The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-06-04
Summary OF Legislative Activity
BY CLYDE BAsER. Florida News Service. Staff Writer

TALLAHASSEE, June A
shrewd compromise on his tax
reform program was offered by
Governor Holland at the close of
last week. First, he proposed
that State Comptroller Jim Lee
be authorized to carry out the
duties of state tax commissioner
until the voters approved a con-
stitutional amendment creating
that office in the general cleo
ton of 1912.
This move has several advant-
ages: 1t names in advance the
man in whom the authority to
regulate local assessments will
be vested instead of leaving the
interim appointment in doubt.
BY vesting this authority in
Comptroller Lee in the proposed
bill, the administration may hope
to remove the comptroller from
the list of active opponents to
the bill. Comptroller Lee, you
may remember, at q committee
hearing on the original bill, OPP
posed it on the ground that it
would destroy local self govern
ment. And finally, this last pro-
posal would give the state state
tax commissioner vested with
complete supervision over coun-
ty tax assessment and collection
machinery without legislative
creation of a new state agency
pending approval of the constitu
ti0nal amendment.
Another compromise proposal
would permit appeals from the
state tax commissioners, or the
comptroller's, rulings in the cir
cult courts of the county in
which the property is located in
stead of requiring them to be
made in Leon county. Still an
other compromise would require
the reduction of county millage
in proportion to the increase in
assessment instead of allowing
a five percent tolerance. Cross
liens, which would have made all
of delinquent taxpayers prop
erty liable for the delinquency of
any part Of his property, are
dropped from the new BILL
An item of this proposed law
which has not been discussed to
any great extent, but which is
undoubtedly causing county
school boards to do a lot of head
scratching, requires them to SUBJ
NIT their budgets TO the state SUI
perintendent of public instruc-
ton for his approval. This is a
direct outgrowth of the in
creasing demands made by local
schools upon state money for sup
port. and which now amounts to
more than go percent of the to-
tai cost. The theory is that If
the state is going to put up the
money, it should say how it will
be spent.
Provisions for an upward re-
vision of assessments to 100 per-
cent valuation; strengthening of
tax deeds to make them convey
absolute title; and removal of
homestead exemption abuses, are
retained in the revised bill.
Action on the general appro-
priation bill was speeded up
when the pension bloc withdrew
the proposed eight million dol
lar appropriation for old age
pensions and agreed to let the So
100000 already provided stand
for the next two years. However.
at the last minute new bill,
designated to raise an addition
al two million dollars. was in
troduced. 1t would place a lux
ury tax on admissions, dues. cos
metics, soaps, razors and razor
blades, real and costume jewell
~, playing cards, cigarettes, soft
drinks. and sporting goods For
mer bills covering the majority
Of these items have been killed
and Governor Holland has stated
that he win veto any such tax.
The redistricting of the state
into senatorial districts according
TO population and which would
give South Florida five new
senator's and North Florida a cor
responding loss, was stymied in
the House last week by legiSia-
tors from the northern part of
the state. Similar bills have been
introduced and defeated with
equal regularity in all past ses-
sionS within the memory OF
man.
The creation Of a new sixth
congressional district in the
Lake Okeechobec area was pass
ed by the House. The Senate.
which killed similar bin earlier
in the session. viii now be
called upon to act upon the
House bill The fight here is the
same as that on the senatorial
redistricting proposal. North
Florida wants The new congress-
man 10 come from that section
while South Florida claims that