| Show at iwlew adek e c p 1 I J gorito api 10 setting an enviable record for or speed peed in hi getting gelting down to busl business nesi r the twenty third session of the utah state legislature friday jan 20 closed its second week of ac activities tivit leg well advanced along the lawmaking highway A noticeable desire to get things done as speedily as possible wa was 9 not lot only outstanding feature of the first 12 days of legislative maneus clings another was the apparent desire and willingness on the part of all senators and representatives to pull a coordinated stroke in efforts to draft only new laws and effect such changes in existing ones as will benefit the state as a whole this cohesion of effort was made more pronounced by the seeming absence of the definite admonis 1 a and n d administration anti lines that developed early in the 1037 legislative session acrimony and cleavage has apparently given way to a unity of purpose that trained observers believe will weld so called progressives progress ives and so cal led conservatives together in the interest of worthwhile legislation both legislative branches got away to it a flying start in the early organization sessions and echoes of cover governor n or henry H bloods message of dos doa and bonts had scarcely e died away before the bill hoppers began to grind their dally daily grist of measures f introduced 1 by ahe the lawmakers the chief executives biennial counsel to the legislators summed up to a strong plea for economy no new governmental spending a eccles no additional taxes or bond issues no building appropriations beyond those absolutely necessary no departmental expenditures that will prevent a balanced budget not even a homestead tax exemption colling calling for a drastic reconstruction st lon of revenue to local governments ern ments gasoline taxes to other than highway uses and sales tax revenues to other than public wel fare purposes he was also against changes in the existing liquor control laws especially any that authorized the sale of liquor by the drink A nonpartisan non partisan judiciary law providing for the appointment of 0 judges was favored so was careful consideration of the traffic safety problem and wages and hour law th that atwill will keep in bor relations act in conformity with the federal law if the latter Is amended by the present united states congress the second week of legislative activities ended with bills introduced trod 82 in the senate and 71 in he th elower lower house this Is five more tha than n the 1937 legislature had introduced during the same period five file measures measures had been passed in the two branches this year two dl defeated andone tabled none has its as yet been passed hy by both senate and house four bills billa passed by the senate include one providing tor for the flying of the american flag from schools while ivi tili in session another tt profil prohibiting lilting dier diversion sion of fishing and hun hunting huning ing license i e fee monies to any other purpose than wild life propagation management and another fix es fees i fori forstl justices ces odthe of the peace for services in criminal cases cam at the on oni bill passed in the house brov provides da 4 s that a retailers bark up unde 1 the fall fair trade act shall be not less than 6 per cent of the ilie cost to hlin hind after adding freight charges and cartage the bill tallied tabled in the house proposes that thai the prevailing wage scale be paid employed emp loyes on projects toy by emergency or funds bills defeated related to state appointees one would have required confirmation every two years yeara of appointees confirmed by tile the senate the other prohibited d legisla legislators lors accepting a state up ap while serving in the legislature or for two years thereafter the dozen or more bills affecting agricultural and livestock interests already introduced propose in brief i to require all livestock owners to brand stock and record the brands in efforts to stop theft of livestock to provide stricter regulation of commercial deeds to create a utah farm debt commission mission to appropriate for bangs bang dl disease control to require grading of agricultural products shipped out of the state to appropriate for farm organization and agricultural ri marketing work to appropriate prop for noxious weed control on state owned lands to appropriate for general noxious weed control to place the state chemist under the department of agriculture to permit land owners to organize shooting areas and collect fees for shooting to appropriate faethe fora the intermountain junior rat pat stock show and a house joint memorial urging congress to prevent reduction of present tariffs on cuban sugar continued on page four under the capitol dome Continued from page oni one taxation and rI revenue venue measures introduced propose to require use of sales tax revenues tor for welfare and relief needs with surpluses to be Invest invested edin in government or gov guaranteed bonds and sold as needed edlo lo 10 levy an excise tax of 4 cents per 1000 cubic feet on natural gas sold or delivered in butali utan to permit counties to i lease or rent tax sale properties to use sales bax tax revenues tor for emergency belef funds to exempt from taxation homes up to 2000 in 14 value and personal property up to and to appropriate annually from liquor sales receipts tor for the state high school fund so called labor bills introduced propose to repeal the syndicalism and sabotage law and another to amend it to strike sections restricting strict ing freedom of labor organizations izat ions to assemble to provide for registration of persons accepting employment during a strike by a recognized national union toes to establish Ita blish a wages and hours standard ar for concerns engage engaged d in I 1 intrastate commerce and to prohibit employment by government units of persons person s whose spouses are gainfully employed measures which may be classed as political i in nature mature propose to repeal the alio law empowering to fill legislative vacancies from lists approved by county central committees to transfer power to fill legislative e vacancies from the io governor vernor to the party central committee cone concerned e arned and to create a nonpartisan non partisan judiciary through appointment of judges by the governor bills establishing new departments or commissions propose to create a state constabulary including highway patrol bureau of criminal identification and investigation and liquor enforcement officers to esia establish blish a state department of justice to create a department part ment of commerce to create a state civil service department and to included include udea a hospital for disabled miners at the state sanit sanitarium orium in ogden lathe inthe realm of education bills propose jio t p establish junior colleges at roosevelt and richfield t to require antl anti alcohol and education in schools receiving state support and to require character e education d u ca t I 1 0 n in schools in the general classification measures propose to