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Show Four Law Suits Te sting New Laws Await District Co urt Decisions BY C. SHARP Trials of four important law suits testing constitutionality constitu-tionality of laws enacted jby the 1967 Legislature are pending while committees com-mittees of lawmakers are reaching agreement upon lawyers to represent them. The Legal Services Committee, Com-mittee, chairmanned by Sen. Samuel J. Taylor, R-Moab, R-Moab, met Friday in Moab. Mo-ab. Members were expected expect-ed appoint a lawyers to represent them and possibly poss-ibly other committees. Members of the State Board of Examiners including in-cluding Atty. Gen. Phil L. Hansen agreed May 16 that the lawmakers' committees com-mittees representing a Republican Re-publican Legislature, now in power, should toe allowed allow-ed to hire Republican lawyers. law-yers. This is 'because Mr. Hansen, Han-sen, a Democrat, is th.-j plaintiff in each of the suits. Mr. Hansen agreed to appoint the committees' lawyers as special assistant assis-tant attorneys general. Fee Payment Planned If the committees win their suits they will have appropriations available to pay their lawyers. If they lose, Mr. Hansen agreed to try to pay them out of his budget. Otherwise the 1969 Legislature may be asked to appropriate money mon-ey to pay the fees. A fifth case filed at the same time by Mr. Hansen Han-sen in Third District Court seeks to void an ordinance passed by the Salt Lakrt City Commission to regulate regu-late liquor locker clubs. Mr. Hansen claims that the secretary of state has exclusive power to close down locker clubs and forfeit for-feit their $5,000 bonds. Salt Lake City Attorney Homer Holmgren will represent rep-resent the city in this case. The other four cases filled fill-ed by Mr. Hansen are: Attacking constitutionality constitu-tionality of the Legislative Legisla-tive Watchdog or citizens' complaint committee oft' grounds that this overlaps over-laps functions of the executive exe-cutive and judicial branches branch-es of government. $25 Per Day Challenging the $25 per day pay provided for jrnembers of the Legislative Legisla-tive Council and the Joint (Budget-Audit Committee. Attacking the Legal Services Committee as attempting at-tempting to take over functions of the attorney jgeneral (an earlier case on this now is awaiting a State Supreme Court decision) de-cision) and the $25 a day pay for members of the committee. Senate President Haven J. Barlow, R-Layton, "the chairman of the Legislative Legisla-tive Council, was alarmed when he read a copy of the complaint served upon him. This was because the compalint charged that the council "is not validly constituted and is without authority to act for the Legislature." Mr. Hansen said: "I do not propose to attack the (constitutionality of the Legislative Council." He added that he favored all interim legislative studjos and activities that may be found desirable. He said a meeting vi!l be held with the council's attorney to agree upon wording of the complaint and confine it to two issues: is-sues: Can legislators be paid S25 a day for work between sessions and whether whe-ther the council can sol salaries for its employees. Authorities on state government go-vernment have been apprehensive ap-prehensive for years concerning con-cerning const itutionality of the Legislative Council because it is not mentioned mention-ed in the state's constitution. consti-tution. The Council was created by the 1917 Legislature. It now has a membership of 16 legislators, eight from each party, and seven se-ven staff members. It is the "work horse" for research re-search and drafting of proposed new laws. Prefers Dismissal Sen. Ear low said he would feel better if the case against the council is dismissed and the matter of $25 a day is settled by the other cases. Gov. Calvin L. Ramp-ton Ramp-ton announced May 17 that he is trying to mediate med-iate a dispute between Office Of-fice of Economic Opportunity Oppor-tunity leaders and doctors and dentists relative to a proposed $2.4 million comprehensive com-prehensive health center for Salt Lake City. He said Utah is trying to win the federal grant which will not be available next year. OEO definitely is not trying to build a political empire here, th? governor said. Dentists want needy patients pa-tients treated in private dentists' offices rather than in the clinic proposed in the east wing of the old Salt Lake General Hospital Hospi-tal at 21st South and State. Medical Aid Pinch Stringency in Salt Lake County funds for medical treatment for indigents makes the new center ex-tremly ex-tremly desirable, Mrs. Jerry Landa, chairman of an advisory committee, declared. Atty. Gen. Hansen recently re-cently charged that the State Industrial School is "nothing more than a prep school for prison." Ward C. Holbrook, the chairman of the State Welfare Wel-fare Commission, replied that inmates at the school are well supervised. He pressed for a legal opinion answering two questions. These are: May aggravated aggra-vated inmate cases be sterilized after proper legal le-gal procedures, and may the school provide contraceptives contra-ceptives for oversexed girls when they leave the school for their own communities com-munities ? . Youngsters are committed commit-ted to the school at an average age of 15, remain in the school for a year and then are released but remain under supervision of the school until they are 21. Gov. Rampton appointed eight members of the new Peace Officers Training Council May IS; Sheriff Albert Passic of Carbon county; Dewey Fillis, Salt Lake City police chief; Ralph Jones. FBI agent; Mayor Paul T. Fordham of Pleasant Grove; Salt Lake County Commissioner Mar vin G. Jenson; Lt. Rober: J. Johnson, Salt Lake City, president-elect, Utah Peace Officers' Assn.; Dean O. Anderson, Bountiful police chief, and Warren Hyde, Box Elder County Sheriff. Atty. Gen. Hansen by law is the ninth member of the council. Effective July 1 the new council will fix minimum standards for training ad peace officers, will operate oper-ate the police training academy ac-ademy and will recommend recom-mend a director to be appointed ap-pointed by the governor. State law now requires that before any peace officer of-ficer can win permanent appointment, he must complete com-plete 200 hours of basic training as prescribed hy the new council. A delegation representing represent-ing the Salt Like City and County Commissions and area businss leaders was expected to meet with Gov. Calvin L. Rampton this week to ask for a special spe-cial session of the Legislature. Legis-lature. They want the Legislature Legisla-ture to consider allowing 'counties and municipalities municipalit-ies to raise the local option op-tion sales tax by half a per cent. The current level lev-el is half a per cent. The state sales tax s three per cent. Gov. Rampton already has called the Senate to meet June 19 to confirm appointments he is :n process of making to 175 positions on boards and commissions under new and old laws. The Citizens' Review Board reports that Salt Lake City needs a bare ' minimum of $1.6 million new revenue in fiscal 1967-68 to maintain current cur-rent levels of service. |