Bipartisan Bill Urges Acting Lieutenant Governor

I LANSING - The Senate is Imaking a bipartisan pitch to Icreate an "acting lieutenant Igovernor." The job, under a bilí sched: luled for introduction t o d a y, would go to the man selected by the Senate as its president pro tem. Sen. Thomas F. Schweigert, R-Petoskey, now holds that post. Prime movers behind the bill "are Senate Majority Leader E mil Lockwood, R-St. Louis, and Minority Leader Sander M. Levih, D-Berkley. The bill is likely to kick up some questions of constitutionality, but it has at least two practical effects: - It would take care of the current situation in which the state is operating without a lieutenant governor. - It may be the vehicle usec to smooth out some of the injured feelings between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. In return for Democratie support of the measure, Republicans may become more generous in doling out office space and allowances for staff members. The president pro tem is a senator elected by the Senate to be an assistant presiding officer, since the primary duty of the lieutenant governor is to preside over the Senate. The proposal says the president pro tem, as acting lieutenant governor, would draw the pay of the lieutenant governor and retain his Senate title as well. The lieutenant governor's pay now is $22,500, while a senator draws $12,500 plus $2,500 in expenses. On April 22, 1968, Atty. Gen. Frank J. Kelley ruled that the lieutenant governor job could not be filled by appointment. The Constitution specifies that the line of succession to thi governorship is the lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general, a 1 1 elected I by the people. Appointing a lieutenant governor, the opinión pointed out, would upset the idea of having only elected officials in line for the governorship. The bill is considered a way around the Constitution because of another provisión. The Constitutin speeifies elected officials and "such other persons! designated by law." The measure would add thel Senate president pro tem andl ;he speaker of the House, inl ;hat order. j