Summary Information
Gervase A. Hephner Papers
1969-1986
- Hephner, Gervase A., 1936-
Green Bay Mss 117
5.0 c.f. (4 record center cartons and 3 archives boxes)
UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library / Green Bay Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Papers, mainly 1977-1986, of a former Democratic state legislator from Chilton, Wisconsin (Assembly: 1966-1986). Included are subject files containing correspondence from constituents, advocacy groups, state agencies, and colleagues primarily concerning the 1985-1986 Legislature and subject files concerning work on establishment of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, groundwater management, the Fox River Locks Task Force, and Operation Touch, a project to improve health care for the uninsured.
There is a restriction on access to this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-gb0117 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Democratic state legislator Gervase A. Hephner who represented the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago in the Assembly for twenty years from 1966 to 1986 was born in Rantoul, Wisconsin on February 5, 1936. During his youth he worked for many years as a farm laborer. Upon graduation from Chilton High School in 1954 Hephner volunteered for the U.S. Army, and he served until 1956. He then attended St. Norbert College and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oskhosh with a B.S. in 1960. After graduation he worked for seven years as a systems analyst for Addresso-Graph Multigraph of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
In 1956 Hephner married Kay Berger of Chilton. The couple has raised four children: Mary, Ann, John, and Tim.
Hephner won his first election in 1966, defeating Republican Wilmer H. Struebing by slightly more than 200 votes. The victory made Hephner the first Democrat to hold that seat in thirty years. He was successfully reelected in subsequent elections until he chose to step down in order to run for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in 1986. Hephner was defeated in the primary by Sharon Metz.
Because of his experience as a farmer (he continued to manage his 600-acre farm near Chilton throughout his legislative career) Hephner was particularly active in agricultural issues in the Assembly. His legislative achievements included a near-decade-long struggle to establish a veterinary school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; the CROP loan program; a vaccination program against brucellosis; redistribution of school aids to help rural school districts; sales tax exemptions to benefit farmers; the Something Special from Wisconsin promotion; and Operation Touch, a program to improve health care for the unemployed and uninsured.
In 1985 Hephner was considered for appointment to the position of secretary of the Department of Agriculture. Also well known for his interest in veterans affairs he unsuccessfully sought appointment as secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs in that same year.
Hephner's committee assignments included serving as chairman of the Excise and Fees (1983, 1985), Agriculture (1971, 1977, and 1983), Consumer and Commercial Credit (1981), Taxation (1971), and Enrolled Bills (1977) committees and as Assembly chairman of the Joint Survey Committee on Debt Management (1979). He also headed the Special Committee on Telephone and Electricity Rate Disparities (1973), the Legislative Council Advisory Committee to the Natural Resources Committee on the Perpetuation of Canada Goose Flock (1973) and the Legislative Council's Special Committee on Private Retirement Plans (1971). A complete listing of his committee assignments is contained in the Wisconsin Blue Books.
Since leaving the Legislature Hephner has been a lobbyist for the National Farm Organization, the Tavern League of Wisconsin, and other organizations.
Scope and Content Note
The Hephner Papers primarily relate to his last term in the Assembly, 1985-1986. Like many legislators, Hephner disposed of the majority of his constituent correspondence and working files at the end of each session. The chief exception to this pattern was that he retained files for a few topics in which he had a strong interest or for which his responsibilities spanned more than one session. As a result, there is no material in the papers covering his first term in the Legislature and the period from 1969 to 1982 is very incomplete. There are also no campaign files in the collection from either his Assembly races or from his unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor in 1986. The scattered biographical clippings and press releases probably represent only a fraction of the press material that he generated.
The papers are arranged as biographical material; files on groundwater management, the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, and Operation Touch; and a general file primarily concerning the 1985-1986 Legislature.
The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, 1972, 1982-1984 contains a few newspaper articles about Hephner, a 1982 appointment calendar, and correspondence concerning several awards. This fragmentary file is supplemented by additional clippings filed with the topics to which they relate.
