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Show 6A The Salt Lake Tribune. Saturday, 1 hruarv 1 H, 1986 House Advances By Dan Bates And Paul Holly Tribune Staff Writers The Utah House of Representatives look a somewhat guarded race stance against the nuclear-arm- s Friday, passing a resolution advocattesting ing a ban on Nevada-basewhile backing President Heagan on Star Wars Floor debate reflected ambivalent emotions compassion for those dow nwind" who are believed to have died or suffered from fallout expo sure, but disdain (or a perceived Soviet Union indifference over weapon ' Resolution, Endorses Star Wars Test-Ba- n proliferation and other related issues Meanwhile, the Senate Friday assured the Martin Luther King Holiday bill will not pass the Legislature at least until next week wfien it refused to go along with the House version of the bill. Lake, Sen Terry Williams, asked his fellow senators to concur with the House amendments to the bill, which basically replaces Lin coin's birthday with the King holiday rather than the Senate's choice of deleting Columbus Day. The motion was voted down on a voice vote. The Senate then voted to ask the House to recede from the amendments it made to the original Senate bill. "We speculated, we dug in and we found no conclusive evidence of a link to underground testing in Nevada. he said. Sen. Williams said he feared the differences could threaten chances of the bill's passage, which would make I 'tali the 48th slate to honor the slain civil rights leader with an official holiday The House's struggle with the test-baresolution was punctuated by who Hep Jack DeMann. sobbed as he spoke of a family member who died of cancer He then chided Soviet aggression and the superpower's string of broken treaties and promises. "When we speak of making concessions to the Soviets. I ask you to look at the re- n cord " violated nearly every agreement since World War i Us Yalta Conference. Rep. said "The only ones they haven't broken are one in which The Soviet Union has n we've said. 'You don't go any farther.' " Noting that he works for "a missile manufacturer (Hercules Inc ), the representative said he "would be glad to join the unemployment line tomorrow" if weapons technology could replace nuclear arms without weakening the U.S defense posture Hep. DeMann eventually voted for House Resolution 14. which Ins colleagues advanced to the Utah Senate by a 62-- vote But not before Hep Lloyd Sullen-citamended the mea Legislator In Panel Approves Changes in Malpractice Bill on all lort liability reform before it becomes law The legislative session By Dan Bates Tribune Staff Writer Lawyers persuaded the Utah legteeming with liability-relateislation As amended. SB111 was approved for full House floor action. The comwith mittee clearance vote was two of the Legislature's three physician members voting against the changes. is House Health Standing Committee to make significant changes Friday in a medical malpractice bill, which now proposes a $250.01)0 damage limit with a narrower case scope. Panel members also took the advice of an attorney legislator colleague and the Utah State Bar Commission to delay Senate Bill Ill's effective date until 1987 Bar officials testified Friday that the measure should become part of a prospective gubernatorial task force d a lawHep Scott Holt, yer who claims he does not deal in medical malpractice cases, champito remove oned an amendment "physical impairment and disfigurement" from the bill's $250,000 dam- - age award ceiling. It now would apply only to "pain and suffering" circumstances but still leave punitive awards open. The committee heard from lawyers and a mother of a child severely impaired by medical treatment who said it was unfair to limit damages awarded by juries "With this bill, you're saying the quality of life of the average Utahn is $250,000." said W. Eugene Hansen, a local attorney. The bill's sponsor. Sen. Haven J Barlow. said the legislation is trying to reinstitute compre- - Demos Budget Resembles Bangerters, But Governor Still Prefers His Own Continued From l so far spurned the governor's advice to plug in some of the flood control reserve money into operating budgets. Its pared down some of his fiscal plan, such as temporarily approving half the increase sought for the career ladder pay system for educators and scaling back by half the amount of new revenue expected from beefed up tax collection auditing. There's been discord over bonding (or capital developments and hiking a school property tax levy by A-- almost one mill as the governor posed. But Gov. pro- declined to Bangertor chide lawmakers, and predicted the approved budget by the end of the session Feb. 26 will