The Spokane woman. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1921-1935, 1927-02-24
Thursday, February "a, 1927

came up for a vote. Think | men,
toned several weeks ago that could
not see any sentiment in favor of it
developing. And there were but six
votes against and not all of them were
cast because they believed in the re-
peal, but some as a matter of cour.
tesy to the man who introduced the
bill. 1t happened that it was put in,
not by a Republican, but by one of
the two Democratic members of the
Senate.
We also passed the bill enlarging
the absentee voting law, so that now
a person can write in for an absent
voters ballot not less than ten days
nor more than ninety days before an
election, by filing a duplicate affida-
Wit This change was made because
school teachers leave for their schools
usually eight or more weeks before
election in the fall and do not come
home to appear in person to get a
certificate of registration, as is now
required. 1t also applies to railroad
men, travelling men, and tourists, and
has been extended so that a person
who is physically unable to go to the
polls may also vote as an absent voter.
think it will pass the House, for no
one seems to have any objections to
tration law still have to pass the
House, and l think l mentioned one
feature of the new law is that the
voter need no longer tell his Tor herr
age in order to register.
The Senate also passed what we call
the school equalization bill. 1t was
up last session and | remember writ
ing quite at length about it then. The
state raises money for the public
schools, by levying taxes to net $4,000
per each census child, and this money
is apportioned out on the basis of at
tendance. 1t happens that in this APP
portionment it helps most the schools
where there is large attendance, and
hence there have been quite a number
of districts in the state, who with the
state aid, the county aid and all the
money the district could legally raise
by assessment, have had to operate at
less than $1,000 per year. This bill
raises money so that each district will
nave at iOdoI that uluCu, anu uOco IL
by an additional levy. The former bill
sought to take money from the pres
ent assessment for that purpose, and
in theory that is the best way, but &C.
tually no school was willing to give
up any of the money it was getting
and we could do it only by additional
taxation.
Appropriations have been causing
some commotion. Every session we
have had new buildings at the various
institutions. Because of the large APP
preparations made last year, the edu-
cational institutions are not asking for
special funds for buildings, and the
governor recommended a new unit at
Medical Lake, a new cell block at
Monroe and new administration
building at the Deaf School. Those
who have heard me talk on state in
situations the past year or two, know
that have felt the Deaf School need
ed building worse than any other in
stitution and that it ought to have one
now. Also, we can take care of $50
by the new unit at Medical Lake and
bring the Custodial School to capacity,
so that in the future the problem of
the feeble minded should be met by
new institution on this side of the
mountains. Every session sees bill
for such new institution, but the direc-
tor Of business control says $150,000
spent for the new unit over there