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courage in difficulty; and perseverance in every ju s t cause; through Jesus

C hrist our Lord. Amen.

The oath of office was administered to Governor-elect Harold B.

Hughes by Chief Justice Theodore G. Garfield of the Supreme Court
of Iowa.
The oath of office was administered to Lieutenant Governor-elect
Robert D. Pulton by Chief Justice Theodore G. Garfield of the
Supreme Court of Iowa.
President Mooty presented Lieutenant Governor Robert D. Fulton.
Lieutenant Governor Robert D. Pulton, President of the Senate
presiding, presented Governor Harold E. Hughes, who delivered the
following inaugural address:
IN A U G U R A L M ESSA G E TO T H E
SIX T Y -FIR ST G E N E R A L ASSEM BLY
by
HONORABLE HAROLD E . H U G H E S, GOVERNOR OF IOW A
Jo in t Session, Ja n u a ry 14, 1965
M r . P r e s id e n t , M r . S p e a k e r , M r . C h i e f J u s t ic e , H o n o r a b l e S e n a t o r s
a n d R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s o f t h e S ix t y - f i r s t G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y , S t a t e
O f f i c i a l s , D i s t i n g u i s h e d G u e s t s , L a d ie s a n d G e n t l e m e n :

By official m ileage ch arts, th e distance from my home in Id a Grove to

th e S tate C apital is 140 miles.
A s I look back over th e p a s t few years, it seems to me th a t th e distance
from th a t com munity to th e G overnors office is so f a r th a t it should be
m easured in lig h t years.
P erm it me to say th a t I am deeply g rate fu l to the people of Iow a fo r
m aking th e trip possible fo r me in 1962 and fo r extending my stay fo r
another two y ears in 1964.
I am also deeply g ra te fu l fo r th e w arm reception you have accorded me
today and ea rlier in th e week when I brought you my S tate-of-the-S tate
message.
The brightness of th is beautiful, refurbished chamber is indicative of
the atm osphere of hope in which th is session has convened. The people of
Iowa expect g re a t things of th is S ixty-first session of th e G eneral Assem
bly. I am confident th e ir expectations will be m et w ith constructive action
of far-reach in g im portance to th e fu tu re of our state.
As a re su lt of the reapportionm ent p la n enacted by the 1964 Special
Session, Iow as legislative fam ily h as grown in size. I t has also undergone
a change in its political complexion. I am sure the members of both politi
cal p arties will understand th e pride I feel, on th is occasion of m y second
inaugural, to be addressing a General Assembly w ith m ajorities in both
houses of my own political p arty .
. The tran sitio n of a legislative delegation from th e position of a respon
sible m inority to th a t of a responsible m ajo rity req u ires wisdom and
concerted effort. A nd th e change from m ajo rity to m inority sta tu s h a s its
problems also. I have no doubt th a t the members of both delegations are
equal to th e challenge. This is tw o-party governm ent in action. We are all
deeply committed to a belief in our tw o-party system and we a re all aw are

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th a t in the final analysis our m ajor responsibilities here rise above th e

