Evening star., 1937-05-02


ture. There is no centralized leader
ship, such as provided by party floor
leaders, and no longer is there any
effort by members representing one
party to check closely upon legisla-
ton where party advantage or inter-
est was formerly supposed to inhere.
There is lack of party responsibility
for any law passed. and no caucuses
are held to control results on more
important issues.
Friends Are Optimistic.
NebraSkanS primarily responsible
for the adoption by the voters of the
constitutional amendment creating
the unicameral Legislature are unani-
nous in declarin the experimental
session success
Contrasting the 1887 session with
the last two sessions of the bicameral
Legislature, they would seem to have
sound basis for their opinion. The
Democratic landslides of 1882 and
1884 carried into the State Legisla-
ture, particularly the House. a num-
Der OF men inexperienced in legiSla-
ton, business and the professions, and
with little knowledge of State gov
ernment. The last session under the
old system was marked by laundering
inefticiency and fumbling tactics that
brought sharp conflicts between the
two houses, forced five months sit
ting and resulted in the passage OF
nj 1oni ic1a j,,
satisfactory to most members. On the
other hand, the sessions of the uni
cameral Legislature have been marked
with decorum, decision and serious
attitude toward the task in hand that
have given dignity to Sittings absent
in most sessions of the past.
John P. SEEMING, chairman of the
department Of political science at the
University of Nebraska, who helped
draw the amendment and who has
been in almost constant attendance at
the unlcameral sessions, is strong in
his approval of the experiment. which
he expects to produce results at sub
sequent Sittings that will convince
any remaining doubling Thomases.
Party Seen Minimized.
The size of the Legislature" saws
Prof. SEEMING. makes it a workable
and genuinely deliberative body. The
non-partisan feature has given
better-balanced representation in the
Legislature. The attention OF the
voter is focused on the member instead
of on the members party affiliation.
This has made for uniformly better
personnel and has freed members
from party subserviency and from
executive control. Members are able
to concentrate attention on the merits
and dement's of proposed legislation.
THE procedure of the one-house
Legislature has been simplif1ed to such
an extent that with the cooperation
Of the press, the public is able to fol-
low with ease and greater intelligence
its proceedings. The procedure fol-
lowed is applicable only to the one
house legislature. The rules woult be
impossible Of effective use by the BIZ
cameral legislature. These rules i'm
prove the technique of enacting laws.
They provide for public hearings, with
five days advance notice, before COM
mittees, which committees are re-
quired, in reporting the bill to the
Senate (the official title of the uni
cameral body, to include a statement
indicating the nature of the bill:
amendments if any; how the amend
mentS alter the original bill and its
reasons for its recommendations. This
is notable improvement upon the old,
practically secret committee system.
The procedure includes the eduiva-
lent of double committee of the
whole for consideration of legislation
as check against hasty action Three
days must elapse between final con-
sideration and the placing of the bill
on passage, and before that vote is
taken the bill, in its final form, must
be printed and copies laid before each
member"
Serious and Earnest"
II have had only limited oppor-
tunity to observe the unicameral Leg
islature in action" said Lane w. Lam
caster, professor of political science at
the University of Nebraska, but I
have been impressed by the serious
ness and earnestness which the men,
bers show in action and the greater
intelligibility with which they follow
proceedings"
Former Representative John N. Nor
ton, chairman of the committee which
formulated the rules, believes the uni
cameral Legislature is success and
gaining in popular favor. He says
that most of the criticisms leveled
against what has been done should be
directed against the membership
rather than against the system.
The two oldest members of the Ne
braska Legislature, in point OF serv-
ice, take opposite views.
Charles J. Warner, speaker OF the
Legislature, serving his thirteenth
term, said:
More efficient is the unicameral
Legislature in treatment of impor-
tant legislation; less log rolling and
buck-passing. The Governor hasn't
the influence on members of his party
VAASAA AAC wdo dOlC W CACl CISC 1OI.
mer sessions. While politics has not
entirely disappeared, it is we'll under
check. The paid lobby has less influ-
ence. Although too many bills were
introduced, there is less chicken feed,
I would pronounce the experiment to
be a success"
R. c. Regan. serving his eleventh
term, remarked:
TOO much class legislation-much
more than usual. I agree that am
associated with the best body OF men
In my legislative experience, but, re-
gardless Of caliber, they would be more
effective if elected ON the party ticket.
The party check is extremely valu-
able"
E. M. Won Seggern, only newspaper
publisher In the Legislature, said: