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Show Wednesday, February 5,1997 The Park Record A-7 P.C. Leadership 2000 group gets crash course on state legislature by Nan Chalat-Noaker RECORD EDITOR On an early morning shuttle from Park City to the Capitol Building on Jan. 26, former Speaker of the House Glen Brown, (R-Hoytsville), gave members of the Leadership 2000 class a condensed version of Utah Politics 101. The discourse was laced with Brown's personal observations gathered during 15 years representing Summit County in the House of Representatives. According to Brown the Salt Lake Valley, with 32 of the 75 house members, still has the ability abili-ty to drive state politics. But as Utah's population begins to grow in other areas, that could change. For instance, he said, one representative repre-sentative currently covers Summit, Morgan and Rich Counties but as the Park City-area City-area continues to grow, Summit County may one day qualify for its own state representative. Unlike the U.S. Congress, Utah's 29 senate seats also are based on population. According to the current apportionment. Summit County is the split responsibility of two senators Alarik Myrin (R-Altamont) and Lyle Hillyard (R-Logan). Reapportionment, is conducted conduct-ed every 10 years and during the next reshuffling of districts in 2000, Brown said it is likely Summit County will have its own house district. The senate boundaries bound-aries also could be realigned to reunite the county in one district though it would also include parts of surrounding counties. Brown said legislators may one day have to look at lengthening their annual session. Though, he added, "Some people already think we meet too often and too A report on the state By Senator Alarik Myrin A bill passed the Senate this week that would allow the State Board of Education to put some liiiH.paijBiii Senator Alarik Myrin I fT ijl. ' sffi ml Commercial & residential & rental properties maintenance and repair of appliances & furnaces. NO J05 8Dl licensa ll 6 s isinelimitecl CATERING SERVICE Offering Innovative Costom Designed Menos X i 7 X cV Boof&our Professionally On 647-0010 in Catering lIUIMITEl) ( .!(. . M( If A I ' I M I tfSf mn long." Charged with setting the budget and formulating laws for the state. Brown said lawmakers are hard pressed to complete the task in the current 45-day time frame. As an example of the legislature's legisla-ture's growing responsibilities Brown pointed to the burgeoning budget which was $800 million when he first took office and had mushroomed to $2.7 when he left in 1992. "And it has nearly doubled dou-bled in the four years since," he said. Every member of the legislature legisla-ture participates in the budget process by sitting on various sub-appropriation sub-appropriation committees. An executive appropriation committee commit-tee then balances the budget and presents it to the governor who then has the power to further cut the budget in all areas except education. To amend that funding the governor must reconvene the legislature. The governor also has the power to veto individual bills passed by the house and the senate. sen-ate. The legislature, however, can override that veto provided it can summon a two-thirds majority of each chamber. Though there have been years when Democrats dominated the senate, and at one lime held the governor's post, these days. Brown says. Republicans have a clear majority throughout state government. Though no longer a player in the state legislature. Brown now holds an equally powerful post Chairman of the Utah Department of Transportation Commission. "Essentially we decide what's going to be built next and whose front yard it will go through." According to Brown the $2.6 billion Interstate 15 project pro-ject is "the biggest contract ever guidelines in place as to how much time and travel can be spent on High School Activities. Currently the Utah High School Activities Association does this with no oversight and sometimes it seems without any regard for the amount of travel and time out of school. This by no means says there will not be any sports, etc., just reasonable reason-able limitations. I think this bill is long overdue. Sports and extracurricular extracur-ricular activities are a very important impor-tant part of school, they just need to be kept in perspective. I have been working on legislation legisla-tion which would require the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) to go through a process of cooperation with local governments govern-ments and stake holders including their neighbors before introducing threatened or near-threatened species or making changes in uses of land that could dramatically change the economy of a county or industry. This effort was precipitated precip-itated by some of the actions that MAINTENANCE k MECHANICAL TOO SMALL! - E5lI - 2B7B d & ir After S&g Parties Trained Srrs & Bartenders Park City w 268-2332 io S.L.C. UntiteAny Other are "sweet If this month! Glen let by the slate of Utah." The projected completion date of October 2001 would mean that the brand new road would be back in working order in time for the Olympics in 2002 but Brown admits. "It's a real tightrope." To shorten the time-frame UDOT opted to follow California's lead in rebuilding its roads using a designbuild contract. "That means we will begin construction before all the engineering is done one entity will do both." How to pay for that road, though, is threatening to split the Republican majority. Some are opting for the governor's approach, involving increased gas taxes, but others are holding firm on no tax increase, instead shift legislative session the DWR and others were doing in the Bookcliffs Initiative. Those issues caused the stopping of the dedication of the initiative last November. My hope is that in the long run. wildlife, agriculture, mineral development, etc. will learn to live together and all benefit. An interesting side note on this is that apparently one individual looking to raise funds has said I am proposing legislation to require an Environmental Impact ST A ft j " -1 5 aT FIRST WESTERN MORTGAGE CORPORATION "Park TODAY'S 31 ARM 51 ARM 1 YR ARM 30 YEAR AND 15 YEAR FIXED MORTGAGES HOVER NEAR ALL TIME LOW! Jumbo and Conforming 1 ORIGINATION & 90 Loan to Value Carol Honeywell Dan Margolis Steve Florio Rates as of previous Monday. Call fur current quotes. ' - '-0 NAN CHALAT NOAKERPXflK RECORD Brown ing money from other funds. Brown said he is still hoping for some federal assistance on the project. "We are wrapping the Olympic flag around the issue of transportation when we go to Washington." That Olympic plea, Brown said, may eventually work to Park City's advantage. Because. Brown said, if any highway project can claim a direct connection with the Olympics. Kimball Junction can. In answer to a question posed by one of the Leadership class members about why the state did not set aside funds earlier. Brown said they just weren't ready. "In reality we would have wasted a lot of the money because we just weren't prepared for it." Statement before any fish planting or other wildlife activity could take place. That is absurd. He has not even had the courtesy to talk to me and find out what it is that I am suggesting. This is just one example of how some people and organizations distort issues in order to psyche people up and collect col-lect dues or subscriptions. You can contact me bv calling 801-538-1035. fax 538-1414. Mv address is HC 65 Box 30. Altamont, Utah 84001 9703. H3 GGH3S City's Premier Mortgage Specialist Since FAVORITES CONFORMING 6.75 7.0 5.5 AI'R Al'R APR 8-536".. 8.624",, VYFARHU'I) ISYFARUMI) 7 JUMBO KIYEARIWI) 8 ()".., 8W1"AI'R ISVF.AKI IM D 7V 8 W.. APR LElJ AAil LLLj l: Sieve Honeywell Anne Critchheld Mark Selvig LENNOX AIR CONDITIONING HEATING HIGH EFFICIENT NATURAL GAS FURNACE Installed For As Low OAC Lennox Financing NATURAL 24-Hour BY DESIGN Service Residential Division ol Utah Enflmtwring Serving Ulah lor 39 years ' ''ice '0, 617. 032? 5 08 MAIN 7S"', S.4.V. 7.fii AI'R AI'R M lllliMtll 1 11 1111 HWIIIII !! 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