The VETERINARY SCHOOL FILES details Hephner's involvement in the legislative process that resulted in the establishment of the Veterinary School at the University of Wisconsin. Included are newspaper clippings, correspondence between Hephner, constituents, governmental officials, and educators; reports; and minutes. The minutes are verbatim transcripts of public hearings conducted by the Joint Finance Committee's Subcommittee on Veterinary Medicine of which Hephner was a member. Also related to the work of this committee are reports and supporting documentation.
The GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT files primarily relate to Hephner's work on the Legislative Council's Special Committee on Groundwater Management and the Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Manure Handling. Included are summary minutes, memos, reports, correspondence, and press releases.
Files on OPERATION TOUCH, the smallest section of the collection, includes articles, correspondence, and publicity.
The GENERAL FILE is arranged alphabetically into general categories and then subdivided alphabetically by topic. Most of the files relate to the 1985-1986 sessions although a few items date to 1969. Unlike the subject files, which contain little constituent correspondence, this section contains numerous letters from ordinary citizens as well as material from organized advocacy groups. The files generally reflect the interest of Hephner and his district in agricultural matters and taxes. Also notable here are files on his participation in Fox River Locks Task Force.
Administrative/Restriction Information
During his lifetime, Mr. Hephner will receive notification of all researchers using the collection. Researchers are asked to sign a log with the paper copy of this register indicating their understanding of this restriction; the archivist supervising the use of the collection is asked to send of a photocopy of the log to Mr. Hephner.
The deed of gift contains no language concerning transfer of copyright.
Presented by Gervase A. Hephner, Chilton, Wisconsin, January 6, 1987. Accession Number: M87-10
Processed by Steve Herro (Intern) and Carolyn J. Mattern, 1989.
Contents List
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Series: Biographical Material, 1972, 1982-1984
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Series: Veterinary School, 1975-1984
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Box
1
Folder
2-9
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General, 1975-1984
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Box
1
Folder
12
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Federal laws, correspondence, and funding, 1977
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Groundbreaking ceremony, 1981
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Joint Subcommittee on Veterinary Medicine
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Box
1
Folder
10-11
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Hearing minutes, 1976
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Box
1
Folder
14-15
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Hearing minutes, continued
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Box
1
Folder
16
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Reports and memos, 1976-1977
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Box
1
Folder
17
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Interstate contract study, 1977
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Box
1
Folder
18
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Other state schools, 1977-1979
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Series: Groundwater Management, 1976-1984
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Box
1
Folder
19-29
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General, 1982-1984
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Box
1
Folder
30
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Aldicarb, 1981-1982
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Box
1
Folder
31
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Dawson, Tom (Intervener), 1982-1983
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Box
1
Folder
32
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DNR correspondence, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
33
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Environmental Protection Agency, 1983-1984
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Box
1
Folder
34
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Feed lot petition, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
35
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Financial aspects, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
36
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Groundwater bill, 1984
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Legislative Council Special Committee on Groundwater Management
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Box
1
Folder
37
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Memos, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
38
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Supplementary material, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
39-40
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Manure Handling, Subcommittee on (Agriculture and Nutrition), 1982
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Box
1
Folder
41
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Miscellaneous correspondence, 1983-1984
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Box
1
Folder
42
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Nitrates, 1981
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Box
1
Folder
43
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Other states, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
44
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Position papers, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
45
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Public hearing materials, 1982
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Box
1
Folder
46
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Soil Conservation Service, 1982-1984
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Box
1
Folder
47
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Whey disposal, 1982
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Series: Operation Touch, 1981-1985
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Box
2
Folder
1
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General, 1983-4
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Box
2
Folder
2
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Commentary from legislators, press, etc., 1983
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Dental, 1983
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Box
2
Folder
4
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Health and Social Services, 1983
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Box
2
Folder
5
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Insurance, 1981-1985
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Box
2
Folder
6
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Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 1983
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Box
2
Folder
7
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Medical professions, 1983
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Series: General Files
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Agriculture
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General
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Box
2
Folder
8
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1978
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Box
3
Folder
1-4
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1979-1985
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Agriculture Land Trust, 1978
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Box
3
Folder
6-7
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Ag Rule 30, 1977
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Box
3
Folder
8
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Aldicarb, pesticide, 1982-1983
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Box
3
Folder
9
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Bees, 1977
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Box
3
Folder
10
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Beginning Farmer Program, 1981
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Box
3
Folder
11
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Bloc voting, 1983
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Box
3
Folder
12