be close to his suggestions. "Wait until all the work is done," he counseled reporters. He said he was "concerned" the Public Education Appropriation Subcommittee has approved only $5 million out of the $10 million he requested for the career ladder pay incentives. The full amount is needed to keep "a strong program moving," he said. But. he added, he hasn't ruled out gaining the full amount since the subcommittee asked legislative leadership to give priority for more money for the program Farnsworth Resolution Goes to Senate With his widow present, the Utah House adopted a resolution Friday to memorialize Philo T. Farnsworth the native-so"father of television" Hall in in Congress's Statuary Washington. D C. Every state is allowed two statues in the hall, and Mr Farnsworth would join Brigham Young, who has stood n - alone for almost representatives 90 Gov. Bangerter characterized as "unacceptable" the tax shift proposed d in a bill to eliminate the 21.28-mil- l basic property tax levied by school districts. He suggested a serious look at a veto may be an option should it pass in its present form. He said he preferred no basic change in tax law this year. The bill is sponsored by the approSen. Warren priations E. Pugh, Lake City. To offset the property tax slash, the bill would hike personal and corporate income taxes, and eliminate the state income tax deduction allowed for federal taxes paid. The governor's office distributed statistics prepared by the State Tax Commission to indicate overall taxes s paid by renters and "typical" in various counties would generally increase after the tax shift. state-mandate- home-owner- years, as Utah's The House advanced the Farnsworth declaration to the Utah Senate vote by a 52-Born in Beaver in 1906. Mr Farnsworth pioneered most aspects of television's technology in his youth He dismissed suggestions that the Legislature reflected a racial bias in arguments over enacting a state holiday to honor slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. This isn't a racist Legislature; it's grappling with a problem." he said hensive malpractice insurance coverage for Utah's physicians, many of whom arc now underwriting policies themselves in groups. "What we re trying to do is reverse an alarming situation," said Sen. Bar-loan insurance executive. Taking a popular point for just about any bill this session, he said his malpractice measure "makes a better 'economic development' climate in this state." In committee debate earlier in the week, Sen. Barlow and Leon Sorensen, director of the Utah State Medical Association, said premiums for what malpractice coverage is available to state doctors have increased bv 109 percent in the last two years. Insurance companies fear exorbitant awards will bankrupt them, they said The obstetrician is paying about $24,000 a year for insurance, while other physicians pay about $9,000 on the average. Mr Sorensen said Charles Thronson. a local attorney, told the committee this week that most insurance companies who are not fleeing from bad investments are able to pay damage awards from dividend interest alone. He said Utah juries "don't go bananas on damage amounts and that 71 percent of all cases are ruled in favor of the physicians. Sen. Barlow said a similar law in California, which has withstood constitutional challenges, has reduced malpractice premiums by 20 percent The Utah measure may not "do that much good, but will send a message to insurance carriers to the Utah market." He warned the House committee . The Spotlight self-insure- d Friday against tampering with after the California SBU1, patterned statute, because it changes could complicate constitutional questions. Pleading for further review by sectors represented in a task force. Jackson Howard of the State Bar Commission said. "We must be sure the law applies to every citizens across the board." tort-refor- sure to support the Heagan Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly known as the Star Wars anti-missil- e plan We are not privileged to security information The president is. Hep Selleneit noted, saying the Legislature may be out of bounds in taking on definitive positions defense policy Hep Hubert the national Lake Sykes. City, offered further amendments to predicate a ban on nuclear testing to the Soviet Union's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, of missiles from eastern Europe and of aid and training for global terrorists While unsuccessful Friday. Hep Svkcs notified colleagues that he will pursue Ins resolution conditions later The measure's sponsor. Rep. Blaze Lake City, stressed Wharton. the resolution only was meant to address underground nuclear-arsena- l tests in the southern