The Sidney herald., 1957-03-07
by Ernest YmmeI

Helena - AS this is written
the 35th Montana legislative as
sembly is rapidly nearing it
scheduled day of adjournment
At the moment there still are
number of matters that could car
~ the assembly into an overtime
period; that is, beyond the sc
consecutive calendar days tc
which the session is limited by
the constitution.
For a Montana legislature to
run overtime is far from unusual.
II happens more often than not.
But in the official record - the
senate and house journals -
there is never anything to show
that the 20 days were exceeded.
In case of overtime, the 60th lg-
islative day continues through a
series of recesses from which the
clock is excluded.
AS legislators pay stops with
the 6n.h day, there is this induce
ment, too, for the lawmakers to
pack up and go home. In any
event, most of them are anxious
by now to finish the job and re-
turn TO their normal private ac-
tivities. Not a few will tell you
they have had their fill of it, but
by the time the deadline nears
for filing for the primary cleo
ton, most of these will have
changed their minds.
Foremost among the problems
that may delay adjournment of
the assembly are appropriations
and revenue. Democrats - they
have organizational control in
both houses - estimate that rev.
enue measures that have been
sent to the senate would increase
income about one-third. Also, it
looks like appropriations will be
about a third greater than two
years ago.
The Democrats as well as the
Republicans are pledged to keep
the budget in balance. Republican
Gov. J. Hugo Aronson, starting
his second term, hopes, of course,
that fiscally the state government
will fare at least as well during
the next four years as in his first
term Being the majority party in
he legislature, the Democrats
find themselves at a dis {,
in the next campaign if {,
heir handling of the fiscal situa- !
ion in the 1857 assembly turned !
our. :
Because of the political impli- :
atoms, both parties have been :
for position during this
session Or, to put it :
mother way, they have been try .
ng to maneuver their adversaries l
nto an uncomfortable corner, !
With particular reference to the !
lus or minus footing OF the state j.
reaSury. .
Nobody knows today how the !
tate treasury will balance out 1.
the next two years. If eco :
lomic conditions in Montana dur '
ng the next biennium r gener- I
lily favorable, it is likely that
tax income will be ample to
meet the appropriation commit i,
nents now being made. But it
not take much of an eco
ionic reversal to cause the state {
General fund to slip into the red. l
With no exceptions of which /
m aware, the members of both
arties in the legislature are ear s
estly striving to keep the states L
nances on the surplus side of a
le ledger. There are, however, .
RECEPTIONS when it comes to re- o
sting some of the pressure groups Il
lat are demanding bigger cuts
the state governments income
it'll little regard about where
Ie money is coming from. This
not a novel situation, nor is
ere reason for expectation that
will ever improve.
If the state general fund should
ip into the red during the next j
70 years, the increase in appro- ST
-iations for educational purposes d.
i'll be the chief contributing al
.ctor. This is not to say that the
nancial needs of Montana's COM in
on schools and of the university st
stem have not acutely risen, but q
is becoming more and more w
that educational costs are
le most difficult single financing til
the legislature peren- d;
ally is confronted with.
In their search for additional al
venue, legislators quite appro- S.
have sought the advice T
the state board Of equalization.
.ost of the revenue measures al
PRODUCED at this session origi- c
ated in the state board of equal al
alton, which by the very nature til
its constitutional responsible el
IS can hardly escape being in in
lived in controversies. w