Evening star., 1933-01-02
43 LEGISLATURES
MEET THIS MONTH
Sessions Are Due to Decide
Fate of "Lame Duck"
Amendment.
BY the Associated Press,

| By the Associated Press.
| Freshly elected legislators Of 43 States
will gather in their respective capitals
this month for biennial or annual law
making sessions Alabama's Legisla-
ture will convene January 81 for spe-
| cial session to consider taxation and
| financial problems.
One common task before them will be
| consideration of the amendment to the
| Federal Constitution which would
abolish the lame duck session Of Con-
gress and advance the terms of newly
elected Federal officers.
! Congress adopted the amendment last
March and II State Legislatures ratified
it. Only 70 more ratifications are
needed to bring 1t into effect. Among
the States which already have voted
/ ratification are Virginia. New York,
| Mississippi Arkansas, Michigan, Rhode
| Island, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Indiana,
Texas and Alabama.
| The States whose Legislatures are not
scheduled to meet this month are
| Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and
Virginia. The last four will hold
their next biennial sessions in 1884.
Alabama's Legislature meets quadren-
| nially and its next regular session will
be in 1895.
Drastic Economies Faced.
! Virtually all Of the meeting legisla-
lures will have to cope with the double
| faced problem Of effecting drastic econ
omies while finding new means of tax
! alton to balance budgets. Some OF
| them, also, have the task Of untangling
the snarled financial affairs of their
large cities.
The New YORK Legislature is now in
| special session.
The Legislatures Of at least % States
! are screduled to debate general sales
! tax as a means of shifting some OF the
burden of governmental cost away from
the owners of ue-depressed real
property. In ii States imposition of
| income tax will be considered, and the
Legislatures of several others, which al
ready have income tax laws, will hear
the demands of advocates for surtaXes
on large incomes or general increase
in the present tax.
New Taxes Proposed.
California legislators expect to hear
demand for sales tax on cosmetics,
amusement tickets, tobacco and malt;
Minnesotas legislators will be asked to
act on proposal for a 81 head tax and
a poll tax, and levy on skins and
motor boats as well; some Arkansas law
| makers have a plan for county beer
dispensaries in the event Congress leg
alizes the brew; Indiana Democrats
want substitute liquor law that would
| impose a State tax on medicinal
| whisky.
/ The Maine State Grange plans to
| petition for a tax on the gross earnings
Of public utilities; State tobacco taxes
may be considered in Missouri and West
Virginia; sales tax on electric power
and natural gas will be asked in Mon
tana; New Hampshire has suggestion
for increase in the fees on operation
of trucks and busses; North Carolina
| will consider a beer tax.
Ohio has proposal for selective
sales tax on tobacco and amusements.
and Wisconsin will discuss surtaxes on
incomes and increased tax on gasoline.
Texas may increase its production tax
on natural resources and as its legis
lators arrive in Austin they will each
be handed bulletin explaining the de-
tails of a proposed State sales tax.