Nevada desert. He resisted attempts to include commentaries on weapon systems in the statement "This is not a debate on foreign policy." Hep W harton said. "This is on the health and safety of our citizens." He said one out of every 10 tests "leak radiation." suspected in a 1979 report of killing or afflicting disorders on at least 170.000 - personnel exposed at the test site or their offspring or "dow nwind" citizens or their offspring "There's no telling how many have been affected since." Hep Wharton added They don't test while the wind blows toward California, but wait until it blows toward us." lie said ' People are dying, animals arc dying and the environment is being dam" aged He found an ally in House Assistant Majority Whip diene S. Walker. N'eva-da-sii- e lt Sen. Dona Wayment didn't seek her job in the Utah Legislature, but since assuming the seat, she has become chairwoman of the Executive Offices, Courts and Corrections Appropriations Subcommittee and is a strong supporter of the move to create a appellate court to take some of the burden off the Stale Supreme Court The Republican senator from the small Davis County community of Clinton was appointed to the Senate to fill the term of her husband, the late Sen. Sherman Wayment. when he died in 1981. She and subsequently won has become a champion (or what she believes are moral issues and strong family values. She recently led the Senate fight for passage of the Displaced Homemaker's bill, which would raise marriage license fees by $20 to create a fund to help widows and divorced women prepare for a trade or profession Lake City. "When I learned they had waited three days for the wind to blow east instead of west, I was convinced this was not in the best interests of the state of Utah," she said. "Let us pause in this madness until we get a verifiable agreement with the Soviets." Rep. Walker said. The only bill passed by the Senate measure earlier passed that would give the state certain powers over small mining companies to make sure open mine shafts are secured in some fashion or made as safe as possible Sen Fred Finlinson. spoke in favor of the bill, noting that three people were killed last year when they accidentally fell down abandoned mine shafts. Sen Omar Bunnell. said he feared additional regulations on the small mining firms would drive them out of business. But an amendment he proposed to case that regulation was defeated by the Senate Friday was a by the House Senate Panel Calls for Funds for a Trust Account to Prevent Child Abuse By Carol Sisco Tribune Staff Writer Legislation adding money to a Children's Trust Account fund where private contributors would match state dollars to prevent child abuse passed a Senate committee Friday but not without considerable debate. House Bill 109 by Hep. Nolan E. has already passed in Karras. the House and goes to the Senate floor next. huge amount of money is spent on remedial matters but there should be some for prevention." State dollars would be matched with private contributions. Rep. Kar- ras explained. An existing Child Abuse Advisory Council would administer funds and programs would be run by the state Division of Family Services. "If we can get funding an adminisof 25 people from all walks of life who represent the citizens of Utah would run the program." Mrs Smith said "All programs have to be voluntary " "Every dollar we can get together trative council "We're very concerned about child abuse." testified Barbara Smith. National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse president and former "A LDS Relief Society president we've pumped into treatment." Social Services Director Norman G. Angus said. "We're still short of dollars. There is such a crying need for treatment that is is hard to take those dollars away for prevention." Prevention programs would identifamilies who could potenfy high-ris- k tially become child abusers and provide them with education on how to handle their chil"appropriately dren." said Marilyn Sandberg. Utah Chapter for the Prevention of Child Abuse. But others testified against the proposal saying it would take away parental rights to control their children need, feuvb'htv and piacment of o fi e ?ov Intp cringe on M5 to serve the Vidvaie 26th Day HOUSE Bdls Passed Rees) RecuJ' e c o r ec Hbro7 ae Of t.ve action for f'om a tcicddy of hazardous jud pvtoblish triri"iui pencutics 0' of tu:of dous aoMo a thout o man-cs- t bv House 60-HB.V8 (Rees) AythQf ;e the Department of Heop to collet ees or o'suosai of hazardous astp m uah By House 6 0. Resolutions Possed HjRli (LeHuron) Declare tfot Inventor Dhl O T. F ar ns Aorth, father of modem television, De sub'ect of the Utah's second statue m Congress's Stotuor v Hail. Bv House 52-HjR 14 (Wharton) Ask the federal govern ment to sop an nue'eur testing and resume negotiations on the compr ehcnvve test bar hpljv HB3 ' Bv 7 62-- j Bills Introduced (CT Omar ) L em;t stae nr ;s An U om ut t, trO'Kh SP tax 8318 S('kes) Deuif Nmis ic'o-nr fr died Shy' thund Opjr er S u a R a v be tor MB3 N ( C' cc 0 . er , of C 0 e i iuu a'1'''' . oust if or default ed student loan, pi '.'