confines of n arrow partisanship.
In m y first inaugural, I addressed an Assembly in which th e re w as a
commanding m ajo rity of the opposing p arty . I t w as w idely conjectured
w hether or not we could w ork together to achieve constructive legislation.
The record of th e Sixtieth Session tells th e story. We had our differences;
we had our disputes; b u t in the re g u la r session and in the special session,
legislation of lastin g im portance to our sta te w as enacted. I have every
confidence we will see another outstanding record this year.
In my State-of-the-S tate m essage to this jo in t assembly, I suggested th a t
p erhaps th e m ost im portant single development in Iow a in recent years has
been the relaxation of prejudices among groups trad itio n ally a t odds in
our sta te and the emergence of a new sp irit of co-operation in causes fo r
th e common good. The lack of th is sp irit in years p ast has unquestionably
been a d eterren t to our grow th and development. To those of you who are
serving in the leg islature fo r th e first time, I would point o ut th a t in years
gone by there have even been sharp differences between the two houses of
our bicam eral legislature.
The story is told concerning a member of th e House of Representatives
whose wife sa t up in bed in the middle of the nig h t and w hispered to her
husband: I th in k th e re a re robbers in the house. The R epresentative
woke up ju s t enough to m u tte r: Impossible. In the Senate, yes. B u t in
th e House, n e v e r/
Seriously, addressing th e new members again, I am sure you will find th e
p revailing atm osphere to be one of good will and constructive purpose.
As chief executive, I have been given certain responsibilities by o u r sta te
constitution in the legislative process. I assure you I will carry out those
responsibilities to th e best of my ability, and will, a t th e same tim e, accord
fu ll respect to the trad itio n al prerogatives of th e legislature. T here will be
no cut-and-dried H ughes bills, as such, sent to you from the first floor.
T his is not my concept of th e executives responsibility in th e legislative
process. I construe it to be the job of the executive to suggest guidelines
fo r legislation and to keep in close consultation w ith th e m em bers of th e
Assembly, b u t th e actual m aking of the laws is the business of the legis
la tu re. I will communicate my views to your legislative leadership on a
continuing basis and through special m essages to th e Assembly if i t appears
th ey would be useful. The doors of my office will be open to th e members
of both political p arties a t all times.
I t is generally recognized th a t th e basis of good legislation is compromise
n ot compromise of basic principle, but give and tak e in personal view
points to arriv e a t legislation th a t is in the best public interest. E very
legislator who has occupied a desk in these cham bers has been faced
a t tim es w ith th e difficult choice of choosing between th e in terests of his
p a rtic u la r constituency and th e in terests of th e entire state. I blame no
member fo r representing to th e best of his ability the in terests of the
d istric t th a t elected him. On th e m ajor issues, however, I hope and believe
th a t we can arriv e a t solutions th a t will be fo r th e long-range good of all
of Iowa.
In this reference, it is my belief th a t you have m ade a highly constructive
beginning by th e action you have taken to elim inate secrecy in th e legisla
tive process. In my opinion, this action m ust be ranked, along w ith reappor
tionm ent, as one of th e two m ost significant legislative reform s of th e
p resen t century. The stream lining of your committee system is another
signal im provem ent in th e legislative process.
You have, in effect, cleared th e decks fo r action on th e momentous issues

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th a t stand before you. I w ish you Godspeed in your im p o rtan t w ork and
pledge to you my co-operation and good will in all phases of your endeavors.
Today, I respectfully subm it to you my general recom m endations fo r
legislative action in th e cu rren t session. As you know, th e details of my
financial recommendations will be contained in the budget m essage which
w ill be delivered la te r th is month. Obviously, in th e tim e allotted to me, it
would be impossible to cover every phase in detail. B u t here in condensed
form a re the m ajo r points:
ECONOMIC D E V E LO PM EN T
In my S tate-of-the-S tate message, I outlined fo r you th e salient facts
concerning Iow as record-breaking economic grow th in th e p a s t two years.
These included the attain m en t of new peaks in th e value of m anufactured
goods, employment, personal income and new in d u strial developments. I
am sure th a t we can all agree th a t one of our m ost im p o rtan t responsi
bilities is to sustain th is momentum and to take w hatever action is needed
to strengthen and diversify our grow ing economy.
A num ber of th e m easures vital to th e continuing advancem ent of our
economy a re included in th e fram ew ork of recommended legislation in such
fields as education, sta te governm ent reorganization, conservation and ta x
ation. Looking to th e fu tu re , i t is clear th a t if p riv ate investm ent is to
flourish a t th e optim um level, we m u st be w illing to make th e public invest
m ents and governm ental reform s required to assure continuing economic
growth. A num ber of other proposals rela tin g to th e stim ulation of our
economy can be carried out w ithout legislation, save fo r additional appro
priations to existing agencies.
My recommendations rela tin g to th e sta te s economic development a re as
follows: (1) The establishm ent of a state-w ide system of a re a vocationaltechnical train in g . (2) The development of a to u rist and trav el prom otion
p rogram in our Development Commission to obtain our rig h tfu l sh are of
a m a rk e t estim ated a t $40 billion annually in th e U nited States. (I m ight
add th a t this to u rist prom otion program would include and give increased
em phasis to the F arm V acation program th a t has recently been inaugurated
by th is adm inistration.) (3) E nactm ent of the U niform Commercial Code to
b rin g Iow as law s dealing w ith commercial transaction s of all kinds up to
date and in line w ith sim ilar legislation in other states. (4) E xpansion of
existing program s to develop g re a te r in d u strial use of Iow as ag ricu ltu ral
products. (5) E lim ination of the moneys and credits ta x w ith a provision
fo r replacem ent of its revenue fo r distribution to th e u n its of local govern
m ent. (6) Increased effort to obtain a f a ir share of fed eral governm ent
contracts and federal research facilities fo r Iowa. T his should be done on
a sta te basis and also on a regional basis through continued co-operation
w ith th e M idwest Governors Conference and th e Midwest Resources Asso
ciation. (7) Increased em phasis on th e promotion of foreign trad e in
ag ric u ltu ral and in d u strial products, including the possibility of a trad e
mission of key in d u strial and ag ric u ltu ral leaders abroad. (8) C ontinuation
of th e Sell Iow a missions to the natio n s leading ind u strial complexes in
the in terests of recruiting new indu stry fo r the state.
A PPO R T IO N M E N T
I t is my sincere hope th a t this Assembly will m eet the problem of legis
lative reapportionm ent head-on.
I am well aw are of the difficulty of th e task. I am well aw are of the pro-

