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Show Proposed Constitutional amendments raise little controversy by Kent Birch UPA PRESS SERVICE Utah's proposed constitutional amendments have raised little controversy con-troversy according to 1,1. (Jov. David S. Monson in a recent report. No one has bothered to write an kind of opposing argument to be ini lii'lod in a pamphlet for interested voters ";t .uiy of the four measures. The four amendment proposals are: first, an executive article revision; second, a tax article revision; third, a prosoner work release amendment ; and fourth, a legislative compensation amendment. The executive article revision will do away with the position of Secretary of State and form a new office of Lieutenant Governor who will run for election on the same ticket as the Governor, similar to the way the President and Vice President of the United States are elected. The revision would also remove some other archaic limitation still placed on officials. It would no longer be necessary for the Governor to relinquish power to a second in command when leaving the state on business. The revision also clarifies details for the succession of a Governor. The revision of the tax article of the constitution will make it legal for the state legislature to remove certain personal property taxes, such as home taxes, and also gives greater leeway for other future tax revision. The proposal would also remove tax on cattle since it is a very difficult tax to administer. The third revision is a prisoner work release amendment which would permit the voluntary contracting of prisoner labor oui'siiie the prison grounds. The amendment would also make it legal for worn, n to work in underground mines. The fourth amendment will raise the compensation of legislators from $25 per day as set with a $15 expense allowance to $40 per day with a $40 expense allowance. The state which now ranks 48th in the amount of compensation com-pensation allowed to state legislators would then rank 46th, The proposals are the result of recommendations by the Utah Constitutional Con-stitutional Revision Committee which was established in wm and charged with the duty to do nn Mifning study of the Utah State Consitiiution, and to "update articles and language that is clearly outdated, to change provisions that no longer meet I he needs of the citizens of the state and modernize the overall functions of state govenment." Suggestions of study areas come to the commission from citizens and citizen , groups as well as from the Legislators. Once the study is completed, com-pleted, a recommendation is made to the Legislature which then approves or disapproves the recommendation for inclusion on the ballot where the voters have final say. The Commission itself is made up of 16 members. Three each are appointed by the Governor and the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House. Those nine pick an additional six members and a Director of the Office of Legislative Research who is the sixteenth six-teenth member of the Commission. Deadline for opposition to any of the proposed change was Wednesday. So far, according to Monson, no citizen or citizen groups are apposing any of the changes which will appear on the ballot in November for taxpayer's vote. |
