March 21, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Hesselbein, Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Larson, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith, Spreitzer, Wall and Wirch. Referred to Committee on Senate Organization.
SR2,1,2
1Relating to: proclaiming March 2025 and March 2026 as Women’s History
2Months. SR2,1,53Whereas, American women of every race, class, and ethnic background have 4made historic contributions to our nation in countless recorded and unrecorded 5ways; and SR2,1,76Whereas, the Wisconsin Legislature granted property rights to married 7women in 1850; and SR2,1,118Whereas, in 1869, the first women graduated from the University of 9Wisconsin. That same year, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a law allowing 10women to run for school boards and other elective school offices, though they could 11not vote in school board elections until 1884; and SR2,2,212Whereas, in the campaign for Women’s Suffrage, Wisconsin produced notable 13suffragists such as Olympia Brown of Racine, Clara Bewick Colby of Madison,
1Carrie Chapman Catt of Ripon, Jessie Jack Hooper of Oshkosh, Ada James of 2Richland Center, and Belle Case La Follette of Baraboo; and SR2,2,83Whereas, Wisconsin is part of the original 36 states to ratify the 19th 4Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides, “The right of citizens of the 5United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any 6State on account of sex,” and holds the distinction of being the first state to ratify, 7on June 10, 1919, and formally certify its ratification papers in Washington, D.C.; 8and SR2,2,129Whereas, in July 1921, after decades of campaigning by women for voting and 10other rights, Wisconsin passed the nation’s first women’s equal rights law, 11declaring “Women shall have the same rights and privileges under the law as men,” 12including “holding office”—affirming women’s right to hold any public office; and SR2,2,1713Whereas, a 1923 survey of Wisconsin cities and villages by the University of 14Wisconsin’s Municipal Information Bureau identified more than 400 women in 15public office, of whom approximately half sat on school and library boards and who 16also included Wisconsin’s first female mayor, county supervisor, sheriff, nine 17alderwomen, 12 village trustees, and dozens of clerks and treasurers; and SR2,2,2018Whereas, in 1925, three women, Representatives Mildred Barber of Wausau, 19Hellen Brooks of Coloma, and Helen Thompson of Park Falls, were the first female 20assembly representatives to be elected to the Wisconsin Legislature; and SR2,2,2221Whereas, Wisconsin amended its own constitution in 1934 to include women’s 22suffrage; and SR2,3,223Whereas, in 1983, the Wisconsin Women’s Council became a permanent state
1agency governed by a bipartisan board appointed by the governor and legislative 2leaders; and SR2,3,43Whereas, in 2025, a total of 44 women took their seats in the state assembly 4and senate, the most ever in Wisconsin history; and SR2,3,75Whereas, the role of American women continues to evolve, and their positive 6contributions to our culture, society, and government continue to grow and inspire 7future generations; and SR2,3,118Whereas, throughout the history of the United States, whether in their homes, 9in their workplaces, in schools, in the community, in the courts, or during wartime, 10women have fought for themselves, their families, and all people of the United 11States; and SR2,3,1412Whereas, since the American Revolution, women have been vital to the 13mission of the armed forces, with about 30,000 women veterans from Wisconsin 14representing every branch of service; and SR2,3,1915Whereas, American women have played and continue to play a critical 16economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of life and constitute a significant 17portion of the labor force working inside and outside the home, with women now 18representing approximately half of the workforce of the United States and owning 19more than 12.4 million businesses; and SR2,3,2120Whereas, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, women are at the helm of 21about 18 percent of all employer firms located in Wisconsin; and SR2,4,1922Whereas, the women of Wisconsin have been and continue to be leaders in the 23forefront of international affairs, social change efforts, education, journalism,
1literature, art, film, technology, math, science, athletics, and other fields including 2Golda Meir, who grew up in Milwaukee and was the Prime Minister of Israel from 31969 to 1974; Nobel Peace Prize winner and Liberian president Ellen Johnson 4Sirleaf, who attended school in Madison and was the first female head of state of 5any African country; Vel Phillips, a woman of many firsts, was the first Black 6woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first woman 7alder elected to the Common Council of Milwaukee, the first woman judge in 8Milwaukee County, the first African American to serve in Wisconsin’s judiciary, 9and the first woman elected as Wisconsin’s secretary of state; Dickey Chapelle was 10the first female American war correspondent to parachute with American troops 11and the first killed covering combat; Electa “Wuhwehweeheemeew” Quinney was 12Wisconsin’s first public schoolteacher; Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the “Little 13House” book series, hailed from Pepin; Lorraine Hansberry, playwright for A 14Raisin in the Sun was the first Black woman to have a play produced on Broadway; 15Georgia O’Keeffe of Sun Prairie was a major American artist of the 20th century 16who developed a unique approach to abstract painting that reflected the landscapes 17around her; and Bonnie Blair is a world record-holding speed skater, a six-time 18Olympic medalist, and one of the most decorated women in Winter Olympic history; 19and SR2,4,2220Whereas, despite the advancements of women in the United States, much 21remains to be done to ensure that women realize their full potential as equal 22members of society in the United States; and SR2,5,223Whereas, National Women’s History Month recognizes and spreads awareness
1of the importance of women in the history of Wisconsin and the United States; now, 2therefore, be it SR2,5,43Resolved by the senate, That March 2025 and March 2026 shall be 4designated as Women’s History Months.
