Page:The Wisconsin idea (IA cu31924032449252).pdf/141

 Time after time it has been found in the drafting of Wisconsin's strongest laws, that they were somewhat modified under the fire of criticisms made by attorneys and experts appearing before the legislative committees. With sufficient expert help for the legislature there is little to fear and much to gain from strong, clear argument presented by the opponents of a bill. The committee may say frankly that some kind of legislation embodying a certain idea is going to be reported and if the opponents wish it to be sane and workable they will give their best help by reasonable criticism. If they object to a certain actuarial computation made by the statistical experts, the committee, upon being convinced, will correct it. The Wisconsin railroad commission bill, for instance, was completely redrafted twenty different times.

The Wisconsin leaders, desiring to retain the advantages gained by subjection of bills to severe criticism, provided that any bill, which has been introduced into the legislature within the first thirty days of the session, whether it has passed the legislature or not, may be called out by petition and submitted to the people at the next election.

The section relating to this procedure follows:—

"A proposed law shall be recited in full in the petition, and shall consist of a bill which has been introduced in the legislature during the first thirty legislative days of the session, as so introduced; or,