Show r. r Jl I II I 7 f. f rI t a ito lQ I u voe l Ul r i 9 1 n By Uarda McCarty Death of a movement to authorize author author- ize the sale of liquors and wines by the drink Tentative approval of homestead and property properly tax exemptions in both houses Putting the quietus on the proposal proposal pro pro- to bar governmental employment employment employment employ employ- ment of persons whose spouses are gainfully employed These were the highlights last week weel of front line action at the twenty third session of the Utah state legislature which on Monday Monda Monday Mon Mon- da day began Its second forty-second day and its third to last week of lawmaking lawmaking ing deliberations Presaging interesting action to come on measures of vital interest to to the state as a whole was the introduction of several new bills A senate-introduced senate old age assistance assIstance assistance as as- bill pirates payments on aneed a aneed aneed need basis instead of the present 30 less income basis Another senate measure proposes proposes that school classes up to a and d including tho the fifth grade be taught be-taught taught by radio A house bill prohibits sit-down sit and stay stay-in strikes limits picketing eting and use of labor boycotts Appropriation Other new bills of interest propose propose propose pro pro- pose extension of the period in which a preceding years year's motor vehicle license plates could be used to April 1 authorize an appropriation tion Uon of for Utah's 1947 centenary observation and create i ia a use production-for-use program similar similar similar sim sim- ilar to the Epic plan proposed in California The lower house continued to sound an economy note when it refused to approve proposed salary increases for three state officials It did however grant lesser raises to two The house of representatives emphatically emphatically emphatically em em- rejected the proposal to liberalize state liquor laws by per permitting the sale by drink of hard liquors or even light wines The legislators showed plainly that sentiment is decidedly against any further liberalizing and that unless there are arc drastic changes in pres pres- ent-day ent attitudes the present law lawwill lawwill lawwill will remain in status quo for sometime some sometime sometime time to come Homestead Exemption The homestead exemption movement movement movement move move- ment was encouraged by house action action action ac ac- tion making malting the exemption bill and four tour allied revenue measures a special order of business for Fri Fri- day Allied measures which exemption exemption exemption ex ex- emption supporters figure will compensate for loss of tax revenues revenues revenues reven reven- ues to the state high school fund another diverting ertIng a year in liquor sales profits to the same fund another raising the mine occupation occupation occupation oc oc- tax from one two percent per percent percent cent on gross proceeds in excess of and a a. fourth increasing Income t ta taxes tes ces es and lowering ex ex- Iii Xii the senate a bill to exempt I home furnishings up to in vague from taxation was advanced to third reading without a dIssenting dissenting dissenting dis dIs- vote This is taken to mean final adoption of the measure measure meas meas- ure in the upper house Two measures having to do with financing municipally owned utilities utilities ties brought clashes in the senate last weel week Supporters of S. S B B. declared that S. S B B. B 59 was written by promoters of municipal power plants while those favoring the later charged that S. S B B. B was a private power company measure The forty-first forty day of the current current current cur cur- rent session closed Saturday with house and senate bills intro intro- Of this number umber only 67 had been acted upon upon passed passed by byboth byboth byboth both houses killed withdrawn or vetoed by Governor Henry H. H Blood Blood up up to Saturday night An additional nine had been signed by the governor leaving measures still in the legislative hopper A total of 31 34 bills are now awaiting awaiting await await- ing the approval or disapproval of Governor Blood Eleven have been killed by house or senatorial ac ac- tion Another 21 have been withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn with with- drawn either entirely or because some other bill has been substituted ed or its provisions carried out fn in n another II The senate has passed 12 measures measures measures meas meas- ures which are arc yet to be acted upon upon upon up up- on in the lower house Representatives Representatives Representatives have passed a like number which are now in the senate for action Governor Blood Bood vetoed one bill fixing fees for justices of the peace for services in criminal cases Three bills are aloe on the house table Drivers' Drivers Licenses The senate last week passed a abill abill abill bill providing for forr the revocation of ofa a drivers driver's license and registration of any motorist who fails to satisfy satisfy satisfy satis satis- fy a n judgment returned as damages damages damages dam dam- ages for personal injury or property property property prop prop- erty destruction The bill further provides that to regain the right to operate a motor vehicle the delinquent delinquent delinquent de de- de- de one must either settle the judgment nt in full or make satisfactory satisfactory tory Lory arrangements to pay it in in instalments in- in and give proof of future future fu- fu ture ure financial responsibility in the form of an insurance policy real estate bond or securities posted with the state The senate effected a compromise compromise compromise compro compro- mise on the distribution of the aeronautic gasoline tax fund of nearly by passing a bill allocating 75 per cent of the revenue revenue revenue rev rev- to the airports where the fuel was purchased and 25 per percent percent percent cent to the state aeronautics fund for use as the aeronautics commission commission commission com com- mission deems best A major portion of the approximately approximately bills yet to be acted upon are now in the hands of senate and house sifting committees committees commit- commit tees ees excepting those on house or senate calendars and those as yet unreported by committees to which they were referred |