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Show UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME By Harry Marlowe With the heavily loaded calendars calen-dars now in the hands of sifting committees, the Utah Legislature turned much of its attention this sixth week of the session to the appropriations bill. Expected next Monday, the bill will include general fund appropriations appro-priations amounting to approximately approxi-mately $15,000,000, or more than 5z,ouu,uuu aDove me governors proposed budget. They will be based on estimated general fund revenues, including 1947-49 surpluses, sur-pluses, of considerably more than $15,000,000 as compared to Gov. J. Bracken Lee's estimates of $13,200,000. Sen. Fred J. Milliman (D-Mam-moth), chairman of the joint appropriations ap-propriations committee, said the committee wants to present the bill as early as possible in order that the legislature might get it to the governor well before the fifty-fifth day. This would give the lawmakers a chance to act on any Vetoed items in the measure. The bill is supposed to be in the House by the fortieth day, which is Friday of this week. Senator Milliman said it would be necessary neces-sary to use . this week end for final preparations and that it" would be ready on the first session ses-sion day after the fortieth day. Well might the legislature get the bill to the governor before the fifty-fifth day, which is the last day it can be assured of a return re-turn on executive action. (The governor has five days in which to act on a bill while the legislature legis-lature is in session. After adjourn ment he has 10 days). Since the governor has already shown his hand on bills of appropriation ap-propriation and expansion, the legislature can certainly expect a veto on many' of the items in the appropriations bill. It appears definite the governor will attempt at-tempt to keep general fund appropriations ap-propriations within his om estimated esti-mated revenues. He vetoed the bill to expand Weber college to a four-year institution, in-stitution, stating he could not sign the measure and remain "consistent" with the economy policies advanced in his budget message. For the same reason he vetoed an emergency appropriation appropria-tion of $40,000 to the Utah Symphony Sym-phony orchestra. In fact, the only bills he had signed through the first 35 days ot the 60-day session included a bill providing $3400 to replace fire damaged equipment at the Central Utah Vocational school in Provo, an emergency measure calling for a $250,000 revolving fund to aid winter-ridden livestock live-stock owners in Utah and a bill ratifying the Colorado River Upper Up-per Basin States Compact. Incidentally, Weber college remains re-mains a dead issue since more than enough votes to sustain the veto have been pledged in the Senate and it is doubtful if it could get the required two-thirds in the House. Symphony people, however, still have hopes of getting get-ting some kind of an emergency appropriation. Final inspection of state institutions insti-tutions as planned by members of the appropriations committee took place over the Lincoln birthday birth-day week end. Visiting BAC at Cedar City, Dixie at St. George and Snow college at Ephraim were Senators Milliman, Jolley, Marsden, Dean, Openshaw and Hinton. |