Show a I I I f. f rm J v I I Q G I Tr By y HARRY 1 I Speculation on Capitol Hill this week dwelt largely on how near the Twenty Twenty- eighth Utah Legislature will go toward staying within Gen Gos' J J. J Bracken Brack ll Lees Lee's retrenching budget for 1949 The governor opened the week by presenting pre pre- presenting his biennial budget message message- m four days late at his own request j It calls caUs for appropriations from the general fund nd of ot as compared to 15 appropriated by the 1947 leg leg- Basis for the budget are estimated general gen ral fund revenues for the biennium of and an estimated 49 1947 surplus of amounting to a total of t If It set up in ac accordance ac- ac with the governors governor's budget expenditures res would leave a surplus of at the close of the 51 1949 period This is In l contrast to actual general fund revenues for fiscal year 1948 of or estimated C fiscal 1949 re re- revenues revenues re- re revenues venues of and a 47 1945 sur sur- surplus surplus surplus plus of or a total of 18 for which ends June 30 30 1949 Of this amount 1021 goes to mine occupation reserve to legislative appropriations appropriAtions appropriation tion and to deficit appropriations Ions leaving the estimated surplus of The governor told legislators he had actually received requests covering ex expenditure ex- ex expenditure of for the bien- bien biennium biennium and that he had recommended expenditure In hi excess of ot Of the latter amount however comes from earmarked funds leaving i i for the tho legislature ue to I j I To my mind he said in this regard this creates an undue restraint upon the legislative and executive branches of the government and one which can can- cannot cannot cannot not help but create serious financial distortions in the foreseeable future He Ho called attention of the Legislature i to the fact that in every instance my I recommendation for the appropriation to administration departments Is sub sub- substantially substantially substantially less than appropriations to to the last biennium II Previously he had stated that In making my ray recommendations to you I I earnestly have In mind strengthening I our financial structure against the day when adversity may strike by contInuIng continuing i ing the policy already Initiated by your i bodies bo Ies of creating and building necessary j sary reserves I In his recommendations by depart depart- departments departments ments menta the tho governor first suggested depart I con con- consolidation consolidation of the Utah Safety Council anti and state driver license division now I under the tax commission into one unit I under the Utah Highway Patrol This he ho said could be done at a saving of the exact amount recommend recommend- recommended ed ad for the combined department for the biennium He said they are spending between them this biennium As a a. saving medium he lie recommend recommend- recommended ed concentration tion of all vocational agri agri- I I I II I i I I S cultural education under the extension division of the Utah State Agricultural l College and called for a general elimina elimina- elimination elimination tion of duplication on of vocational education education education tion and federal aid programs He re recommended re- re recommended recommended commended reduction In appropriations ii for Jor some somo so called federal aid pro pro- programs programs programs grams and and suggested a careful scrutiny of themi them Specific examples were the rehabilitation tion and the on-the-Job training programs programs' In both cases he maintained federal grants were so reduced that the state was forced to pay more than the agree agree- agreement agreement ment meat called for He recommended a n cutback In State I II Health Service S e r vie v I c e a appropriations from appropriated for 49 1947 to I and suggested only bej be bet I appropriated to the Utah Veterans' Veterans Ad- Ad Administration I Ad-I Administration ministration in contrast to I allocated two years ago In regard to the tho latter ho he h maintained that he had hadI I found through personal investigation that tho the work of the organization largely duplicates that conducted by various recognized veterans Ho reiterated a stand taken in his opening message calling for the legisla- legisla I turo ture to control planning of projects under the Water and Power Board by I retaining power of final approval then I asked that no appropriation be made to the tho board He Ho said less than half of the I appropriated two years ago I had bad been spent and said cald what Is left In inthe Inthe the tho fund would carry the projects or orthe the the- next two years I 1 Abolishment of the State Publicity and Industrial Development Department was again asked with the creation in its place a ua new advertising agency with a a. modest appropriation On the subject of pf higher education tho the governors governor's budget recommends a lump sum appropriation of to tobo tobe tobe be bo distributed among seven institutions with requests totaling In addition the schools would retain their dedicated credits as in the past which I I tho the governor or set at The Uni- Uni University University of Utah alone in addition to its dedicated credits asks while Utah State Agricultural College requests requests' S I totaled II I Weber College which hopes to become S a a. year four-year school through legislation j i already introduced the In-the in in the Senate re 1 re-I re requested quested while others Include clude Branch Dranch Agricultural College j Carbon Junior College Dixie Junior JUlIor College 20 and Snow 11 Junior JuI or College Appropriation to any institution should bo ho based upon reasonable need limited only by the ability of the tho state stateS S to pay declared the tho governor I His recommendation in regard to wel wel- welfare welfare fare faro is directed at reduction of ot admin admin- administration adminIstration costs He lie recommends the same assistance appropriation as ns that of two I years ago plus tho deficit appropriation I of already made and now being I considered by the Legislature Also AI o recommended was a continued I appropriation of per year for tor teacher retirement although he pointed I out that the state has not been paying its sh share ne of tho the fund He then recommended recommended recommended mended a study of the fund to deter deter- determine determine I mine a firm future policy S With the presentation presentation-of of or the tho budget message tho the Joint appropriations appropriations' com corn committee I of the two houses began daily dally in the governors governor's board room tR ic I. I preparation pt of the appropriations bill Interesting Is the fact that in one pre pre- previous pre pre-I previous meeting tho the committee passed a a. a resolution adopting a policy of or staying I within estimated revenue i r A question may arise as to what the thereal ther thereal real r al estimated revenue will be as it i i I j I is noted the legislature appropriated I over two years ago against estimated revenue of around and yet yet the yet the result shows a surplus of or I over lover over after additional deficit appropriations of nearly i Meanwhile the Legislature had In mind tho the plight of the livestock men when it passed and sent to Washington a S a request for Congressional emergency aid to rescue starving and ald freezing sheep and other livestock stranded by severe I cold and storms I I It also passed the bill calling for ratification of ot the Colorado River Upper I Basin States compact and sent it to the I governor for his signature One Ono of ot the problems facing the Legislature which now has over measures before it has to do with the there revival re of Junkets to state Institutions I which were halted when World War II came along Forty five of the 83 lawmakers went to Ogden and visited four state institutions on the f first war post-war trip last Friday and it Is only logical to assume that tho the legislators will be Invited to Logan American Fork Provo Prove St. St George Ephraim Cedar City and Price |