Evening star., 1955-03-06
Maryland Assembly
Has a Tax Dilemma
For lis Final Month
BY Gene Goodwin
Ssor StaH cefrsspondsnf

ANNAPOLIS. Mar. 5.-As the
Maryland General Assembly
enters the third and final month
of its 1855 session, most of the
major legislation Is still before it.
Taxes-not whether they'll be
raised. but only how much-are
the big question.
Gov. McKeldin's program of
a Scent sales tax this year and
a.3 per cent income tax next
year is under consideration in
the Senate Finance and House
Ways and Means Committees.
Already another bill has been
introduced proposing that a q
cent-a-pack cigarette tax be i'm
posed to help meet the estimated
S29 million deficit facing the
State next year. This proposal
also involves re-imposing the
old 1-cent sales tax on purchases
from IA to so cents and putting
the levy on restaurant food
again.
Income Tax Bills.
Not in bill form yet but de-
veloping some support among
Democratic legislators is a plan
for increasing the income tax
proposed by Delegate Blair Lee
III, Of Montgomery County,
from Q to az per cent. That
boost, coupled with the initiation
of a payroll withholding system
and an increase in dependent de-
ductions from $500 to $500. would
raise an estimated $21 million
toward the deficit.
Under the Governors program.
dependent deductions would be
raised next year to $1,000. He
also proposes the withholding
system effective this July.
Here is the Status Of other
major bills:
Right to WOrk-This. bill, out
lawing the union shop. is in the
Senate Labor Committee where
it is apt to stay unless it is
petitioned out.
Annual ASSesSmentS-The bill,
moving up the effective date of
the beginning Of an annual prop
erty assessment system through
out the State from July, 1856, to
this July. is scheduled for final
vote in the Senate Wednesday.
1t already has passed the House.
Roads Commission Investiga-
tiOn-Watered down Senate ver-
sion Is up for test on floor next
week. House version still is in
the Ways and Means commit
tee.
Roadside ContrOl-An un-
favorable report is indicated in a
vote to be taken next week in the
House Judiciary Committee. The
bill probably will come out on
the floor, however, since one Of
its sponsors is House Majority
Leader A. Gordon Boone and he
has asked that the full chamber
be allowed to vote on the meas
ure.
Expressway Trucks-This bill,
banning trucks from the Mary
land-owned section Of the Balti-
re-Washington expressway,
passed the House on a tight vote
in January. and has since been
resting in the Senate Judiciary
Committee.
Sanitary COmmissi0n-The
Democratic bill increasing the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission from three to six
members and transferring it
from Republican to Democratic
control went to the Governor
yesterday after a weeks delay in
getting 1t printed. The big ques-
tion now is whether the Repub-
lican chief executive will veto it.
Planning Commission-Being
prepared for introduction next
week are several bills dealing
with the Maryland-National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, their purpose being to
Cd enlarge the commission from
six to eight, CD put it back into
Democratic hands, 80 extend it's
jurisdiction throughout all of
Montgomery, "a allow the
Montgomery Council to name
three commissioners. the Prince
Georges commissioners three
members, and the governor two,
and (5) empower the Montgom-
cry Council to set the admin
istratiVe tax rate of the Planning
Commission, without restriction.
Building and Loan AssOcia-
tiOns.-Having passed the House
unanimously, this measure to bar
any new branches in Maryland of
District Building and Loan Asso-
Citations went late this week to
the Senate Banking, Insurance
and Social Security Committee.
headed by Senator H. Winship
Wheatley, jr., Democrat, of
Prince Georges.
Dispensary SyStem.-This bill,
introduced by Senator Edward
S. Northrop, Democrat, of Mont
gomery, to provide that a dis
tiller who refuses to sell his wares
directly to any county dispenSary
system in Maryland auto
matically forfeits his right to sell
in Maryland, is set for hearing
before the Senate Finance Com
mittee at 10:30 am. Friday. An
identical House version is in the
House Alcoholic Beverages Com
mittee.
Bottle Clubs.-A Prince Georges
County measure to outlaw bottle
clubs in that county: to be heard
before the House Alcoholic Bev-
erages Committee at 3 pm.
Tuesday.
Crime Comics.-The House
Judiciary Subcommittee is work.
ing on amendments to this bill,
which would make 1t unlawful to
sell or give away crime comic
books.
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