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Show Statehouse Report Sunday Closing, Appropriations Oilis Highlight Budget Session By C. SHARP Utah has a now "Common Day of Kest Bill", which will mean closing of food and general merchandise stores on Sundays, some o'.i tr It gislation and an appropriations appro-priations bill enacted by the budytt session of the Legislature Legis-lature which ended January 31. iCiov. Calvin L. Hampton indicated that he will allow the Common Day of Kest bill to become law without his signature. This bill then would become be-come law in CO days after the Legislature's adjournment. adjourn-ment. He said he disapproves the bill but will not attempt !o veto what the Legislature enacted unless he finds that it is unconstitutional. Sustenance Recreation Stores which may remain open on Sundays are limit td principally to emergency services and those involved in customary sustenance of life, he said. Recreation areas, ar-eas, sports events and theaters thea-ters would be permitted to continue Sunday operations. Stores can choose to remain re-main open on Sundays but close on Saturdays if they make such operations uniform uni-form over all their outlets. Since Saturday remains a principal day of business, it is not likely that stores will close that day even though Orthodox Jews and Seven- th-Day Adventists observe this day as their Sabbath. Sen. E. LaMar Buckner, R-Ogden, floor manager for the bill, said opening of some stores on Sunday during dur-ing the past year has created creat-ed a situation that demanded demand-ed action at the budget session. ses-sion. Court Test Ahead Maurice Warshaw, who pioneered Sunday opening with his supermarkets which sell many general merchandise items, is expected ex-pected to challenge constitutionality consti-tutionality of the law. He claims that the bill is a conspiracy of merchants who do not want to remain open attempting to force him to close his Grand Central Cen-tral markets and Warshaw food stores. Proponents of the bill say that 38 other states have Sunday closing laws which have been found constitutional constitu-tional Money Bill Provisions The appropriations bill enacted provides for spending spend-ing $330.5 million in state general fund money and S113.8 million to support public pub-lic schools. This is about $2.5 million below Rampton's recommendations, recommen-dations, hut some $22 million above the current state budget. bud-get. Rampton agreed with legislative leg-islative leaders that the 20-day 20-day budget session first in Utah's history was successful suc-cessful so far as budgetary matters were concerned. He said that in his opinion the hangup in sale of public pub-lic bonds has not been solved. solv-ed. The governor said he will confer with legislative leaders next summer to see if a special session might be needed. No Constitution Change The lawmakers failed to pass a resolution calling for a change in the State Constitution Con-stitution to delete a provision provis-ion restricting bond elections elec-tions to property taxpayers. Bills passed include: A public school support f.'Al providing an increase of between $6 and $7 million in, state support. Republican leaders said this cut $940,000 from Hampton's recommendations. recommen-dations. He contended that the difference was only $73,230. A $45.2 million appropriation appropria-tion for colleges and universities, uni-versities, about $5 million more than the appropriation for the present fiscal year. This is almost exactly what Hampton had recommenedd. Drugs Division A bill setting up a division divis-ion of drugs within the social soc-ial Services Department to attack the growing drug problem with educational, preventive measures and treatment. It will be supported support-ed by a $100,000 appropriation, appropria-tion, expected to bring in $200,000 in federal grants. The appropriations were highly favorable to southeastern south-eastern Utah. A comprehensive mental health program will be provided pro-vided for Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties coun-ties residents with the full $13,000 recommended by the Social Services Subcommit-te Subcommit-te of the Appropriations Committee. A regional mental health director will be appointed and in-patient treatment centers will be established in existing hospitals in Price Moab and Monticello. "Real Pleased" Dr. Wilford H. Higashi, director, State Mental Health Heal-th Division, said he is "real pleased" at the appropriation appropria-tion and the program to be started July 1 in the four counties. The Continuing Educatiun Center at Moab received the full $143.0C0 appropriation recommended by the Higher Education Subcommittee and by Rampton. The full $545,000 recommended recom-mended for operating the College of Eastern Utah at Price was appropriated. This sum had been approved approv-ed by both Rampton and the Higher Education Subcommittee. Subcom-mittee. Sen. Ralph A. Preece, R-Vernal, R-Vernal, and Rep. Kenneth Silliman, R-Green River, were members of the Development Devel-opment Services Subcommittee. Subcom-mittee. Industrial Promotion The subcommittee recommendation recom-mendation of $421,000 in general gen-eral funds for the Industrial Promotion was enacted. The Travel Council appropriation, appro-priation, however, was cut to $6o6.2?0. The subcommittee subcommit-tee recommended $687,200. A resolution calling for establishment of a vocational vocation-al education center at the old Job Corps Center south cf Price never won the necessary nec-essary two-thirds majority approval to be considered. |