Show A Report from the desk of Ray Nielsen Representative There was a lot of activity ah aU around Capitol Hill last week as members of the Utah Legislature got down to busness business business busi bus ness and began tackling the legislative legislative legislative legi legi- problems of the state Some of the action last week Included a hearing on the Equal Rights for Women Amendment which was attended by about people debating both the pros and cons of the amend amend- ment The amendment Is scheduled scheduled sched sched- to come before the floor of the House sometime this week Representative sen says he will vote against the amendment as his man mall has been very heavily opposed to ratifying the amendment So far 22 states have ratified the amendment Thirty-eight Thirty states are needed to add It to the Constitution Rep Nielsen would like the people in his district to let him know their feelings on two other highly controversial bills bUls that will be coming before the House this session One bill that creates quite a bit of emotion emotion emotion emo emo- tion and controversy Is the proposal proposal proposal pro pro- to restore capital punish punish- ment The other proposed bill would eliminate the camper tax This bill has been termed by some as a discriminatory tax Rep Nielsen notes that if this bill is repealed the lost revenue would need to be made up else else- where Rep Nielsen would appreciate ate the response of his constituents constituents constituents on both of these issues as well as on other matters that will appear before the House The sub appropriations committee committee committee com com- on Irrigation and water use has recommended the ap appropriation appropriation appropriation ap- ap of to Initiate initiate initiate ate a study on the Sevier River watershed This will involve Sanpete County as the River is part of that watershed notes that even though the study has the approval of the committee it must still be approved in the complete bud bud- get If approved the State Department Department De Department De- De of Agriculture will budget to set up a team to tomake tomake tomake make a study which will Involve in involve involve In- In volve irrigation and other uses of water Nielsen was effective in getting the approval of the majority of committee members members members mem mem- bers before the hearings were held Rep Nielsen reports that a recommendation has been made to the Governor that be appropriated out of surplus funds for further development of Palisades State Park This recommendation will be processed processed processed pro pro- through the Committee of Natural Resources of which Rep Nielsen Is a member House Bill No 6 would raise the cost of resident non-resident deer hunting licenses and would limit resident non-resident hunters to a year The fee for out-of- out state licenses would be raised from to Rep Dewain Washburne of Monroe fonroe Is the sponsor of the bill bUl He represents Sevier Pi Plute Piute ute and Beaver Counties His reason for sponsoring the bill billis billis is because our deer herd has had too much hunting pressure with little control I also support support support sup sup- port the bill u. u The Din bill 1 would also bring oring Utah generally Into line with most of our neighboring states Since 1960 the number of Utah resident hunters has In Increased increased increased in- in creased by thirty-six thirty thousand In 1970 resident non-resident licenses totaled In 1972 nonresident nonresident nonresident non non- resident licenses totaled 29 an Increase of 50 in two years If we allow unlimited numbers to continue to overshoot overshoot overshoot over over- shoot the herds we will find ourselves without any revenue from license fees because there will be no deer to hunt Representative Washburne's bill has been passed In the House by a majority of 61 to 10 However when the bill went to the Senate Senator Stanford Rees was undecided whether to support the bill without some kind of Input from people in this area The bill has been temporarily tabled In the Sen Sen- ate Senator Rees has agreed that the best way to reach Sanpete hunters is through the news news- papers Hunters please let him know if you are FOR or AGAINST the Increase In fees for resident non-resident deer licenses and the limiting of the number issued Send this questionnaire to Sen Rees I favor House Bill No 6 I do not favor l House ouse Bill No 6 |