Mental Health, Bridge, Absentee
Law Takes Attention Legislature
Mental health, the Guantana
mo naval base, a high bridge at
Wilmington, and Northampton
county peanuti competed (or at
tention in the General Assembly
Thursday. The high hridgers
from nine southeastern counties
appeared before the State High
way Commission to urge quick
approval of a high-level bridge
across the Cape Fear at Wilm
ington. Tlie delegation, some
800 strong, then moved over to
the Legislative Building, but
any plan that they might parade
convcntion-style through the
House galleries was foiled by
the fact that Dr. Roy Menninger
of Topeka, Kansas, was in the
midst of an hour-long speech
on mental health.
Public Utilities
SB 116 (HB 203) the General
Statutes Commission's bill re
codifying the public utilities
laws was introduced Friday. The
143-page single-spaced docu
ment combines Chapters 96
(Electric, Telegraph and Pow
er Companies), 60 (Railroads
and other Carriers), and 62
(Utilities Commission) into a
single Chapter 62 (Public Util
ities). The recodification makes
the same principles and policies
apply to all public utilities ex
cept where the nature of a par
ticular utility requires individ
ual treatment. Terms of the
five utilities commissioners are
increased from six to eight
years, and salaries are increased
to equal salaries of superior
court judge* (superior court
judges now receive $14,500 plus
an expense allowance, but would
become $18,000 if SB 113, in
troduced Thursday, is enacted).
The administrative authority of
the chairman is increased. The
bill makes clear that the Utili
ties Commission is primarily an
administrative agency with a
duty to take the initiative to
protect the public interest.
Numerous, changes in details o i
the present law are made.
Elections
The present absentee ballot
law is not among friend in this
General Assembly. The Demo
crats have offered UB 3 (SB
10) to substantially tighten the
absentee laws. HB 32, a Repub
lican bill, would repeal the ab
sentee ballot law as it relates
to civilians. The joint Elections
Committees heard Kep. Simp
son of Burke present the case
for the Republican bill Wednes
day; he suggested that Demo
cratic inaction on absentee bal
lot abuses would be a useful
issue for his party in the 1964
elections.
Motor Vehicles
HB 9, the bill to require new
automobiles registered in' North
Carolina to be equipped with
front seat belts was amended
Wednesday to make it clear
that the belts must be on cars
at the time of registration. The
bill then passed second reading,
but third reading was deferred
after objection was raised by
Rep. Kiser, who suggested that
the bill was a sales promotion
rather than a safety matter.
Capital Punishment
SB 27, the Republican-spon
sored bill to abolish capital
punishment and to provide that
persons convicted of first-degree
murder may never be consider
ed for parole, had the distinc
tion of being the first bill of
the session to be killed by com
mittee. It was reported unfav
orably Thursday by Senate Ju
diciary 1. Rep. Taylor, chair
man of the House Judiciary 1,
has announced that his commit
tee will vote either next Tues
day or Thursday on HB 35,
which abolishes capital punish
ment and denies parole to per
sons twice convicted of capital
1 crimes.
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SB 96, by Clark and Morgan
of Cleveland, would increase
the minimum wage to $1.
HB 181 repeals the per bead
tax of $3 on horses and mules
purchased for resale.
SB 105, by Senator Midgett
amends the laws governing loans
to business development corpor
ations by the members of the
corporations.
HB 187 provides that permis
sion by a landowner to another
to use land for recreational
purposes creates no duty to see
that the premises are safe and
constitutes no assurance that
they are safe.
SB 109, by Senator Jordan,
prohibits the business of debt
adjusting for a consideration.
The preamble to the bill recites
various abuses which are alleg
Cancer Clinic Q
In Avery Co.
A free Cancer Detection Clin
ic at Avery County Health De
partment in Newland will be
held on the third Tueaday of
each month, March through
November. Anyone inte retted
in attending contact the health
department in Boone at 60 7
2711. If there is a transporta
tion problem, call CO 7-2711
and arrangement* will be made.
ed to have occurred in the debt
adjusting business.
SB 111 will be of intereat
to lawyers. The bill, by Sen.
Hamilton, provides that when a
tort or contract action is insti
tuted in a recorder's court hav
ing civil jurisdiction, and when
a cross-action or counter-claim
in exceas of the court's jurisdic
tion is filed, both the original
and cross action shall upon mo
tion be transferred to the su
perior court for trial.
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