Plenary Session Transcripts

Governors Attending:

Guests:

Discussion Subjects:

The concept of a state department of efficiency/economy; state assumption of nomination and election expenses; distrust of state legislatures; unicameral versus bicameral legislatures; initiatives and referendums; and public/state control of utilities

Points of Interest:

Governor F.M. Byrne of South Dakota said that his state was the first to make provision in the Constitution for initiatives and referendums. With respect to the powers of Governors versus legislatures, recommendations included creating more at-large legislative seats, having experts look at legislative ideas before they were put into bill form, extending Governors' veto powers, and reducing the tendency of legislatures to wait until their sessions were ending to act on legislation. Governors held an extensive discussion of campaign finance, and disagreed on the extent to which candidates should be able to use private money and contributions. Some felt that it would be wise to prohibit private expenditures, while others were concerned that full public financing would attract "incompetent" candidates. Reference was made to a committee that had been formed on rural credits and cooperatives, and it was noted that the committee's work resulted in the adoption of a congressional resolution by which a joint Presidential/Congressional commission had been selected to visit Europe and study cooperative credit and land mortgage societies that extended credit to farmers there.

Memorable Quotes:

Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, said: "...from time to time there has been an agitation for the establishment of a western capital...that will, a part of the year at least, be removed from the Atlantic sea-board...If we are to have efficiency in federal government, there is necessity for at least part of our time being spent in the West, where there is sunshine, but not too much, and heat in moderation."

Regarding campaign finance, Governor O.B. Colquitt of Texas said: "...if you are going...to give the poor man...an equal chance...prohibit the expenditure of any money at all in the campaign, except the actual, necessary expense of the candidate himself, which would be involved in his railroad fare and his hotel bill."

And Governor Joseph M. Carey of Wyoming said: "...one of the very first things to be done is to render it entirely unnecessary for the candidate for office to spend the money belonging to himself...[or] his friends, or to accept money from those who would contribute with the expectation of receiving in return the value of the money contributed."

Resolutions:
Governors adopted a motion to continue the rural credit/cooperatives committee.