The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 4

SATURDAY. AUGUST 31. 1985 PAGE 4A State legislators give siod to two Wallace proposals recession. THE FUND is now solvent, and the tax which cost workers $80 a year can be removed, according to lawn makers. Senate approval of legislation giving state troopers back pay sends the bill to the House, where it is expected to win swift approval.

The trooper bill passed 21-1-1, with Sen. Bill Cabaniss, R-Birmlngham, passing the lone "no" vote. Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, abstained; the call because if this is not passed by Oct. 1, we would lock them into their current salaries for six years," said Rep.

Roy Johnson, a Tuscaloosa Democrat who sponsored the bill in the House. Approval of the pay raise overrode the wishes of a handful of lawmakers from small counties who complained that their county budgets cannot afford for the Legislature to continually increase the minimum salaries of county employees. Johnson told lawmakers that more than half the counties in the state would not bet affected by the bill because they already pay their tax assessors and tax collectors more than the minimum state requirement. The legislation repealing the unemployment compensation tax was agreed on by business and labor and could save Alabama industry up to $25 million over the next five years. The tax was added in 1983 when the state's unemployment compensation fund was depleted by requests from workers who lost their jobs to the ALL TAX and collectors will receive a $5,000 raise under the bills that passed the House and Senate.

The county workers' final salaries are based on the county's population. For example, the salaries of tax assessors and collectors living in a county with a population of 25,000 or less would be raised from $20,000 to $25,000. A tax official in a county with a population of more than 135,000, who is now making $30,000, will earn $35,000 under the bill. "The governor saw fit to put this in Wallace's $275 million education bond issue, the largest single capital outlay plan for education in the state's his-' tory. The Senate also approved and sent to the House Friday a third bill on Wallace's legislative agenda that clears the way for state troopers to receive back pay for work in 1981-82.

A House committee has already approved the bill. All three bills must clear both houses before they can be sent to Wallace for final approval. BACK TO SCHOOL SALE 30 60 No Money Down! flo Intorost No Payment Til Feb. 1986 CULP PIANO ORGAN By AMY HERRING Advertiser Staff Writer The Alabama Legislature gave a warm reception Friday to Gov. George C.

Wallace's bills that would give tax assessors and collectors a raise and repeal an unemployment compensation tax. The House and Senate approved identical versions of both bills before adjourning for a long Labor Day weekend. Action will resume Tuesday when the House is expected to debate Agenda talk if If XI -4 i I 1214 Madison Ave. I riiii'in j. jr i i i I 1 Committee OKs raises, bonuses By AMY HERRING Advertiser Staff Writer The Senate Finance and Taxation Committee approved raises and seniority bonuses for state workers Friday over Gov.

George C. Wallace's objections and despite the governor's threatened budget cuts. Wallace sent lawmakers a strong message Wednesday night when the special session opened, saying that large appropriations would force cutbacks in the state's General Fund. Sen. Hinton Mitchem, D-Alber-tville, chairman of the finance committee and sponsor of the pay raise, disagreed with the administration's budget figures, saying a $45 million surplus would more than cover the cost of the raises.

"These are the same people that hollered all through the regular session that we were going to be in proration, and we are carrying over $45 million," he said. "I would not sit here as chairman of this committee and pass a bill that would put us in proration." ALABAMA'S constitution prohibits the state from spending more revenue in a year than it collects, and when a shortfall occurs budgets must be cut, or prorated. The state worker's pay bill, which is identical to the one Wallace vetoed during the regular session, now goes to the full Senate, where it has the backing of Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley.

The bill would give Alabama's 30,000 state workers a $1,000 raise. A separate bill, introduced by Sen. John Teague, D-Childersburg, which also gained committee approval, will give the workers annual seniority bonuses ranging from $300 to $600. Sen. Earl Goodwin, a Selma Democrat and Wallace floor leader, criticized his peers for bringing up the measure, but abstained on the vote.

"I can't vote for a bill like this when it's putting the governor on the spot," Goodwin said. "I'm going to say the same thing on the floor, and you're going to pass it over anyway." Meanwhile, the Senate Education Committee approved a bill that would give Alabama's 36,000 teachers a 15 percent pay raise, support workers a $1,000 salary increase and raise the state's contribution to education worker's health insurance. Randy Quinn, executive director of the Association of Alabama School Boards, attempted to delay the pay raises, saying school boards don't have enough money to fund the raises until November, when state dollars begin rolling in. Quinn agreed to the bill after committee members said they would support an $8.8 million supplemental appropriation to fund the raises in October. The teacher pay bill failed on the last night on the regular session in May, but was approved by the state Board of Education.

