The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1909-06-11
On Reorganization of the Legislature

you have a right to do, and be hear
in the discussion of matters involved
in the approaching special session Q
the legislature, which the governo
has called.
To help you out, I purpose giving
you little lift" by injecting what
think about it from what seems TO mt
a common sense view OF the matter.
Just so soon as it is suggested tina
the Governor will call special session
Of the Legislature, the press all ovei
the State, begins to speculate on re-
organization of the legislature when i
meets, and as to what particular legis-
lation it may legally consider or enact
while in special session. 1t appears &c
me, AS clear as mud" that so soon
as new Legislature is sworn in, it is
the legislature Of the State until the
succeeding legislature is sworn in, and
is subject to the call of the Governor
at any time when occasion requires, Oh
an emergency appears.
When the last Legislature was or
ganized and ready for business, it was,
and remains the Legislature OF the state
of Washington until the next succeed
ing legislature is convened and organ
lied, and is subject to the call Of the
Governor, SO that, the Governor always
has legislature in existence ready to
be called to meet any emergency.
Notwithstanding that, the legisla-
ture is limited to sixty days, in the
first instance, yet it continues to be
the legislature until its successor is
elected and sworn in, it is already Or
gained and ready for business, and
the fact that it adjourns at the expi-
ration of sixty days it is not dissolved,
disorganized or out of business, it re-
mains the organized Legislature OF the
State, subject to the call of the gov
ernor to transact any, and all business
that the interests OF the State which is
the people, may require.
Why should there be any squabble
over reorganization? The legislature
is already organized, and it only re-
mains for the Governor to call it to-
gether to consider any special matter
the Governor may consider necessary,
and also any other legislation that the
legislature in its wisdom may deem
necessary or beneficial to the state
generally.
It appears to me that, at a special
session, it would be the opportune
time to correct any errors that may
have been discovered that the pre-
ceding regular session fell into, as well
as to repeal some Or any Of the acts OF
the regular session, or to pass, over
the governors veto, any measures he
may have vetoed, if the legislature in
its wisdom considers such measure
should become law.
Where the presiding officer of busi-
ness institutions, companies or corpo-
rations is authorized to call special
meetings, do they proceed to reorgan-
ize by electing new officersP not at all,
they are already organized, the officers
take their respective places and pro-
coed to the transaction Of the business
for which they were called together.
So with the Legislature, like any cor
poration or company, the state acts by
and through its qualified and author
lied officers, it is always organized and
ready for business whenever the Gov
ernor finds occasion to call it in spec
ial session-the constitution and the
law regulate the regular session, and
when called in special session it seems
to me proper and legal for the officers
of the preceding regular session to
walk in and take their seats, the mem
bers to resume their former seats and
proceed to business without any con-
troversy about reorganization.
IT'S hard if all is false that I ad-
vance, A fool must now and then be
be right by chance. Not that all free
dom Of dissent I blame: No-there
grant the privilege I claim" The
mark at which my juster aim I take
Is contradiction for its own dear sake.
J. J. King