Summary Information
James N. Azim, Jr. Papers 1964-1976
- Azim, James N., 1936-1976
Platteville Mss AL
6.6 c.f. (5 record center cartons and 5 archives boxes)
UW-Platteville Southwest Wisconsin Room / Platteville Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Papers for a former Republican assemblyman (1964-1976) from Muscoda, Wisconsin including correspondence with constituents, state agency employees, and other legislators; memoranda; reports; minutes; notes; subject files, and informational material distributed to influence legislation. Most extensive are folders on the Highway Safety Committee, the Governor's Council on Traffic Law Enforcement, the Governor's Committee on Conservation of Outdoor Resources. Because of Azim's service on various educational study committees, there are numerous files on educational concerns, as well as on his involvement with UW-Platteville. Local issue files include material on the Southwestern Regional Community Action Program, the Dubuque Bridge, and very extensive documentation on the Southwestern Regional Planning Commission. Bill files include documentation on the UW System merger, binding arbitration for public employees, and revision of the Wisconsin Children's Code. English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-pltv00al ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Former Republican assemblyman and lawyer James N. Azim, Jr. was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin on January 17, 1936. He grew up in Muscoda, Wisconsin and graduated from St. John's High School. After attending St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and graduated in 1957. He then returned to his home town where he was a history teacher from 1957 through 1963. During this period Azim enrolled in the University of Wisconsin Law School which he attended on a parttime basis, graduating in October, 1965.
Azim began his career in political office with election to the Muscoda village board in 1960. In a special election in 1964, one year before completing his law degree, he won a seat in the Assembly from the 49th District. Although a member of the majority Republican Party, prior to 1970 Azim was a frequent spokesman for the minority, as his views were often more moderate than those of the conservative party leadership. After the Democrats assumed control during the 1971 session, Azim was again a spokesman for the minority, often disagreeing with the more liberal Democratic members of the Assembly. Because of his chairmanship of the Labor Committee in 1971, Azim was well known as a critic of the Lucey administration. Other committee leadership assignments included chairmanship of the Highway Safety Committee and vice-chairmanship of the Assembly Committee on Municipalities. Azim was also a member of the State Building Commission, and because of his background as a teacher, he served on numerous special educational study committees. Azim was deeply interested in environmental and water quality issues, and he served as secretary of the Blue River Watershed Associations and was a member of Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Waters Commission. He was also secretary of the Committee to Preserve Rural Television and the local Chamber of Commerce. A complete listing of Azim's committee work and civic participation can be found in the Wisconsin Blue Books.
During the 1973 session Azim began to undergo dialysis for kidney disease. Although he required treatment three times per week he was able to keep up with his legislative duties and his law practice. In 1976 Azim underwent kidney transplant surgery and died on June 14, 1976 as a result of complications arising from the operation.
Scope and Content Note
The papers document Azim's twelve years in the Wisconsin Assembly. Included are correspondence with constituents, state agency employees, and other legislators; memoranda; reports; minutes; notes; and informational material distributed to influence legislation. The collection is organized as general files, subject files, and bill files. Documentation, including both the subject files and the bill files, is most extensive for the 1975-1976 session. There appear to be some gaps in the coverage, although the complicated and overlapping structure of the subject files makes it difficult to estimate the extent of the missing material. Furthermore, some important files were removed prior to donation by Mrs. Azim, either for Azim's successor or for her own use. Thus, there are no personal files and only scattered political items in the collection. In addition, except for a few miscellaneous items extracted from scattered folders, press releases, biographical clippings, and newsletters are also absent. The missing files are noted in the listing included in Box 1.
GENERAL FILES include the incomplete run of newsletters, press releases and clippings gathered from various locations in the collection, the 1975 office file listing, and some chronologically-arranged correspondence dating from 1964 to 1969.
SUBJECT FILES divide into three overlapping chronological groups; 1964-1967; 1971-1974, and 1965-1976. The last group chiefly pertains to the 1975-1976 session. It is divided into broad subjects (such as education, local and medical issues, and the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission), and then further subdivided into more specific files. Most extensive are folders on the Highway Safety Committee, the Governor's Council on Traffic Law Enforcement, and the Governor's Committee on Conservation of Outdoor Resources. Because of Azim's service on various educational study committees, there are numerous files on educational concerns, as well as on his involvement with UW-Platteville. The local files include material on the Southwestern Regional Community Action Program, the Dubuque Bridge, the the Southwestern Regional Planning Commission.
The BILL FILES are arranged by session and by bill number. Documentation on the 1969 and 1971 sessions is absent, and for earlier legislatures bill originating in the Assembly are most evident. Subjects most extensively documented are bills on the UW System merger, binding arbitration for public employees, and revision of the Wisconsin Children's Code.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Mr and Mrs. James N. Azim, Jr., Muscoda, Wisconsin, 1971-1976. Accession Number: M71-42, M74-548, and M76-441
Processed by Carolyn J. Mattern, 1985.
