Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-08
ELECTION EACH
YEAR PROPOSED
At CONVENTION
Change in Officers to Be
Voted on Only Diff
ference From the
Old Plan.

Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 7.-Delegrate
f. P. Wilson of Dawes county in
PRODUCED three proposals in the con-
stitutonal convention Wednesday to
abandon the biennial election sys-
TEN, which has been IN vogue in Ne
braska for the past eight years, and
return to the old plan of holding an
election every year.
Mr.. Wilson proposes that the
governor and other executive state
officers, together with members OF
the legislature, shall be elected in
the odd-numbered years, after 1922,
and that those chosen i'll that year
shall serve three years, until their
successors are chosen in'9925. Pro-
vision is made for regular legislative
sessions to begin in January of the
even-numbered years, instead of the
odd years as now.
Reverses Old Plan.
This would leave supreme and dis
trict judges, regents of the univer-
sity, railway commissioners and all
county officers to be elected in the
even-numbered years, at the same
time congressman and United States
senators are chosen and presidential
elections held.
Under the old regime, it was the
judges, regents and most of the
county officers who were elected in
the odd years. The arrangement
proposed by Wilson just reverses
this and throws the executive state
officers and legislature by them
selves, when no other election will
be held.
Raise Legislative Pay.
Another important change that
would result from the Wilson plan
is the time for submitting proposals
under the initiative and referendum.
This can now be done only once in
two years, and any legislative enact
ment against which the referendum
is invoked remains suspended for
nearly that length of time, but if an
election were held every year such
propositions would be voted upon
in the same year that they were
pdSSeQ Dy tnc legislature.
Two proposals affecting the time
of legislative sessions and the pay
of members have been offered by
Delegate Svoboda of Howard coun-
ty. One advances the. date for the
convening of the legislature from
the First week in January to the third
Tuesday in November, following the
election. The other raises the pay
from 5000 per session to $40 per day
for not more than 100 days, or ST 900
in all.
New Proposals.
No. 1913. by Wilson (Wawes)-Changes
time of electing state officers to odd
numbered years, after the 1922 election.
Extends terms Of officers elected in that
until the fe bs
as now. on the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November.
No. 1919, by Wilson (Dawes) -changes
time of electing members Of the legisla-
ture to odd numbered years. after 1922.
No. 200. by Wilson Dawes)-Changes
time, of holding legislat tive sessions to
even numbered years, after 1928.
No. 201, by iRoss--Empowers the state
to incur Indebtedness for highway i'm
provement, and provides for paying the
interest and principal thereof in annual in
stallments. Counties and towns may be
required to pay into the state sinking
fund their proportionate share of the
cost OF highways. limited to IS per cent
for counties and Is per cent for towns.
No. 202, by Svoboda-Fixes time for
legislature to convene on the third Tues
day in November. following the election
Of ito members.
No. 20S by svoboda-Increases pay Of
legislative members to $40 per day for
not more than 100 days, or $1,000 per
session; now $500.
No. 204, by Cleve--Transfers pardoning
power and other forms of clenency to a
board consisting Of the chief Justice. GOV