Paul Hubbert, executive director of the Alabama Education Association, said the bill was needed to "clear the air" and prevent court challenges. House Speaker Tom Drake, D-Cullman, left, discusses the agenda for the Alabama Legislature with Speaker Pro Tem Roy Johnson, D- Tuscaloosa. Lawmakers convened for a special session Wednesday and will return to the Capitol Tuesday after a long Labor Day weekend. ers balk at judicial raises House memb By PEGGY WILHIDE Advertiser Staff Writer A resolution that would revamp the pay scale for the state's appellate judges and give district judges a raise hit a snag in the Alabama Legislature Friday when a Montgomery lawmaker complained that senators were, "asleep at the switch" when they approved the pay plan. The legislation was approved by the Senate on a voice vote Thursday, but was sent to a committee Friday when lawmakers attempted to push it through the House.

Sen. Larry Dixon, R-Montgomery, introduced a resolution in the Senate asking the House to return the pay measure to the upper chamber, contending that many the state's 35 senators were unaware it passed. DIXON'S resolution must pass the House before the pay measure can be returned to the Senate. House members balked at the 1 265-CULP(2857) ANNUAL HUTUMN LABOR DAY WEEKEND ONLY! Save on all clocks by Seth Thomas and Howard Miller. Pay us a special visit on Labor day and meet Ed Callaway, representative of the Seth Thomas Clock Company.

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"John Doe on the street is getting tired of all these raises and retirement," said Rep. Nathan Mathis, D-Newton. "It's getting out of hand." The House sent the resolution to the House Rules Committee on 55-21 vote. The resolution adopts the Judicial Compensation Commission's recommendation that the Legislature restructure the pay scale for appellate judges, noting that "65 percent of all the circuit judges are compensated more than the appellate judges" in Alabama. VWe have circuit judges who make more than the chief justice of the state Supreme Court," said Rep.

Jimmy Holley, an Elba Democrat who is sponsoring the bill in the House. "This is an attempt to reduce the inequity." Holley said he will try to bring the bill to the House floor again after the "I think Jack Biddle's switch is the most significant political event for the Alabama Republican Party since the 1984 election," said state GOP director Marty Connors. "The simple reason is that he is a major player in the Legislature," Connors said. "He's the kind of guy who has a great deal of influence among his peers." Montgomery Mayor Emory Folmar, chairman of the state GOP, said he was "tickled to death that he's among us. "Every time we have a major crossover, and certainly Jack Biddle would be a major crossover, we're bound to have others contemplating doing the same thing.

I think a lot of them are thinking about it." The Democrats were playing down Republican leaders celebrate Biddle crossover TORDHAMS Tim FURNISHINGS McGeh.ee Road, at Lecroy Shopping Village 284-4275 AP wirepboW Legislature returns from a three-day holiday weekend. Under the new pay schedule, the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court would receive $76,920 a year and the other Supreme Court members would make $75,420. Supreme Court Chief Justice C.C. "Bo" Torbert currently is paid $64,350 a year, compared to the $73,920 annual salaries of the state's highest-paid circuit judges. If the resolution wins approval, the judges on the courts of criminal and civil appeals also would see salary increases of more than $10,000 a year.

The presiding judges of the criminal and civil appeals courts would receive annual salaries of $75,420, while the other judges would get $74,920. The resolution also proposes to raise the salary of district judges from $42,240 to $51,800. the importance of Biddle's switch. Biddle, an 11-year House veteran, is the latest in a series of former Democrats to join the GOP. Black Anniston District Judge Nathaniel Owens, Talladega Mayor Larry Barton and Shelby County Commissioner John Ames have taken the Republican's up on "Operation Open Door," a plan by the GOP to lure prominent Democrats to the party.

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"I am no longer an independent. I was the only one left, so I called a meeting of independents today and I am now with the Republican Party." Republican leaders were jubilant. Labor Day FASHION BEGINS A TOUCH OF CLASS 30OFF Shoes-Bags-Coats Nowupto75 off Summer Fashions t- a (Wetumpka Store Only) ALL LIE LEVI JEANS Values to $40.00 Now $16.99 CALVIN KLEIN JORDACHE JEANS Values to $50.00 Now $23.99 SAVi SAW SAVE sr-A A Entire Children's Shop 20To50 OFF 307 So Main SI Twin Oaki Village Wetumpka, AL Montgomery. Al 567-7315 279-6920 HUNDREDS WILL BE SOLD THRU LABOR DAY! DON'T MISS (- m. mm GiOM.

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