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Brucellosis, 1969-1974, 1983
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Box
3
Folder
13
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Dairy promotion, 1981-1982
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Box
3
Folder
14
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Drought, 1977
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Box
3
Folder
15
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Emergency Dairy and Business Assistance Act, 1983
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Box
3
Folder
16
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Equine infectious anemia, 1977-1978
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Box
3
Folder
17
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Farm organizations, 1981-1982
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Box
3
Folder
18
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Farmland Preservation, 1977
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Box
3
Folder
19
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Groundwater management, 1976-1977
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Box
3
Folder
20
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Imports and exports, 1983-1984
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Box
3
Folder
21
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Johne's disease, 1984
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Box
3
Folder
22
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Label requirements for dairy products, 1983
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Box
3
Folder
23
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Milk assessment (5 checkoff), 1982-1983
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Box
3
Folder
24
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Milk parity, 1981
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Box
3
Folder
25
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Property tax exemption, 1982-1983
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Box
3
Folder
26
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Pseudorabies, 1983-1984
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Box
3
Folder
27-28
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Reduction in milk marketing, 1982
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Box
3
Folder
29
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Sale of livestock, 1971-1984
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Box
3
Folder
33
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Solids in milk, 1983-1985
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Box
3
Folder
31-32
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Weather modification, 1976-1977
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Box
3
Folder
33
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Wisconsin Women for Agriculture, 1983-1984
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Box
3
Folder
34
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Wisconsin Feed and Seed, 1983-1984
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Box
3
Folder
35
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World Dairy Expo, 1983
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Box
3
Folder
36-38
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Budget, 1985-1986
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Business
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Box
3
Folder
39-40
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General, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
41
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American Motors, 1986
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Box
3
Folder
42
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Comparable Worth, 1985
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Box
3
Folder
43
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Small business, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
44
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Civil and human rights, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
45
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Communications, 1985-1986
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Economic development
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Box
3
Folder
46
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General, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
47
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Something Special from Wisconsin, 1984
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Education, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
48
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General, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
49
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Cooperative Educational Service Agency, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
50
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Grover, Herbert, 1984-1986
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Box
3
Folder
51
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Higher education, 1985-1986
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Box
3
Folder
52
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Library service, 1983-1986
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Box
3
Folder
53
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Public, 1984-1986
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Box
3
Folder
54
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School aids, 1985-1986
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|
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Box
3
Folder
55
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University faculty salaries, 1985
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Box
4
Folder
1
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Universities, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
2
|
Vocational and technical schools, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
3
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Elderly, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
4
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Energy, 1984-1986
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Box
4
Folder
5
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Financial institutions, 1985-1986
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Government
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Box
4
Folder
6-7
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General, 1984-1986
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Box
4
Folder
8
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Appleton, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
9-10
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Brown County, 1984-1986
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Box
4
Folder
11-12
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Calumet County, 1984-1986
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Box
4
Folder
13
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Chambers of commerce, 1984-1986
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Box
4
Folder
14
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Chilton, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
15-16
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Federal, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
17
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Federal surplus, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
18
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Fond du Lac County, 1984-1986
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Box
4
Folder
19
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Governor, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
20
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Kaukauna, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
21
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Local governments, 1986
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Box
4
Folder
22-24
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Outagamie County, 1984-1986
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|
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Box
4
Folder
25-26
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Winnebago County, 1984-1986
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Box
4
Folder
27
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Green Bay Harbor, 1985-1986
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Health and Social Services
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Box