Contents List
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Series: General Files
|
|
Box
1
Folder
1
|
Biographical clippings, press releases, and memorabilia
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
Office file listing, circa 1976
|
|
Box
1
Folder
3-10
|
General correspondence, 1964-1969
|
|
|
Series: Subject Files
|
|
|
1964-1967 files
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|
Box
1
Folder
11
|
Age of majority, n.d.
|
|
Box
1
Folder
12
|
Agriculture, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
13
|
Appreciation and appointment letters, 1967-1968
|
|
Box
1
Folder
14
|
Commerce and transportation, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
15
|
Congratulations, 1967-11968
|
|
Box
1
Folder
16
|
Commercial fishing, 1964-1965
|
|
Box
1
Folder
17
|
Conservation, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
18
|
County pound appointment, 1965
|
|
Box
1
Folder
19
|
Education, Higher, 1965-1967
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|
Box
1
Folder
20
|
Education, Secondary, 1965-1967
|
|
|
Financial
|
|
Box
1
Folder
21
|
General fund budget, 1965-1967
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|
Box
1
Folder
22
|
Tax program, 1965-1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
23
|
Get well correspondence, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
24
|
Gun control, 19687
|
|
|
Highway Safety
|
|
Box
1
Folder
25
|
Committee, 1964-1965
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|
Box
1
Folder
26-29
|
Correspondence, 1964
|
|
Box
1
Folder
30
|
General information, 1964-1965
|
|
Box
1
Folder
31
|
Governor's Council on Traffic Law Enforcement, 1965-1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
32
|
President's Committee, Proposed legislation, 1965
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|
Box
1
Folder
33
|
Press releases, 1964-1965
|
|
Box
1
Folder
34
|
Information requests
|
|
|
Invitations, 1966-1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
35
|
Insurance, 1967
|
|
|
Labor, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
36
|
Licenses, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
37
|
Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
38
|
Oleo legislation, 1965
|
|
Box
1
Folder
39
|
Public assistance, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
Republican Party, 1967
|
|
|
Speaking engagements, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
41
|
Sympathy, 1967
|
|
Box
1
Folder
42
|
Upper Mississippi River compact, 1967 (Governor's Committee on Conservation of Outdoor Resources)
|
|
Box
1
Folder
43
|
Wisconsin River, 1964-1965
|
|
|
1971-1974 files
|
|
Box
2
Folder
1
|
Abortion, 1973
|
|
Box
2
Folder
2
|
ERA, 1973-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
3-4
|
Education, 1971-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
5-6
|
Functions, 1971-1974
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|
Box
2
Folder
7
|
Health care, 1973
|
|
Box
2
Folder
8
|
Highway safety, 1970-1971
|
|
Box
2
Folder
9
|
Homestead tax relief, 1971-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
10
|
Insurance, No fault, 1973
|
|
Box
2
Folder
11
|
Just cause contract renewal, 1973
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|
Box
2
Folder
12
|
Kidney disease legislation, 1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
13-14
|
Labor, 1969-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
15
|
Medical, 1971-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
16
|
Military, 1973-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
17-18
|
Miscellany, 1971-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
19
|
Milk fund, 1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
20
|
Natural Resources, Department of, 1971-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
21
|
Parochial school funds, 1971-1972
|
|
Box
2
Folder
22
|
Personal, 1971-1973
|
|
Box
2
Folder
23
|
Railroads, 1965-1971
|
|
Box
2
Folder
24
|
Requests, 1973-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
25
|
Teacher retirement, 1971-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
26
|
Thank you correspondence, 1971-1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
27
|
User fees for education, 1973
|
|
|
1965-1976 files
|
|
|
Education
|
|
Box
2
Folder
28
|
Compulsory education, 1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
29
|
Cooperative Education Service Agency, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
2
Folder
30
|
DPI standards, 1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
31
|
General, 1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
32
|
Libraries, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
33
|
NCSL Educational Tax Force, 1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
34
|
Noble, Marcia, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
2
Folder
35
|
Parochial school aid, 1971-1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
36
|
School boards association, 1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
37
|
School prayer, 1969
|
|
Box
2
Folder
38
|
State school aids, 1971-1976
|
|
Box
2
Folder
39
|
TAUF, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
40
|
Teacher retirement, 1974
|
|
|
University of Wisconsin
|
|
Box
2
Folder
41
|
Centers, 1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
42
|
Extension, 1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
43
|
Law school, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
2
Folder
44
|
Merger bill, 1971-1975
|
|
|
Platteville
|
|
Box
2
Folder
45
|
Alumni Association, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
2
Folder
46
|
Building program, 1974
|
|
Box
2
Folder
47
|
Chancellor, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
2
Folder
48
|
Engineering program, 1974
|
|
Box
3
Folder
1-3
|
Miscellaneous, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
4
|
Mission statements, 1973-1974
|
|
Box
3
Folder
5
|
Pioneer patrons, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
6
|
Regents, 1974-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
7
|
Tuition reciprocity, n.d.
