THE CHAIRMAN: I might state that
all matters pertaining to the budget have
been referred to the Committee on State
Finance and Taxation. It has not yet filed
its report on that subject.
DELEGATE DORSEY: In the old Con-
stitution, the legislature was specifically
prohibited—
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Dorsey,
this period is only for questions—
DELEGATE DORSEY: I am trying to
ask him a question.
THE CHAIRMAN:—with respect to
these sections of the report.
DELEGATE DORSEY: As this Report
stands, there is nothing to prohibit the
legislature from increasing any item it
wanted in the budget; isn't that correct?
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: May I say
to the Delegate that this is not the com-
plete report of our committee. This is the
principal structure report. I might also say
that in the present Constitution, there are
61 sections that pertain to article 3, and in
the preparation of the new draft, a great
deal of this material falls in the province
of other committees.
DELEGATE DORSEY: Do you know if
there will be any other report from a com-
mittee that will prohibit the state from
lending the full faith and credit of the
State to public authorities?
THE CHAIRMAN: I will refer that
question to Delegate Sherbow, Chairman of
the Committee on State Finance and Taxa-
tion, since that committee has that matter.
DELEGATE SHERBOW: Delegate Dor-
sey, each of the points that you have raised
will be covered by the Report of the Com-
mittee on State Finance and Taxation, and
covered fully and completely.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any
further questions?
Delegate Mason.
DELEGATE MASON: Mr. Chairman,
on page 8 of your Memorandum, it reads
as follows:
"The Committee has tentatively agreed
that the 35-105 membership limitation and
the single-member district shall not be ap-
plied to the present General Assembly. The
Committee intends for these changes to be
applied to the first legislature elected fol-
lowing the 1970 reapportionment." |
My question is, when will this become
operative?
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: If there is
no change in the schedule of state-wide
elections, the next election for the General
Assembly will occur in 1970.
At that time, however, on the basis of
information which we have, there will not
be in our hands sufficient data from the
Federal Census Bureau to apportion or re-
apportion the General Assembly, based on
the 1970 figures. Therefore, presuming no
change in the elections scheduled, the first
General Assembly that this limitation can
apply to will be the General Assembly
elected in 1974.
DELEGATE MASON: Thank you.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any
further questions?
Delegate Case?
DELEGATE CASE: Mr. Chairman, on
the first page of your memorandum sup-
porting section 3.01, you give some statis-
tics showing the number of bills that were
either amended or defeated in one House
after having passed the other. I am won-
dering whether you could tell us what per-
centage of these bills were local bills and
what percentage were general legislation.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Yes.
If you will look in the Minority Report,
LB-I, you will find that it has given you
the precise percentages.
THE CHAIRMAN: LB-I (A)?
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: LB-I (A),
Mr. Chairman. Page 6.
DELEGATE CASE: One further ques-
tion, Mr. Chairman.
On page 9 of your report, there is a
breakdown between the Senate and House
showing how the proposed plan of the com-
mittee would work. Am 1 correct so far in
interpreting that chart?
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Worcester
County under the Senate should not read
one-half; it should read one-fifth.
DELEGATE CASE: I wonder if you
would explain to me, because this mystifies
me a little bit, just precisely how this
would work.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Well, of
course, the constitution does not seek to do
the redistricting. All we have done in this |