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[Jan . 14,

found differences of view point th a t exist in th e leg islatu re and in th e sta te

on th e subject of w h at constitutes f a ir apportionm ent. B u t I believe our
responsibility is clearly outlined before us.
D espite the events of th e p a st year, I think th a t much of our thinking
reg ard in g apportionm ent in th is sta te is more emotional th a n realistic.
Most Iowans, including myself, did not believe th a t the federal court r u l
ings on apportionm ent would hew to population as closely as they have.
M any Iowans, including myself, w ere thinking in term s of a two-house
legislative p a tte rn w ith m oderate area representation in one house. This
would still be acceptable to me.
B u t I believe deeply - in the Constitution of th e U nited States and its
g u arantees of th e rig h ts of all citizens, regardless of race, color, creed, sex
o r place of residence. Moreover, I believe deeply in our th re e -p a rt system
of governm ent and in th e rig h t and ability of th e Suprem e C ourt to in te r
p re t th e constitution. The law of the land has been ruled to m ean one
person, one vote, and I believe we can live w ith it in Iowaas citizens
can live w ith it elsewhere in the U nited S tatesin an atm osphere of justice
and good will.
I will oppose and I hope this Assembly will oppose any attem p t to alter
th e U nited S tates constitution to cu rtail th e au th o rity of th e courts in th is
area. I f the au th o rity of th e courts is im paired w ith respect to determ ining
equality of voting rig h ts, the door will be open fo r f u rth e r dism antling of
the courts trad itio n al powers to uphold the civil rig h ts gu aran teed to all
citizens by our constitution.
I t is my recommendation th a t th e legislature deal w ith th e reapportion
m ent problem in tw o w aysa constitutional am endm ent fo r th e long ran g e
and a thorough look a t our p resen t tem porary reapportionm ent law to
m ake sure it m eets th e la te st guidelines of th e courts.
A constitutional am endm ent initiated by th is session could be designed to
become effective following th e census of 1970. In my view, such an am end
m ent should be draw n in the broadest possible term s. I t should sta te th a t
th e legislature, following th e n ex t census and every ten y ears th e re afte r,
would enact such m easures as would guaran tee to every citizen his consti
tu tio nal rig h ts a t the polling place. A simple, effective and ironclad en
forcem ent clause should be included.
In the m eantim e we also have an imm ediate problem. The la st G eneral
Assembly, as you know, approved two reapportionm ent plansth e interim
plan under which we a re now functioning and a p erm anent plan in th e
form of a constitutional am endment. I believe th a t the la tte r is inadequate
in v irtu ally all respects and should be rejected.
A lthough I have saidand I feelth a t th e tem p o rary plan offers re a
sonable equality of voting rig h ts fo r all our citizens, recent court decisions
indicate th a t th e re m ay be some question a s to w hether th e S enate under
th e tem porary plan would be adequate fo r th e period un til a new perm anent
plan becomes effective. I believe we have a responsibility to show good
fa ith w ith the courts and w ith our people by moving in th e direction charted
by n ot one, b u t m any judicial decisions.
A s I have stated before, I fav o r sub-districting in legislative d istricts in
which th e re a re a num ber of representatives elected to one house.
PU B LIC SCHOOL ED U C A TIO N
People a re Iow as m ost valuable asset. L abor earnings in Iow a a re over
th ree tim es th e earnings of capital and land combined. O ur rich land, our
v a s t system of highw ays, our cities w ith th e ir factories and homesall

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of them combined a re n o t as valuable as our people. And in th is m odem

