Evening star., 1950-02-24
Senate Slated
oPass Lane
Budget Today
House Then May VOTE
To Suspend Rules and
Speed 1t to Governor
By }. L. Michael
Special Stor Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 24.-Gov
Lanes record-breaking $144 mil
lion budget is slated for final ap-
proval in the Senate today.
1t then will go to the House,
where speedy action is expected.
House leaders indicated they
may attempt to pass the S144,-
203.564 appropriations measure
through series of rule sus-
pensions and send it to the
Governor before nightfall.
Before pushing the bill to a
final vote stage yesterday, the
Senate baked a Republican move
to send it back to committee.
In the meantime, five COP
Senators forced from the Rules
Committee a bill which gave new
life to the move to exempt all
food from the sales tax. Present
law exempts food for home use
but taxes that consumed in
restaurants and hotels.
Exemption Bill Splits Parties.
Obviously surprised when the
food petition went up to the desk
majority forces sought to table
the measure but were defeated
when five Democrats joined 10
Republicans in a Is to 13 roll
call vote.
The first of five sales tax bills
to reach the floor this session, it
was made special order of busi-
ness for Monday night.
The petition was signed by SEN
ators Kimble, Monroe, Davis,
Bailey and Ellison.
A similar proposal has been in
troduced in the House.
Its passage would reduce State
revenues by $1.5O0,000 to $780,
600 and has been opposed by the
Administration, which claims it
would make necessary a major
revision of the budget Soon after
the petition was handed to Presi-
dent Byrnes, the Senate recessed
to allow Democratic huddles.
Hurried calls brought party
leaders on the run.
So urgent was the matter that
the Senate missed an oyster roast.
the first social event scheduled.
State Officials Assailed.
On the floor. Minority Leader
Kimble said, High State officials
have been brought here hastily to
influence legislation. Among
them, he declared, are members
OF the Roads. Tax and Motor
Vehicle Commission, counsel to
the service commissioners and
even Assistant Gov. Louis O'Don-
nell"
A motion to adjourn followed
the tabling motion and lost, 20
to 8.
Senator Kimble led the attack
on the budget. He moved that it
be recommitted to the Finance
Committee for further study.
The motion lost 10 to 9. Two
Republicans Joined the solid ma
5ority bloc on a roll call.
A legislative fight to have all
Offices of the State government
located in or near Annapolis is
to be continued today.
A motion to have the Assembly's
all-powerful Grand Inquest Com
mittee investigate transfer of GER
tain offices failed yesterday, but
Senator Bailey. Republican, of st.
Marys said he would attempt to
gain approval of an order" which
would have the same effect.
At the end of an examination of
State Controller James j. Lacy,
the Senate Finance Committee
rejected the motion by a vote of
to S.
Two Income Tax Bills Up.
In the House, Gov. Lanes in
come tax plans neared compile
ton. Two bills were approved.
One would permit taxpayers with
up to $500 investment income to
pay a two per cent rate if their
total income was less than s10,-
600. The other doubles allow
ances for persons IS or older.
Also passed by the House was
a bill authorizing the Board of
Public Works to use surplus above
$2,000,000 as of June 80 to reduce
taxes.
The House passed bill by the
Montgomery County delegation
which would authorize a consti-
tutional amendment providing
that counties and cities, as well
as the State Roads Commission
could condemn property for high
way purposes.