Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-06
Assembly Due
For Extra Call
After Sept. ]
BY ALEX R. PRESTON
Star Staff Correspondent

significant Developments To-Day
pointed to a special session Of the
Virginia General Assembly Short
ly after September l to deal
principally with highway and
revenue matters.
They do not rule out the possi-
bility of another special session
this spring or early summer to
enact the Gray Commission pro.
gram dealing with public school
segregation.
The latter possibility has not
yet been resolved. depending
largely on Senate Rules Commit
tee action on the so-called Moore
resolution, which would defer
action on the Gray plan.
Evidence Spells Out Date
An accumulation of legislative
evidence points to the period
shortly after September l as the
time for a special highway and
tax session. These are the devel-
Iopments: @
/. Late yesterday the House
Appropriations Committee re-
ported the Senate-approved bill
creating a commission to study
all State and local revenues and
expenditures, including the ad-
visibility of adopting a retail
sales tax.
AS passed by the Senate, the
study was to be completed at
least 60 days prior to the 1858
General Assembly. The Appro-
priations Committee adopted an
amendment, agreed to by Gov.
Stanley. changing the reporting
date deadline to September ]
of this year.
2. The Senate Rules Commit
tee today reported out the bill
of Arlington State Senator
Charles r. Fenwick directing the
State highway Department to
study the feasibility of jointly
constructing with the State Of
Maryland a Potomac River bridge
at Cabin John.
Report Asked by Sept. 1
Mr.. Fenwick directed that the
results of this study be reported
by September /.
8. Earlier. Senate resolution
was introduced at Gov. SANKEY'S
request directing the Virginia
Advisory Legislative Council to
study the method of distributing
highway funds in the State. Sep
tember l also was the date
spelled out in this administration
measure which already has
cleared the Senate and is pend
ing before the House Rules Com
mittee.
! Asked about the September l
date written into his legislation
for a Cabin John bridge study,
Senator FenWick said:
Il was one of the patrons on
1.-THE Governors resolution to
study the distribution of high
way funds which calls for a re-
port by that date. This would in
dictate to me a strong possibility
OF a special session in the fall to
deal with that problem.
"Inasmuch as the Cabin John
bridge also involves highways,
it seems appropriate that the re-
port of that study should be
available at the same time as the
fund distribution report is made"
Confer With Governor
| Before reporting the resolu-
ton on State and local revenues
and expenditures, the Appropri-
ations Committee sent two Of its
members to confer with Gov.
Stanley about moving up the re-
porting deadline from the fall
of 1857 to September /. 1856.
One of the emissaries, Dele
gate Harry B. Davis of Princess
Anne, reported back to the COM
mittee:
The Governor said he'd like
to have that at the same time
as the gas TAX highway funds)
information. He said he might
want to use that information be.
fore the next regular session."
, Another member of the COM
mittee commented that If any
recommendation were made for
a sales tax by September / 1T
would put next years candidates
for governor in a better position
in that campaign"
Gov. Stanley cannot succeed
himself and candidates to sue
coed him in 1858 will campaign
next year. The thinking of at
least one committee member was
that possible action by a special
session of the General Assembly
on sales tax and other related
revenue measures would take
the heat off" next years guber-
material candidates who other
wise would have the tax issue
still confronting them.
Tied Up in Rules Committee
Prospects Of a second special
session prior to September to
deal with the Gray Commissions
school segregation plan, were
somewhat tied up in the Senate
Rules Committee.
| The House-approved resolu-
ton of Speaker E. Blackburn
Moore repeatedly is opposed by
three Of the five committee
members. The resolution ex-
pressed a policy Of continued
segregation during the 1867
school year and declares that q
special session soon after ad-
Ijournment Of the current session
on Saturday is neither desirable
nor necessary.
The Moore resolution, which
cleared the House by a vote Of
62-to-34 last week. has stirred
up a storm Of protest among
some Gray Commission members
and others WHO supported ito
program.