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Show 41 q monday, 0 june 5, 1978 open account Chuck Akerlow Utahns and their Constitution I imagine it would be difficult to be a member BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL of the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission these days. Imagine seeing all of your work go down the drain after a three day meeting of the Utah Legislature. It will be interesting to see how many members of that Commission show up at the next meeting. Yet the Legislature cannot be faulted for taking FOCUS ON THE ACTION am-mendme- I've focused on some famous people and now I'd like to focus on you. In addition to my commercial photographic service, I'd like to bring your attention to the new field of Video Cassette Tape. It's immediacy and ease of handling simplify training or documentation, sales or products or property. Use it to test models or record events. Let it help with sports or legal work. Whether it's film or tape, the action is here and the focus is on you. Telephone 467-451446 East 2700 South 61 Salt Lake City marsh & Mclennan incorporated firm specializing in corporate insurance anil employee benefit programs, as i veil as insurance for professional associations anti public entities 7 is pleased to announce the opening of an office in Utah at 370 East 5th South Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 801 363-730- 0 a searching and careful look at the proposed The will of most Utahns is to protect their Constitution and not to change it except where there is obvious necessity to do so. The Utah lawmakers, reflecting the attitudes of their constituents, chose not to adopt the proposed Frankly, I think the Legislatures action was correct, particularly in changing the Constitution to eliminate a Secretary of State and impanel a Lieutenant Governor who would run in tandem with the states chief executive. Unlike the federal establishment, I am not convined Utah needs a Lieutenant Governor, whereas it is clear a Secretary of State is needed. It seems to me the Constitutional framers intended the Secretary of State would stand in line of succession to the Governor should there be a death or removal from office. Going to the expense of electing someone else to simply be there in the event of death or disability, seems unnecessary at state level. Even the Vice President of the United States is little heard of and often totally ignored. He has no direct responsibility for anything; yet the taxpayers pay him a salary and provide him a home. It seems to me the arrangement we have at state level presently, by which the Secretary of State also serves as Lieutenant Governor, is suitable for our state and sufficiently meets our needs. The Legislature seems to think the Constitution ought to be changed only when there is a compelling reason to do so. While there will be those who are disappointed in the fact this Lieutenant Governor proposal was not adopted, I believe there was no compelling reason to make the change and, in that case, I would have to support the framers of the Constitution. There were other changes suggested in the Constitution having to do with the length of legislative sessions and minor changes in the succession to office of the Treasurer and the Auditor. All encountered varying degrees of trouble with the Utah Legislature. Again there were those who felt the Legislature did a disservice to the state by refusing to approve every suggestion made by the Constitutional Revisional Commission. But the fundamental argument remains. The Utah Constitution must not be changed at will. There must be a compelling reason to do so, or it should be left alone. Changing it simply because someones choice differs from what the framers of the Constitution intended is not sufficient reason to amend the Constitution. Changes which clarify the Constitution or meet domestic crises are in order and ought to be considered by the electorate. Changes of cosmetic nature, such as many of those recommended by the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission, should be avoided. It is my opinion the Utah Legislature served the people well in declining to recommend changes to the Constitution which would have given it a facelift but affected not its substance. |