age, educated m inds and skilled hands a re needed to o perate Iowa effec
tively. N a tu ra l resources, raw hands, and in n ate intelligence can n ot in
themselves m ake a sta te productive and well off. T he teem ing millions of
A sia a re am ple evidence th a t it is n o t th e size of a sta te s population b u t
th e skill and ability of its people th a t a re im portant. F o r our sta te s eco
nomic development as well as fo r th e attain m en t of th e good life, invest
m ent in education a t all levels is essential.
C ertainly no service of governm ent in Iow a can be rate d m ore im p o rtan t
th a n th e education of our children and youth fo r which we spend approxi
m ately 300 million each year.
In m y rep o rt on the sta te of th e state, I outlined th e progress th a t has
been m ade in school d istric t reorganization and in teacher qualification in
recent years.
A s everyone knows, the m ain problem in public school education in Iowa
is to find an adequate and equitable w ay of financing th e needs of approxi
m ately 1,100 local school districts.
I am convinced th a t th e m ajority of th e people of Iowa w an t a la rg e r
sh are of sta te revenues distributed to local school d istricts to ease th e
burden of constantly risin g school costs on local pro p erty taxes. I w ill make
a specific proposal in th is are a in my budget message.
My recommendations rela tin g to public school education include th e fo l
lowing: (1) Increasing of sta te aid to local school districts. (2) Im prove
m ent and clarification of existing school reorganization laws. (3) Develop
m ent of m eaningful approval standards and clarification of the au th o rity
to adm inister those standards.
H IG H ER EDUCATION
From th e standpoint of economic growth, as well as th e development
of higher levels of culture and quality living, our institutions of higher
learning, both public and private, are am ong th e sta te s m ost valuable assets.
The economy of any area has m any componentsn a tu ra l resources, tr a n s
portation, power, labor, capital, m arkets and education. The lack of one
restric ts the full potential of th a t a re a s economy. More and more we see
th a t h igher education and its institutions are foundations fo r our new larg e
and sophisticated industries.
Education is of two-fold benefit as we can see by looking a t th e states
of California and M assachusetts. By having excellence of facilities and
staff as girding, they have used governm ent project research g ran ts and
p rivate industry to create educational-industrial complexes which feed into
th eir sta te economies by building on them selves. We can see this trend
shaping in Iowa, as an increasing num ber of modern industrial plants are
locating here and using th e resources of our universities and th eir trained
manpower.
W ith respect to higher education as well as public school instruction, the
m ajor problem is to provide the increased financing required to m eet ex
panding enrollm ents w ith adequate facilities and quality instruction. My
budget m essage will include significant increases fo r th e sta te in stitu tio n
operating budgets.
As I have sta te d before, I am deeply interested in g ettin g sta rted w ith
a long-range program fo r capital im provem ents of sta te institutions, even
if on a m odest basis to begin with.
I recommend th a t consideration be given to initiating a state-supported
and adm inistered scholarship program based on both ability and need.

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In general, in our efforts to upgrade the programs of all our state insti
tutions, I think we should realize th at tuition rates cannot be raised to
any marked degree beyond existing levels without depriving a large per
centage of our young people of the opportunity for a university education.
The tax-exempt status of newly acquired income-producing property of
private colleges in Iowa should, in my opinion, be terminated. However,
income-producing properties held by private colleges prior to the time the
new law is enacted should continue to be exempt for a reasonable period of
time.
VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL TRAINING
I t is my recommendation th a t a high priority should be assigned to legis
lation to make possible establishment of a state-wide system of area
vocational-technical training schools, with the administration of the area
schools vested in a local board th a t would be representative of the school
districts located in the area. The local districts should participate only
to a modest extentperhaps a mill of taxationin the area involved; the
state should provide the main financing with the assistance of federal funds
th a t would be available.
Wherever feasible and when the people in the local districts are willing,
vocational-technical training centers should be combined with community
colleges. I t is my belief th at a t least four vocational-technical training
centers should be placed under construction in Iowa in the near future.
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
I believe the time has come to take action on a number of long-needed
phases of government reorganization th a t have been recommended by legistive committees and leaders of both political parties for many years. The
recommendations I submit to you are for the following:
(1) A four-year term for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor with
the provision th a t they run for election as members of the same political
p arty in off-year elections. (2) Shortening of the ballot by providing for
the appointment by the Governor of the State Treasurer, Secretary of State
and Secretary of Agriculture, and appointment by the legislature of the
State Auditor. (3) Annual sessions of the General Assembly, with the
alternate session confined to budget and appropriations matters, and with
a provision for more adequate compensation for members of the Assembly.
(4) Granting of authority to the Governor to reorganize agencies of the
state government, subject to veto by the legislature. (5) Granting to the
Governor the power of item veto in appropriations bills. (6) Creation of a
state planning agency within the existing framework of state government
for long-range planning and inter-agency co-ordination. (7) Reorganization
of the state tax commission with designation of a single tax adm inistrator
responsible for collection of taxes, and with the three-man tax commission
to serve as an appeal board. (8) Consolidation of the Departments of
Labor, Mines and Mining, and the Industrial Commissioner into a single
department. (9) Consolidation of the functions of the Car Dispatcher,
State Printing Board and a Central Purchasing Authority under the Ex
ecutive Council.
LABOR
W ith respect to labor legislation, I repeat the recommendation I made
in my F irst Inaugural Address and in subsequent statements, calling for

