Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-03-26
UNPARALLELED
SITUATION IS
FACING STATE
Eighth Arizona Legislature
Had Only Recessed Until
April 18.
OUTLINES LAWS
Governor Asks Repeal of
Appropriation Bill, Other
Measures.

PHOENIX, March % P9.-Status of
pletely upset to1ay when Governor
George w. P.NHunt issued proclama-
ton calling the9sFate solons into extra
ordinary session for Wednesday, March
80, under circumstances which are be-
lieved to be without parallel in Ameri-
can legislative executive relations.
AT the present time the eighth state
Legislature is under 3O-day recess taken
March Is. The issuance of special
session call by the governor has
created furore oi speculation
throughout the state as to the legality
and propriety of such action by the
state executive, who declares that he
is constitutiohally within his rights.
The regular session of the legislature
was scheduled to adjourn sine die
March 10, but a six-day recess was
voted. When that expired members re-
turned to their desks and after over
riding a gubernatorial veto on the gen
eral appropriation bill recessed until
April IS. Repeal of the appropriation
measure is asked by the governor in
his extraordinary session call
Besides the repeal of house bill 204,
the appropriation measure, and the
subsequent enactment of an appro-
priation bill which adequately meets
the needs of 6S offices and departments
of state, the governor includes five
other subjects of extraordinary i'm
portance. They are:
An emergency appropriation measure
to care for a prospective deficit for the
operation of the state hospital for the
insane for<the remainder of the present
fiscal year.
A law to appropriate out of the gem
eral funds an amount adequate to liqui-
date the Indebtedness legally con-
tracted by the state highway depart
ment as of February 1, 1927, inde-
pendent of legislation affecting the
present and future operation of the
highway department
Amendments to the state water code
and to propose referendum measure
for the sections of article 20 of the
constitution including a bill providing
for an election at which these proposed
amendments shall be submitted to the
"A
on behalf of the state the benefits of
the provisions of the act of congress
known as the Purnell act. A measure
for the creation of colony for men
tally defective children and to make
an adequate appropriation for this pur-
pose.
The governor bases his right to call
an extraordinary session of the state
legislature at any time on three por-
tions of the constitution.
These he quoted in his proclamation.
The substance of constitutional
authority is found in chapter 6, sec
tion 81. paragraph IA, which reads:
The (the governor) may convene
the legislature by proclamation in spe-
cial or extraordinary session whenever
he may deem it necessary
Reason for the session is found in a
paragraph of the proclamation stating
"the present extraordinary situation in
which the state government finds itself
because of the unforeseen and unpre
cedented policy which the eighth legis-
lature has adopted appears to me to
make a special session of the legis-
lature Imperative
Considerable detail is given by the
governor to the appropriation bill and
to a measure providing highway cred
itors with reimbursement for legally |
contracted debts.
Interpretation of the existing status
of the general appropriation bill is
made by the governor, in effect "the .
Continued to Page Three)