OCR Text |
Show Subcommittee OKs Wilderness Bill After Compromise Cable Ruling Wont Hurt Drive me For Standards, Says Sponsor Halt fake tribune By Charles Seldin Tribune Staff Writer A L.S. Supreme Court ruling last week, striking down Oklahoma's attempt to regulate cable television, will have no bearing on an initiative petition headed toward Novembers general election here, according to the chief sponsor. The initiative, if passed, would impose decency standards on cable programs. John Harmer, organizer of the successful petition drive, said he believes the Supreme Court decision dealt solely with the issue of cable advertising, and does not affect regulation of program content. His petition calls for program content control, particularly in the area of what petition backers believe to be indecent sexual behavior. The Supreme Court ruling struck down an Oklahoma regulation that attempted to censor wine advertisements on cable television. The court held that the Federal Communications Commission has exclusive regulatory domain there. The opinion also strongly addressed cable television regulation per se, although the case itself dealt solely with advertisements. Belongs to FCC? As such, Utah proponents of cable regulation do not see the ruling as having an adverse impact on efforts here. However, attorneys for cable companies fighting the issue in court here believe the ruling to be supportive of their claim that regulation is not a state duty, but one belonging to the FCC. Utahs cable regulation law is now undergoing scrutiny by Chief Judge Aldon J. Anderson, U.S. District Court for Utah. Judge Anderson has said he will rule later this summer. Enforcement of the law has been stayed pending his opinion on its constitutionality. Additionally, Judge Anderson met with attorneys in the pending case, saying he would review the recent Supreme Court decision. Judge Anderson said he would call for legal briefs from both sides if he thought the Supreme Court decision held bearing on the issue here. Absent that, it will be decided on First Amendment questions, as argued in previous hearings. Go Before Voters Irrespective of the Supreme Court ruling, or Judge Andersons opinion, Mr. Harmers petition will go before voters, he said. It differs from the pending statute in two central areas. The law under review holds civil sanctions for proprietors guilty of showing "indecent" programs, while Mr. Harmer calls for criminal penalty as well as civil. Also, the initiative does not allow for what Attorney General David Wilkinson has interpreted as a win- - Local News TV Sports Page Fare, B-- 6 Saturday Morning, June 30, 1984 Section B Page Thomas H. Gorey - mittee Chairman John Seiberling. worked out a compromise In a tradeoff between Rep. Seiber-linand environmentalists the new version designates an additional long-awaite- 1 acres as wilderness and authorizes development of a carbon 39.715 Hollow dioxide field at and an oil and gas field in the High Box-Deat- h Uintas. The environmentalists wanted more wilderness and the delegation and developers wanted to delete potential energy-ricareas The revised bill, produced after weeks of intense, often angry negoti ations, would designate a total o! 750.050 acres of U S Forest Service land as wilderness h If no additional problems arise the bill should be ready for President Reagan's signature by late July or early August President Will Sign "1 know the president will sign it. we've already been assured of that, said Rep James V. Hansen. ment. Tribune Staff Photos by Ravell Ca" of the many traveling craftsmen Michael Thiele Utah Arts Festival this year. Mr. a the who have booth at is one Thiele participates in about a dozen art shows a year with his wooden drums, which exhibit a light Caribbean sound. thing, he said. Bishop is allowed out of his cell up 3 By Jim Smedley Tribune Staff Writer Merchants have always been travelers. Once shops were scarce and families depended on the mobile store or visiting craftspeople to survive. In the Old West, entire towns turned out for their coming. And as much as things change they stay the same. Only now, many craftsmen, instead of going house to house, jump from arts festival to arts festival. They tour the best and biggest, selling their wares. Familiar faces become friends. Those who hit Salt Lake City in June bump into each other in Park City in August and maybe meet again in February or March in Florida for craft shows there. And in a short time a new society has been created the traveling craftspeople. There are plenty at the Salt Lake Arts Festival. They make such festivals work. One local artist, who preferred to remain in Utah since motoring five children and a husband around the country could prove expensive, said 35 of the 70 crafts booths at the festival were occupied by Right from the first years of the festival visual artists from all over the country have been invited, said Rebecca Terry, assistant director for the arts festival. The visual artists here are judged on basis of their work and the jury doesnt know whose work theyre viewing. By Jack Fenton Tribune Staff Writer That property tax bill you get in August may be the last one to use terms like mill and assessed valuation. Simply