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67

the modification of the right-to-work law to eliminate the statutory pro

hibition of union shop contracts between employers and employees.
My recommendations in this area also include enactment of a state indus
trial safety law and a realistic review of our workmens compensation and
unemployment compensation laws, which are basically sound but need
updating to meet current conditions.
ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
I believe the death penalty, which has not proved a deterrent to crime
and which inflicts spiritual damage upon a civilized society, should be
eliminated from the statutes.
CONSERVATION
In the light of the constructive long-range planning th at has been carried
out by the Conservation Commission in the past two years, the most urgent
need in this area is for acquisition of forests, w ater areas and regions
suitable for future recreation uses by the people of Iowa. The foundation
should be laid for a continuing program to meet this overriding need, in
order th a t future generations of Iowans will not be deprived of outdoor
recreational opportunities.
The settlement of the Iowa-Nebraska boundary dispute, recommended
elsewhere in this message, will open up a vast potential area for wildlife
and outdoor recreation in western Iowa.
Legislation is needed to provide for state financing of the development
and maintenance of rest areas along the interstate system and other major
highways in the state.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The conflict of interest statutes should be revised and clarified so th at
qualified citizens will not be needlessly discouraged from serving in govern
ment, particularly in small communities. I t is my opinion th at this can
be done with adequate safeguards to protect the public interest.
IOWA-NEBRASKA BOUNDARY
I would urge the Assembly to ratify the settlement of the Iowa-Nebraska
boundary dispute recommended by the boundary committees of both states,
in order to settle long-pending questions of land ownership and to open up
the W estern Slope of Iowa to commercial, industrial and recreational de
velopment.
HIGHWAYS
I recommend th a t the General Assembly enact a one-cent increase in
the gasoline tax to be allocated to the state prim ary system. The program
of curb leveling on our older and narrow er prim ary roads should be con
tinued as rapidly as possible, along with the widening of narrow bridges
and other modernizations vital to driving safety.
High priority should be given by the Highway Commission to speeding up
the construction of a system of four-lane highways to connect our major
cities, while maintaining the best possible service to lesser-populated areas.
As I have stated before, I favor the reorganization of the administrative

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[Jan . 14,

stru ctu re of th e H ighw ay Commission to place the non-engineering func

tions of the s ta te s v a st highw ay program under the direct supervision of a
qualified adm inistrator.
LIQUOR CONTROL
In m y opinion, the liquor control legislation enacted by the la st session
of the Assem bly has proved beneficial and workable in m ost respects.
However, th e re are some im provem ents th a t should be made. I would,
therefore, recommend legislation to : (1) Make uniform the days and hours
d uring which liquor and beer can legally be sold. (2) P erm it th e issuance
of six-m onth or eight-m onth liquor licenses to seasonal club operators. (3)
A uthorize th e g ran tin g of quan tity discounts only to commercial establish
m ents holding liquor licenses.
In addition, I consider it highly im portant th a t the liquor control law be
amended to correct flaws pointed up by the recent Iowa Supreme Court de
cision rela tin g to the serving of liquor a t private parties. It would ap p ear
th a t if the law is not corrected it could provide a loophole fo r the retu rn of
illegal operations resem bling th e old key club.
SCHOOL BUS ISSU E
I rep eat my 1963 inaugural recommendation th a t th e sta te law be amended
to allow all children to ride on public school buses.
FREEDOM OF INFORM ATION
A s previously stated, I congratulate the S ixty-first General Assembly
on the historic elim ination of secrecy in th e legislative process, and reaffirm
th is adm inistrations policy of providing th e press and th e public open
access to inform ation regarding activities of sta te government.
PUBLIC D EFE N D ER
I rep eat m y recommendation of two years ago th a t th e legislature con
sider th e establishm ent of a public defender system to provide adequate
legal defense fo r all accused persons regardless of th e ir ability to pay.
ALCOHOLISM TREATM ENT FACILITY
I strongly recommend th a t consideration be given to th e possibility of
establishing a long-needed alcoholism trea tm e n t center to provide effective
medical aid and rehabilitation fo r victim s of a disease th a t afflicts more
th a n 50,000 Iowans. A t a la te r date details and a possible site fo r th is
center will be recommended.
COMMISSION ON THE AGING
In its recent report, the Governors Commission on th e A ging recom
mended legislation to create a perm anent sta te commission to deal w ith
the problem s of our older residents and to co-ordinate state, county and
local activities in this area. This recom m endation has my complete support.
PUBLIC H EALTH
In the past, the D epartm ent of Public H ealth has been severely handi
capped by inadequate staff and appropriations. Steps have been taken in
the la st two years to strengthen th e departm ent w ithin these lim itations.

