Quayle Vote for Newsprint Tax Break Reported

Republican vice presidential nominee Dan Quayle, whose family controls a $1-billion newspaper empire, voted last year to exempt newsprint from a new federal tax on most imported products.

Newsprint, the paper on which newspapers are printed, accounts for as much as 25% to 35% of the cost of putting out a daily.

Although the Indiana senator could have decided not to vote on the issue, as members sometimes do in cases involving a conflict of interest, Quayle voted with the losing side when the Senate, by a 69-29 margin, killed the proposed exemption.

Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) offered the amendment. Quayle did not speak on the issue.

Quayle’s immediate family owns the Huntington (Ind.) Herald-Press. His father is publisher; the senator is vice president of the paper.

Quayle’s most recent financial disclosure statement shows he owns stock in Central Newspapers Inc. with a book value of more than $250,000. The law does not require a more specific figure, but newspaper industry analysts say his stock is worth millions.

Wife Also Owns Stock

His wife has Central stock with a book value of $100,001 to $250,000.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Eugene S. Pulliam, son of the founder of Central, as saying Quayle owns less than 1% of Central’s stock. The Journal said a group of investors offered to buy Central earlier this year for $1.5 billion.

Quayle is a grandson of the founder of Central Newspapers, Eugene C. Pulliam. The group includes the Arizona Republic, Phoenix Gazette, Indianapolis Star and Indianapolis News.

Senators generally are required to vote on each issue facing the Senate, although a member may asked to be excused. However, Senate Rule XII, Paragraph 3 states: “A member, notwithstanding any other provisions of this rule, may decline to vote, in committee or on the floor, on any matter when he believes that his voting on such a matter would be a conflict of interest.”

In the book, Senate Procedure, Page 1137: “Under the newly amended Rule XII, relative to senators not having to vote when a conflict of interest is involved, the senator from North Carolina (Mr. Helms) on a vote in 1980 on an amendment involving broadcasting companies declined to vote since he owned stock in a broadcasting company.”