Askov American., 1941-01-30
The Legislature
AS / See 1t
By Rep. Chas. L. Halsted.

The Sind session of the Mime
sofa Legislature is now entering its
fourth week, as this is being writ
ten on Monday, January 27. Seven
teen days out of the 80 which make
up the session are already gone, as
every day except Sundays and holi-
days counts, even though we may
not be in actual session. So far we
have managed to get in IL actual
working days. This situation occurs at
every session during the beginning,
because while the House and Senate
may have to adjourn, the work of the
various committees is going on, and
when they commence reporting bills
for action we will have no need for
three day adjournments.
Insofar as the Legislature meets
only every two years and because
this is the SIND session one might
be led to believe that the state of
Minnesota is 102 years old. AS we
know, the first session was held in
May, 1858, when we entered the
Union. At first the Legislature met
exery year however, which accounts
for this being the SIND session al
though we are only 83 years old as
state this coming May.
Up until today 173 bills have been
introduced in the House, and a SINH
lar number in the Senate. Over 100
of these are bills dealing with per-
sonal claims against the state or
with specific and purely local coun-
ty matters.
Franchise Limitation.
There was introduced today in the
House bill which feel merits sup
port. It provides that no govern
ing body of any municipality in the
state shall grant to public utility
any franchise or contract for the
furnishing of light, heat, or power
for a period longer than five years.
No ordinance or resolution by any
village or city council, granting a
franchise, shall be operative until so
days after its passage, which gives
ample time for the citizens to de-
mand a vote if they disagree with
the council. Twenty per cent of those
voting at the last municipal election
may demand a referendum. When
such a referendum is demanded the
ordinance shall not be effective un-
less approved by majority OF the
votes cast on the proposition.
In these days of increasing ef-
fciency in the production of electri-
cal energy 1 don't believe any mu-
nicipality should be tied down by a
contract to a privately owned utility
| for more than five years. They should
have very possible opportunity rather
to get the benefit of the decreased
costs.
New State Office Building?
In spite of repeated assurances and
statements by the administration that
the government is being streamhned,
agencies coordinated and divisions
merged, it seems that we will need
additional space to house state bu-
reaus besides the present state ONCE
building. According to resolution
introduced last week, the state right
now is paying out over $133,OOO a
year for rentals for bureaus and de-
partments that haven't room in the
office building. 1t is proposed that a
new building be constructed at cost
of million and half, If pro-
posed investigating committee OF five
so recommend. This would be fl
nanced by issuing $1,500,000 worth
of certificates of Indebtedness to be
paid off at the rate of 100000 year
for Is wears. Inasmuch as the pres
ent rents paid would retire the prin-
cipal and interest in that time and
we would then need to pay no more
rent it would seem the sensible to do,
unless we find some way OF decreas-
ing the agencies of government.
Civil Service.
An interesting battlefront is shap-
ing up by action of Representative
Robert F. Lee, conservative OF Wright
county, who introduced a bill to
amend the Civil Service act so as to
take some of the juicieSt plums OF
good-paying jobs out of the CLASH
fed list and making them subject
to the appointive power OF depart
ment heads. This would affect main
ly at present the Railroad and Ware
house Commission which is now
dominated by Frank Matson and N.
J. Holmberg. Perhaps you read Mike
Halloran's story on this in the Star
Journal for Wednesday, January 22,
where he said, Certain legislators
have a vital interest in loosening up
the Civil Service law. They may
have constituents whom they would
like to place in some of these good
jobs, or they may be friends OF de-
partment heads who want greater
appointive powers"
Community Stability.
Representative George Hagen, and
other liberals have introduced bill
F. L.