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1
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in, don't be too disturbed.
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2
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Senator James, would you like to get us
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3
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started on Question 1?
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4
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SENATOR JAMES: Of course, this is the $64
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5
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question, should we have a bicameral or unicameral house.
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6
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I believe that the Supreme Court decision requiring both
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7
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houses to be organized along the same line really
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8
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abolished the purpose of the two-house system. The
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9
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two-house system traditionally has been designed to
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10
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accommodate population and geography and, since you can
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11
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no longer do this legally, I believe that with a one-house
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12
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body, it would be much easier to apportion. It would
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13
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be-- the only argument I could think of now in favor
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14
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of a two-house system is the check and balance argument,
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15
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and there are plenty of checks and balances that can be
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16
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built into a unicameral system.
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17
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Possibly and probably to simplify the parlia-
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18
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mentary procedure, from the standpoint of the members of
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19
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the public, too, but there is another reason which might
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20
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even be more important. The big problem with state
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21
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legislatures is to attract highly qualified people.
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