.Jed for tn tn. t.njr agreement HB320 (vVh.te' Reouire nunvs-'at- ic ue-- j, SENATE Bills Possed SB t 3 (C or img) Yoke technical changes to ref c.4 reduction m recording requirements for to?e yn judgments Bv Senate la-HB35 (Fiandscn) Set precinct revdenev cond t ons for constab es Bv House 56 10. Bv o Resolutions Introduced HCRt? (Oort4) Cumimmd tht spnn-,r'-in tne scre tor gth act. Institutions education mg and hosting the Mh World Coherence on Gibed and Totented Children o be he 0 m 've Salt Lake C'W on Aug. '? Unh HJKJO (Wodsen, e ai ) Transportation Commission to stud, the Dc Resolutions Passed u tf aen,p ft at.) Pledge that the egsiuue, gv.u'''ur and state agences o pu'ves enhancing oc.e Jim V onj e vcurage the and de . eioumenf of Utah s noG.jru1 s;-B 13. Senate 25-Bills Introduced iRoges! '"qiorf the Stqe Tg v'cmim ssion to pr ov ue tcu jmnostv to es due bet nr e Jan ' ivr. SB21 nangerter) Amend the Bwg A ScCufG U ertif icat!On Art G SB 2 "6 Vone ) Pr ov cie Or O ma nCjn.e charge on consumer credit tronsac-Lon-- ' resources SB?1? (I Peterson) issue S4s miii-oof gpnpfO' obligation bonds to finance various capita' p'oiects Resolutions Introduced SjRU (L Pepr son) Recagn.ze and honor the accomplishment of Vicki v es, VSS Ro-d- 'co and Viss Rodeo Utah First Lath Ilonorarv Head of Ia!k on Suicide (VlUcn Ba;i The governor's will be the honurn cluirpcr .1 ciuiferenec .( n fur a western region, ku 27 m Mu n youth suicide Feb Austin Hotel Utah Issues of intervention .uni pi even l u.m will be discussed by Youth and nonprofessional people Miicide is now the second leading pr(ilc-.M'n.i- r By Feter Scarlet Tribune Education Editor A bill giving the Utah State Board of Education the power to hire anyone it pleases to be state superintendent of public instruction was passed by the Utah House Friday by a vote ot The Senate had previously passed the measure by a vote of 23-Betty Condie. president of the Utah Education Association. said lawmakers "erred terribly" in passing the bill because it would permit the state school board "to hire an untrained, inexperienced superintendent." Sponsored by Sen. C.E "Chuck" Pethe measure would terson. allow the state school board to set the qualifications for the state superintendent. its chief executive officer. It would provide that the board choose someone of "outstanding professional qualifications" as determined by the hoard "Senate Bill 4 would permit a person with no educational certification to direct matters that affect the learning destinies of 400. QUO young people." said Mrs. Condie. "This is bad legislation, bad public policy and bad news in this period of stress on school reform and excellence." she said The UEA president called on the Legislature to reconsider Hie bill and (o defeat another measure. House Bill 114. which would give local school boards similar authority to hire uncertified individuals to sene as their focal school dis'rict si. perm 40-2- o! L.ilipet'lrr diiH'pg tpvn.v -- .1 ul Kcuiite spi'ukr: .u Mu- 5 ci.Mi Sun lih' Update ciililcl da ( w .11 tn1 lu I, lines o M.iseii fd mrr d.; ir'nr el M.e I tali Department ef lie, nil; and new dimeter far the Natieua! ( 're! s fe )sr.sr 'eU e! tions for superintendents would send a clear signal to educators and the public that high standards don't matter for schools." said the UEA leader Mrs. Condie said superintendents are educational leaders and that most of their decisions are educational in nature and should be based on 3 15.000-memb- 23-- HB5J tChHstensen) Repeal county authority to grunt tree planting bonuses. Bv House 62-D, Senate 16-HB71 (Christensen) F.staDiish a category for yro!l mining oDP":Tion and cancel the two ac' e 500 ton e .emytion. Bv House 38-Bv Senate 23-- to uiF'P ;c Up-- ers to keep c'd moke a.cMob'e ccor a titles receded Ov them CO Senav Rep. Karras replied "They're appointed by the governor and citizens who are holding open meetings." Dixie Nelson, from the Utah Chapfor the Prevention of Child Abuse who works at Cottonwood Hospital, ter testified that prevention programs are desperately needed. "All of us want to be good parents." she said. "Some of us just don't have the knowledge and skills." Funds are needed from the private and public sectors to wipe out child abuse. Mrs. Smith said, and it can't be done without