Show Se S 5 0 l' l The Utah State Legislature closed shop at midnight March after days 60 in session That is constitutional law Some measures were passed Most of these were revisions of present laws bringing them up-to-date up and improving them Among the laws passed wl which ch will affect all of us is the increase in the sales tax from 3 to 4 percent percent percent per per- cent at the state level There is also the present 2 1 percent for local government so the tax will willbe willbe be 4 41 2 2 1 percent Tl This s increase will bring in about 23 million dollars Tl Thirteen million of tl this s will go for elementary elementary elementary ele ele- ele- ele and l high gh schools There will not be a raise in the local taxes from 16 to 18 mills ac according according according ac- ac cording to Senate Bill 3 which is the Education Bill Tills This bill was studied debated compromised and passed Nobody is completely satisfied with it but it is my ray opinion that the people of the state and the teachers can and should live with it and that the present l high gh level of education can and will be maintained with mutual good will and respect Higher Education r received e c e i v e d about 54 million dollars increase making about 40 million dollars out of the General Fund were increased for resident and resident non-resident students However money was made available to students for loans It is felt that those who use the universities should pay a larger part of the way This business of increased funding is necessary to keep our institutions of learning at a high level We are in a period of Inflation in inflation inflation in- in over which we common people have little or no control The Collector Roads bill passed both houses My amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment put on a 5 maintenance figure and the House of Representatives Representatives Representatives changed it to 10 This will be paid for forby by the l 1 increase per gallon on gasoline This is a good fair proposition The money will be spent for local roads We must have good country roads to carry the traffic which is in in- in creasing Trucks tourists and road users will pay this tax The Inventory Tax repeal was passed as was the Green Belt Amendment The people voted for this I couldn't go along with the former because I felt it was a business tax and the repeal narrowed narrowed narrowed nar nar- rowed the tax base Six million dollars will have to be made up The latter was necessary as we weare weare weare are to re-appraise re all property and this really could put farmers out of business The Blue Cross-Blue Cross Shield will have to pay 4 21 2 4 1 premium i tax I voted against this i We passed a truth in lending act act- which will help our people For one thing it will stop deficiency deficiency de- de yr judgments if the arti article le is re-possessed re and the value is under We passed a building bill for higher institutions of learning i which should give Snow low College a science for t building h r which will be matched with federal federal federal fed fed- eral funds and College of Southern i Utah an administration building for IJ J Many other measures were passed most of which I have written about including drug abuse and narcotic laws laws' election laws judicial retirement measures measures meas meas- ures etc We will go back next year for rf I 20 days in a Budgetary Session N with perhaps other matters i thrown in I was against yearly 0 sessions but the people said they they b a f- f wanted them so we will do it Thanks for writing to me and calling me up It really helped a lot I made mistakes but re remember remember remember re- re member that each bill passed had to have a majority of the votes When a measure passed I did not like and voted vote against I told myself myself my my- 1 self sell that This is the for now Thanks Respectfully yours r. r f Rees C |