put, assessed valuation is what properties are worth for tax purposes. And thats figured in mills. Each mill of property tax computes to $1 on $1,000 of assessed valuation. Salt Lake County commissioners say they'll consider ending all that confusion by asking lawmakers to base each propertys taxable worth on a set percentage of its market value. Why do we use terms like 'mill?' Deputy County Attorney Gavin Anderson asked the countys tax equity and revenue enhancement committee Friday. It's 200 years of tradition, the attorney continued, answering his " own question. Property taxes levied on that ba1 to 1.5 percent of market value, according to his anal- s to Many of the artists interviewed are in their and have been practicing their trade for at least 10 years. They like the freedom festivals offer, freedom to travel and meet new people. Festivals too can be lucrative and money has to be a primary motivator for few craftspeople are philanthropists. mid- - late-30- sis equal roughly ysis. Why not change the law so owners pay, say, 1 percent of their properties fair market value? Mr. Anderson questioned. This is unfair. Assessor R. Mil-toYorgason said of the current system. People get tax notices but dont know what they mean. They dont know whether to appeal their properties worth or not. They also liked the Salt Lake Arts Festival. Gary Timinsky from Oceanside, Calif., said this was one of the best art festivals he has ever done and that on the whole the quality of work here is better than most large shows. Mr. Timinsky, 32, learned his potttery in Florida and began . selling in 1973. I do about 20 a year and its my main business now, he said. "When I'm not at festivals Im doing pottery. It takes me about six weeks to get enough pots for a show. I try to line up two or three shows on a trip to cut expenses, however theres nothing between now and August when Ill be See Page B-Column 1 Mr. Yorgason stressed his office would back such a change. But commissioners said it would be several See Page Column 3 B-- 3, Davis Will Prosecute All DUI Cases, But 2 Lawyers See Flaws in Policy Utah Liquor Prices Rather High members. A price comparison of posted Utah prices with prices advertised by private retail liquor outlets in California showed without exception that Utah prices for popular spirits and wines can range from 50 to 100 percent higher than the same items when on advertised specials in California. The survey seems to demonwhy Utah prices encourage buyers to bring liquor home with them when they travel out of strate state, commissioners agreed. The differences are in some cases "brutal, Chairman Bonner Ritchie saiH Staff members sampled the prices of 80 items, getting Cali fornia prices exclusively from newspaper advertisements. Utah markups are dictated by law. and the commission must apply the same percentage markup to spirits and the same markup to wines. No sales are held, nor advertising conducted. Occasionally prices are cut to clear out discontinued items, but there is no advertising done to note this fact. Commissioners have worried for several years that creeping Utah prices were inducing Utahns to buy liquor supplies out of state, and for that reason have opposed the last several increases considered by the Legislature. The survey showed Cutty Sark Scotch are sold in half-gallo- California at $16.47; Utah's posted price is $27.95. Black Velvet half gallons are $9.89 in California; Utah charges $15.90. Chivas Regal Scotch is $46 a half gallon in Utah, $31.95 in California. Ciowo Russe Vodka fifths (750 ml.) are $5.10 in Utah, $3 99 on sale in Cali B-- May Seek New Tax Terms Officials Note Study Results If there have been any doubts in the minds of Utah liquor commissioners why some Utahns like to go out of state to buy their liquor bootleg, in other words they were removed by a survey presented Friday to commission Sen. Jake Garn called the new version a very good compromise See Page Column 3 Commissioners Traveling Artisans Make Comebacks - 4 By Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON The House Public Lands subcommittee Friday approved a new version of the Utah wilderness bill after the state's congressional delegation and subcom- The bill also "releases" 2.9 million acres from further wilderness consideration by the U.S. Forest Service until at least 1995. Until then, that land can be managed for multiple uses, such as mining, logging, road building and recreation. By Unanimous Vote The subcommittee approved the compromise by unanimous voice vote less than an hour after the delegation held a press conference announcing the agree- Tribune Suburban Editor Utah State Prison's DRAPER death row now contains five men facing the death sentence because Arthur Gary Bishop has been moved from a special security section in the maximum security facility into the tier of cells which has been designated as death row. Warden Kenneth V. Shulsen said Friday. Bishop, convicted earlier this year of the slaying of five Salt Lake City area boys between October 1979 and July 1983, has been housed in a separate cell because of threats inside and outside the prison made when he was first received at the Point-of-th- e Mountain institution. However, since Bishop was received at the prison in April, things have cooled off and he is no longer a major management problem. Warden Shulsen said. For several weeks, Bishop and his brother, Douglas, convicted of sodomy in Utah County, were housed in adjoining cells in a tier which kept them apart from the other inmates in maximum. Fear that the threats against him could be carried out by other inmates because of rumors there wTas a $10,000 reward for his death caused prison officials to take extra precautions, Warden Shulsen said. Prison investigators and Salt Lake County deputy sheriffs investigated the rumors of the reward but were unable to come up with any- Column ht The measure deletes 3,400 acres in Box-Deat- h Hollow, leaving 26.000. 