Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-01-31
ASSEMBLY FACES
BUSY PROGRAM
Many Proposals Slated for Consid-
Grafton This Week; Few Bills of
Statewide Importance Yet Passed
By Lawmakers

With major Legislative proposals
in the hands of committees, the SEN
ate and house last week had each
given its approval to one measure of
statewide interest
The senate passed Senator Per-
sons bill to restore to the governor
the power of appointment to fill va
cancies in the United States senate,
and sent it to the house by vote
of 35 to 13, in the taking of which
party lines were ignored
Representative Boren's bill to
make prison sentence of five years
or more grounds for divorce was
passed by an overwhelming majori-
ty and sent to the senate where it
passed Monday night.
The expected eight-months school
term bill was introduced by Repre-
sentative Mclean of Beaufort, and
referred to the house committee on
education. 1t would set a maximum
property levy of 40 cents in each
county, and would require a state
equalization fund of between nine
and ten million dollars to make it
effective. The bill itself carried no
provisions for raising the necessary
revenue.
Considerable discussion centered
around the Australian ballot bill
fathered by Johnston of Robson
and Broughton of Wake. Governor
Gardner Monday night made direct
appeal to the general assembly for
enactment of the bill. Also a dele
cation from the North Carolina
League of Women Voters appeared
before the election committee to
urge favorable action, but the chair
man, Senator Higgins of Allegheny,
referred the measure to a sub-com-
mittee.
Additional taxation propos Is
came into the legislative hopper,
while the finance committees of the
house and senate were holding joint
sessions to consider the revenue bill
sponsored by the state budget COM
]; missions. Ssnator Persons. aof Frank
T lin, introduced one. bill to make the
income tax flat six per cent on all
taxpayers instead of the present
graduated scale beginning at one
and quarter per cent, and another
to raise the franchise tax on power
companies from the present one per
cent to five per cent
The appropriations committees of
the two houses began a series of
joint hearings at which representa-
tives Of state departments and insti-
tutions were heard on the financial
needs of their respective agencies.
Practically all of the educational in
stitutions appealed for greater ap-
preparations than recommended by
the budget commission. Charitable
and correctional institutions are be-
ing heard this week.
Senator Persons bill to authorize
the sale of whiskey on physicians
prescriptions, which caused much
comment from ministers, doctors and
others was given an unfavorable re-
port by the committee on public
health, early last week. Another
bill by the same author, to require
the registration of lobbyists, was re-
ferred to judiciary committee No. 1.
Workmen's compensation laws
were proposed during the week. The
first was sponsored by Senator Hay
wood of Cabarrus and Senator Can
naday of Johnston, both Democrats.
Later different bill was introduced
as having the approval of Frank D.
Grist, commissioner of labor and
printing.
There were still other bills propos-
ing to change the state highway
laws. Representative Carr of Duplin
sponsored a measure, said to carry
out the ideas of the state highway
commission, which would increase
the. gasoline tax one cent a gallon,
making it five cents in all, and would
provide for an ALLEGATION of the
yield from this source among the va
rious counties, on condition that they
reduce their respective property
taxes by the amount allocated by
the state. This and other similar
bills were referred to a sub-com-
mittee of the house public roads
committee.
Senator Mcmillan of Beaufort,
fathered bill to provide for the
abolition of the present nine high
way districts and to place the allo-
cation of construction and mainten-
ance funds on a county basis.
The record of important legisla-
tion before the two houses since last
Tuesday is as follows:
New Bills
HOUSE
By Upchurch of Wake: Amend
the consolidated statutes relating to
operation of automobiles by drunken
drivers.
Mclean of Beaufort, Provide an
oirb+ ,,oop+bS coboo1 form, II, Moth