and the amendment was ratified by the voters in the November 1882 general election.
