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This is the November 23 - December 5, 1996 update.


December 5, 1996
Contact Vicki Varela, 538-1503
or Paula Ernstrom, 538-1509

Listed below are the highlights of Governor Mike Leavitt's activities over the past two weeks. Please call if you have any questions.

  • Proposed an $85 million crime fighting package. Governor Leavitt unveiled his criminal justice budget recommendations that include a new women's correction facility and more beds and probation officers for juvenile offenders. "This is the largest single increase in funding to prevent crime and to keep our communities safe in Utah," Leavitt said. The proposal also includes funding for prevention and early intervention programs in drugs, gang and domestic violence. The budget also fully funds tough new sentencing guidelines for juvenile offenders. Under this program, juveniles would face heavier consequences on their first or second offense rather than waiting for them to commit a more serious crime. This would require hiring 60 new probation officers and creating 400 new state supervised slots for juvenile offenders. The proposed criminal justice budget represents a 13 percent increase in operational budget and a 30 percent increase in construction. "Meeting the demands of human tragedy and misbehaving is a substantial investment," the governor said." Governor Leavitt's budget serves as a recommendation to the State Legislature who has authority over state spending.


  • Joined with Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt to sign a historic water rights settlement agreement. The agreement ensures that future development of water resources from the Virgin River Basin above Zion National Park will not harm the park's aquatic and natural resources. "This agreement is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when parties with divergent views and interests sit down to solve problems. In this case, local, state and federal governments showed a willingness to respect one another's concerns and compromise where necessary to achieve a win-win result," Governor Leavitt said. The signing of this agreement caps years of negotiation and consultation between the National Park Service, the state of Utah and local water conservancy officials over rights to water in the Virgin River Basin. The agreement recognized a federal reserved water right to surface water, ground water and the in-stream flows of the Virgin river. The park's appropriative water rights have also been identified and agreed to by all parties. The agreement also calls for no new reservoirs on the north fork of the Virgin River and no new reservoirs on the main stem of the east fork of its lower tributaries above the park. The agreement does allow for development of small dams on the tributaries of the east fork of the of the Virgin River that would have no measurable impact on the park's resources, but would provide water to Kane County.


  • Asked Nolan Karras to chair a search committee for three new department directors. The search committee is beginning work immediately to identify candidates for the Departments of Community and Economic Development, Public Safety and Insurance. Three department directors are resigning their posts on Dec. 31, as the governor completes his first term. They are: Joe Jenkins, executive director of Community and Economic Development; Robert Wilcox, insurance commissioner; and Douglas Bodrero, commissioner of Public Safety. "We want to continue the tradition of outstanding service that has been established by these directors during my first term," the governor said. "We have been very fortunate to have strong leadership in these and other departments of state government. I will look for new directors who can build on this foundation." Nolan Karras will work with three subcommittee chairmen to identify the necessary qualities for new department directors, and recruit and interview candidates. Karras is the former speaker of the Utah House of Representatives. He has broad knowledge of Utah's business, government and political communities. Karras also chaired the governor's transition committee to identify department directors when the governor first took office four years ago. "I look forward to fulfilling this assignment," Karras said. "Our work will identify the necessary qualities for strong candidates and we will identify people we believe have the potential to help the governor lead Utah into the next century." The department search chairs are: Althea DeBrule, Economic Development; Dave Jordan, Public Safety; and Lou Callister, Insurance. DeBrule is executive vice president and director of human resources for First Security Corporation. Jordan is the former U.S. Attorney for Utah and an attorney in private practice. Callister is active in community affairs and an attorney in private practice. A list is attached of search committee members named to date. The governor is seeking strong leaders from both the public and private sector as candidates for the three positions. He established a tradition in his first term of asking people to take time from their careers in the private sector to provide public service. He has asked the search chairs to contact various groups and individuals to build a list of potential candidates. Resumes and nominations should be submitted immediately to the Office of the Governor, 210 State Capitol, Salt Lake City, UT 84114. They should be directed to the attention of Nolan Karras.


    • 1996 Transition Search Committees

    DCED Search Committee
    Althea Debrule, Chair
    Robert Rice
    Lynn Wardley
    Irene Hansen
    Robert Garff
    Fred Gonzales
    Harold Lyman
    Jerry Peterson
    Lee Allen
    Gary Cornia
    Shelly Thomas

    Public Safety Search Committee
    David Jordan, Chair
    Karl Brooks
    John T. Neilsen
    Lowell Peterson
    Ned Christensen
    Leticia Medina

    Insurance Search Committee
    Lou Callister, Chair
    Daryl Barrett
    Jerry Horgesheimer
    Grethe Peterson
    Floyd Peterson

  • Participated in the SmartUTAH/Uintah Basin Telecommunications Fair through video and telephone hookups. Uintah Basin leaders want to bring the world of advanced technology to their region and help their businesses and citizens use the Internet and electronic commerce. The telecommunications fair, held in Roosevelt, attracted about 500 Uintah Basin residents who learned how to use the Internet and reviewed the services being provided by state government agencies and the Utah Education Network. Rep. Beverly Evans, R-Altamont, coordinated the fair with a broad cross-section of community leaders and businesses from the Uintah Basin. Cliff Ames, vice president of SmartUTAH, organized the presentations by several speakers and provided support for the effort. The governor met with community leaders through a teleconference and then kicked off the program with a speech to the 500 participants. He told how he uses the Internet and advanced technology in his own life and encouraged citizens to learn how to navigate in this new world. "As we move into a new century," the governor said, "it will be important for every citizen, and especially every student, to learn to use the powerful resources of advanced technology. Those who do not will be left behind."


  • Encouraged Utah families to sit down and discuss values over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Leavitts joined with members of their extended family to discuss what values are important to their family. "I will admit it was a little awkward at first, but we had a great discussion and grew closer as an extended family because of it. It is not too late for families to talk about values that are important to them as individuals and as a family," the governor said. Value discussion guides were distributed to Utah children through public schools and many private schools as well.


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