Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-02-19
A Legislative Reference Bureau

We have understood that bill was to be intro
dueed in the legislature for the establishment of a
legislative reference department that is, bureau
which bills could be submitted mot necessarily
bel for examination and preparation for their intro
duetion. A member who might not desire the assis
lance of such a department would have it imposed
upon him
Not member of the fegislature-any legis-
lature-in a hundred is capable of preparing bill
dealing with complex legal economic questions
which brought up every day which are
puzzing alike skilled attorneys and students of
economy. They may seem very simple to the half
baked member who does not perceive the diff
cu2ties they involve In few simple words he
thinks they may be disposed of Accordingly
prepares bill has prepared by small lawyer,
whose knowledge but little exceeds that of the lay
member and it is introduced and, maybe passed. 1t
may be unconstitutional and may be wholly un-
workable
The submission of the bill to a legislative reference
bureau, under the direction of a trained man having
access to all legislation bearing that particular
subject would result in of defects which
are removable or there would be pointed out the
possible character of the measure so that the time
Of enacting it would be saved to the legislature
the time OF courts in bordering it and the time
and money of litigants would be saved.
Quoting from bulletin of Legislative Refer
ence Department of the Wisconsin where this
bureau has been in successful operation for more
than fifteen years:
Join Jones to the legislature . Com
pick questions which have not been settled by the
greatest thinkers of today hurled at his head.
Even scientific subjects that the chemist ply
stefan or the man of science has had hard time to
deal WITH must be by friend John Jones' and
that in the hurry and rush of committee work and of
MS efforts to take care of the muttudinous duties
placed upon him If he is honest he will try to draw
plSe he ahodx-
for him: but the easiest way is consult somebody
else He finds around him bright men, well-paid
lawyers, men of legal standing, are willing to
help him in every way. 1t is easier to consult these
bright men; and often, if he does he is lost 1t is
seldom that he finds true friend. They are there
TO look out for their interests John Jones is
legitimate prey To get hold of him is their business
II he is honest and by persistent courage sterling
honesty fights his way through pushes his bills on
to become laws. those laws those bills having to do
often with complex technical subjects. being
drawn by man unsEilled in law, thrown out by
the
1t is within the scope of the legislative refer
ence bureau to make puppet introducer out
Of the member of the Legislature who often be-
comes so by request" but assist him in becoming
a law maker 1t does interfere with his ideas
unless they fundamentally wrong in which case
it points his If he persists and chooses
TO parade as ignorant ass there is nothing to
prevent his Introduction of his bill as he frames it
himself
Nearly 200 bills have been brought into our legis-
lature Many of them contain obscure or ridiculous
ansuage/ which will possibly be corrected by the
style and revision committee the senate but that
committee lacks the time if it possessed the legal
capacity to give bills scrutiny to insure that thew
viii develop into wise. sound laws. Judiciary commit
tees are seldom better fitted for that essentially
important task.
Shyster lawyers and small bore lawyers are the
chief opponents of the legislative reference bureau
To the former the systm with its hodge podge
product promises profit The regard the bureau
system somehow reflection upon their capacitv(?,
But leading lawyers represented in the American
Bar association have the legislative reference
bureau, and of it President Wilson has said:
Il can only say that it seems to me highly impor-
tnt That legislative reference department should
be established in the Congressional Library The ex-
perience of several of states in this matter il
conclusive as TO the usefulness of such depart
ment Indeed. think if once established everyone
who had any knowledge of it would deem it indis
pensable."