4
Folder
28-31
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General, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
32-33
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AIDS, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
34
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Abortion, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
35
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Child abuse, 1985
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Box
4
Folder
36
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Child support, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
37
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Contraceptives and counselling, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
38
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Dental, 1985
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Box
4
Folder
39
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Doctors and nurses, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
40
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Hospitals, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
41
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Malpractice, 1985-1986
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Box
4
Folder
42
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Mental illness, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
1
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Paramedics, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
2
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Reich case, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
3
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Welfare, 1984-1986
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Box
5
Folder
4-5
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Housing, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
6
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Insurance, 1985
|
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Box
5
Folder
7
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Judicial, 1985-1986
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Legislature
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Box
5
Folder
8
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General, 1984-1986
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Box
5
Folder
9
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Special Session, 1985
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Box
5
Folder
10
|
Veto override, 1985
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Labor
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Box
5
Folder
11
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General
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Box
5
Folder
12
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DILHR, 1982-1986
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Box
5
Folder
13
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Street trade bill, 1984-1985
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Box
5
Folder
14-16
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Unemployment Compensation, 1985-1986
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Natural Resources
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Box
5
Folder
17-18
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General, 1983-1986
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Box
5
Folder
19
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Acid Rain, 1986
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Box
5
Folder
20
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Conservation, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
21-22
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Darboy and related sanitary districts, 1979-1983
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Box
5
Folder
23
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Environment, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
24
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Forests, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
25-32
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Fox River Locks Task Force, 1982-1986
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Box
5
Folder
33
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Horses, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
34
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Land tax, 1969-1983
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Box
5
Folder
35-36
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Landfill, 1982-1986
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Box
5
Folder
37
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Midtec, 1985
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Box
5
Folder
38
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Mound systems and septic tanks, 1984, 1986
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Box
5
Folder
39-40
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Private sewage system grant funds, 1982-1984
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Box
5
Folder
41
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Soil and water, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
42
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Solid and hazardous wastes, 1985-1986
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Box
5
Folder
43
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Taxidermy, 1985
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Box
5
Folder
44
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Tourism, 1984-1986
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Box
5
Folder
45
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Wildlife, 1984-1986
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Box
5
Folder
46-47
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Prisons, 1983-1986
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Box
5
Folder
48
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Raceway/speedway advertising bill, 1983-1985
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Box
5
Folder
49-50
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Retirement, 1985-1986
|
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Box
5
Folder
51
|
Revenue, 1984-1986
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Box
6
Folder
1
|
Robot Tax, 1983
|
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Box
6
Folder
2
|
Securities, 1985-1986
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|
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Box
6
Folder
3
|
State employees, 1985-1986
|
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Box
6
Folder
4
|
Tavern hours, 1982-1983, 1985
|
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Taxes
|
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Box
6
Folder
5
|
General, 1985-1986
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Box
6
Folder
6
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Income, 1985-1986
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Box
6
Folder
7
|
Property, 1985-1986
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Box
6
Folder
8
|
Quarterly property tax, 1982-1983
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Box
6
Folder
9
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Sales, 1985-1986
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Transportation
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Box
6
Folder
10-11
|
General, 1984-1986
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Box
6
Folder
12
|
Highways and roads, 1985-1986
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Box
6
Folder
13
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Legislative Briefing Series, 1985
|
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Box
6
Folder
14
|
Railroads, 1983-1986
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Tri-County Highway
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Box
6
Folder
15-16
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1980-1985
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Box
7
Folder
1
|
1985-1986
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Utilities
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Box
7
Folder
2-3
|
General, 1985-1986
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Box
7
Folder
4
|
Citizens' Utilities Board, 1985
|
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Box
7
Folder
5
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Public, 1985
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Box
7
Folder
6-8
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Veterans, 1985-1986
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