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Show Ccif to legalize horse racing and pari-mutuel pari-mutuel betting in Utah was reported re-ported back on the floor of the senate by the agricultural committee com-mittee without recommendation and its chances for final passage were considered practically nil. This bill now lies on the house table while its sponsors await a By J. J. CAHOON TJUili State Press Association Salt Lake City (Special to the Springville Herald) Prospects for economy in State Government grow dimmer and dimmer as the 2,r)lh biennial session of the Utah legislature passed i t s halfway mark this week. more opportune time to bring it before the body for consideration. During debate on the income tax measures an anti-economy note was sounded by Rep J. W. Reed, D., Salt Lake, member of the appropriations committee who said the committee already was searching for additional sources of revenue to meet state needs. Members of the house farm bloc were joshed several days ago during debate on their measure to relieve farmers of sales tax on agricultural products which have been procesed and returned to the producer, following their earlier stand on the bill to increase tax exemptions In which they contended con-tended that It should be a privilege priv-ilege to pay taxes. HB 66 to grant owners o f homes and homesteads a $1,000 exemption where the said home or homestead is occupied by the owner was introduced in the house during the week. With bils offering both prop-ertyand prop-ertyand income tax relief in the House gristmill, there probably will be plenty of "back of the scenes horse-trading" before the House members vote on either measure. Measures proposing salary increases in-creases to the state auditor, treasurer, treas-urer, court reporters and a resolution resolu-tion urging the Governor to raise salaries of all state employees have received approval pf the lower house which, at the same time, exhibited a tendency of opposition op-position to any attempt to reduce the heavy tax load on the great mass of the citizens of the state. Legislation granting a $600 annual an-nual increase to court reporters was passed by the house as an emergency measure and will restore res-tore the reporters to their old salary sal-ary of $2,400 in 1945. ' Five bills vitally affecting the states' mining industry were acted upon or introduced in the senate during the past week. Three of the measures by Senators Lynn S. Richards, D., Salt Lake, and Mitchell Mit-chell Mellch, R., Grand, would encourage en-courage mine leasing i n Utah, while the other two, also by Richards Rich-ards and Melich, would permit women to work "above ground" in mines and smelters and would repeal the "collar-to-collar" mine law. The first three bills have already al-ready passed the senate and are in the house. These measures would relieve mine lessors of the burden of paying charges assessed for social security benefits, workman's work-man's compensation and occupational occupa-tional disease disability insurance. And speaking of horses, SB 98 |
