Show ASK CURB ON SPENDING Utah Executive Addresses A Joint Session f if i By Will Vill Jarvis Janis Gov J. J Bracken Lee called for wholesale curtailment of expenditures expenditures ex ex- ex no increased or additional taxes and several organizational organizational organizational organ organ- changes in the various state departments in his message message message mes mes- sage to a joint session of the senate and house of representatives representative Tuesday The governors governor's address came on r the second day of the 1949 legislative legislative legislative legis legis- session Recommendations which should provide a test of the cooperative spirit with wl which ch the session opened included 1 Reorganization of the highway highway highway high high- way department by doing away with the present three-man three commission commission com com- mission and replacing it with a seven-member seven commission commission commission commis commis- sion and a salaried high-salaried engineer director Complete text of Lee message on page 6 2 2 Removal of the state hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital state training school tuberculosis tuberculosis tuberculosis tuber tuber- and state slate industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial school from control of the welfare department and administering administering administering admin admin- them with nonpartisan boards and a director with business ability 3 Repeal of the formula ormula by which the budget for state institutions institutions institutions of higher education is determined de de- r 4 No more earmarking of funds 5 Abolishment of the department department department depart depart- ment of publicity and industrial de de- de- de I 6 Setting up of the state in in- insurance insurance department as a separate agency removed from the business regulation commission 7 Study of advisability of re reducing reducing reducing re- re Dumber number of commissioners in all departments is where pos pos- sible Stresses Econom Economy Throughout his address he re repeat repeatedly repeatedly re- re peat emphasized economy On some hot topics the governor spoke with a forthrightness somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what unusual in a governors governor's mes mes- sage He said two points should guide the lawmakers in regard to state finance 1 Placing state operations on ona ona ona a basis which can be met in a normal year with n normal in in- in come 2 Crea Creation tion of a reserve to cushion the state against a possible possible possible pos pos- sible economic recession This re reserve reserve reserve re- re serve would be built up from abnormal abnormal abnormal ab normal revenues such as have been had for the past few years Legislators applauded the governor governor governor gov gov- several times during his I talk especially at r references to the necessity ity for Utah to live within its income and when he called for curtailment of unwise expendi expenditures tures The governor was escorted to the joint session in the house See Page 4 i Column 1 I Governor Calls for Cut CutOn CutOn CutOn On State Expenditures Continued from Page On One chamber at 1022 am a.m. by a committee com com- composed of Se Sens s. s Elias Ellas L L. Day CR R It Salt Lake Marl D D. D Gibson D. D Carbon and L L. IS N. N Marsden farden R. R Iron Washington and Reps G G. G 0 O. O Petterson R R. Grand Linn C C. C Baker Balser D D. Weber and end Edna J J. J Cazier D D. D Juab He completed reading of his 19 19 page message at about 11 1113 13 am ant Only two members of ot the legislature legis- legis lature Sen J J. J Arthur galley Bailey D. D Salt Lake and Rep H H. H H. H Crouch R R. Morgan were absent Sen Bailey was reportedly ill m and Rep Crouch was just appointed to fila fill fil filla a vacancy Monday A burst of applause greeted the governor when he hc entered the chamber and was introduced by Senate President Alonzo F F. Hopkin Hopkin Hopkin Hop- Hop kin D D. Rich Summit Wasatch Dag Daggett ett Morgan who said There should be a thorough understanding between the executive executive tive U and le legislative branches of our government Cooperation was never more vital I feel that we all realize there is a great hope and desire to work to to- to gether With this hope we welcome our chief executive and we offer him hm our thorough cooperation which should be extended to this high office Senate Pres Hopkin and House Speaker Ed J. J D D. Summit Summit Summit Sum Sum- mit occupied the rostrum to to- to gether A large crowd had filled the galleries when the invocation was asked by Senate Chaplain C. C Clarence The house took a short recess after alter hearing the message met metat metat metat at 11 1130 30 am a.m. to transact routine business and then recessed until 2 pm p.m. The senate recessed until 2 pm p.m. Wednesday General Statement On taxes his statement was general general general