Evening star., 1961-07-31
SenateHeariinu
Set Friday on
Elections Bill
Measure Granting
Home Rule to D. c.
Also introduced
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star staff Writer

Senate hearings have been
scheduled for 10 am. Friday on
a bill to set up the Districts
first presidential elections.
Senate District Committee
Chairman Bible, Democrat of
Nevada, announced the hear
ingS on the same day he intro
duced separate legislation re-
quested by President Kennedy
for an elected municipal gov
ernment.
The Senator champions model
laws for both presidential elec-
tionS and home rule in the Dis
trict. He hopes for action this
session on the presidential elec-
ton measure. Home rule hear
ings may we'll be delayed until
next year. since House action
is highly unlikely.
Testimony Invited
Hearings which may last sew
eral days will invite testimony
on the Kennedy proposal for
20-year-old voting and a six
months residence requirement
for voters. This bill was drawn
to implement the 23d Amend
ment to the Constitution, to
permit voteless WaShingtonians
to ballot for President and Vice
President.
Other proposals have been
introduced in the House to ex-
tend the franchise to District
residents 81 or older, who have
lived in the city for at least
one year. House hearings have
begun. Representative Davis,
Democrat of Georgia, who
heads the District Subcommit-
tee handling the bill in the
House, said he hoped for full
committee and House action
this session.
Committeeman who Joined
Senator Bible in sponsoring the
new home rule measure were
Democratic Senators Morse of
Oregon, Hartke of Indiana,
Smith of Massachusetts, and
Republican Senator Beall of
Maryland.
The proposal will lie on the
table in the Senate for two
weeks to permit other interest
ed Senator's to join as co-spon-
sors. Their early support was
solicited by Senator Bible as a |
means of accomplishing "a
keystone of democracy - the
right Of the governed to vote
for those who govern"
President Kennedy has called
for an elected mayor, a seven
member legislative council and |
a non-voting delegate to the
House.
A formula for gearing the an
nual Federal payment to taxes
lost through Federal owner
ship of property in the Capital
City would result in a grant of |
about $40 million, if appropri-
ated.
Senator Bible said the inter-
est of the President in home
rule since Mr.. Kennedy him
self once was a member of the
House District Committee
greatly enhanced" prospects Of |
passage in this Congress.
Sponsored by Multer
In the House, Representative |
Multer, Democrat of New York, |
has sponsored the Kennedy
home rule bill.
The Senate has cleared home
rule bills five times in the last
IL years to see them die in the
House..
Opponents of home rule in
the House and the community
in the past have questioned
whether the principle should
be applied in Washington, set
aside by founding fathers as
the seat of national govern
ment and maintained with
dominant Federal interests.
Congress was granted in the
Constitution exclusive powers to
legislate for the District.
Under the Kennedy bill, the
elected council would be given
by Congress local legislative
power, including taxing and
borrowing powers. But any
local action would be subject
to a Presidential veto and re-
sidual power in Congress tol
override or to revoke the charter
Of local government.