ustxtxb_obs_1963_02_21_50_00011-00000_000.pdf

the sum of $30 million for the next two years, just to meet what Smith calls “the reasonable requests.” The House revenue and tax committee this week considered the conservative team’s pre-packaged program to raise $20 million of this by abolishing the clothing items in the sales tax and making other changes proposed by the Texas tax study commission [Obs. Feb. 7]. Connally, who has been keeping quiet on most vital issues, dropped a hint at his press conference last week that he will favor doubling the college tuition if necessary. He got this across by confirming rumors in the capitol corridors that he would not support higher tuition unless some of the money raised is put into a fund to pay the tuition for college students too poor to pay it. Yet, even with gubernatorial assent, prospects may not be good for a tuition increase. Sen. A. R. he would filibuster ; Moffett and Hazlewood probably would vote aye, but not Andy Rogers of Childress, and perhaps not even conservative Senabock. As another revenue possibility, Connally has also persisted in mentioning “nominal fees” for use of the state parks \(some of which charge Parkhouse ran hard with one of the tax study commission’s projects, the abolition of the ad valorem tax on intangible property, but it can be ventured that this proposal is moribund. The Senate constitutional amendments committee listened to Norman Register, the Dallas tax assessor, declaim that such a change would cost the city of Dallas alone $3 million a year ; Register and other assessors testified that such lost income would be saved industry, but would have to be made up from homeowners. The subcommittee on this proposal is thought to be rather cold to it. The day before the night hearing on this proposal, James McGrew, director of research for the Texas Research League, which did the commission’s tax research, was seen about Parkhouse’s office; and during the hearing he sat near Parkhouse. Some of the commission’s various tax packages have been introduced by Parkhouse in the Senate and by Reps. Ben Atwell and Charles Wilson in the House. Spears is carrying the commission’s proposal to abolish the state property tax in the Senate. The House revenue and tax committee has approved a $600,000 reduction in the state’s tax on sulphur production. \(The rate would be decreased. men for the industry, led by lobbyist Hub Caven of Texas Gulf Sulphur, argued that the Texas producers, compared to those in Louisiana, Mexico, and Europe, are too heavily taxed; the bill’s sponsor, Bill Walker of Cleveland, said that eventually the state will get more revenue by reducing the tax rate. Rep. Maurice Pipkin of Brownsville had drawn up, in case it might be needed, a bill abolishing the sales tax exemptions on food, clothes, and drugs. He did not intend to introduce it, but his secretary scooped it up with some bills he did want to introduce and put it in the hopper on his behalf, so he let it stay there. Other tax bills ready for stand-by use, according to the ideological proclivities of the legislators: Give new or expanded industry a five-year exemption from state property taxes sales under 25 cents from the volume on which sales taxes must be paid by give the sales tax back to rural counties for use to attract industry \(Canat two percent constitutionally \(Allocal sales tax of one-half of one percent \(Woods, supported by the Texas Padre Island Although the Padre Island park bill advanced handily through the Senate, \(only Senator David Ratliff about ‘its responsiveness to the act of Congress creating the park. In the first place, it specifies that the Texas railroad commission shall draw up the rules for the use of the surface lands in the park, deeded by the state, as to mineral production, whereas the act of Congress expressly specifies that the U.S. secretary of interior shall do this. Rep. Ronald Bridges of Corpus Christi thinks the U.S. government would not be satisfied by the alternate arrangement. Sen. Bruce Reagan, Corpus, the Senate sponsor, says that, to the contrary, he has heard, from someone in Corpus Christi who heard it, that Stewart Udall, the secretary of inte rior, will not be hard-nosed as long as interior is given full rights to develop the park. In the second place, as passed by the Senate, the bill requires that “the school land board” convey the state’s submerged land -to the United States for the recreation area. That board includes Land Cmsr. Jerry Sadler. Sadler was set against the park for some time; he says the Senate bill is perfect in that it preserves the mineral rights to the state, and Reagan says he is sure than Sadler will not block the conveyance of the land title. Spears sought to amend the bill in the Senate to let a majority of the threeman board convey the land, depriving Sadler of a possible veto, but this amendment lost 16-11. The House sponsors of legislation on Padre were expected this week to take the Spears approach on the land board question and to include a proviso that the railroad commission not promulgate its rules on surface use as to drilling without notifying the department of interior well in advance. Other technical problems have come up in legislators’ attempts to match the state legislation to the federal act. There is a pressure for quick action so that a law might be presented Washington by April, thereby providing impetus for the first federal appropriation for the private land that has to be bought for the 80mile park. \(The Texas law will convey only that property in the park area which the state owns, the subSequel In spite of an expectation that cable TV for a city the size of Austin will ‘be a natural monopoly, Austin’s city council granted a second contract for a cable TV franchise to John G. Campbell of Mineral Wells, who, it appears, is associated with Sen. >Charles Herring of Austin in the enterprise. The LBJ Co.-associated Capital Cable Co. continues to have the first contract with the telephone company to use its telephone poles, but the new contender has an assurance that it can use the poles, too. Campbell has announced plans to use microwaves relayed by towers. Austin is a-buzz with talk of a ticket to oppose the incumbent city councilmen. Erratum: The “Godfrey” mentioned last issue as a member of the Texas Research League study screening committee is B. E. Godfrey of Fort Worth. February 21, 1963 11