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900 W. Main St.,
PO Box 690 Grangeville, ID 83530
Phone: 208.983.1200 |
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| Idaho: Consider unicameral legislature |
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| Letter - Lamm |
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Paul Shepherd's proposal to change the Idaho constitution to provide one Idaho state senator from each of our 44 counties struck me as "too much of a good thing." We now have 35 state senators and 70 representatives serving in our Idaho Legislature.
I would favor Paul's proposed amendment if he included language to form a unicameral legislature and let the 44 senators do all of the legislative work in Boise.
Nebraska has worked very well with a unicameral body and spends much less money for legislators than does Idaho [$588,000 versus $1,642,830, according to Lamm]. In addition to 35 senators Idahoans also pay for 70 representatives; a cost which Nebraskans avoid because they govern with only the one legislative chamber. Nebraskans call their legislators senators.
Idaho and Nebraska are nearly alike in area and population [1.4 million/83,570 square miles and 1.7 million/77,354 square miles, respectively]. I admit that Idaho and Nebraska are vastly different in topographical and geographical features. Some would argue that our Idaho landscape requires more representatives rather than fewer. Modern communication technology makes these points moot.
Paul is a successful and conservative business man who won re-election to the Idaho House of Representatives on a very conservative campaign platform. Conservative legislators have argued for years that "Idaho government should be run like a business" but often forget that successful businesses improve their product and cut costs with reduced labor, travel and entertainment expense wherever possible.
Paul and other conservative legislators from both political parties in Idaho should seriously consider an Idaho constitutional amendment which would establish a unicameral Idaho legislature. A unicameral body could save the state of Idaho tons of money, streamline our government and reduce some of the political posturing which is often seen in Idaho.
Charles P. (Phil) Lamm
Kamiah
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