compile, document and preserve all pro-
ceedings of the Convention and its several
committees.
Now, Senate Resolution No. 14 does this;
it just asks our Honorable President to
tell us why the law has not been complied
with—a progress report. There are some
of us, some of you, that believe that we
do not have to comply with the law. I
moved around the boat yesterday. I found
out this Constitutional Convention is in
some cases above the law. I am not one
of those that share that opinion; so in an-
swer to the Chairman, he said that it is
evident that things are not going to be
bottled up. He personally, the first time in
twenty-two years I have ever seen a chair-
man do this, made a motion to lay the mat-
ter on the table. The motion failed, I think,
a 3-to-3 or a 4-to-4 vote. The next day one
of his close colleagues accomplished the
same purpose on a 6-to-4 vote.
So much about the report. The reason,
Mr. Chairman of the Rules Committee,
that I brought this matter into this debate
here today is because you brought it up to
start with.
Now, again, referring to the law, some
of you may have not read House Bill 28,
which is now Chapter 4 of the 1967 laws:
It says, "The Convention may make such
other expenditures"—I am reading now
from paragraph 11—"as it deems proper
to carry out its work." Now, listen to
this—"but shall not authorize total expendi-
tures in excess of the amount appropriated
by law for its expenses."
This portion of the law did not give me
too much concern until on the 15th day of
September, three days after we are in
being. I found out that we are broke, or
about to go broke, and I for one did not
want to be accused of violating any por-
tions of this law that gives me concern,
and for that reason, I wanted to know
what we are talking about as far as money
is concerned. The resolution I introduced is
very simple. There is no gingerbread in it.
I will read it to you:
"RESOLVED: By the Constitutional
Convention of 1967 that the President of
the Convention is directed within five days
after the passage of this resolution to give
to each delegate in the Constitutional Con-
vention of 1967 a geenral summary and re-
port of the money spent and encumbered
to date by the Constitutional Convention."
The President has asked the comptrol-
ler's office to give a report of moneys spent,
but that is not the big point, ladies and |
gentlemen. We should also talk about
moneys encumbered.
As I told you before, I am a member on
the Committee of Rules, Credentials and
Budget. This committee has never consid-
ered a budget for this Convention until
September 26, which was some fourteen
days after we were in being, and after it
had already been stated that we were going
to go broke. Is this the image that this
Constitutional Convention would create? I
have heard from time to time you have got
to better the image of the General Assem-
bly. Mr. President, if we are going to act
in this, in my mind, irresponsible manner,
our image at the end of this time will be
a whole lot worse than that of the General
Assembly. Again, Mr. Chairman, this is on
the point: I introduced a resolution about
"The Mighty Oak." That was Resolution
No. 5, and if you know by its low number,
it was early in the session. In that resolu-
tion I asked, among other things, that we
be given a transcript. I was satisfied when
the Chairman of the Rules Committee
stated, after the President had made the
announcement, that a film would be avail-
able. I had already seen it. And then the
Chairman of the Rules said, "we will also
have a transcript."
That has been some days back. I went
to the Secretary of the Convention today
and asked him: "When am I going to get
the transcript?" He said: "They are in the
process of typing it up."
I presume I will get it on January 13.
I am not going to take any more of this
Convention's time. I have been here a long
time, and I know when I am beat; and I
appreciate the Chair giving me this oppor-
tunity. I have a soft spot in my heart for
him because of that, because I like Vernon
Eney, and I believe that he likes me. He
told me so last night, and I believe almost
anything he tells me.
So, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen
of this Convention, I hope that you will
look at this little resolution, and I hope
that you will want to know what is going
on. After the Convention is adjourned, and
we have spent more money that we are
authorized by law, a taxpayer's suit might
be in order, and I do not want to be a de-
fendant. Thank you very much. Any ques-
tions?
THE PRESIDENT: Is there any
further discussion?
Are you ready for the question? Dele-
gate Weidemeyer? |