gen gen- eral yet to the point He said mid The present tax burden being what it is it is my recommendation tion that no new or additional taxes be imposed upon our citizens citi ciU- zens I However he gave no mention of or any specific tax proposals two of ot which are certain to be introduced introduced intro intro- in the legislature These arc are arcan arcan arean an increased motor vehicle fuel tax and an occupation or tax on all natural resources His statement on taxes was short Receiving the most attention in his message was public welfare and welfare institutions The state of ot Utah is obligated to care for its aged and needy he said This ob- ob must be conditioned upon n our ability to provide necessary funds for tor that purpose Cites Abuses There have been abuses in welfare wel- wel tare fare arc practices he declared As to the Hen lien law law law-a a highly controversial con con- issue issue issue-he he said Without Without With out ut expressing any opinion as to the he merits or demerits of the lien law aw but simply to illustrate my point such abuses were evidenced by y the fact that after enactment of f the law more than 1900 recipIents recipients of benefits voluntarily re removed removed re- re moved themselves from the assistance as- as istance rolls Refers to Hot Is Issue ue I Referring to the fact tact that public welfare elfare was a hot campaign issue isi is- is sue the governor said If you OU can I devise a method that will wm completely complete- complete ly ly divorce relief from politics it will have my blessing First mention ot of reorganization o of departmental reorganization was made in regard to the state hospital state training school tuberculosis tu tuberculosis tuberculosis tu- tu and state Industrial Industrial in industrial In- In school These he said should be removed from control of the welfare board and placed under direction of nonpartisan nonpartisan nonpartisan non- non partisan boards with a director of or business ability not necessarily requiring expert medical training One surprising recommendation was for repeal of the formula by which the budgets for state colleges colleges colleges col col- leges and universities are determined deter deter- mined This statute was passed by 1 i the 1947 19 legislature lature with th approval o of most o of the heads of or Institutions of or higher learning in Utah J In essence the governor hinted that financial requests ts of the thc institutions in institutions institutions in- in would have to be cut i down This will certainly arouse I Isome some opposition The colleges andi and I universities are certain to put I pressure on the legislature to I grant rant their requests Durin During thelast the thelast thelast last session Gov GO Herbert B. B Maw tried to hold the University of Utah to a low appropriation but the university managed to secure a considerably larger amount Building Program For a school building program the legislature is being asked for tor In addition the overall overall overall over over- all budget request I 1 Including n e c l 1 u d din i n g teachers' teachers retirement is some 18 18 compared with appropriations appropriations in the past current biennium of ot 4 3 I The governor took an indirect slap at the 1917 19 session of the leg leg- This session set up the i water and power board to develop clop and con conserve er e water assets in the state However Howe the section mentioned mentioned men men- merely provided pro for a lump- lump II sum appropriation for or the use of this board without consideration consideration j jas as to plan he said Frankly I believe such mch a procedure represents represents i a reversal of sound Bound businesslike businesslike business business- like methods bUSineSS I He said the law la should be amended to require the board to submit plans with specific requests requests re re- quests for tor funds re-I re of funds was de de- I pIa red by the governor Earmarking Ear marking is the practice of requiring requiring requiring ing b by statute that revenues re from froma I Ia a certain source be spent only for tor forone forone one purpose This will probably I Inot not receive much opposition in the legislature although several public public pub PUb- lic lie groups have expressed a desire to have certain revenues earmarked earmarked ear car marked specifically for or highway construction and maintenance Liquor Control On liquor control the governor I told the legislators of or the steps I he had recently taken Installment I of a new two two man man bipartisan commission commission commission com com- mission closing the liquor stores I Ifor for a three-day three audit and appointment appointment appoint appoint- apPoint I ment of a member 0 nonpartisan committee to study the situation and make recommendations He asked for approval al of his course of action and for support I of his opinion that the function i of liquor