institution of higher learning.24 Most
had held public office or were influential
members of civic or state social and eco-
nomic organizations. In 1950 it was re-
ported that two-thirds of the legislators
had had previous legislative experi-
ence.25
On the other hand, a careful student
of the subject believes that the question
of whether unicameralism improved the
moral and intellectual caliber of Ne-
braska legislators is not resolved.26
Claim 3. unicamerai.ism results in a more
REPRESENTATIVE LEGISLATURE.
Under the bicameral system in
Nebraska, 52 per cent of the legislators
had only a single occupation while 48
per cent had two or more.27 Under
unicameralism, only 31 per cent had a
single occupation while 69 per cent had
two or more. Multiple occupations are
claimed to bring a deeper awareness of
problems and ramifications involved in
legislation, and so to make the legislator
more responsive to constituent needs.
Conversely, the change to unicameral-
ism in Nebraska did not disturb the
ratio of farmers, business, and profes-
sional men elected to the legislature.
Thus the cross section of the community
remained the same, so that reduction in
the number of representatives had no
adverse effect.28
Claim 4. unicameralism results in a posi-
tive IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF EN-
ACTED LEGISLATION.
Fewer statutes enacted by Nebraska's
unicameral legislature were declared
unconstitutional as compared with those
24 Senning, Unicameralism Passes Test, 33
nat'l mun. rev. 61 (1944).
25 Spencer, supra note 20, at 84.
26 Shumate, The Nebraska Unicameral Leg-
islature, 5 western pol. Q. 508 (1952).
27 Senning, supra note 24.
28 Ibid.
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enacted by its bicameral legislature, and
fewer statutes were found to have "bugs"
or "jokers."29 Some credit for this must
go to the simultaneous institution of a
legislative council with the establishment
of a unicameral legislature, but pro-
ponents claim that the nature of a uni-
cameral legislature deserves part of the
credit. Several reasons for this are ad-
vanced. As will be noted below, uni-
cameralism results in the introduction
of fewer bills. This means that each bill
that is introduced can be given more
time. Second, the increased efficiency
of the unicameral legislature eliminates
the hasty consideration often given to
bills under a bicameral system. Third,
the unicameral legislature bears the full
accountability for the quality of bills
passed, and this responsibility cannot be
blurred by sharing the responsibility
with a second chamber. Fourth, bills
are often passed in one house of a bi-
cameral legislature with the expectation
that they will be defeated in the second
chamber.30 Such expectations are not
always fulfilled. Under unicameralism
this type of miscalculation is eliminated.
Claim 5. unicameralism results in higher
STANDARDS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF
BILLS.
Under unicameralism, a Nebraska
legislator pointed out that he could no
longer introduce a bill at the request of
a constituent and then ask the other
house to kill it.31 The result of uni-
cameralism in Nebraska was a spectac-
ular 43 per cent reduction in the number
of bills introduced.32 Concomitantly,
the percentage of introduced bills that
were enacted rose from less than 20 per
29 Shumate, supra note 26.
30 trimble, supra note 18, at 8.
31 State Senator Richard D. Marvel as cited
by Janson, The House Nebraska Built, 229
harper's 124 (Nov. 1964).
32 Shumate, supra note 26.
113
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