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Show Statehouse Report Lowmakers Face Tough Decisions In 60-Day lee! To Begin Monday By C. SHARP Weighty matters of fin. ancial, constitutional and other import will faCe the 1971 Legislature as it begins be-gins its 60-day biennial session Monday. Melvin E. Leslie, assistant assist-ant attorney general assigned assign-ed to the Legal Services Committee, reports that he and his staff of five attorneys attor-neys have drafted or are in process of completing drafting draf-ting of 149 bills. The Legislative Council at its meeting Dec. 30 endorsed en-dorsed a wide variety of legislation, some of which is ready for introduction. Foremos' perhaps . among am-ong the bills which would afiijeet .virtually all adult citizens is the proposed income in-come tax revision. Harward Bill As drafted by Jerald N. Engstrom of Ogden for the Tax Revision Committee headed by Sen. Kendrick Harward, R-Richfield, this would give to taxpayers all the advantages of the federal fed-eral income tax system, but would apply state rates. More liberal federal regulations re-gulations relative to income in-come from capital gains, limitation on charitable contributions, medical deductions de-ductions and exclusion of sick pay would become effective. ef-fective. For ' the first time joint returns for husband and wife would be allowed for state filings. This permits the second $5,000 of tax-abe tax-abe income to be taxed at lower rates where the spouse has no taxable income. in-come. The taxpayer, after figuring fi-guring his federal taxable income, would subtract his federal income tax paid and the amount of interest paid to him by the federal government. gov-ernment. Rates UP Yisld Same The state tax rate then would be applied to the resultant re-sultant figure. Rates for single taxpayers are set one-half one-half per cent higher in each bracket and run from 2V? to 7 per cent. Rates for married taxpayers are one per cent higher than present pres-ent rates and run from 3 to 7!,i per cent. Engstrom said these figures fi-gures are tailored to produce pro-duce the same amount of state revenue as is being realized from existing state rates. The council withdrew endorsement en-dorsement of a proposal to amend the constitution to allow uniform taxation cf automobiles. Sen Omar B. Bunnell, D-Price, and Rep. David C. Harvey, D-Plea-sant Grove opposed this .wposal strongly. Similar bills have foundered found-ered in past years because of opposition from rural areas fearful of being taxed tax-ed at higher rates prevalent preva-lent in more populous areas. ar-eas. Ses No Increlase Vernon L. Holman, formerly for-merly of Panguitch, Tax Commission , chairman, claims that with economies econom-ies in administration which would result, the personal property tax on cars would not be increased for any county. Measures approved by the council included: Constitutional amendments amend-ments to allow city-county and regional consolidations. consolidat-ions. Two bills to consolidate consoli-date school districts in Summit and Sanpete counties. coun-ties. Vocational Education : A measure to strengthen strength-en vocational education by increasing state aid for such courses. - - Bills to tighten- exemptions exem-ptions on charitable and veterans' property tax: exemptions. ex-emptions. An unspecified school teacher negotiation act. |