When the Supreme Court ruled that the two houses of state legislatures must be apprortioned on the same basis, it really ruled against a bicameral system for states. Since the two houses have the same representation we are faced with the prospect of everything requiring two and sometimes three actions instead of one. This is obviously non-economic.
      Many years ago, after this event took place the California legislature took up the recurrent job of raises for the California State College/Universityfaculty salaries. The Assembly voted a 14% pay raise. The Senate then voted a 9% pay raise. A compromise committee then recommended a 5% raise. This unequivocally demonstrates the hypocrisy and waste of the first two actions. It demostarates the naked political intent of the first two actions.
      Perhaps it is unnecessary to tell that this five per cent "raise" was implemented by giving a 7 1/2 per cent raise to Deans and above and a 2 1/2 per cent raise to the faculty. How long would IBM stay in business if it was governed by two equal boards of directors? I think it would be out of business in six months.

      How can one rectify this? First, the legislature could recognize this and out of a massive feeling of guilt, it could abolish one of the houses. Can you really imagine this happening. Personally I don't think the word guilt has any first person meaning in their vocabulary.
      Second, the citizens of the state could rise up and by some kind of citizen initiative, obtain the same result. But this would have to be done 49 times! How expensive would that be? And how long would it take? More than two decades I'm sure, while we need the solution NOW!
      Thirdly, the legislative branch of the government would realize the essential foolishness of preserving this anachronistic practice and ban bicameral systems from the state legislatures. This would accomplish it in "one fell swoop" instead of 49 individual ones. And it could be done NOW, when it is sorely needed.

      The next consideration would be which house to abolish. In my opinion, the largest one should be eliminated. In the case of California, it would be the Assembly because it is by far the largest and most expensive. The State Education Funding Crisis would be solved overnight.

      l would like to congratulate the State of Nebraska. They have been monocameral since they were formed! Thank you for providing such a wonderful example. Would that the other 49 would follow their lead.

      I have always been a realist. I do not expect Washington to accept this obvious Herculean task. I can't imagine one political body voting to eliminate another political body, no matter how ridiculously obvious the action is. Somehow the thought of Hercules, diverting a river through the Augean Stables suggests a solution. It will have to be a massive stuffing down the throats of the states kind of action with no consideration of active political reprisals.