Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg has asked the Legislature's chief legal counsel for a progress report on his legislation to reduce the number of senators from 15 to nine.
In a letter made public Monday, Donastorg reminded Constance Krieger that he had submitted the proposal on Jan. 8, before the 24th Legislature was sworn in.
"Additionally, this legislation comes as a result of a referendum whereby the voters overwhelmingly supported a Legislature downsize," Donastorg said in the letter, dated Feb. 22. "It should be among this body's very highest priorities and not subject to delay despite the wishes of controlling authorities who seek to bury it."
Krieger refused to comment on the letter Monday.
Donastorg's measure was also supported by the Source's first reader poll earlier this month, when reducing the size of the Legislature topped poll respondents' concerns by a margin of 2-1/2 to 1 over the No. 2 priority, overriding Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's veto of a measure creating a semi-independent tourism authority.
Nearly a half-dozen bills have already been introduced and assigned in the Legislature; all of them were sponsored by members of the Senate majority bloc. Donastorg is a minority bloc senator.
The letter requests that Krieger submit a brief progress report to Donastorg's office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, with a projected date of completion.
