The papers of Louise M. Tesmer pertain only to her legislative career. The papers are almost totally letters to and from constituents, interested citizens and organizations of Wisconsin. There is a copy of the three questionnaires mailed to district voters and a one-page summary of returns for each. More than half the papers are arranged in a subject file covering a wide variety of legislative interests. There are very few letters for 1976.
The papers are grouped in two series: Constituent Correspondence and Subject Correspondence. The CONSTITUENT CORRESPONDENCE contains incoming and outgoing General Correspondence for 1973 and 1974 chronologically arranged. Topics include the Wisconsin teacher retirement plan, legality of 65-foot double-bottom trucks, merger plan within the University of Wisconsin System, studded snow tires, no-fault divorce, and the proposed closing of several state medical or correctional facilities. The Questionnaire Related Correspondence is both incoming and outgoing for 1973 and 1974, arranged chronologically. The majority of the letters are dated between October 1973 and May 1974, and concern such topics as stricter laws for drunken drivers, broadened arrest powers for the State Patrol, energy crisis, political campaign funding, state lottery, and public employees' right to strike. There is no correspondence relating to the third questionnaire.
The SUBJECT CORRESPONDENCE FILE contains incoming and outgoing letters and a few related clippings and/or memos on twenty-two general legislative topics for the period 1973-1976. Within each topic the papers are arranged chronologically. The greatest amount of material covers Abortion legislation, the state Budget, and the Humane Treatment of Animals. There is some duplication of topics with those in the first series. The researcher should be aware also that some letters in the Subject File are from constituents.
