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Governor Bangerter proposes $3.5 billion budget, education and public-safety priorities in State of the State
Summary
In a joint convention, Governor Norman H. Bangerter proposed a $3.5 billion fiscal 1992 budget, pledged not to raise residential property taxes, urged creation of a Department of Environmental Quality, proposed a children's justice center and a health-insurance risk pool, and called for expanded drug-free zones with mandatory sentences for selling drugs to minors.
Norman H. Bangerter, governor of Utah, delivered his 1991 State of the State address in a joint convention of the legislature, proposing a $3.5 billion fiscal year 1992 budget and outlining priorities for education, public safety and environmental protection. "Whatever we decide to do, the residential property taxes of Utah homeowners must not be increased," he said, framing tax restraint as a primary constraint on any legislative action.
Bangerter told lawmakers that the general and uniform school funds portion of his proposal would total $1,780,000,000 and described the overall budget as "tight," saying adjusted state funds represented a roughly 2% decrease from the prior year when accounting for inflation and population growth. He said careful budgeting had kept Utah from a fiscal crisis and that much recent growth in state spending stemmed from federal actions and mandates.
The governor proposed targeted investments in education and children's services. He noted $15,000,000 already allocated for education technology and asked the legislature to add $4,000,000 to reduce class size in first grade, with a similar commitment for second grade next year. On child protection, Bangerter requested creation of a children's justice center "that will reduce the trauma suffered by abused children while facilitating more efficient investigation into allegations of abuse." He also asked the legislature to streamline procedures for obtaining protective orders in domestic-violence cases while protecting the rights of the accused.
On health coverage, Bangerter proposed a $3,000,000 one-time appropriation to start a risk pool to help people who cannot buy ordinary health insurance; he said projections indicated the program could become self-funding with sustained investment.
On public-safety policy, the governor urged expansion of drug-free zone laws beyond schools to places where young people congregate ' parks, malls, sports and recreation facilities, churches and concert sites ' and proposed mandatory five-year sentences for anyone arrested selling drugs to a minor in those areas, saying "together, let's send a message to those who dare deal drugs in this state." He framed the approach as sending a clear deterrent to traffickers who target children.
On social policy, Bangerter spoke at length about abortion, acknowledging its moral complexity and endorsing limited exceptions for cases that pose a threat to the life or health of the mother, cases of profound fetal disability, and those involving sexual assault or incest as he described them. He warned against pursuing measures likely to be ruled unconstitutional and said the governor would not expend state resources on "an indefensible legal position." He urged legislators to debate the issue "with dignity and respect."
Bangerter also acknowledged Utah families with members called up for service in the Gulf crisis, expressed support for President George H.W. Bush's authority to respond to Iraqi aggression, and closed by urging lawmakers to begin their 45-day session.
The address was delivered in the House chamber in joint convention; the legislature subsequently voted to print the full text of the message in the legislative journals.
