| Show Utah's Utah Legislature Begins What Will Likely Be Rugged Legislative Session The Utah legislature convened at at noon Monday for a session which is apt to prove one of the most difficult Utah legislators have ever experienced I Both Democratic and Republican caucuses in the house and senate had previously previously previously pre pre- completed organization arrangements arrange- arrange v ments menta Representative Ed J. J Democrat of Summit county who had been chosen at the Democratic caucus for forthe forthe forthe the important rol role of speaker of the house was elected eJected by acclamation after Representative Clifton Kerr Republican minority leader in the house moved that this be done in In the senate Alonzo F. F Hopkin Democratic member from Rich Summit Wasatch Daggett and Morgan counties was reelected president Here again agnin the Ule election was by acclamation after Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Mitchell Republican minority t i J leader from Emery San Juan and Grand counties moved that this be done This atmosphere of harmony was 4 stressed further on the opening day in inthe w the acceptance speeches made by the new newhouse K house speaker and by the reelected senate senate senate sen sen- ate president Speaker promised he would try to be as impartial as possible possible pos pos- tit sible and said the Republican minority would get consideration from the speakers speaker's speakers speaker's speakers speaker's speak speak- ers er's chair President Hopkin said There never was Wag a more critical time in which the senators must work for the interests of the state as a whole and push partisan feeling into the background There is unusual need for this kind b of political burying of the hatchet at this session of the legislature Government Government Govern Govern- ment meat in Utah is split down the middle politically The he Republicans have the e governorship with all the power that office wields legislatively and The Democrats have firm control of the house of representatives with a two-to-one two majority The senate is al almost almost almost al- al most evenly divided The Democrats actually actually actually ac ac- ac- ac have a vote one-vote majority but that's far too narrow to be at all de de- de- de in a hot fight fight and and it would be I impossible for the Democrats in the senate senate senate sen sen- ate to override a gubernatorial veto if ifan ifan ifan an issue were made strictly political Plainly without cooperation between party leaders and between the executive and legislative branches of our government government government govern govern- ment we could have a complete stale stale- mate The governor could not get anything anything anything any any- thing through a hostile house of representatives representatives representatives and Democratic legislative leaders could not put anything over against a hostile governor and Republican can bloc in the senate Cooperation is not therefore an idealistic idealistic idealistic ideal ideal- hope It is a practical must The governor and every member of the leg legislature legislature legis legis- slature s- s lature should make the furtherance of I such cooperation their first responsibility Even with the best of cooperation this is going to be a rugged legislative session There are arc bound to be many honest but sharp differences of opinion between Democrats and Republicans A good many compromises will ill have to be threshed out out out-a a matter which will re require require require re- re quire cool heads patience and willingness to see the other ma mans man's s 's point of view And then perhaps most difficult of all is the problem of balancing mushrooming demands demands demands de de- de- de mands for state spending against limited state revenues Legislature and governor are going to have to say No to a lot of high- high pressure requests for appropriations It will be a tricky tricky and and thankless thankless job job deciding deciding deciding de de- de- de which spending proposals will be approved and what ones rejected We Ve are sure Governor Lee and the members of the legislature recognize recognize recognize nize full well these problems We Ve are arc sure they recognize their grave responsibility responsibility responsibility to the people of Utah and that they will ill do their level best to fulfill well a difficult assignment The Telegram welcomes members of the legislature to Salt Lake City and hopes they will find despite difficulties that it will be a fruitful legislative ses ses- sion |
