The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-03-16
What The State
Legislature Is
Doing This Week
(By Staff Correspondent

to Home Sweet Home" this week
when the house completed its
two most important tasks OF the
1899 session which made the out
look for an early closing bright
The budget appropriations bill
passed it's third reading, anc
house concurred with the senate
on the minor amendments on the
revenue raising bill and made Il
ready to be enacted into law.
Guiding the revenue OIL
through most of its final passage
was Representative Ira T. john
ston. of Ashe, who was called up
on to weld the gavel. After the
session he received congratuia-
tons on every hand for his skill
as a parliamentary. But the
economy forces took anothei
setback, when the house oe1ore
passing the appropriations Oil
Tuesday made two adoltloil"l III
creases in allotments. :,
The increases voted woulo
boost the biennial allotment lor
vocational education by S4o'Ooo'
and for the department OF WelghlS
and measures by $500. The re-
representatives. also raised the per
diem pay of members OF the hlen-
Wv commission. the school COM
mission, and the advisory budget
commission from ST to SlO.
For a time, it appeared that ao-
n,inistration forces unWlttlngly
had opened the gates for a spend
inq spree that would have
thrown the proposed budget lar
out of balance.
Monday night, Governor Hoey
and his followers gave the house
an appropriations compromise
calling for increases totalmg
S5OO.OOO in the allOtments Tor
school-teachers, the Greater Uni
versity, w. c. T. c., North Caro-
lima College for Negroes, Depart
1ment of health, and state advertl-
sing fund.
The compromise was adopted,
after a number of representatives
had accused the Governor of in
fringing on legislation powers by
writing the budget"
In comparison to the 1887 ses-
sion, the legislature is still a bit
behind, but with the money situa-
ton taken care of this week there
are still two important pieces of
major legislation to be disposed
of, election reform, and labor
bills.
Tuesday the senate elections
committee gave a favorable re-
port to a bill amending the laws
on "split-ticket" voting, but de-
ferred action until Thursday OF
Friday on a measure to prohibit
absentee voting in primaries and
tightening restrictions in general
elections. Both of these bills have
already passed the house.
After concluding a hearing on
wage and hour proposals last
week, a subcommittee of the la
Dor committee was scheduled tc
meet Tuesday to begin work or
modified wage and hour law
The committee met as per Sche'
dule but took no definite action
One cf the hottest arguments OF
the session developed over the
proposed tobacco sales bill which
took place this week at hear
ing before the committee. The
bill would require notice to be
given on crops on which there
is a lien, before money is paid
out for the crop, and for tobacco
warehousemen to be liable for any
liens on tobacco sold. However
after two hours and half OF
hearing the committee adjourned
without taking any action.
Chances that the legislature
would amend certain feature OF
the states capital punishment
laws faded this week when house
judiciary committee No. l gave
an unfavorable report to a much
amended bill which originally
bore administration support.
AS introduced, the bill would
have granted judges and juries
discretionary powers in first
degree murder, arson, burg
larry, and rape convictions, all OF
which carry mandatory death
sentences.
AS amended, the measure
would have allowed juries to de-
eide whether tn penalty in first
degree burglary and arson convic-
tions should be death or life inn
prisonment.
Since, an unfavolSable COM
mittee report usually kills bill
it appeared that mandatory death
ean+onoo xxro1lId continJ1e tn ann1v