Senate Panel Oks Revised Divorce Bill

LANSING- A Senate committee has approved for passage a revised House bill that would remove often bitter courtroom wrangling from divorce proceedings. The bill basically would remove "fault" proceedings from divorce cases. Under present Michigan law, the partner of a marriage seeking a divorce must charge the other spouse with one of several specific grounds: desertion, adultery, imprisonment for more than three years, ' ., ■ physical incompetency, drunkenness, extreme cruelty. Under the bill now before the Senate, a judge could approve separation or divorce upon presentation of evidence that the relationship had broken down. The version passed by the House required him to make that conclusión before dissolving the marriage. The bill is a recommendation of the Michigan Law Revisión Commission. A s written, it would not repeal existing alimony or child port requirements that a judge may levy as part of a divorce settlement. In other action Wednesday, the Sentte voted 25-4 for a bilí detailing projects to be funded with some $23 million of the $100 million recreation bond issue approved by voters in 1968. The bill was sent to the House for further consideration. Put off until next week was a final vote on a bill that would repeal the $180 million "Spencer-Ryan" school aid plan for 1971-72 that was written into I the current year's school aid I act. Gov. Milliken has said I repeal of the section is necesI sary to balance the new year's I budget and the topic still is I being discussed in top level bipartisan spending and tax negotiations. In the House, the Elections Committee has favorably reported out a bilí which would put Michigan's primary election in May rather than August to the House floor for debate. The bill, reported on a 6-5 vote, is supported by Democrats in an attempt to meet the requirements set up by the Democratie National Committee for selection of delegates to the party's national presidential convention. The requirements resulted from recommendations made by a study committee headed by Sen. George McGovern, D-S.D., that the process of selection of delegates to the National Convention t a k e ■ place entirely during the year I of the convention. The purI pose of the new policy was to I open up the party to dissident points of view. At present, Michigan deleI gates to the National ConvenJ tion are chosen through a process beginning in the primary election two years prior t o the convention. The precinct delegates chosen in the primary piek delegates to the state convention where national delegates are chosen. In order for the entire selection process to be carried out in one year in Michigan, the primarys would have to be moved up several months in order to créate enough time between it and the national convention. In a related development, the House Wednesday passed and sent to the Senate two election bilis which would: - Permit a state presidential elector to resign by 48 hours of the time the electors meet to cast their votes for president and vice president if he cannot support the candidates nominated by his party's convention. Under the proposal, adopted 88-1, failure to resign would automatically signify acceptance of the party's nomination. i - Allow the state elections II commission to determine whether opposing political I parties should appear on the same side or the opposite side of the b'UUL xiie measure was approved 89-0. The House also has passed and sent to the Senate another bill that would delete collection this fall of the controversial $1 fee insured motorists p a y t o protect themselves against uninsured drivers. The action, requested by Secretary of State Richard H. I Austin, amounts to insurance I against possible legal stumI bling blocks to elimination of the fee when 1972 license W plates go on sale this fall. The Legislature canceled ff the politically touchy charge I earlier this year when it I approved a $45 million loan I from the Motor Vehiele 1 dent Claims Fund, more I monly called the uninsured motorists fund. But the bill waiving collection made a reference to to the "calendar" year, not the "registration" year which begins several months earlier. The House also adopted 92-0 a bill which would prohibit the importation or sale of animáis who are in danger of extinction. U n d e r the proposal, it would be illegal to buy or sell any animal or bird which is on the federal endangered species list. The ban would apply to live or dead animáis or any part of the animáis. Further, after April 1, 1972, it would be illegal to buy or sell any product made from leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, tiger, cheetah, polar bear, red wolf, alligator, crocodile, mountain lion, c o u g a r , ocelot, margay, juguar, gray or timber wolf o r f r e e roaming federal horse. A bin wViich wuuld raise the speed limit on Michigan's expressways from 70 to 80 miles per hour was introdu c e d Wednesday in the House. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Harold Clark, I ren, would also raise the I minimum speed on I ways from 45 to 50 miles per I hour. É i KS9