Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-01-23
Legislative News
BY c. G. MANN.
Representative from Pine County

There was long session of the
House of Representatives of the Min
nesota Legislature on Monday of last |
week when the rules under which |
the House will operate during the
session were adopted and the COM
mittees set up. Argument on the
rules waxed warm when the ma
jority group was accused of "gag"
rule. Mr.. Dunn, chairman of the
Rules committee, admitted that it
might be used in that way; in other
words, to shut off debate, but said
that it was the same rule that had
been used for many years, even when
the minority were in the majority, and
the rules were finally adopted.
Your representative is again chair
man of the Public Domain committee.
There being large number of men
in this session with more than two
terms, the committees-last session
AZ in number-were cut down and
awarded to the older members, the
men serving their second term not
getting any chairmanships. Public
Domain committee will get the work
formerly handled by the Reforesta-
ton and Public Parks committee and
has been increased in membership,
and we should have busy session.
The first meeting will be held, or
rather will have been held when you
read this, on Monday morning of this
week.
Asks Rules Suspension.
Andrew Hayford of Minneapolis,
tried to pull fast one Monday by
asking for suspension of the rules
when his bill was introduced, to
repeal the lien on the property of
old age recipients. Although 1 voted
for the motion and would have been
glad to see the repeal passed, I re-
greet the procedure as everyone knew
it would be impossible to obtain the
necessary two-thirds of the voting
members to suspend the rules, and it
was pretty much of grandstand
play. The motion failed to get even
majority of the votes. However,
the Governor recommended in his in
augural message that the Lien law
be liberalized in some way, perhaps
so that the probate judge could waive
the lien in cases where the heirs had
done all they could, and it has been
in my mind that if we could do this,
and perhaps in addition, secure the
exemption of homes with low valu-
alton, we will have done all we could
at this time.
The Governor appeared before the
Legislature again on Thursday of
last week and gave his budget mes
sage The principal points in the
recommendations seemed to be a
higher tax on iron ore, on graduated
basis, while the production is at it's
height as it is now and is expected
to be for the next two years in de-
Tense or war production.
Under the Governors budget plan,
the state will again have a balanced
budget, a lower state tax rate, and
another $lO,0OO,0O0 reduction in the
state debt in the next two year period.
| Two Bills Passed.
Only two bills have been passed,
both appropriation bills, one for the
lieutenant governors salary and the
expenses of the Legislature, and one
for something over million dol
lars to make up deficiency in the
old age assistance funds, purposely
made short for the second year, last
session, because another Legislature
would be in session before the time
expired.
My bills, to pay the debt of dis
tressed school districts, affecting SO
school districts in IL counties, and
the other to set up fund to pay
wild game damage claims, have been
receiving favorable comment in the
daily press. The school districts eff
fected by the first, in Pine county,
are Cloverton, Markville and Du-
quette, and it provides for the pay
ment of their bonded debt down to
80 and 1i3 per cent of their valuation.
The Appropriations committee has
already passed resolution that they
will pay no wild game damage claims,
and so our only hope to collect on
any of these is to set up a fund for
that purpose, as provided for in my
bill. The chairman of the Game and
Fish committee of the House and Mr..
Torrison of the State Department of
Conservation have been contacted and
are favoring this measure.
Both of the above bills failed of
passage in the 1899 session of the