The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1939-03-30
Legislative
SideHghts
By H. E. Saoennes

but three weeks remaining of the
legislative session we are inclined
to favor the bill for the creation
of legislative council and pre-
scribing its powers and duties. We
say this because much of the i'm
portant legislation is rushed in the
last hours of the session and men,
bers have too little time to study
thoroughly important provisions,
Much legislation that would prove
of Importance is likewise ignored
because time is limited and be-
cause the legislature is not equip
ped with expert knowledge.
This bill calls for group of
five senators chosen by that body,
and five representatives chosen by
the house, with a chairman sell
ected by the group from its own
members. Membership ceases
with the termination of each
members term of office. An inn
portant provision is that Gin no
event" shall the majority faction
of the legislature be represented
by more than two-thirds of the
members of said council.
Advantages of Council
All recommendations of the
council must be submitted and
made public at least 80 days prior
to any session of the legislature,
and copies of recommendations
sent to every member.
We venture to say that if this
council is created sloppy law
| making would be largely elimin-
ated and it would save the state
thousands of dollars. 1t should
save the legislature at least a
month of work.
Several states have for years
1 had a similar body. Kansas led the
way in 1885 and since then Ill
inois, Nebraska, Connecticut, Vir-
ginia and Michigan have adopted
the legislative council plan, with
several other states giving it SER
ious attention.
In matters of taxation, state re-
apportionment, reorganization of
state departments, and the pos
sible results of such legislation; on
bills of the type of the merit sys-
tenn; on practical matters concern
ing the handling of state pests
animal and vegetable = such a
council with its opportunities to
arrive through intensive study of
these problems, at a reasonable
conclusion, is an invaluable as
set to any state.
Among other excellent uses of
the council would be its tendency
to reduce the power of the, pres
sure grounps which infest every
legislative session. They often are
given too much consideration be-
cause the legislators find in the
pressure groups themselves. the
only means of obtaining infor-
nation on the legislation being
urged. With legislative council
this necessary information is
readily obtained and en- the
basis of both sides of the Dues
ton. .'.
Labor Bill Moves Along
The Vance-Myre Labor Rela-
tons bill that is favored by Min
nesota farm organizations has
passed out of the house civil adj
ministration and was not altered
to any great extent by the sub
committee. It outlaws shutdown
strikes, and does not allow dis
ruption of traffic on highways. In
fact it provides a fair means of
settling strikes without bloodshed
and destruction of property and
intimidation. The employer is Civ
en- due recognition. Indications
are that the bill will become law
as it is major piece of legisla-
ton and has ample backing.
Deadline for the introduction of
bills was last Saturday, and from
now on it will be necessary for
the governor to write little note
to the legislature asking that the
members be permitted to intro
duce the bill. This legislature will
have considered some 400 bills,
good, bad and Indifferent. While
some have been trained to expect
that if we didn't get some 500
laws passed some have popped UP
to complain that the session didn't
accomplish much. We would pre-
fer to judge the session by the
need of certain laws rather than
by quantity. Thousand of laws
could be passed if no one paid any
heed as to their ACCESSIBILITY.
This session has not had to
spend time on bills that were in
troduced for business reasons.
There has been little or no gun