The Independent-News, Volume 97, Number 23, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 29 October 1970 — Page 9

INDIANA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS (On November 3. Indiana voters will decide the fate of three proposals for amending the State Constitution. The proposals involve important changes in all three branches of State govexment. To provide voters with objective information on the amendment questions, The Indiana Forum, Inc., com, missioned a study. The study incorpoiates the thinking of both proponents and opponents, and aiaws upon the insights of an authority on state government, Leon H. Wallace, dean emeritus of the Indiana University Law School, Bloomington. The Indiana Forum, a nonpartisan. non-profit, informational organization made the study available to this newspaper. The following article is based on The Forum study.) , AH three branches of State government — legislative, juoicial and executive — would be affected by the State constitutional amendment proposals that will face Indiana voters November 3. The three proposals for changes in the State Constitution — Indiana's basic law were approved by the Indiana General Assemblies of 1967 and 1969. Now they are subject to approval or rejection by the voters. Ln po.hng p'aces across the State, men and women will vote •‘yes" o r "no' on these questions hated here in simplified form: 1. Shall the General Assqmb.y be permitted to meet evfry year and to decide the length and frequency of its own sessions ? At present, the Constitution limits the Assemb y to sessions of Cl consecutive days evzry two years. The Governor has the power to call epeci-aJ sessions of 40 days each This power rarely is used. The Assembly relies on a Legislative Council and various committees to br.dge the two years between sessions 2. Shall the appeals COUrt be reorganized!to cieate an appointive Supreme Court, an appointive Court of Appeals, a nonpait.san Judicial Nominating Commission and a nonpartisan system to give voters a voice in the retention or rejection of Supreme and Appea s judges? Indiana now has a Supreme Court and an Appellate Court and all judges are elected through the regular partisan process The proposed amendQuestion? I live in rented property’. What insurance should I haw? ONSWER... We recommend the broad coverage Meridian Tenants policy to protect both your personal property and your personal liability. Includes fire and theft and many other perils and is wasunabie in cost.* •as defined in the policy. M®y wc give you a rate quo teUop? B. W. Jehnson his. Horning — Hamlet Phone M 7-2854 Afternoons — Koontz LalßO Plume Walkerton SM-2AM & MERIDIAN T INSURANCE > 9 a world of protection

Blent would give the Governor power to appoint the judges from nominees submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission The proposal also would make (Other (changes in the judicial system but trial court judges would continue to be elected. 3. Shall the terms of office of the Secretay, Auditor and Treasurer of State be lengthened to four years? These officers of the executive branch of State government presently serve two year terms. The legislative sessions question has produced a variety of arguements both fo r and against. Among the main points made by those in favor — 1. The Assembly needs more Ume to adequately consider proposed legislation. Ln 1969, it had 61 days to study 1,800 bills and resolutions. 2. The press of legislative business under the present system makes it impossible to give sufficient attention to major complex problems Such as tax reform. 3 Present limitations hamstring the State's efforts to respond to needs and to meet its obligations under America's federal system. Those opposed to the proposed change in part argue — 1. Annual sessions or longer

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sessions would be a move away from c.Uzen legislators and toward professional legis.ators. Many able Citizens wou.d be unaoie to serve in an Assemb.y that meets annual.y or in ex tended sessions. 2. The burden of leg.s.ation would be eased if the Assemb.y wouid grant increased home rule to local communities. 3. Longer or more frequent sessions don’t guarantee better legis.ation. States with longer or annual sessions experience legislative logjams similar to those characterizing the biennial Indiana sessions. The chief arguement advanced by those in favor of the judicial amendment is that the nonpartisan selection of appeals court judges would encourage additional competent attorneys to accept judicial appointment and that judges of the appeals courts would not be swept into or out of office by the ebb and Low of political tides. Opponents of the judicial amendments argue that it would deprive the voters of an effective voice in the selection of appeals court judges, that review of a judges performance would be too infrequent and th it the Judicial Nominating Commission might come under undue influence by the Governor

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or the legal profession. On the executive term amendment, proponets argue that longer terms would enable th* officers to perform more efficient.y. Opponents of term extension maintain that it will serve to strengthen offices which ought to be reduced in importance in order to increase executive branch efficiency. The Unai decision on all the argueme^te on all sides of all three amendments will be made with voting machines and paper ballots on election day. } ; ’lF’’ □ □ CARDS OF TH ANI4 S □ n I wish to thank everyone for all the loVely cards, plants, sowers and the gifts sent to me during my recent stay in the hospital. I want to thank my kind friends and the nurses and doctors, Rev. Williams and Mrs. James Mercer who has been so wonderful to come and be with me for many days. God bless all of you, I shall never forget. Mrs. Grace Atwood To Friends and Neighbors at Koontz Lake, Indiana: We woud like to express our sincere thanks and gr iditude for your kind expressions of sympathy extended to us in our

time of sorrow in the loss of my beloved husband and our dear father. It was such a great consolation to us to know we had so many good friends and neighbors and we will never forget it. We also want to thank the Koontz Lake Fire Dept, for their special trip to Oak Lawn and the tribute they paid to him. Our cup runneth over. Mrs. E. M. Bregi Mr. and Mrs R,. Bregi Mr. and Mrs. H. JSbbena We wish to express our thanks to our friends, neighbors' and relatives for their many acts of kindness during the recent loss of our husband and fathei*. Julius Erdelyi. A very special thanks to the Nusbaum Funeral Home and Father Letko; also Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Cripe, Mrs Milo Matz, Mrs. Wayne Matz and Mrs. Gene Schmeltz for fixing the lunch. Mrs. Julius Erdelyi Thomas, Frank and Joseph Mr. and Mrs Julius A. Erdelyi and daughters Mr. and Mis. Robert Erdelyi and sons IJFE-LINE A poker face may sometimes win, but no man in the world has ever been able to bluff his conscience into silence.

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