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Show Statehouse Report One Per Cent Sales Tax Increase Approved; Other Hikes Doubtful By C. SHARP Utahns will be paying one per cent more sales tax beginning be-ginning April 1. Before the Legislature adjourns ad-journs March 31, taxpayers also may face a two mill increase in-crease ($2 per $1,000 valuation) valua-tion) in district school property pro-perty tax. But chances are slim that the cigarette tax, the mine occupation tax, the corporation corpora-tion franchise tax, the cent a gallon gasoline tax or the helf per cent local option sales tax increases will be voted. House of Representative members dramatically reversed re-versed their Feb. 26 defeat of the sales tax increase by approving ap-proving Feb. 27 the Senate-passed Senate-passed increase, one of four proposed by Gov. Calvin L. Rampton. Strenuous Resistance House members previously had resisted strenuously any tax increases. But they were half-heartedly committed to a half a per cent sales tax increase. Daily caucuses of Republican Republi-can representatives were held in an attempt to agree upon a school bill. No increases increas-es in the school program could be provided without a sales tax increase. I Gov. Rampton reportedly burned up the telephone wires from Washington, D. C, where he was attending a National Na-tional Governors Conference. Suddenly Democrats who had been voting against the sales tax increase, trying apparently ap-parently to force concessions on school finance, switched (to support the bill. Republicans Republi-cans who had voted "no" on a bill supported by the Democratic Dem-ocratic governor because his own party was opposing it, fell into line. Min Tax Dead Gov. Rampton had proposed propos-ed a mine severence tax increase in-crease which would affect Kennecott Copper Corp. only. This was to recoup the loss of a similar amount Kenne-cott's Kenne-cott's corporation franchise tax payments due to a court decision. But the legislators would not buy this measure. As a substitute, industry representatives reportedly a-greed a-greed that they could pay a small increase in corporation franchise tax to raise the $1.9 million a year sought. Meantime, with the school aid issue nearing settlement the Joint Appropriations Committee Com-mittee is acting tough. ' Far-Reaching Cuts In action Feb. 28 the committee com-mittee lopped off some of Gov. Rampton's proposed appropriations. ap-propriations. Sen, Ezra T. Clark, R-Bountiful, R-Bountiful, and subcommittee chairman, said slashing the governor's proposed $27.68 million for public assistance to $27.47 million was accompanied accomp-anied by instructions that no more deficits be allowed. "If the number of recipients recip-ients goes up, grants are to be reduced in size. If the case load permits, the division divi-sion should increase the size of grants to correspond with the cost of living," he said. Medical assistance was cut from $11.1 million to $10.64 million with instructions that doctors should be asked ask-ed to contribute their service ser-vice rather than allow deficits defi-cits to dcvclpo. 20 Pet. Cut in Personnel Welfare administration was cut from the governor's $6.89 million to $6.8 million despite de-spite new functions given to this division Sen. Clark said this would mean a 20 per cent cut in welfare personnel. per-sonnel. The Mental Health Division Divis-ion was cut from th governor's gover-nor's S4.3 million to $3.82 million. The Travel Council's proposed pro-posed budget of $774,000 was cut to $648,900. Sen. Ralph A. Preece, R- Vernal, said Travel had been able to bring more tourists despite rising costs .in such, items as. postage.. Industrial Promotion For .. Industrial Promotion the committee raised the Rampton recommendation from $351,700 to $403,100. They cut . this division's, administration ad-ministration - budget from $351,708 -to $258,100 and inserted in-serted a - provision that the remaining $145,000 be spent for non-recurring research projects by , universities or other bodies.' ' ' ' The projects would 'dev.el-. ap information needed to con-vience con-vience more industries to locate in the state. . Creation. of. "one-man rule" was assailed by William J. Welch,- Price, vice chairman of the ; . Natural , ; Resources Department Coordinating Council, in opposing SB 169 to streamlane . the . depart ment, at a public hearing February 25. Former Gov. George D. Clyde, Jay R. Bingham, executive ex-ecutive director, W'estern States Water Council James D. Moyle, chairman, Parks and Recreation Board; Glenn Thomas, president, Utah Sportsmen's Assn.; " Verl R. Topham, coordinating council member and John E. ' Phelps, Fish and Game Division Di-vision director, were others opposing the bill. Division boards should con- ' .tinue to hold appointive and policy '- 'making powers, .they said Gov. Rampton February 25 proposed a special session of the Senate for about May 1 to consider appointments to state boards and agencies. Reorganization bills await-ling await-ling action by the Legislature leave doubt as to the appointments, ap-pointments, he said. |