a strong prevention program "Maybe we need to go back to Abraham Lincoln's debates." she continued. "People said it would cost millions of dollars to free the slaves and that they wouldn't be able to pick their crops. "Lincoln said you should ask one question." Mrs. Smith said. "Is it right or is it wrong to keep people in bondage." The same question should be asked about child abuse, she said anti-slaver- "If we don't prevent child abuse, it's an ongoing cycle." Mis. Smith said "We hope we can make these things available so we can du away w'Hh child abuse." House: Let Board Set Standards on School Chief LEGISLATIVE ES Dawn Curtis, who identified herself as a former school board member and preschool teacher, said that parental rights should be maintained. You don't give the program to an agency that has to, by law, be amoral," Mrs. Curtis said, referring to the Division of Family Services. "I'm concerned about policing power given to agencies." said Utah Association of Women president Marion Bloomquist. The legislation promotes a welfare state, a representative of Family Alert testified. "The Division of Family Services Board is not a bunch of communists." tender!!.' I a;, to su; rea-on- s persons should, U I ennteiidem les for s,,id Mi s be .Ippoiir.ed a number of Condie this era of school rifoim re moving the professional (ju.ilrfiru In I Businessmen Fight Bid to Slash Homeowners Tax A proposal lu grant property-tarelief exclusively for homeowners ran into expected opposition from business interests Friday in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee The tax cut is contained in a bill sponsored by Sen K S Cornaby. Lake City It would lower the rate of assessment on residences from 75 to 55 percent of value, the maximum permitted by a constitutional provision. The senator, representing an East Bench area, fashioned the bill in response to higher property assessements last year which increased taxes by as much as 30 to 40 percent in some cases. Business interests complained the tax load would automatically be shifted to commercial properties Home taxes would be reduced by about $72 million by lowering the assessment level if mill levy rates weren't increased to offset the loss This is , rmrmc development, anti-ec- and certain. y " remarked Jack Olsen executive wee president for the (him so Utah Taxpayers elation training, experience and background in the education profession "The state school board mandated that all secondary junior and senior high school teachers must be certified for the subjects they teach by 1988." she said. "It's inconsistent to r standards of require ever-stricte- competence and professional preparation for teachers and then say these things don't matter for a superintendent." - Mrs Condie said administrators working under superintendents are obliged to attain certification standards and advanced degrees Two Senators Jogging Leads To Arresting Experience There was a big bust at the Utah Senate Friday when two Highway Patrol Troupers rushed onto the Senate floor and arrested two senators afier finding incriminating evidence under their desks It was. ,rf course, all a joke Sens Fred Finlinson. and Richard Furling. Lake, were arrested for being public nuisances because they jog in public, according to a resolution read to the senators while the troopers unveiled articles of jogging clothes from the sacks found beneaih the two lawmakers' desks "Where, i.,. joggers on public thoroughfares create a safety hazard as motorists passing them are dangerously distracted and horrified by the sight of nearly-nukebodies flailinc wildly down d road not s l thus pi esenmd mid W the i.i i oiilv in skimpy shorts ff u i i io cover tin eyesore " i fan j- - i the resolution r untold pam and motorist upon being soMermg of a foieed to view j fit body so can lead to a on di plav i decline in worker productivity and increased health-carcosts. "Whereas, many joggeis become so obsessed with jogging that they neglect their professional duties and obligations I lie hereby cauiiom Senators Carling and Finlinson that, if they continue in this dangerous practice, the Legislature will nut hesitate to hold them up to public disdain and ridicule by displaying photographs of them taken from behind while jogging around the Capitol." While the resolution was read by chief clerk Sophia Buckmiller, the troopers pulled from the two sacks such items as colorfully printed jogging shorts, jock straps and nylon stockings. "We should do something about tills in the heap n code." said Sen. Glade Sowards e Sen Carling w.m's me m rep-- i escnl him. said s, n Dai fell who is an attorney "But I looked through his Ren-stru- wallet and there is nothing i in it " |