|
|
Box
3
Folder
8
|
Weber, Lon, 1973-1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
9
|
Richland Center, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
10
|
Veterinary medicine, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
11
|
Vocational education, 1975
|
|
|
Local
|
|
Box
3
Folder
12
|
Blue River watershed, 1971-1973
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|
Box
3
Folder
13
|
Boscobel Nursery, 1973-1974
|
|
Box
3
Folder
14
|
Brillion Marsh Project, 1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
15
|
Bus service, 1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
16
|
Community Action Program, Southwestern Region, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
17
|
Castle Rock, 1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
18
|
County and local government, Miscellaneous, 1965-1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
19
|
Dickeyville Park Project, n.d.
|
|
Box
3
Folder
20
|
Dubuque Bridge, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
21
|
Ellis Engineering, 1973
|
|
Box
3
Folder
22
|
Ferry service, 1973
|
|
Box
3
Folder
23
|
Grant County Health Resources Committee, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
24
|
Grant County Medical Association, 1973
|
|
Box
3
Folder
24a
|
Highway 151 and 18, n.d.
|
|
Box
3
Folder
25
|
Housing (Low cost for elderly), 1973-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
26
|
Lancaster IRS office, 1974
|
|
Box
3
Folder
27
|
Mining Museum, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
28
|
Platteville (City of), 1975-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
29
|
Platteville Police Academy, 1973
|
|
Box
3
Folder
30
|
Railroads, Southwestern Wisconsin, 1971-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
31
|
Sewer and water, 1973-1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
32
|
Wisconsin River, 1965-1976
|
|
|
Medical
|
|
Box
3
Folder
33
|
Abortion, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
34
|
Ambulance personnel, 1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
35
|
Drugs, 1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
36
|
Health Security Action Commission, 1974
|
|
Box
3
Folder
37
|
Health Policy and Planning, Division of, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
38
|
Kidney Disease Advisory Committee, 1975-1976
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|
Box
3
Folder
39
|
Malpractice insurance, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
40
|
Medical, Miscellany, 1973-1976
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|
Box
3
Folder
41
|
Mental health institutes, 1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
42
|
Nursing homes, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
43
|
Wisconsin Association of LPN's, 1975
|
|
|
Miscellaneous subjects
|
|
Box
3
Folder
44
|
Agriculture, 1974-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
45
|
Agricultural consultants, 1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
46
|
Badger Girls/Boys State, 1975-1976
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|
Box
3
Folder
47
|
Bingo, 1974
|
|
Box
3
Folder
48
|
Budget, 1971-1975
|
|
Box
3
Folder
49
|
Budget, (Mini-budget), 1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
50
|
Cable and educational television, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
51
|
Catholic Conference of Wisconsin, 1972-1976
|
|
Box
3
Folder
52
|
Catholic Social Services, 1973
|
|
Box
4
Folder
1-3
|
Constituent assistance, 1970-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
4
|
Consumer affairs, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
5
|
Corps of Engineers, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
6
|
Council of State Governments, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
7
|
Court reorganization, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
8
|
Criminal justice, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
9
|
Election campaign laws, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
10
|
Emergency Energy Assistance, Office of, 1973-1974
|
|
Box
4
Folder
11
|
Equal Rights Amendment, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
12
|
Financing statements, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
13-14
|
Functions, 1974-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
15
|
Gun control, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
16
|
Health and social services, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
17
|
Homestead tax, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
18
|
Insurance, Compulsory, 1974
|
|
Box
4
Folder
19
|
Insurance, No fault, 1973
|
|
Box
4
Folder
20
|
Intergovernmental Relations Committee, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
21
|
Joint Rule 26, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
22
|
Judiciary Committee, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
23
|
Judiciary Committee (Leg. Council), 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
24
|
League of Wisconsin Municipalities, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
25
|
Legal services, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
26
|
Legislative roll call, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
27
|
Lotteries, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
28
|
Minnesota/Wisconsin boundary, 1971-1973
|
|
Box
4
Folder
29-31
|
Miscellany, 1974-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
32
|
Motor Vehicles, Division of, n.d.
