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Show Your Representative Speaks By State Rep. HV' ' JohnGarr gL-- Residents of Grand County: House action continued at a brisk pace through the 2nd week of the seesion, with a variety of legislative proposals that will come close to home for local residents. As of this writing there have been over 69 enabling resolutions introduced. Most Representatives worked work-ed long hours in sub-appropriation committees establishing their committee recommendations. recommenda-tions. The majority of committees com-mittees concluded their work by late Friday, however, a few committees were winding up final details Saturday morning. morn-ing. This past week HB 10 passed the House and the Senate and has become, when signed by the Governor, the only new law of this session. It provided for a moratorium on electronic fund transfer systems sys-tems until July 1, 1977. In my public meetings I held before the session, this bill was of considerable concern to those in attendance, and it's passage will be of interest to the voters in the Grand County area. The Senate shot down two bills sponsored by Rep. Dmitrich and myself. HER HB 5 providing for free tuition to our state universities and colleges for senior citizens, 65 years of age or older, providing there was room in the class. We were truly disappointed and surprised at the Senate's action, since this bill would not have caused the state's higher institutions any additional cost, and would have provided and excellent opportunity for many of our Senior Citizens to continue the learning process. It is indeed not surprising that our Senior Citizens feel that the rest of society does not care about their needs. The other bill was HB 15 providing for standardization standardi-zation of the justice of the peace salaries. The vote on this bill was split almost on strict party lines, with the Democrats supporting the issue and the Republicans voting against. Other bills of local interest to come before the House this week are HB 43 providing for an inheritance tax solution for agricultural lands. It is felt by the sponsors of this bill that initially Utah would lose some revenue, but in the long run much more revenue would be created for the state by encouraging former Utahns to return to the state, thereby increasing the general wealth and taxes for the state. HER HB 41 would raise the hunting and fishing license by $1.00, earmarking those funds for additional predator control. It would also remove the Cougar from the protected wildlife list. HER HB 20 would create a Public Utilities Advocate department, de-partment, designed to represent repre-sent consumer interest at public service commission hearings. Tax measures will undoubtedly undoubt-edly occupy most of our time on the floor this week. Tax measures coming before the House will be HB 13 providing a sales tax exemption on prescription drugs and prosthetic pro-sthetic devices, HB 33 sales tax exemption on prescription drugs. HB 39 food sales tax credit on personal income tax. HB 53 Sales Tax Exemption in Public Schools. HB 59 Graduated Gradu-ated Food Sales Tax Reduction and of course the hotly debated Senate bill providing for a $14 million income tax reduction. Governor Rampton has said he will not approve any legislation that will run over his proposed budget. The Higher Education Sub-Committee, chaired by Representative Representa-tive Dmitrich, the Public Education Sub-Committee chaired by Senator Bunnell, and Government Operations which Representative Garr is a member, may have to make substantial reductions in appropriations ap-propriations if this bill is passed in the House. House members will be caucusing in an early morning session Monday to plan strategy on the tax measures. It appears at this writing that the House will not concur with the Senate's $14 million income tax reduction bill and will pass their own legislation; therby forcing a compromise situation between the two bodies. This could require lengthy, time consuming debates de-bates in both houses and not be finalized until late in the final hours of the session. |
