| 85th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||||
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 Wisconsin State Capitol | |||||||
| Overview | |||||||
| Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||||
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||||
| Term | January 5, 1981 – January 3, 1983 | ||||||
| Election | November 4, 1980 | ||||||
| Senate | |||||||
| Members | 33 | ||||||
| Senate President | Fred Risser (D) | ||||||
| Party control | Democratic | ||||||
| Assembly | |||||||
| Members | 99 | ||||||
| Assembly Speaker | Edward Jackamonis (D) | ||||||
| Deputy Speaker | Louise M. Tesmer (D) | ||||||
| Party control | Democratic | ||||||
| Sessions | |||||||
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| Special sessions | |||||||
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The Eighty-Fifth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 5, 1981, to January 3, 1983, in regular session, and also convened in three special sessions.[1]
This session represents the third time the Legislature failed to pass a redistricting act on schedule. Ultimately, a panel of federal judges would implement a punitive redistricting plan in 1982, and after Democrats gained unified control of government in 1983, they passed a superseding plan.
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 4, 1980. 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 7, 1978.[1]
- ^ a b Barish, Lawrence S.; Lemanski, Lynn, eds. (2021). "Historical Lists" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 468, 471, 475, 479–480. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved August 5, 2023.