Imperial Valley press., 1933-05-15
LEGISLATORS
EXPECTED To
QUIT TONIGHT
Accumulation OF Minor Mea-
sures May Be Cleaned Up To
Permit Adjournment.
WEEKEND SEES BATTLES
Anti-Hanging Bill Defeated,
Increase OF Utility Taxes Is
Approved.
By THOMAS y. MALARKEY
United Press Staff Correspondent

0g AAAOAAfAJ H.
United Press Staff Correspondent
SACRAMENTO, May 15.-Thank-
full that such controversial issues
as capital punishment, utility tax
alton and pari-mutuel horse race
betting were behind them, weary
legislators today Waded into an
accumulation of bills-mostly min
Undetermined to clean up their
respective calendars and recess by
midnight.
A weekend siege of bill passing
was featured by the defeat of the
! anti-capital punishment bill, pas
| sage of a measure increasing util-
ity taxes and approval of con-
stitutional amendment submitting
the pari-mutuel horse racing ques-
ton to the people at the June 27
special election.
The horse racing proposal was
passed by the senate with surpris-
ingly little opposition. Previously
the legislature had passed a horse
race betting bill. 1t was vetoed by
Governor Rolph.
The assembly approved bill in
creasing utility taxes $1,000 900 an
nually. Gas and electric compan-
les tax rates were upped from rs
per cent to 8 per cent; telegraph
and telephone companies, from SIS
per cent to SITS per cent.
The celebrated ''if' amendment
was stricken out. 1t provided If
/ the committee of l4's' budget
balancing program was not ap-
| proved, the SO, 900 900 900 tax increase
schedule would be automatically
replaced by the utility taxation
measure which would lift utility
taxes $6,000,000 annually. The SEN
ate later concurred in the assembly
action.
Coincident with passage of the
utility taxation bill, the senate
adopted resolution calling upon
the railroad commission to reduce
utility consumers rates in keeping
with reduced earning power of the
people. An amendment by Senator
Herbert Jones, San Jose, propos-
ing the maximum utility "fair re-
turn" should be cut from seven
to five per cent was defeated.
Calls On Nerve
A simple question:" Have you
the nerve to face the issue or are
you going to be towards and pass
the buck to the people killed the
anti-capital punishment bill.
The measure was overwhelming
| ly defeated by the senate by 33-
vote. The real fight, however,
was waged on an amendment by
Senator Charles Deuel. proposing
| the question be submitted to the
people.
A powerful group, led by Sena-
/ tor Ralph Swing, San Bernardino,
launched speech barrage that
apparently turned many doubtful
votes against the amendment. The
proposal will killed by 25-13 vote.
Swing charged passage of the
amendment would merely mean the
/ legislature ''lackS the intestinal
fortitude to face this issue.'
eff you pass the buck, it will
mean anti-capital punishment sup
porters will blanket the state with
their propaganda. And there will
be nobody with the time or money
to present the other side. -
| Deuel. contended the legislature
had been torn by the anti-capital
punishment issue for years. He
held it was a proper issue to put
on the ballot.
Obnoxious features of deficiency
judgments were largely eliminated
bY the Mckinley compromise hill
approved by the senate and sent to
the governor. Provisions include:
action for deficiency judgment must
be brought within three months OF
sale; limits Judgment to the amount
between the objection and a reas-
enable value of the property, thus
eliminating "five dollar'' sales;
assigns task of ascertaining "fair
value" to inheritance tax apprais-
er.