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To provide fo r an improved program of public h ealth services fo r the

people of Iowa, I recommend th a t th e Assembly adopt th e recommendations
subm itted la st y ear by th e Governors Public H ealth Advisory Committee,
including: (1) Removal of unreasonable lim itations on th e sa lary fo r the
Commissioner of Public H ealth. (2) Increased funds fo r th e D epartm ent of
H ealth, independent of fees. (3) Revisions in th e composition and functions
of th e S tate Board of H ealth. (4) Legislation perm ittin g local tax atio n
specifically fo r health services.
SOCIAL W ELFA R E
A s I have stated before, I am firm ly convinced th a t efficiently adm in
istered program s to m eet hum an needs in w elfare are a sound investm ent in
th e fu tu re of our state. Inadequate, loosely adm inistered program s which
fa il in th eir m ission of helping people to help them selves are w asteful
because they do not accomplish th e ir basic objective.
The adm inistration of th e social w elfare program s in Iowa involves large
sums of money. Changing tim es have brou g h t new approaches and concepts
in w elfare adm inistration.
Periodically all departm ents can benefit from a comprehensive study of
th e ir organizational stru ctu re by outside authorities. I believe it would be
beneficial a t th is tim e if qualified officials of th e D epartm ent of H ealth,
Education and W elfare w ere to study th e entire stru ctu re and adm inistra
tion of th e public assistance p rogram in Iowa and m ake recommendations
fo r organizational change and m odernization in the sta te w elfare d ep art
ment.
M ENTAL H EA LTH
In Iowa we are today m eeting th e challenge posed by recent medical
advancem ent in the field of psychiatry and changing concepts in th e tr e a t
m ent of m ental illness by reassessing our curren t position and form ulating
a new realistic plan fo r the fu tu re. F o r the p a st eighteen m onths literally
thousands of people throughout th e sta te directly and indirectly, have been
p articip atin g in two planning groupsone under the Iowa M ental H ealth
A uthority, planning fo r m ental illness, and one under th e B oard of Control,
planning fo r m ental retardation. The resu lts of th is planning will be com
pleted in final d ra ft w ithin th e n ex t six months.
In addition to this, th e la st General Assembly designated the D epartm ent
of Public H ealth as th e sta te agency to adm inister th e federal-aid program
fo r construction of facilities fo r m ental health and m ental retard atio n . I t is
possible th a t additional legislation will be necessary to clarify th e rela
tionship between sta te and local communities in the allocation and adm in
istratio n of federal and m atching funds.
CORRECTIONS
F o r m any years, one of th e m ost u rg en t needs in our corrections system s
has been fo r a security hospital fo r m entally disordered prison inm ates.
About 12 percent of our prison inm ates are m entally disordered and need
treatm en t, and a t th e p resent tim e we do not have a security hospital
facility in which they can receive th a t treatm en t. I t is high tim e th a t we
m et th is need to avoid the possibility of retu rn in g inm ates to society as
dangerous as when they entered th e institution.
L ast y ea r I m ade th e suggestion th a t certain farm s owned by th e Board

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[Jan. 14,

of Control institutions which appear to be losing money and are no longer

needed for rehabilitation purposes should be sold and returned to local tax
rolls. If this is done, the money should he used for capital improvements
a t the institutions and the building of a maximum security hospital should
be a first priority.
I have long held the opinion th a t the state should have a long-range
program for capital improvements a t our state institutions. Any lands
owned by the state, which are no longer needed fo r the purpose fo r which
they were intended, or for future expansion, should be disposed of and the
proceeds made available to the institutions for capital improvements.
With further reference to the field of corrections, I hope th a t in the
foreseeable future we may have a pre-sentence investigation for every
felony case. The use of probation and parole has been substantially and
successfully increased in recent years, and it is my opinion th a t we should
continue to make increased use of this sound and economical alternative
to extend incarceration.
I t is generally recognized th at our juvenile and penal codes need revision
to bring about greater uniformity of practice. I believe consideration should
also be given to the enactment of a Model Sentencing Act in Iowa.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Three major actions have been taken by the state government in the past
two years to eliminate discrimination for reasons of race, color and creed.
One was the enactment of the first F a ir Employment Practices Act in the
states history. The second was my issuance of an executive order to forbid
discrimination in all departments of government under my jurisdiction. The
third was the constructive effort of the Governors Human Rights Commis
sion.
It is my recommendation th a t this Assembly pass legislation creating a
statutory Human Rights Commission with an appropriation adequate to
hire the required staff and to conduct the investigative and educational
activities of the Commission.
PUBLIC SAFETY
In my State-of-the-State message, I indicated the seriousness of the traffic
safety problem and stated th a t several measures of im portant legislation
would be needed to give the Department of Public Safety the resources
needed to administer a sound safety program.
Specifically, I am recommending a 100-man increase in the Iowa Highway
Safety Patrol, with 50 men to be added in each year of the biennium. In
order to expedite the recruiting and training of these men, and to get them
on the highways as soon as possible, I am asking th at this legislation have
priority and th a t it be made effective upon publication.
I also recommend th at a thorough study be made of our speed limits and
th at legislation be enacted to reduce those th a t are too high.
Among the other measures which I believe are needed for public safety
are: (1) Expanded driver education programs for the young people of our
state. (2) Legislation requiring seat belts in all new cars sold in Iowa.
(3) Fully reflectorized license plates. (4) Strengthening of the temporary
driving permit program. (5) Steps leading to periodic re-examination of all
licensed drivers. (6) Legislative studies to update the state motor vehicle
code for the first time since 1946 and to look into the advantages of state
wide motor vehicle inspection.

