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Show Results Released On HatchJohnson Survey SALT LAKE CITY With the start of this year's legislative session underway, District 73 Rep. Tom Hatch and District 70 Rep. Brad Johnson have released the results of their joint survey of their constituents. They asked questions on a variety of significant sig-nificant issues the legislature may address in its 45-day session. Eighty-one percent of respondents respon-dents are in favor of Sevier Valley Technology Center expanding ex-panding educational opportunities by merging with Snow College. Ten percent are opposed and 9 percent had no opinion. Respondents reflected the fiscally conservative nature of southern and central Utahns when 78 percent agreed that the state should pay for 1-15 and other road construction from existing revenues reve-nues rather than bonding for roads, with 11 percent opposed and 10 percent having no opinion. On a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being their area of most concerns, 53 percent of those answering the questionnaire picked growth of government as their greatest concern, con-cern, 25 percent felt that economic eco-nomic development should be second, social services came in third at 12 percent, and transportation transpor-tation fourth at 10 percent. Sixty-six percent feel that eliminating property taxes in favor of increasing general sales taxes is a good idea, with 33 percent per-cent disagreeing and 10 percent having no opinion. Granting tax credits to those who choose an alternative education educa-tion program such as home school or charter schools did not fare well, with 66 percent opposed, 31 percent in favor and 3 percent with no opinion. Forty-seven percent of respondents respon-dents who felt that deer herds are decreasing blame predators, 34 percent picked overhunting, 14 percent loss of habitat, and 4 percent thought some other reason is responsible. (See HATCH SURVEY Page 7A) HatchJ ohnson Survey Results From Front Page Sixty-three percent of those who answered believe the state should regulate private child care facilities, 30 percent said no, and 7 percent had no opinion. Sixty-eight percent said that the state is not doing enough for economic development in southern south-ern Utah, while 22 percent are satisfied. Ten percent had no opinion. Rep. Johnson noted that support for the SVATCSNOW merger was nearly 95 percent in areas of close proximity to SVATC. Highlights of the first week of the legislative session included Governor Mike Leavitt's State of the State address on Monday, as well as speeches in the House by Chief Justice Michael D. Zimmerman Zim-merman of the Utah Supreme ' Court and U.S. Senator Bob Ben- nett. Rep. Hatch introduced H.B. 180 which would extend natural gas service to rural areas of the state. The bill passed out of the Public Utilities and Technology Committee this week and will be debated on the floor early in the session. Rep. Johnson's bill to combine SVATC and Snow College has a significant number of co-sponsors and is moving through the legislative legis-lative process. The looming question before the legislature still remains as how best to finance the cost of transportation, primarily 1-15 along the Wasatch Front. Both Johnson and Hatch are leaning to paying for as much of the project as possible from existing revenues rather than extending the state's bonded indebtedness. |