| Show i By IRIS Like many of this state and o our r country i 1 nv have always thought that what goes on in our Capitol Building m 2 mUst be citizens a retired d process screened from private citizens Until law in got himself elected a my member of the U Utah me House of Representatives last fall it H never occurred to tome just anybody could go into that building and watch the laws s rn m OT of our state being discussed passed or altered BUT LAST WEEK AT THE TILE KIND invitation of this recently Honorable relative I went to our State Capitol y a but 1 1 h. h luve ve always loved Its It's all marble and solid granite and huge ge and polished dark woodwork and pit pillars hanging orn ornate te chandeliers and statues and bronze plaques and secret I heavy doors It has the vast massive massive dignity the most im government building in the state should have The wide wandering hallways lead to many chambers and the i stairways of ponderous marble beckon in every direction It took me fifteen minutes just to get lost However a ki d t i gentleman who turned out to be our Secretary of State j eventually directed me to the House Gallery 1 I went to the bottom row of the tiered seats and sat down n Below me in a semi circle before the raised dais which which held the House Leaders Leader's desk sat the members of the House of Representatives most of If whom were present They look looked ed fl like the men I see everywhere on everywhere on on the streets of our towns to 1 i or in church or riding the buses or sitting on park benches benches' in the sun SUllo But I realized they were not quite ordinary those Representatives since they were dedicated enough to run for their office and esteemed enough to win the race i SPEAKING AS ONE WHO DOES not know an Ipso from a facto and who wouldn't recognize a process of law if one snuck up from behind and bit me I expected the discussions I which took place on the floor of the House to be a complete mystery to me I was right A number of Representatives 3 f took turns rising to debate a matter concerning frozen peas I didn't understand what they were discussing although I did did hear the ter term m fair fai r trade laws but then I l dont don't understand them either My ty law in inclined his head at me and when he left the floor I left the gallery and met hi him m in an outer hall way I was lost again but he wasn't a fact which brought t i. i 7 t i iway me comfort HE LED ME BACK ONTO THE floor of the House and to a f I black leather bench near the front Here I sat while a motion was moved and seconded about something or other All I I gathered was that they were off frozen peas and had a ad d. d or receded as the case may have been to garine i iMy My law in then took me to the Inner Sanctum Sanctum- the rooms off the House proper where the Honorable i members relax when they arent aren't working on laws The lounge Is a bright and lovely spot with chairs upholstered In scarlet or In a splashy fabric of royal blue and white j Off that Is another smaller room where local bottling s companies have provided free soft drinks for the members WHILE WE SIPPED our pop Fred told me his two boys ages 7 and 8 were down to watch him the week before They made no comment at all when they saw their father on the floor of the House of Representatives But later that night the youngest one asked his mother Is Daddy important tant taut She said Yes he really boy said saidI 1 I thought though so Free Sprite |