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71

This is a broad program requiring much work on the p a rt of the legis

lature, but I believe th a t the staggering loss of lives, the injuries and the
economic loss suffered on Iowa highways demands such positive, concrete
action.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
One of the most promising approaches to gaining new levels of efficiency
and economy in government is through intergovernmental co-operation.
This has been a comparatively untapped resource in Iowa and it is high
time we took advantage of it.
A t this point I am not referring to actual consolidation of government
such as has been effected in Dade County, Florida, and other metropolitan
regions, but simply to common sense co-operation between the units of local
governmentthe counties, the municipalities and the school boardsand
between local government jurisdictions and the state. Through joint plan
ning and joint use of services and facilities, substantial benefits and savings
can be effected.
Early in 1964, I appointed a Governors Commission on State and Local
Government with representation from the various governmental jurisdic
tions and from private citizens in all p arts of the state. This Commission
has performed an invaluable service as a study group and sounding board
for awakening state-wide interests in new approaches to intergovernmental
co-operation.
One of the recommendations of this Commission is for a law to g ra n t broad
authority to units of state and local government in Iowa to enter into
contracts for joint use of facilities and services.
I strongly recommend the enactment of this proposal.
MUNICIPAL HOME RULE
The Sixtieth General Assembly enacted the first legislation in modern
times to g ran t cities and towns a measure of self-determination in their local
affairs. A constitutional amendment to grant these powers was first sub
mitted under the sponsorship of the League of Iowa Municipalities. This
passed the Senate by a wide margin, but died in the sifting committee of
the House. Subsequently, a statute granting home rule powers to local
communities was enacted into law.
Last fall, this statute was ruled unconstitutional in a test case in Greene
County district court. I understand it is now under appeal to the Supreme
Court.
I believe th a t a home rule amendment should be adopted by this Assembly
to assure local communities of the self-government in local affairs they
have long demanded and sorely needed.
BILLBOARD CONTROL
For the benefit of our own citizens and for the benefit of tourists visiting
Iowa, I believe we should preserve the scenic beauties of our Iowa country
side by enacting legislation to control the erection of billboards along our
interstate highway system. I t is significant and a gesture in the public
interest th a t the Iowa Outdoor Advertising Association has publicly an
nounced th a t it will not oppose this legislation in the present session. I
sincerely hope th a t this Assembly will adopt a sound billboard control
measure.