authorize sale of liquor by the drink in licensed establishments to authorize cities and counties to undertake low cost housing projects to eliminate lunch counters operated in connection with other businesses and to bring small loan agencies under supervision of the state banking apartment part ment t bills coming la in the legal category propose to require claimants for damages to undergo medical examinations pincourt incourt in court when claims are based on sickness or injury and eight measures sponsored ored by the bar association one bill permits cities of the first and second class to put any dr all appointive offices under civil service another creates civil service systems in c cities of the 60 third class A traffic safety bill pr proposes cancellation of owner and andt operator license and registration when either falls to satisfy a judgement jud gement it alme alma tomake motor vehicle operators financially responsible both senate and house bills propose registration of lobbyists hobbyists and showing of expenditures by them members of the utah state legislature near the halfway half way mark of the twenty third session this week with approximately proposed new laws lawi amendments to existing ones and repeals awaiting action thus far covering three weeks of lawmaking activities 17 bills have received the approval of a majority ity of upper house members teti ten have passed the house of r re e tour four of which are approved senate measures the ile senate has hag killed three bills and the lower house has disposed of one through adoption of an unfavorable arable committe report the house has tabled two bills one has been withdrawn in the senate A summarizing of voting strength on oil measures backed by the so cal led liberal illiberal or progressive element indicates rough sledding ahead for legislation such as is embodied tit in bills aimed to set up up wage and hour stand standards ards and tor for anything oil that smacks of increased expenditures or changes in the existing order of the states fiscal control and management sign posts along the voting way point to it fulfillment of governor henry 11 II bloods expressed desire for an all economical legislative program irain and one which will keep away from any drastic changes that might prevent a balanced state budget that little will be accomplished la in the creation of new money spending departments or commissions or in burdening business and industry with increased taxation or regulation loads Is tile the belief of legislative experts nevertheless there are many bills already introduced that call tor for a revamping of the taxation structure and more that would affect the dally daily lives of utahna bolh boh tit in cities and on the farms many of these are apparently due to die a speedy death some will be enacted into law but the consensus of opinion seems to be that the current legislature will leave things pretty much as they are excepting us as to betterments that can be brought about without recourse to lavish expenditures or the favoring of one group to the detriment imen t of another measures of statewide importance and interest that win will absorb the attention of legislators within the next few days include homestead tax exemption payment of industrial compensation for vie victims of occupational diseases setting up of a wage and hour program for interstate commerce sale of liquor by the drink and local option several bills to safeguard motor vehicle traffic others ao to increase revenue tor for schools and civil service tor for state county and city employed emp loyes and appointees bills affecting taxation introduced d tit in the past week include exemption of metal producers with net incomes of less than from the occupation tax exema tion alon of credit unions from taxation exemption from taxation of personal property up to sm in valuation depriving the state tax commission of power to to initiate equalization proceedings among classes of property within counties requirement that the commissions statement to county auditors regarding assessment changes and its determination of the state levy levi be made on or before august 11 1 making special improvement taxes a lien above any other excepting general property taxes and advancing by several sen era days annual taxa tion alon proceedings of metropolitan witter water distri districts oits of interest to agriculturists and livestock 1 estock growers are the following bills introduced last week pro viding that meat animals once inspected s and found free of disease nut may y be sold anywhere in the state without further inspection permitting the building of dams not more than 15 feet in helget and not t more over rm acre feet irl in capacity without approval of the state engineer making death of livestock on it a railroad wa any y it prima facie case tor for recovery of damages appropriating for a utah exhibit fit at the worlds poultry congress in ina cleveland 0 appropriating for an suppression of 0 poultry diseases creating a first lien hen in favor of producers upon farm products delivered to processors and to establish a utah state fruit tree improvement pro agency and appropriate to it for grading and certify fruit nursery stock other important measures intro deuced last week affect the public lic health alth legal transactions finance cities aties c and counties labor trade state stale departments and the general we welfare cifare of the people fourteen measures affect cities and counties ten have to do with health another A ther ten affect legal producers seven seen affect trade and industry four social welfare as embodied in fit old age assistance unemployment and civil liberties six touch upon operation of motor vehicles several others relate to state departmental part mental affairs finance education latoi labor and fish and game matters one health measure levies a 15 per cent tax on oil patent medicines and apportions a part of the proceeds to subsidize public health nur nursing ging A traffic safety bill proposes that tour four warnings by peace officers shall be the equivalent of one conviction for traffic law violation another agricultural measure permits inspectors to destroy infected trees and plants bitterest fights of the session 11 are re expected to be waged over the occupational disease and wage and hour standardization measures friends of will strive with might and main to procure more school funds the bill to permit sale of liquor by the drink will proy lole another battlefield whether the house appropriations committee is to have full sway over appropriations Is a current muddle muddie measures that have attract attracted nationwide attention include the senate joint resolution asking congress to lift the embargo on shipment of armmand arms arm sand and munitions to the spanish loyalists supporters of the solution point to the fact that ft a recent gallup poll showed that 75 per cent of the people favor such action A senate concurrent resolution indorses endorses Indor ses the mccarron Mc Oarren bill proposing 1 pe per ounce as the price to ile be paid for silver |
