Gung-Ho Legislators

For the first time in Arizona's 55-year history, Republican majorities were elected in both chambers of the state legislature last November. Unaccustomed though they were to the role of proposing rather than opposing, the Republicans have learned quickly. They moved the starting hour for both House and Senate from 10 to 9, replaced the Senate's pretty female pages with less distracting college boys. Thus girded, they went to work on newly elected Republican Governor John R. Williams' ambitious program. As they approached the end of their first session this week, the lawmakers had chucked the do-nothing image of previous legislatures.

A new smog-control law was enacted, requiring individual counties to take action but also giving the state power to step in if nothing is done at the local level. A long-needed reform centralized the state's fragmented, inefficient purchasing system. Plans are in the works to revamp the scandal-ridden Liquor Control Board, stripping it of its responsibility for narcotics control. In the traditionally delicate area of ethics, some tough new regulations were enacted, including one that bars a legislator and any of his family from doing business with the state.

As if that record of accomplishment were not impressive enough, Arizona's gung-ho legislators are already getting set to do more. A special 20-day session has been scheduled for September to tackle the problem of adopting uniform property-evaluation and assessment practices throughout the state.

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