Show TAX EM ARKS LEGISLATIVE T i A. A A TT 11 V WEEK I Solons Study Plan To Refinance Bonds Highlights of Week Oppressive new nev taxes or ot efficient state government without them U Utah's hs h's lawmakers stood at this economic crossroads Saturday as the fifth filth week of the 1935 legislative session drew to a close Legislators had before them on one hand a bill embodying Governor Henry H. H Bloods Blood's plan to balance the budget for the coming biennium without increasing taxes and on the other two measures boosting individual individual indi indi- vidual income and corporation franchise ran levies The path that is finally taken Jaken decide Utah's financial structure for tor forthe forthe the next o tv years s. but the impOrtant important I tant decision wilt will not be made for lor at atle le least t another week Four Day Junket The lawmakers will leave lea next Wednesday evening on a four day junket to state institutions in fouth- fouth em ern Utah and to Boulder dam in m Ne Ne- vada When they return the fortieth day of the session will have passed and nd except by unanimous consent of th the senate or or oi two thirds vote in inthe inthe inthe the lower house howe no new bills can be introduced Not until then will the thel l legislature be wholly free to push its chosen choen measures toward the statute books The mark was reached on Tuesday and side aside from action taken on various liquor measures public attention centered on taxation and the reception accorded the bond refunding plan submitted by the gov The governors governor's b bill 1 would allow the state to extend the time for the Initial payment of ot the bond Isu voted by the 1933 legislature to 1940 or later It would release i in the next two to years for appropriation to state departments and institutions without requiring new revenue Ask Quick Action The bill bUl was reported to the floor loor of the senate by the joint appropriations committee Friday with a recommendation recommendation for tor immediate favorable action by the legislature If Ie th the measure passes as Governor Blood pointed out In his budget m message mes sage there will vilI be no need for new taxes The state gov government can be operated efficiently he said without with with- out them and with the additional the refunding plan will make avail available ble Before receiving this bill however the senate passed a cd two vital tax tx measUres measures meas ures in direct opposition in the opinion opinion opinion ion of many taxpayers to the announced announced announced an an- policy of the chief tive live These were senate bill 1 I boosting corporation taxes and senate bill 88 increasing the individual income levy Offsets were written Into both bills bins before they were sent to the lower house howe but despite these provisions provi provi- the proposed taxes have been criticized as as' as discriminatory The income tax bill would impose almost the entire burden oh on the individual in in- with Income but without property while the corporation levy would penalize Utah industry to a point where many businesses might be forced to the wall public hearings hearings hear hear- ings brought out I Perish Passa Passage e of 01 Governor Bloods Blood's bond refunding bill bIJl it l is generally belIeved be be- will do awny away with the need for tor either of ot th the two tax measures and if the l legislature g lature acts in accordance accordance accord accord- ance with th the chief chic executives executive's request request re reo re- re quest the latter b bills will be allowed to perish d in committee The third important d development in connection n with the taxation issue came in th the house howe with the introduction tion of 01 a bill to exempt real property Up to assessed valuation and personal per property in the amount of at from taxation The legislature has had this privilege privilege lege for more than 15 years but has never seen en fit to give legal effect to the constitutional provision for such exemption Pa Passage sIe b by the legislature last lat week of a resolution calling for a constitutional constitutional amendment to exempt from taxes real property U up to 2000 and personal property up to assessed valuation r resulted in the introduction of the new bill bUl its sponsors an an- noun ced Would Vote yote in 1936 The people will wUl vote on th lh the proposed proposed pro pro- posed amendment in 1936 1938 and the 1937 legislature would be empowered to carry out the tile mandate if the proposal proposal proposal pro pro- is ratified If It passed the new exemption law would permit immediate property tax relief and observation by the state of ot the effect of ot such exemption on slate tate revenues Should the result prove unsatisfactory the voters would have that fact before them when the amendment appeared on the ballot ballotin in 1936 1036 Nineteen bills were passed during the weeks as legislative wheels began to turn in earnest Ten were approved approved approved ap ap- ap- ap proved by th the senate and nine by bythe bythe bythe the house None received final action ac ac- ac tion lion from both houses and no bills were killed Taxation ruled legislative thought during the six days nine of th the measures measures measures meas meas- ures dealing with levies and 2nd revenue The senate passed six dx tax bills including including in in- th the corporation franchise and