The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1925-03-20
LEGISLATIVE BILLS
COST $1,000 EACH

"
Helena, March 16.-(SpeciaD- The
| legislature adjourned on Monday after
deadlock OF three days between the I
house and senate over appropriation /
bills. 1S4 bills were introduced IN (
I the senate and 462 in the house, a /
otal of GAG. Of these So senate bills 4
were passed and 1872 house bills, other /
/ than appropriation bills, making a /
total of 1873 bills passed. The cost
I to the taxpayers CT the session was /
4 Approximately 100000 or an eveIage /
/ Of $1,000 for each OF the bills passed. |
/ The sixtieth day was stretched mo
no hours The house insisted on
m2Imum appropriations made III
I lump sums, and not tented, SO IS to
/ deprive the governor OF his right UO
veto items. The sena e insisted that
! appropriations should be limited to
the amounts actually required TO COW
er the essential functions of the sta e
/ government, and itemized as required
/ by the state constitution.
The final compromise was that the
Recommended ions of the house com
mittee on appropriations, and which
/ aggregated S3,289,985, were cut to
| S3,074,348, a shaving of S215,637,
with some Of the bills itemized. The
total appropriations are still 100000
higher han the amount expended for
the same affices and departments for
the fiscal year that ended June 30,
1924.
A few of the governors recommen-
datiCls were adopted, but many of the
most important were given but slight
considera ion, particularly by the
house.
He recommended that the appu9pri-
atoms should be reduced fifteen per
cent below the amount expended dur
ing the last fiscal year, but the appro-
priations actually made exceed the
amount expended for he last fiscal
year by more than 100000.
He recommended that the interest
on state warrants be cut from 6 per
cent to 4 per cent and this was done.
He recommended tina, provision be
made for the appointment OF q com
, mission to study cur banking laws
and make q report TO the EeXt session
= Of the legislature, and provision was
made Tor such commission.
He recommended that the narcotic
law be amended so IS 20 provide 5uit-
able penalties for violations, and this
TGs done.
Ie reco-ncnded @ consolidation cf
( safe purchasing agent, clerk of con-
+ z5laGced boards and clerk Of state
board Of examines. The 0lfices of
: clerk Of consolidated boards and clerk
1 of state board oil examiners were con
= s0lidated, but the state purchasing
I agent viii remain separate and dis
!. tinct office.
He recommended a redistricting OF
the sta G SO os to reduce the number
= Of district judges, but this recommen-
dation received only slight considera-
ton.
: He recommended the enactment OF
budget laws to control safe expendi-
lures and also expenditures of coun-
ties, cities and school districts. A
gill for state budget law was pre-
q pared and introduced in the senate
bu. after being given some little con
? sideration was killed by an adverse
:. report of the senate committee OF
finance and claims.
: A bin was introduced in the senate
= fer a comprehensive budget law TO
= counties, cities and towns, and afte.
being given a great deal of study ant
q consideration was passed by the sen
,. ate without a dissenting voce. Tht
q house committee on townships AM
counties also gave this bill very care
~ full study and recommended it 70
- 0ssage. However, when it came u
ot for hearing in the house it receive,
: short shift. not even being given de
u cent considera ion. it being apDaren
- rs soon as It reached the house tha
! that body intended to kill it withoU
regard to its merits
= A bill for budget law for school
= was also introduced in the sena- e an
- after being considered by that bod
& was passed and transmit ed to til
- house where it was killed by an ad
~ verse report Of the committee on edu
= cation.
II AS vi the eighteenth session. al
: though not to so great an exten
there appeared a tendency by thOs
IN control to raise additional reven
ues for the state, either BY increas
ing existing taxes or By levying ne'
taxes, rather than to enact legisla 10
IN which would reduce expenditure.
NJ The following bills evidence this ter
dency: a bill to permit cities an
towns to levy a tax Of twenty mill
! for general purposes, instead Of te
u mills which they may now levy, an
L such bill was finally passed. after bc
ing amended so as to make the lev
fifteen mills, an increase Of fifty DE
az cent in the amount of axes whic
ef cities and towns may levy for gener:
up purposes.
10 Another bin was introduced an
% finally passed submitting to a vote
nd the electors of the sta e, the ouestiC
oW of increasing the state levy fro
On three and one-half mills to eight ar
ssr one-half mills, for a term of invent
-e- years, the additional five mills % I
10 used for public schools
.ut Such increases In tax levies nigl
.uI not be so Objectionable if the legi
lature had enacted budget legislatic
d which would have controlled stat
Oh county, city, town and school expend
&C, TIRES and rno1sirad them n no mo,