The Thirty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 12, 1887, to April 15, 1887, in regular session.[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 2, 1886. 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 4, 1884.[1]
Major events
January 26, 1887: Philetus Sawyer was re-elected as United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in joint session.
February 8, 1887: U.S. President Grover Cleveland signed the Dawes Act, which allowed the federal government to designate private ownership within Native American tribal land.
March 25, 1888: Opening day of an international Congress for Women's Rights organized by Susan B. Anthony in Washington, D.C. The congress led to formation of the International Council of Women.
The referendum on a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, relating to education, was defeated.
Major legislation
April 12, 1887: An Act to apportion the state into senate and assembly districts, 1887 Act 461.
Joint Resolution agreeing to a proposed amendment to section 1, of article 10, of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin, relating to education, 1887 Joint Resolution 4. This was the required second legislative passage of the proposed amendment to the state constitution to update language relating to state education officers. The amendment was put to a referendum in the November 1888 general election, but was defeated by voters.
Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution, 1887 Joint Resolution 5. Proposed a new amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution to abolish the separate offices of "chief justice" and "associate justices" of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and instead define all members of the court as "justices" with the most senior justice acting as "chief justice".
