The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1920-12-30
Much Important Legislation
to Be Passed on this Winter

were reelected, and Speaker w. /
Nolan has been agreed on for sec
ond term. Details of the house or
ganization were agreed on soon af
ter election.
Committees have been at work il
unusual number preparing bills fol-
the members consideration. They in
clude the following:
Senate and house interim COM
mittees on labor legislation,
/. which are preparing bills chang
ing the method of administering
the workmen's compensation law.
Senate committee framing a
bank deposit guaranty act.
Senate committee preparing
new law for the leasing of
state ore properties.
Special informal committees
of the house and senate, chosen
since election to work out bills
to the farmers of the state deal
ing mainly with marketing of
farm products.
Special committees of each
house called to meet Tuesday
and begin drafting Of highway
legislation.
Special commission named by
Governor J. A. A. Burnquist,
which recommends a state plan
establishing "sunset homes" for
the aged.
From these various bodies will
emanate whole flock of bills. The
farmers program committee alone
will present at least a dozen meas
ures including revision of the coop
erative laws, state regulation of cold
storage companies, and establishment
of an industrial court" to deal with
profteering. Bills fathered by this
committee will take a great deal of
the legislatures time.
The republican party to which most
of the members belong, is committed
through its convention last spring
and through it's candidates to meas
ures improving the cooperative sys-
tenn, to revision of the primary law,
to carrying out the Babcock road
plan, and to tonnage tax on iron
ore. These measures will receive
special attention.
Committees that have studied the
workmen's compensation laws will
recommend to both houses changing
the court system now in vogue in
Minnesota to an industrial commits
sion which will administer the law
and also have charge of the state
labor department.
One thing which will help to bring
about action on measures of state
wide Importance is the addition of
home rule by the city of -Minneapo-
lis. This will relieve members from
Minneapolis of much detail work and
also save the time of the entire leg
islature which used to be taken in
passing Minneapolis bills.
! While parties are not recognized
by law in the legislature the two
houses show a line of cleavage
caused by the fight of the Nonpar-
tisan league to control the state gov
eminent. The hold-over senate has
II men out of 81 who affiliate with
the Townley organization. The new
house has 80 out of 131 league SYM
pathizers. The opposition majority is
so large that there is no question
which element controls each body.
The only question is whether the
majority element will be able to get
together to put through a program.
Opening ceremonies Of the COM
ing session will ltake place Jan. a and
5. On Tuesday, Jan. A at noon, the
two houses will be called to order.
In the senate chamber Louis L. Col
Inns will be sworn in as lieutenant
governor and will preside while 9th
er senate officers are elected. In the
house Mike Holm, the new secretary
of state, will call to order and pre-
side until w. /. Nolan has been
elected speaker. All members of the
house will have to be sworn in. Ad-
journment then will be taken until
the next day.
Wednesday both houses will meet
separately, and then convene in joint
session in the house chamber, Speak
er Nolan presiding. J. A. A. Burn
quist, retiring governor, and ]. A. O.
Preus, the incoming executive, will
be escorted to the chamber together.
Governor Burnquist will speak brief
ly in farewell and in greeting his
successor. Mr.. Preus will take the
oath and then deliver his inaugural
message. The two houses then will
be ready for work. Bills will be in
trodIced and committee assignments
which will be made during the first
week of the session, will complete the
organization. Consideration of bills
in committee will be the chief work
for the early weeks of the session.
The session is limited to 80 legal
working days, and so will expire by
Limitation. on April 81.