|
|
Box
4
Folder
33
|
National Conference of State Legislatures, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
34
|
Natural Resources, Department of, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
35
|
Non-returnable bottles, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
36
|
Nuclear power, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
37
|
Open meetings law, 1974
|
|
Box
4
Folder
38
|
Oregon School for Girls, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
39
|
Payment for municipal services program, 1973-1974
|
|
Box
4
Folder
40
|
Post offices, 1973
|
|
Box
4
Folder
41
|
Prevailing wage rates, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
42
|
Questionnaires (sent to JNA), 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
43
|
Rape laws, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
44
|
Requests by JNA, 1974-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
45
|
Sales permits, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
46
|
Social Security, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
47-48
|
State Building Commission, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
49
|
Bonding, 1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
50
|
Gift policy, 1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
51
|
State Building Corporation, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
52
|
State Elections Board, 1974
|
|
Box
4
Folder
53
|
State employees unions, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
54
|
State Ethics Board, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
55
|
State Historical Society, 1971-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
56
|
State Life Fund, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
57
|
State Park trails, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
58
|
Tarr Task Force, n.d.
|
|
|
Taxes
|
|
Box
4
Folder
59
|
Miscellaneous, 1969-1976
|
|
Box
4
Folder
60
|
County equalization proposal, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
61
|
Gas and registration fee increases, 1975
|
|
Box
4
Folder
62
|
Property and Negative aid, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
1
|
Revenue sharing, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
2
|
Shared payment, 1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
3
|
Thank you correspondence, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
4
|
Unemployment compensation, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
5
|
Unified boards, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
6
|
United Nations, 1971
|
|
Box
5
Folder
7-8
|
Veterans affairs, 1974-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
9
|
Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters, n.d.
|
|
Box
5
Folder
10
|
Wisconsin Manufacturers Association, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
11
|
Wisconsin Power and Light, 1974-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
12
|
Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, 1971-1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
13
|
Wisconsin Towns Association, 1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
14
|
Workmens' Compensation, 1969-1974
|
|
|
Political
|
|
Box
5
Folder
15
|
America Party, 1974
|
|
Box
5
Folder
16
|
Cabinet form of government, 1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
17
|
Campaign 1976, 49th District, 1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
18
|
Campaign finances, 1973-1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
19
|
Committee appointments, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
20
|
Democratic Party of Wisconsin, 1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
21
|
Legislative questionnaires completed by Azim, 1974
|
|
Box
5
Folder
22
|
Lucey, Patrick, 1971-1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
23
|
Miscellaneous, 1972-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
24
|
Open primary, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
25
|
Presidential campaign, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
26
|
Republican conference, 1975
|
|
Box
5
Folder
27
|
Republican national convention, 1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
28
|
Republican Party of Grant County, 1975-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
29
|
Republican Party, Third District, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
30
|
Republican Party, Wisconsin, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
5
Folder
31
|
Republican Party, Wisconsin, College, 1973-1975
|
|
|
Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
|
|
Box
5
Folder
32
|
Meeting notices, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
6
Folder
1
|
Minutes of meetings, 1970-1976
|
|
Box
6
Folder
2
|
Application and Project Review Committee, 1971
|
|
Box
6
Folder
3
|
Economic Development Committee, 1974
|
|
Box
6
Folder
4
|
Miscellany, 1973-1976
|
|
Box
6
Folder
5
|
Muscoda project, 1975
|
|
|
Policy application and project reviews,
|
|
Box
6
Folder
6-9
|
1971-1975
|
|
Box
7
Folder
1-2
|
1975, Continued
|
|
Box
7
Folder
3
|
Quality of life report, 1974
|
|
Box
7
Folder
4
|
Withdrawal, 1974-1975
|
|
Box
7
Folder
5
|
Transportation, 1975
|
|
|
Series: Bill Files
|
|
Box
7
Folder
6-9
|
1965-1966 session, Assembly bills
|
|
|
1967-1968 session
|
|
|
Assembly bills
|
|
Box
7
Folder
10-17
|
3-543
|
|
Box
8
Folder
1-5
|
544-Assembly joint resolutions
|
|
Box
8
Folder
6-11
|
Senate bills
|
|
Box
9
Folder
1
|
1971-1972, SB 257
|
|
|
1973-1974 session
|
|
Box
9
Folder
1a-4
|
Assembly bills, 3-1539
|
|
Box
9
Folder
4a
|
Senate bills, 342-814
|
|
|
1975-1976 session
|
|
Box
9
Folder
5-20
|
Assembly bills, 3-1480
|
|
Box
9
Folder
21
|
Assembly joint resolutions
|
|
|
Senate bills
|
|
Box
9
Folder
22
|
1-97
|
|
Box
10
Folder
1-6
|
105-837
|
|
Box
10
Folder
7
|
Senate joint resolutions
|
|
|