Show Utah's Safety Program Imperiled MOST important traffic safety m measure asure THE 1 to come before this legislature Senate legislature Senate re-Senate Senate Bill 26 the uniform traffic code measure measure measure-is is threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened with with defeat because of a a dispute over over last- last minute efforts to include a provision that parkIng parking parking park park- ing meter revenues must by law be used for additional traffic safety work The bill passed practically unanimously by byboth byboth byboth both houses some time ago has been stymied as a result For a time the delay was caused by failure of Speaker of the House Sheldon R. R Brewster to name a house conference committee commit commit- tee which with a similar senate committee would Iron tron out slight differences in the bill as passed by the two houses Finally Speaker Brewster was prevailed upon late Wednesday to name the committee That night the com com- reached agreement and Thursday the conference report was presented to the house It was then that the meter money provision was inserted by the house at the personal request of Speaker Brewster The senate rejected the attempt to add a new provision to the pill bill as a violation of joint house rules and unconstitutional unconstitutional unconstitutional procedure The measure is now back before the house and just what w will ll happen to it there is still uncertain The Telegram has always argued for the use of parking meter revenue solely for extra and additional traffic safety work It believes that is the only fair thing to do with this new revenue We would not therefore oppose any attempt to require such use of meter money by law However we believe it would be a great mistake to jettison such a fundamental tool for traffic safety in Utah as the uniform uniform traffic traffic code solely to get such a provision relative to use of meter money into the law at the last m minute The light fight for the use of meter money for tr traffic safety can still be carried on law or orno orno no law before the city commission We can attempt to get some such law passed by a future future fu Lu- ture legislature So So the meter mone money fight Light will not necessarily be lost no matter what happens at this session of the legislature But if the uniform traffic code is defeated the whole Utah safety program will be jeopardized jeopardized jeopardized for the next two years It would be a severe blow to our safety efforts It is to be hoped that legislators will not permit that to happen and that those who are advocating the meter money provision will not sacrifice the whole traffic safety program for forthe forthe forthe the sake of one minor amendment no matter how worthy it might be |