Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1923-01-17
MANY new LAWS
ARE p"oP0SED
Iowa General Assembi, %, ting
Under Way. Tax Law fl/ -
viii be Big Issue. ~,
INTEND TO GRAPPLE
WITH PROBLEM EARLY
A New Set of Teeth for the Statute
Governing Assessment of Moneys
and Credits Will be Up.
IContinued on page nine)


Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 15-The
Fortieth Iowa General Assembly has
been in session now only about a
week. The days have been cut into
by many opening formalities. There
was four-day adjournment over
last week end. Both houses were
without standing committees unit,
Tuesday of this week. As yet there
has been neither the time nor the
machinery for much legislative pro-
duction. Nevertheless a stiff pace al
ready has been set. One week OF
contact among the 15S senator's and
representatives has brought the main
issues to the surface, and has indi.
Gated the work ahead.
The outstanding indication at this
writing is that active and strongly
supported effort is going to be felc
in the coming weeks in behalf of tax
law reform and simplifcation OF
state government. 1t is unmistak-
ably the legislative temper at this
time to do something important about
both of these matters. Whether the
! '--sh will be able TO father actual
Station only time can tell. But
wish is there, and that is uni
que. Such an attitude has not been
present at the opening of any other
recent session.
The suggested tax law program
worked out during recent months by
a special legislative committee starts
out without handicap so far as the
presiding officers are concerned. II
is assured that the special commits
tees ideas will get a straight deal
and a hearing unprejudiced in adj
vance, before ways and means COM
mittees of both houses. Such COM
mittees will be in no hurry to re-
cunmuend tax legislation to the res
pective houses, and they will not
take it for granted that the special
committees recommendation must
be right. But they intend to grapple
with the problem, early, and earn
estly, and it seems quite assured to-
there will be a fairly complete tax
code program before the legislature,
recommended for adoption by the
legislatures own committees.
Much conflicting report has come
out of Des Moines in the last ten
days as to just what, finally, the
special tax committee would propose
70 do. At this moment the matter is
not yet wholly determined. Some
things may be added to the program
as it stands now. But these, az
least, will be urged:
A state board of assessment, ap-
pointed by the governor and con-
firmed by the senate to take over
state supervision of tax assessments,
now done by the executive council.
A county assessor, named by ar
appointing board of three county Of
ficers, to take over the work now
done by township assessors.
A law requiring every owner of
taxable property to submit TO the
county assessor a sworn return, SIM
liar to a federal income tax return,
and subject to penalties for false
statement, listing his taxable prop
ery and it's value.
A law requiring budgeting by
state, city, county and school dis
tricts, the budgets made long enough
in advance so that any interested
BODY of citizens may appeal from
any proposed expenditure to the
state board of assessment, which
would have power to decide whether
the expenditure should be made.
A statewide tax on amusement
tickets, similar to the federal war
tax" we now pay.
Assessment based upon actual val
uation instead of one-fourth of act
ual valuation.
A new set of teeth for the statute
governing the assessment of moneys
and credits.
Other things have been suggested.
The committeeman worked quite a
long time upon a plan for a personal
income tax law. They still feel that
the professional earner's money
should be reached by the tax gather
er. But at the latest reports ney
had not found a way to reach TINS
money that to them seelned' satlsfac-
tory. The state income tax matter
is still quite up in the air.
The committeeman also favor a
gasoline tax, in principle. But It Is
likely that the Caldwell gasoline tax
bill will be the starting point fro!
which the ways and means oommie
tees will work this matter out, ra-
ther than any specific bill written
by the special committee. Inc
Caldwell plan provides for a state
wide tax on gasoline sufficient 10
provide about $7,00O,0OO year.
which sum would be spen; In paw
ing primary roads.
dWil there be a senate commrt,ee
on departmental affairs again tnS
session, Lieut.. Gov. Hammill, VINO
Is the presiding officer of the senaoe' ma
was asked one day last week. Ihat
cnrmIAee was created four years
aOo. "a survey the state government
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