Jerome County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1919-1920, 1919-03-13
IDAHO LEGISLATURE
ENDS ITS LAB0RS
FIFTEENTH SESSION COMES TO
CLOSE AFTER SIXTY-TWO
DAYS OF WORK.
Large Amount OF Constructive Leeis-
lstion Passed and Many Measures
Of Little Importance Consigned
to Oblivion.

Hture completed its labors on March |
:. after siNtN-two days of laW-making |
sessions it being generally conceded |
that Il large amount of constructive I
legislation has been passed rs well |
~ much that Is of little consequence /
and could have just as well been left |
undonc.
one of the most far-rciching acts Of
the legislature prior To adjournment
WIS passage of the act eliminating
the statewide primary election law
and substituting in lis place another
providing that candidates for United
States senator. congressman. justice
of the supreme and Judges of the dis
trict courts. governor and all state
elective Officials shall be nominated
al state conventions instead of at
statewide primaries.
Probably the most important piece
of legislation was the remudelling and
material changing of The form Of state
! government This was proposed 10y
/ Governnr Davis and met with the APP
prevail of the Two houses. The gov
crnor was given II cabinet of nine mem
Z U'i~- ~ldlbllE III llif It'iN ~ IT.
many departments. grouped under
/ which are present state commissions.
boards and departments. coordinate
Ing and consolidating them. Cover
nor Davis will appoint this cabinet
that * he will name lis heads. The
new plan goes into effect March 81.
The legislature did not forget its
soldiers. and. regardless of the fact
that congress failed To push through
its land settlement plan during the last
session. the Idaho Solons passed the
necessary legislation to work in CO.
operation with the government. II
passed bill creating Il state commits
sion which the governor will appoint
for that purpose.
The number of counties in the state
WAS Increased from forty-one To forty
four through the creation of three new
rounties-Jerome. Clark and Caribou.
with Dubois as the county seat. and
Carbon is formed out of Bannock
county. with Soda Springs ~ county
seat.
The lawmakers were liberal i'm their
appropriations for better roads Face
Ia face with an exhausted limit in bond
ISSUES. a two-mill levy was passed.
which by direct taxation will raise
81 .So0.ooo. to he distributed over the
main trunk highways of the state
highway system. resulting in the build
ing during the next TWO years of
mai- miles of roads. In fact. com
bined with the help Of counties and
the federal government ii makes pos
Sihle the expenditure of approximately
Sd.ooO,oNn on ldaho's highways in 1919
and 1870.
Liberal. allowances were made for
the various state institutions not only
in 81 far ~ maintenance X concerned.
hut for needed additions AMI new
buildings us well AZ improvements.
Conditioned upon Boise securing the
approaches iu the state capitol and
| parking them. the legislature author
! lied the issuance of S9OO.OOO in bonds
Ia raise the necessary funds To com
/ plete the state capitol 10y building on
the twu wings nj cost Of S45O.OoO
each.
The educational laws of the state
were codified. The teachers in public
and private schools were removed from
The jurisdiction 90 the state industrial
accident hoard ana the school laws
generally strengthened.
The land board was given greater
power in dealing with and adiudicat-
ing water rights in Carey act projects
and S2ooo0 was appropriated for an
of the state. The bonded warehouse
act was passed measures To prevent
discrimination in handling farm pro
ducc. and n bonded real estate deal
ers hill. \ new fish and game hil
was passed. act To cndify the laws of
craftsmanship. etc. and boxing was
lpgnlized. \ measure was approved
tn reimburse stock OWNERS for stock
condemned for tuberculosis: creating
II state cnnstahulary to enforce the
laws: authorizing the governor Ia re-
organize the state militia S50.ON pro-
vided for I'm direct taxes for the state
fair AT Boise and Lewiston livestock
show: creating state forestry bureau,
Il state seed analyst: the Eleventh
judicial district created. for Boundary
and Bonner counties. and the Twelfth
district for Washington and Adams
counties Legislative apportionment
measure, making il penalty to dis
play the red flag: authorizing the
state To manufacture road materials;
sterilization of degcneratcS.
There was authorized constructed M
Lcnora. In Boundary county. across
the kootenai river. bridge: S}O.n1
was appropriated for improvements
along the Snake river in Madison and
jefferson counties; Sa2.oOO for the
Improvement of Lava Hot Springs in
Bnnnock county. and S30.oO0 for Il
drainage district in Kootenai county.
Generally speaking the legislature
! accomplished many things it set out
To do. Little really bad legislation
managed to get through both houses.
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