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[Jan . 14,

STATE O FFIC E BUILDING

In m y budget m essage, I will recommend the allocation of funds fo r
acquisition of land and construction of a new sta te office building in line
w ith th e recommendations of the Capitol P lanning Commission. The sta te
governm ent has so outgrow n its p resent facilities th a t some agencies are
located in two condemned buildings on the Capitol grounds, while nu
m erous others a re scattered in more th an a h alf dozen downtown locations
a t a cost to th e taxpayers of more th an $150,000 a year in rent.
DAYLIGHT TIM E
In order to elim inate th e confusion th a t has existed in the p ast, I recom
mend th a t legislation be enacted to m ake D aylight Time uniform in Iowa
during the sum m er months.
VOTER REGISTRATION
I believe we should encourage g re a te r participation in elections by m ak
ing it easier fo r our citizens to re g iste r to vote. I t is my recommendation
th a t sound m easures be taken to liberalize our voter reg istratio n laws,
p articu larly by lengthening th e hours of reg istratio n by m aking reg istratio n
available a t more accessible locations during certain periods.
AGRICULTURE
A t this point a new adm inistration in the office of th e S ecretary of
A griculture is ta k in g a fresh inventory of the services th is departm ent
offers to the farm ers of Iowa.
I t is m y recom m endation th a t a com prehensive effort in inter-agency
planning between the S ecretary of A griculture, the Development Commis
sion, th e U niversity Extension Services, and a num ber of o th er sta te
agencies be undertaken to develop new program s fo r the benefit of Iowa
farm ers.
W ith reference to federal farm policies, the best a Governor can prom
ise w ith any degree of candor is to fight w ith all the energy and influence
a t his command fo r the interests of Iowa farm ers in connection w ith fed
eral legislation and policy-making. This I have done in th e p ast; th is I will
continue to do in the term ahead.
COURT STUDY COMMITTEE
Each session of the G eneral Assembly, a num ber of com mittee and com
missions are created by the legislature to study a given are a during the
interim period and then to subm it th e ir findings to the n ex t session.
One of the m ost valuable studies completed since the la st session of the
Assembly is th a t of the Legislative Court Study Commission.
W hile I do n o t agree w ith every phase of th e Commissions recom
m endations, I do agree w ith much of it and w ith the objective of upgrading
our co urt system , particularly a t the local level. I recommend th is rep o rt
to th e Assembly and for study and fo r possible legislative action.
PERSO N N EL
I f we are to sustain the unprecedented forw ard movement th a t Iowa has
achieved in the la st two years, we m u st gain fo r governm ent th e ability
to compete w ith p rivate indu stry fo r qualified personnel.

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73

Recently we had the Public A dm inistration Service m ake a study of

salaries of key officials in sta te governm ent.
In
th e lig h t of th e ir findi
we have found support fo r our intention to m ake significant increases in
the salaries of those officials.
I t is my hope th a t th is Assembly w ill enact civil service fo r sta te em
ployees. Quite frankly i t seems illogical th a t we should require municipal
governm ent, a fte r it reaches a certain size, to come under civil service,
only to deny i t to our own sta te employees.
*

I intended to deliver a speech here todaynot an encyclopedia. Y et,

if my speech, by its very w eight in printed form , conveys to anyone the
idea th a t sta te governm ent is a big operation; then perh ap s it has served
some useful purpose.
I think of m any v ita l areas of governm ent th a t I have n ot had tim e to
touch uponincluding th e sta te program s fo r rehabilitation of th e phys
ically handicapped, th e orientation and train in g of th e blind, th e special
education program s fo r retard ed children, and the research in our univer
sities, extending from the quest fo r new uses fo r fa rm products to th e
probing of th e m ysteries of outer space.
All of these are p a r t of th e m ighty hum an resource program s of our
sta te governm ent, which th is adm inistration is firm ly com m itted to sus
tain ing and strengthening.
In m y first inaugural m essage, I said; The scope of governm ent covers
th e entire spectrum of hum an life . . . As I see it, th e responsibility of a
new adm inistration is to take a to ta l approachra th e r th a n to concentrate
on a few areas and neglect th e others.
This, ladies and gentlem en, I have done to th e best of my ability.
In th a t first inaug ural, I also said: F rankly, I expect to experim ent
and m ake some m istakes.
This statem ent I have also fulfilled, I m ight add.
If you will forgive a purely personal viewpoint, ladies and gentlem en, I
would say th a t in th e p a s t two y ears we have seen a revolution of attitu d e
in this state. I am not suggesting th a t we have changed our fundam ental
beliefs and impulses. I am suggesting only th a t we have re a rran g e d them
and changed our outlook.
We have sw ung from a negative to an affirmative point of view. W e have,
I think, reached a clearer distinction between w h at is rig h t and w h at is only
self-righteous. We have regained ou r poise, our sense of ven tu re and our
fa ith in th e fu tu re . We have relaxed some of ou r old prejudices and ex
hibited a new w illingness to w ork together fo r common goals. In short, we
have gained m a tu rity and u n ity of purpose as a society. And th is bodes
well fo r Iow as fu tu re .
On th is m emorable occasion, my h e a rt is fu ll of g ra titu d e fo r th e help
and the courtesy w e have received in the p a st tw o y ears fro m th e members
of th e G eneral Assembly and from th e people of Iowa.
On behalf of m y w ife and fam ily and myself, I th a n k you all.
The people of th is sta te a re an energetic and self-relian t breed w ith
g re a t staying power and sp iritu al strength. T he beau ty and abundance
of th e sta te a re beyond th e legendary dream s of th e promised land. Our
potential stands like a ta ll building ag a in st th e sky.
I t is my devout hope th a t th is adm inistration in th is e ra of prom ise
can provide th e people of Iow a w ith sound, forw ard-looking and hum ane
governm ent during th e biennium ahead.
To th is end, I pledge you my good will and my unreserved co-operation.