control should be businesslike bust busi and devoid of ot partisan politics For the state department of publicity and industrial development development development develop develop- ment he had few tew words I recommend recommend rec rec- that this department be abolished and that in lieu of the suggested appropriation of 1 per year be appropriated appropriated appropriated ap ap- ap- ap for direct advertising of af our state the fund to be administered administered administered admin admin- by the governor Mild Opposition While this commission was a Democratic party creation Its recommended recommended recommended rec rec- abolishment should not b bp by strongly opposed Because the governor can immediately avail ayaH himself of complete control of the present commission and accompanying accorn patronage f if he so de de- de- de sires The Democrats many of whom are not too sold on the thc idea I of the P PI PID I D commission have nothing to lose by following the governors governor's recommendation i iOne One new office was mended And this one will likely cause some caustic comment from Democratic legislators because it reflects somewhat on the governors governor's governors governor's governors governor's gover gover- nors nor's business background He asked that the Insurance department department department depart depart- ment be removed from the business business business busi busi- ness regulation commission and andset andset andset set up independently In my opinion the office of ot the insurance commissioner s should h o 0 u 1 d I have the dignity as it does docs in i j I Iother other states of an independent agency with ith authority to act without subservience to or fear tear of reprisal from any superior he ex- ex pla ned Substitute Board noard As he had urged in his campaign for tor office Gov Lee asked that the I present three-man three road commission commission commission commis commis- sion be substituted with a seven- seven I member commission I and a salaried high-salaried engineer tor engineer I Also as expected he recommended recommended recommended mended a a. special investigation of I conditions at the state prison which he termed a disgrace and immediate steps for completion o of the new prison at Point of or the Mountain Without referring specifically to any other particular department he recommended study stud of the advisability advisability advisability ad ad- of reducing the number of or commissioners where possible retaining a three-member three commission commission commission commis commis- sion only where it is deemed essential es essential essential es- es and advisable Referring to requests for Cor new building construction t tot totaling o t a 11 I i n g more than Gov Lee recommended no construction outside outside outside out out- side of the state prison until the two guiding requirements had been met Grand Jury Laws Action on the constitutional amendments for tor a revision of the grand jury law and the nonpartisan san selection of the judiciary will have to be initiated by the legislature legis legis- lc legislature slature s- s lature if IC action is taken The governor governor governor gov gov- only paid passing reference to the issues without dation Careful study of ot the upper basin Colorado river compact was urged upon the legislature This compact between Utah Wyoming Colorado Arizona and New MexIco Mexico Mex Mex- ico was signed last fall and designates designates designates nates the allocations of the river waters that spay be used by the states involved Utah's share would could be approximately 23 Each of the signatory state legislatures legislatures legis legis- must ratify the compact followed by hy approval of the federal federal federal fed fed- eral congress before the compact becomes effective Serious consideration of ot the possibility of or eliminating juvenile courts and placing their jurisdiction tion under the district courts was asked by the governor Asks Ass Reapportionment He also called for reapportionment reapportion- reapportion ment of the number of legislators legislators legislators legisla legisla- tors to the various districts on the basis of ot population changes He suggested g steps be he taken in order that such reapportionment may be effected by the next regular regular regular regu regu- lar session of the legislature 1 perhaps perhaps per perhaps haps taking laking advantage of ot the next 1 f federal census census s so as asIn to mi the cost of such ment I I In conclusion the hinted that this gov d session seS wo be bc the last Jait old for year year the e Legislative s sessions are arc an all t 1 short considering the theof the ma magi lt J of ot the Job you are arc uri and undertaking am sure you w will ill survey possible phase of suggest H evE suggested lation If times does not d I h ha g g a searching inquiry I Rm am p prep to ask you to return in s J session next fall he said j |