! 



I 



I 



i 



1 



1 



i 



i 



4 



1 



Illinois A^rictdtural Associati 



"^ ^RECORD 





■^li^Hi!^ 





Number 6 



JUNE, 1929 





Income Tax Bill Defeated by 

 Narrow Margin 



EXATE 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 Legislature 

 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 consideration 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 : 

 Abt Felts Meyers 



Adair Finn Mills 



Bailey Flagg Paddock 



Baker Hamilton Searcy 



Barr Hanna Smith 



Bohrer Jewell Thompson 



Boyd Lantz Wilson 



Carlson Lee Wright 



Cuthbertson McCauley 28 votes. 



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 provisiitns 

 of Senate Bill .39. he would give it his support 

 should his vote b<i necessary to secure its final p.assapc. 



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

 ceived entirely different treatment. It was referred 

 to the House Coniniittee on Revenue, made up of 

 19 Chicago representatives an<l 11 from down-state. 

 When the Committee convened to consider tjhe 

 measure. Representative Schnackenberg of Chicajro 

 immediately moved to vote the liill 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 ami his request 

 was supported by Representative (Jroen. ("hairnian 

 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 Ve- 

 port came to the floor of the House. Ri])ves(nlative 

 Hunter moved that the House DO NOT CONCUR 

 in the Committee report and that the bill be place<i 

 on the calendar. This motion prevailed by a vote 

 of 72 to .'i9. 



All efforts weie 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 >iipport 

 to carry this bill safely through this stage of it.~ 

 consideration. Three agreements were reached \\\ 

 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 suppoiters of the bill 

 were disappointed and different reasons offeivd 

 for delay. It was finally called by the Speaker 

 on Tuesday afternoon. June 4th. and a sjjiritied 

 contest was immediately in evidence. The sup- 

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

 sentative David Hunter of Rockford. Floor Lea<lei 

 Rogei- Little of Champaign. an<l R('i)reseiuative 

 Wood of Keenes. The opposition was le<l by Repre- 

 sentatives Schnackenberg and Thon of Chicago, afid 

 Dixon of Dixon. The first roll call shows velry 

 (C^ntinue<l on page :{ I 



tv- » -) '-lAri-t!!* » :.\ -u:- 