423 in Twin Peaks, leaving 13.100. and 425 in Pine Valley Mountain, leaving 50,000 By George A. Sorensen B-- Under the existing law, late-nigprogramming would not be subjected to prosecution because the law was intended to protect children. Ostensibly, children would not be among viewers at that time. Mr. Harmers proposal would regulate content 24 hours a day. The window theory is not contained in the existing statute. Rather, it is an interpretation by the attorney general that evolved as legislative intent. Mr. Harmer said success of the initiative will depend upon how much money cable companies spend to defeat it. The compromise bill adds 11,983 acres to the High Uintas, for a total of 460.000, and 25.550 to Stansbury. which had not been designated in the original bill. It also adds 3.580 to Mount Nebo for a total of 28,000, and 2.850 to Mount Naomi, for a total of 44.350. Bishop Joins Others on 4Death Row See Page dow of immunity from prosecution. fornia. Gallo Pink Chablis three liters are $7.40 in Utah, $3.69 in California, and Paul Masson Rhine Castle, 1,500 ml., is $5 in Utah, $1.99 in California. No action was taken on the matter. In licensing action, commissioners approved renewal of 163 private club licenses and noted two clubs chose not to renew. These licenses will be available next month. Commissioners had six restaurant and package agency licenses available, and two club licenses available to issue. These were granted to Ming's Dynasty, Sandy; Horse of a Different Color, Park City; Baja Cantina, Park City; Beefeaters, Salt Lake City, and R. J. Russo e Brothers, Ogden. Management, Salt Lake City, was granted a package agency license. Eagles Club, Spanish Fork, and Between Friends, Salt Lake City, were granted private club licenses. Triad-LaCaill- TrmWi w By Terri Ellefsen Tribune Staff Writer FARMINGTON The Davis County prosecutor has launched a campaign to put more teeth in the law concerning drunken drivers. But at least two defense attorneys view those legal teeth as being false not only to the legal system but to all individuals involved. Beginning Monday, all bona fide drunken driving cases will be prosecuted in Davis County. No plea bargaining will be allowed. The new policy, according to Davis County Attorney Loren Martin, will fulfill the public's mandate to remove drunken drivers from the road and make our highways safe. - "We are sending a message: Dont do it drink and drive here," said Mr. Martin. He also issued a challenge to all prosecutors in the state to follow his lead or explain why they will or cannot. His new policy was lauded by the Wan iiiii ay i cutvi auu ml uuio County Sheriff's Office. That policy however, according to v defense attorney Ronald J. Yengich. will not properly serve the interests of justice. And. defense attorney Sumner Hatch believes the new policy will result in nothing but headaches for the county attorney's office. Create Serious Problems' "It the policy could create some very serious problems," said Mr. Hatch. Mr. Martins attitude may create some problems in providing a defendant with a speedy trial and overloading the court, he said. He said he is presently handling cases that are well over a year old. He believes the judicial process may take even longer if there is an increase in cases. Mr. Martin believes that plea bargaining as practiced in Davis County in the past was not used for expediency but as a matter of convenience. "Plea bargaining is not only good, but a necessary prerequisite, said Mr. Ycpg'ch, eoting that the judicial system is one of scarce resources. A for Mothers representative Against Drunk Drivers, indicated that although the national MADD organization actively lobbies to remove drunken drivers from the road, plea bargaining can be effective. Catherine Stayman. director of legal affairs for MADD. said that although there is a real trend around the country to eliminate plea bargaining, it can be the proper way to handle a case. Plea bargaining is sufficient and effective, but when it is not handled properly or misused, it s a real danger." Unable to Comment She was unable to comment on whether Davis County's new policy would be the more appropriate way to handle the drunken driving cases since she does not know whether the countys past performance on plea bargaining was proper. Mr. Yengich, who adamantly opposes the policy, said. It is also good for the punishment to fit the person and not just the crime." Mr. Martin admits his policy will Sec Page Column 3 B-- i |