The people's voice., 1958-06-27
1857 legislative Voting Record

distance bill-several senators, led by Ring
ling (D-Meagher), successfully moved to cut
the state gasoline tax back to six cents after
January Is, 1868 (at which time outstanding
highway debenture bonds would be paid off
In so doing, they pointed out that in 1865,
when the Legislature increased the gasoline
tax from six to seven cents for two-year
period it was with the express understanding
that if a satisfactory truck taxing law wasn't
enacted by the 1857 Legislature the Legisla-
ture should not extend the cne-cent increase
as permanent tax on motorists. Ringling's
motion was also in line with the 1856 Demo-
cratic platform which pledged an equitable
highway financing program. Sen. Sagunsky
(R-Madson), one of the leading opponents of
the weight-distance bill, sought to save the
added one-cent tax land, as an incidental,
to put the Senate on record) by moving that
HB 389, as amended by Ringling ct al, be
"segregated' from Committee of the Whole
Report. The roll call is taken on Sagunsky's
motion. Those voting "Aye", for all practical
purposes, voted for making the inequitable
seven-cent gas tax a permanent tax.
Tax Measures
SB 15-by Senate Banking Committee
ments of Montana's economy were being
compelled to pay tax increases ranging from
20 to $50 per cent by the 1857 Legislature,
that body did find merit in reducing the tax
classification of various bank funds from 80
to seven per cent To the Sc counties, passage
of SB Is will cost an estimated 1897, 900 in
tax revenues annually. Over half of the tax
reduction accruing from passage of SB Is
e -.
Bankers were not particularly in need of tax
relief. A booklet put out by the Montana
Bankers Association just before the 1857 Leg
islature convened showed that banks in Mon
tana were making net return of 11.26% on
their investment after all taxes and other
operating expenses had been paid. SB Is
passed the Senate with only four dissenting
votes-Carney, Dahl, James and Stein. BY
the time the bill got to the House more of its
implications were understood but not enough
to keep it from being passed by 1922 vote.
"Aye'' votes were for giving the banking
substantial tax relief. I
SB 1O5-by MCGOWAN ct ALTO levy Mon
,ana income tax on Montana earnings of out
'f-state residents. Purpose of SB 105 was 70
collect from out-of-state people income tax I
IN their Montana investments, business oper- 5
ltions, farm property, etc. Estimates placed :
ncome available from this source for the T
State General Fund at upwards of one million I
lollars annually How the Senate could recon- =
lie killing SB 105 while increasing the various s
,inds of taxes on Montana residents is beyond F
comprehension. SB 105 went down to defeat F
primarily because of the opposition of power +
ul corporation groups including major oil and G
aiming companies private utilities, etc., either S
eadquartered or chartered outside Montana. r
lad SB 105 been enacted, the Queen of G
holland, who owns five per cent of the stock 5
f Anaconda Company, would have had to pay r
considerable sum into Montana's state treas r.
ry annually, via income tax. "Aye" votes S
7ere for collecting Montana income tax from R
ntaxed out-of-state people who secure a -
ortion of their incomes from business or g
arm operations or investments of other kinds r
ithin Montana
Other sponsors of SB 1O5: Mahoney, Hagenston, -
Stein Mcdonnell, Nixon. (NOTE: Co-sponsor Il
Mcdonnell voted against SB 105 roll cali). K
HB 444-by Felt and Morrison-two per =,
ent sales tax Bill proposed referendum to Sc
etermine whether the people favored impo- r.