Action on the ERA
Gary Gilmore gets his wish Alabama okays bond for Tenn-Tom Executives are sober in Iowa North Carolina budget a joint venture
In January Indiana became the 35th state to
ratify the ERA, and Virginia turned the amendment down. Georgia has sent it back to committee.
Three more states must approve by March 1979.
The states to watch this year are: Florida, Illinois,
Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada and Oklahoma.
Gary Mark Gilmore, the convicted killer who
asked the state of Utah to execute him, was put to
death by firing squad January 17. Courts on
nearly every level of the state and federal systems
had become involved in his case, as opponents of
capital punishment sought to block his execution,
which ended a 10-year suspension of the death
penalty in the United States.
Alabama voters approved a $25 million bond
issue for Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway development, an Army Corps of Engineers navigation channel that will open a route between the Port of
Mobile and inland ports of mid-America. The
Alabama bond will fund bridge relocation. The
project, which is mostly federally funded, could be
delayed by a suit filed against it by a railroad and
an environmental group.
Iowa department heads have been warned by
Gov. Robert D. Ray that it is improper for them to drink during lunch hours or while on state
business.
North Carolina Gov. James E. Holshouser, Jr.,
a Republican, invited Gov.-elect James B. Hunt,
Jr., a Democrat, to work with him on a proposed
1977 state budget. The spending package, which
was presented to the advisory budget commission, represents the viewpoints of both men.
California strikes down death penalty
In a unanimous decision the California Supreme Court ruled that the state's death penalty
law is unconstitutional because it does not allow
for consideration of mitigating circumstances as
required in guidelines laid down by the U.S.
Supreme Court last July. The state court ruled
that a requirement of the law that mitigating
circumstances cannot be considered by a jury if a
crime involves special enumerated circumstances
violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments
to the Constitution. This is the second time in five
years that California's capital punishment statute
has been struck down by the state high court.
Wyoming wins state's rights
Wyoming dropped its lawsuit against the U.S.
Department of the Interior after winning federal
recognition of the state's right to enforce its own
environmental protection laws regarding reclamation of lands, including federally owned coal deposits.
South Dakota disagrees on car search
Help for Penn crime victims Equal rights to beer in Oklahoma New Jersey and Pennsylvania trade taxes
In a rare occurrence, the South Dakota Supreme Court declined to follow the lead of the
U.S. Supreme Court in a criminal case. The federal court ruled in 1974 that the search of car towed
for illegal parking in which marijuana was subsequently found was legal, but the State Supreme Court on a petition for rehearing said the search is
illegal under the South Dakota Constitution.
Legislation providing compensation for crime
victims was signed into law by Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Shapp. At least 15 states including Illinois now have such laws.
An Oklahoma law that allowed 18-year-old
females to buy 3.2 per cent beer but required that
males be 21 was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
A reciprocal tax agreement between the
governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania
requires residents of each state who work in the
other to pay only their home state's income tax.
Effective in 1978, the new system should make it
easier for most affected workers to fill out their
income tax forms.
Wisconsin voids 'negative school aid' law
Hawaii makes loans for jobs Penn legislature controls federal funds Statute didn't raise utility costs
Wisconsin can no longer require wealthy school
districts to send their tax money to the state for
redistribution to poorer school districts. The state
Supreme Court ruled the 1973 "negative school
aid" law unconstitutional because it required local
taxing authorities of one district to levy and collect
taxes for other school districts.
Hawaii and its state banks have teamed up on a
special loan program to businesses to foster new
employment. The state is offering loans of $10,000
per person hired and up to $100,000 for each
qualified business that agrees to hire and train
unemployed persons on a permanent basis.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly has the
constitutional power to control all federal funds
spent as augmentations to the state budget. This
ruling by the commonwealth court upheld 1976
laws prohibiting the expenditure of federal grant
monies in the state until they are approved by the
legislature. The decision may be appealed to the
State Supreme Court.
Michigan's liberal consumer protection laws
have not raised utility costs according to a Public
Service Commission study. The study of six
companies found that the utility firms had no
more trouble collecting bills under the new laws,
which prohibit deposits for gas and electric service
and ban fees for late bill payment, than under the
former rules./ M.S.K.
March 1977 / Illinois Issues / 21