This is the March 16 - March 29, 1996 update.
March 29, 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.
Joined with Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini to name four new people to the Salt Lake
Olympic Committee. The four new Olympic trustees are Maria Garciaz, Alan Layton,
Lillian Taylor and Gerald Sherratt. "These are critical appointments because the board is
part of the formula for a successful Olympics. I am very pleased with the new trustees
because they bring community and business leadership as well as diversity," Governor
Leavitt said. Mayor Corradini said: "These fine people will add both expertise and
diversity to the committee." The governor and mayor also reappointed Joe Cannon, Verl
Topham, Gordon Strachan and Grethe Peterson to six-year terms. The new appointees
have broad professional and community service background. Maria Garciaz has 18 years
of experience in community development, specializing in housing and youth intervention.
Alan Layton is president of Layton Construction, a leader in environmentally friendly
construction projects throughout the state. He also serves in a variety of community
roles. Lillian Taylor is executive director of the Utah Public Education Foundation. She
serves on a variety of boards in support of young people and education. Dr. Gerald
Sherratt has served as the president of Southern Utah University since 1982. He is also
the founder of the Utah Summer Games and is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the
games. Two of the four new appointees fill new seats recently created by an expansion of
the board. A third replaces committee member Fred Rollins, whose term has expired.
The fourth new appointee takes the seat of Henry Marsh, who will continue to serve on
the board as an athlete rather than community appointee.
Vetoed line items in the Appropriations Act that allocated funding for building projects
on Utah's university and college campuses. Under the provisions of HB 400, the
legislature provided limited funds for campus construction projects. The remaining cost
of the projects would have to come out of future budgets. "State building projects should
not be phase funded. This approach automatically builds in expectations and costs in the
following year," Governor Leavitt said. "It is important that sufficient funds be allocated
at the beginning of a project to see it through to completion." The governor is asking the
Legislature to take this issue up in a special session.
Governor Leavitt also vetoed a bill that would take the control of tobacco products from
local government control. In the final week of the Legislature, an amendment was added
to House Bill 43, the Cigarette Tax and Appropriations bill, that revoked all local
authority regarding the taxation, sale, distribution, promotion, and regulation of cigarettes
and other tobacco products. "This is not only an issue of local authority, but also of
protecting the young people of this state," the governor said. Several Utah communities
have passed ordinances regulating where tobacco products can be displayed to discourage
underage youth from shoplifting or illegally purchasing them. This bill would have
superseded these laws and prevented other communities from passing similar ordinances.
It also jeopardized the enforcement of Utah's Indoor Clean Air Act by local officials.
The governor also vetoed Senate Bill 246, a bill that would prohibit schools from
supporting illegal conduct. "While I support the bill's primary objective," the governor
said, "I am concerned that the bill may have had a chilling effect on free speech for
Utah's teacher." After discussing his concerns with the sponsors of the bill, the governor
believe a compromise can be reached which will accomplish the goals of SB 246 without
infringing on the constitutional right to free speech. A complete list of bills the governor
vetoed or allowed to go into law without his signature is attached.
Joined with Ogden Mayor Glenn Meacham and Corrections Department officials to
dedicate Utah's newest halfway house. The new Northern Utah Community Correctional
Center doubles the number of halfway house beds in Weber County and replaces the
outdated Ogden and Parkview Community Correction centers. The new facility will
house 150 parolees during their transition back into the community after prison.
"Community Correction centers are important in achieving the prison system's main goal:
releasing inmates who are better people than when they entered the system," the governor
said. Programs offered at the center are designed to reduce the recidivism rate and
include therapy for substance abusers and sex offenders. Many parolees at the center will
work and take classes outside the center.
Participated in the unveiling of SmartSite, the technology cornerstone of SmartUTAH.
SmartSite is a private-public joint venture between the state government, Novell, US
West Inc. and Unita Business Systems. "Utah is delivering the promise of the information
age," said Governor Leavitt. "Every organization, business and government agency will
be able to affordably connect to SmartUTAH through the SmartSites, enabling citizens to
access in government as never before. The state will benefit from SmartUTAH through
increased economic development. Small and medium sized businesses will be more
competitive and new businesses will be attracted to the state." Because SmartSites are
affordable and easy-to-use, they will be a valuable tool to many small businesses, non-profit organizations, local governments and others who wish to collaborate over the
Internet.
Joined with governors, educators and business leaders from across the nation to examine
education standards. The governor attended the 1996 National Education Summit hosted
by the National Governors' Association, the Education Commission of the States and
IBM. While the goal of the summit was to establish high academic standards, assessment
and accountability in the nation's schools, participants also discussed business
involvement and technology tools to enhance educational opportunities for students.
During the summit, the governors emphasized that the standards they developed were
state and not federal standards but also saw a need for national consensus on the
standards. Governors also discussed the need for states to form voluntary alliances to
share experiences, information and costs of developing high standards for education
systems.
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