47th Wisconsin Legislature

The Forty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 11, 1905, to June 21, 1905, in regular session, and re-convened for a special session from December 4, 1905, through December 19, 1905. During this term, legislative business was largely held in the north wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol, which was the only part of the capitol to remain intact after the 1904 fire.

This session saw passage of several signature progressive reforms pushed by Governor Robert M. La Follette. Including the creation of a civil service commission to implement merit-based rules for all state government jobs, creation of new powers and commissions for railroad, public health, and tax regulation, and attempts to eliminate lobbying and corporate-funding of political campaigns. This was also the first of several sessions in which Milwaukee County sent a substantial delegation of socialist democrats to the Legislature.

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 8, 1904. 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 4, 1902.