individual income tax measures a a bill decreasing license fees Ices for ci cig- cig aret and oleomargarine dealers one providing for prompt distribution by county treasurers of prepaid taxes one to d decrease fees of county treasurers treasurers treas treas- for tax sales certificates and n a measure which would reduce discount discount dis dis- dis count allowed on prepaid taxes Enlarge Municipal Power Two tax bills passed by the house houe of representatives would enlarge powers of cities and towns to tax businesses Municipal affairs and social oc al legislation legislation legis legis- lation confined chiefly to the house houe were the next most moat important brack brack- ets The house passed Eed a measure to permit tow towns s of population or over to incorporate and another mother to give county offices a five and one one- half halt day week weck A bill to permit the board of corrections corrections corrections cor cor- to appoint assistant parole officers find social workers and one oneto oneto to enlarge g duties of the state hosp hospital t l ard te and permit boarding out of patients patient under unde favorable conditions were also approved A single bill dealing with education on w was pa passed u d. d It was a senate enate measure to provide for tor free education cf children children children chil chil- dren attending schools in districts other than those in which they re side Turn to Utilities Turning its attention briefly brielly to public pub pub- tic lic utilities the house passed the first of 01 a flood food of utility bills introduced introduced introduced intro intro- recently by Representative Warwick C C. C Lamoreaux D. D Salt Lake It would require electricity and gas utilities s to supply consumers with monthly statements of unit unil costs I The senate touched on traffic matters mat when It approved a bill which would enlarge duties of the state road commission to permit cooperation with towns and cities also giving tho the state highway patrol certain police duties Another bill passed by the upper house hoUe would reclassify t title insurance insurance lance ance companies Miscellaneous measures passed included included in in- eluded the senate false teeth bill which would prohibit advertising b by dentists The house approved a b bill l to make ch cheating of 01 telephone or r coin boxes by means of 01 slugs lugs a misdemeanor misdemeanor mis- mis demeanor and another to cl classify sif tourist camps 2 as hotels with certain sanitary r requirements imposed Many 1 New Bills Sixty new bills and 2 12 resolutions and memorials poured across desks of ot house howe and senate enate docket clerks clerics The senate received 25 bills and the house howe 35 To the house came eh eight ht resolutions and 2nd memorials while the senate received four tour In the the- largest single phase phae of ot new legislation nine administration bills biUs to reform Utah's building and loan financial structure were Nere introduced b by Representative Marion G. G Romney Romney Rom Rom- ney CD D. D Salt Lal Lake e Prepared by the state bankin banking department department de de- de the bills billi were designed to place Utah laws governing the institutions institutions in harmony with federal statutes statute permitting them to take advantage advantage ad ad- vantage of federal housing administration adminis adminis- and other reconstruction plans They were companion measures to nine bills placed before the house by Representative E E. E E E. Monson D. D Salt SaIt Lake a week ago intended to perform a like service ervice for lor banking institutions ns As the v week i. i ek ended the bills were in the hands of ot the house committee on banking Farm and labor lobor legislation active during the thc first four weeks of the these se session sion lagged There was no disposition disposition dispo dispo- on the part of at the houses to delay deJay delay de- de lay Jay action on these Important brackets brackets brack breck ets but in the tide of legislation running run un hing ning more strongly than ever no bills in these brackets reached the point of final ac action on Education measures too were vere largely in process between introduction tion lion and passage Many were before house and senate education commit commit- t tees and a few v were verc trickling through to s second cond and third r reading ading calen calen- dars dus While there was a strong feeling that education committees of the two houses howes may act jointly to clear up contradictions and duplications among the thc many bills pending no action had yet been taken toward this end Tighten Control Final action was taken on only one utility bill b. b by the house but several others of a sc score re designed to tighten control of ot utilities b by the state com corn mission found their way to the third reading calendar Meanwhile a t special house committee commit commit- tee of five lIve appointed oto to investigate iO te asserted evidence of negligence on the part of the public utilities com cam mission was meeting in secret daily I and no inkling of their findings had drifted to the floor of 01 the house Some report I. I or conclusion O was ex cx- within a week or ten days das I ho however we cr Social legislation except for tor pas sage saga by the house of at two minor bills l listed st d in the foregoing passed parsed another an an- other week without marked progress |