OCR Text |
Show T Ljes, No lam, Kim will go to Prom with you. f update 1 ( Although a few loose ends ) ( NORflihiERNlElIEGiliRIG Serving San Juan County Since 1957 Licensed Electrical Contractor Retail Sales We have a large stock of electrical materials Call us for prompt Blanding & Legislative f efficient service 435-678-24- 15 are yet to be tied, overall the 1999 Legislative Session has been a successful one. We have all but finalized the year 2000 budget package of approximately $6.5 billion and did it without raising taxes for transportation funding. This year, we were presented with revenue figures that fell short of earlier projections. Those shortfalls required a but did little not call for new taxes. And we were still able to fund several priority areas: education, with more than $64 million and crime, with almost $20 million in anti-crim- e programs. In education, we passed legislation that will increase the weighted pupil unit used to fund teacher pay and insurance, which should mean an belt-tighteni- ng increase in teacher salaries. The problem in many of our First Annual 4-Cor- THE SAN JUAN RECORD Wednesday, March 3, 1999 - Page 5 smaller rural districts has been a significant increase in the cost of health insurance. This could cause a reduction in salary over what teachers are receiving this year. We will also put money in the hands of school districts for reading improvements focusing on d grades. Statistics show that our children are K-3r- behind in reading skills. Rather than mandating reading program details from the state level, we will provide funding for districts to decide how to best improve reading skills. That may be teacher training in reading, books for the classroom, or an after-schoprogram for children who need extra attention. The important thing is that we want the local districts to make the decision. Those are just a few examples of education options. Others deal with the removal of disruptive students from the classroom, more funding for classroom supplies and passage of a $55 million bond for state capital ol Leadership Conference ners MAXIMIZINQ YOUR RESOURCES Building Life Skills March 18 - 20, 1999 San Juan High School Blanding Conference Topics Include: improvement projects, much of which will go toward building improvements at Southern Utah University. As we experience such rapid growth, we have also seen an increase in crime rates and overcrowded prisons. It is critical that we provide law enforcement with the resources they need to fight back. We passed legislation that will allow for the hiring of six new state highway patrol officers and vehicles. Lack of bed space is a major problem at correctional facilities. We allocated the creation of more than 600 new beds and supported legislation to devote $3.5 million to salary increases for correction workers. I realize more must be done, but in light of the revenue shortfalls and the fact that some departments had to take cuts, this is a good beginning. On a different, but related topic, I would like to respond to some who have questioned the strength of the Rural Caucus. Each session we must match legislation that comes with a price tag with the revenue that is available. We do this by creating a priority list. I would point to the fact that the projects the Rural Caucus put at the top of our priority list also became the priorities of the Majority Caucus. The funding list contained six of the top seven projects at the top of our list. on-goin- g The number one priority of the Majority Caucus is HB 25, income tax deduction for health care insurance. HB 25 is an income tax deduction to those who pay their own health insurance. The cost of insurance can now be taken as a deduction for individuals or small business owners. Other top priorities include my bill, HB 311, Appropriation for Rural Growth Management, which provides money to hire planners for rural areas, self-employ- Promoting Self Esteem Getting Out of Debt Raising Animals to Raise a Family Youth and Families Staying Connected Emergency Preparedness Time Management Diabetes: What Approach to Take with My Diet Selecting Apparel to Enhance your Figure Helping Youth to Succeed Character Counts Canning Tomatoes & Salsa Choosing Foods Wisely Diabetes: Practical Hints in the Kitchen Youth City Councils Starting a Small Business Community Learning Centers Parenting Grief: Coping with Loss Conflict Resolution Caught in a Web Dilemma Sharpening Skills Fruit Trees, Training & Care Self-Employm- New Directions in Apparel Care Discipline Without Tears Parenting & Marriage 4-- H as a Community Resource Soil Improvement for Landscaping & Gardening Planting Pennies for Tomorrows Harvest Getting Ready for Spring Fertility and Fertilizers Diversity Time is Running Out, Y2K Meeting Common Ground ed state water de- velopment, and the Cedar Mountain Initiative. e For the funding Caucus had six Rural the list, of the top projects, including funding for statewide repair of senior citizen buildings, the mapping and documentation of R.S. 2477 and assistive technology. I would say that the Rural Caucus still has a strong presence in the Utah one-tim- legislature and mil continue to do so. Brent Johansen D.D.S. For more information and a complete schedule, contact the USU Extension Office at 435-587-32- 39 Registration Cost: $25 College Credit Available Sponsored by: Utah State University, Colorado State University, New Mexico State University, University of Arizona, College of Eastern Utah, 21st Century Community Learning, San Juan Foundation, Department of Workforce Services, Division of Child and Family Services and Four Comers Heritage Council. Utah State University Extension Service is an equal opportunity employer, provides programs and services to all persons regardless of age, gender, color, race, religion, national origin or disability. WeB keep your bite bright Family Dentistry and Orthodontics 212 South 2nd East Blanding, Utah (435) 678-344- 0 , |