The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-02-21


cost-of-living commodity.
Also discarded was lib 419
providing a severence tax on produc-
ton of natural resources such as
strip-mined COAL timber etc. Antici-
pated income from this measure
would have been a million dollars per
year.
third measure, lib 258, calling for
a revision in procedure in figuring Ii
cense taxes, by computing them be-
fore computing federal income taxes
instead of after, also felt the keen
edge of the House axe. Thursday re-
ports indicate that proponents of this
bill by Harlow of Sanders, may move
for reconsideration. Rep. Harlow had
contended that the additional tax cost
of this bill would be negligible-that,
it would only save for the state many
thousands of dollars now going to the
federal government. Should this con-
tention be borne out by further in
vestigation, such a request for recon
sideration will be made before the
deadline Friday (47th day. for trans
initial of measures to the Senate.
Other Tax Proposals Killed
lib SO relating to gasoline tax re-
funds.
HB177 lowering individual income
tax exemptions and increasing upper
bracket tax percentages substantially;
HB 17S and lib 257. These two meas
ures dealt with corporation income
taxes. HB IT'S was not properly drawn
and the bills author, Harlow, subse-
quently introduced lib 257 to correct
defects in the original tax bill.
HB 392, lib 1913 and lib 1914. by rev.
enue and taxation committee. These
measures respectively would have de-
fined the terms of revisions of state
inheritance tax laws; revised the de-
auctions under such laws; and revised
computation of inheritance taxes.
lib 374, by Harlow; to levy primary
rates in computing inheritance taxes. |
lib 163, Nichols of Chouteau; would
have increased the road tax levy from |
five mills to ten mills.
lib 313, by Melton of Beaverhead; |
to license big time gambling.
lib 368, Taber of Ravalli, to levy a
tax on storage of personal property.
SawteII Bill Killed
SD 73 by Sawtell of Custer, under
which the unemployment compensa-
ton laws of the state would be revis-
ed to include one of the worst of merit |
rating proposals, and which would |
have cut an So million melon for stea-
dy employers, was killed in the Sen
ate during the last week
SO far as the future of the UCC is
concerned, not quite the same FORUM
ate voting occurred in the House on
HB 1914 This measure would increase
weekly benefits to 500, but at the
same time bring about a merit rating
system. AS originally drafted by Foot
of Flathead, the proposal would have
given steady employers 81 million
dollar plum in reduced rates until
such time as the UCC reserve was
down to SIG million. Amendments
were secured in the House, holding
the reserve minimum at SIS million.
No reduction in rates for seasonal en-
ployers will be brought about should
lib 164 become law. I
School Reorganization
Early this week the House by mar
row margin of 45-41 approved the dras-
tic school reorganization bill drafted
by the governors commission after a
study authorized by the 1915 assembly.
A move for reconsideration was at
tempted the middle of the week, but
this failed by better than 2-to-1 mar
gin.
However, in view of the wholesale |
killing of revenue measures by the
House Wednesday, opponents Of this
little understood school proposal need
not become unduly alarmed as to its i
chances of passage in the Senate. To v
put this bill into effect would cost S
from $4 to Sc million per biennium S
more for the schools-and that's just q
4 few million more dollars than the t
state treasury can reasonably antici- t.