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Illinois Agricultural Associati 



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Number 6 



JUNE, 1929 



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Income Tax Bill Defeated by 

 Narrow Margin | 



SENATE BILL No. 39, introduced by Senator 

 Lantz, in the 56th General Assembly, which 

 was authored and sponsored by the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association, after passage in the Senate, 

 went down to defeat when under consideration in 

 the Lower House in the closing week of the Legis- 

 lature. This was the only bill introduced or under 

 consideration during this session of the Legrislature 

 that promised any relief from the ever-increasing 

 property tax burden in Illinois. The final result 

 was determined by 21 down-state members who 

 lined up with the solid delegation from Cook 

 County, who had from the beginning sought to 

 emasculate this bill. 



It is well to review what has transpired during 

 the consideratipn of this particular piece of legis- 

 lation, in order that our members may be fully 

 informed so as to cast their future ballots in a 

 manner that will more fully promise corrective 

 and constructive legislation of this character. 



The bill was introduced in the Senate on Janu- 

 ary 22nd, by Senator Lantz, and had very fair 

 consideration before the Revenue Committee of 

 the Senate and later by the full body. It was 

 passed by the Upper House on April 24th, by a 

 vote of 28 to 19. 



Those voting for the bill were: "^ 



Meyers 



Mills 



Paddock 



Searcy 



Smith 



Thompson 



Wilson 



Wright 



28 TOtes. 



Abt Felta 



Adair Finn 



Bailey yy. Flagg 



Baker ..'. Hamilton 



Barr ■ Hanna 



Bohrer 'Jewell 



Boyd Lants 



Carlson Lee 



Cuthbertson McCauley 



Dunlap Meents 



Those voting against the measure were: Kes- 

 singer of the 14th District; Michel of the 18th Dis- 

 trict; and Miles of the 28th District. 



Senator Reynolds of the 49th District did not 

 vote. 



It should be stated in connection with this vote 

 that Senator Kessinger has been a friend of che 

 Association's program for tax reform, and it was 

 well understood by the supporters of this bill, that 



while Senator Kessinger did not like all provisions 

 of Senate Bill 39, he would give it his support 

 should his vote be necessary to secure its final passage. 



On coming over to the Lower House, the bill re- 

 ceived entirely different treatment. It was referred 

 to the House Committee on Revenue, made up of 

 19 Chicago representatives and 11 from down-state. 

 When the Committee convened to consider the 

 measure. Representative Schnackenberg of Chicago 

 immediately moved to vote the bill out with recom- 

 mendations that it DO NOT PASS. Representative 

 David Hunter, who was sponsoring the bill on the 

 floor, urged the Committee to give proper consider- 

 ation to the provisions of the bill and his request 

 was supported by Representative Green, Chairman 

 of the Committee. Their pleadings were of no avail, 

 however. The Chicago members supported by Rep- 

 resentative Crowley of down-state being in a ma- 

 jority immediately adopted the motion of Repre- 

 sentative Schnackenberg. When the Committee re- 

 port came to the floor of the House, Representative 

 Hunter moved that the House DO NOT CONCUR 

 in the Committee report and that the bill be placed 

 on the calendar. This motion prevailed by a vote 

 of 72 to 59. 



All efforts were then directed toward securing 

 sufficient support to keep unfriendly amendments 

 from being written into the bill when it came up 

 for consideration on second reading. On several 

 occasions it appeared there was sufficient support 

 to carry this bill safely through this stage of its 

 consideration. Three agreements were reached by 

 the sponsors of the bill and the Speaker of 

 the House as to the time when it would be con- 

 sidered. In each case, the supporters of the bill 

 were disappointed and different reasons offered 

 for delay. It was finally called by the Speaker 

 on Tuesday afternoon, June 4th, and a spirited 

 contest was immediately in evidence. The sup- 

 porters of the bill were led in their fight by Repre- 

 sentative David Hunter of Rockford, Floor Leader 

 Roger Little of Champaign, and Representative 

 Wood of Keenes. The opposition was led by Repre- 

 sentatives Schnackenberg and Thon of Chicago, and 

 Dixon of Dixon. The first roll call shows very 

 (Continued on page 3) 



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