Bangerter urges continued education funding, economic growth and clean-air measures in final State of the State

Governor Bangerter delivered his final State of the State address to a joint session of the Utah Legislature, framing his administration around education, economic development and government efficiency while adding environmental protection as a fourth priority.

"It is an honor for me to present to you my final state of the state message as your governor," Bangerter said at the start of the address. He recounted 17 years in public office and outlined the administration's record and upcoming proposals.

Bangerter said the share of public education funded by the state rose from 42% in 1985 to nearly 49% in 1993 and said public education "is the only area where we have fully funded growth during the last 7 years." He asked the Legislature to fully fund roughly 2,900 additional students who exceeded projections and proposed $9,600,000 to continue class-size reductions in first grade and to extend reductions to second grade. He also noted prior appropriations of about $28,000,000 for a statewide education technology initiative and recommended an additional $11,000,000 to continue the program.

On higher education, Bangerter urged campuses to maximize use of existing facilities before building new classrooms and recommended reexamining the balance between teaching and research for faculty to address enrollment growth.

On the economy, the governor credited state initiatives with creating tens of thousands of jobs and cautioned against new taxes. "I have not recommended and will not support any tax increase," he said, noting Utah produced roughly 44,900 new jobs since 1985 and projecting some 22,500 new jobs in the coming year.

Bangerter outlined the state's fiscal posture, citing a projected $114,000,000 increase in the operating budget, surpluses of about $34,000,000 from fiscal 1991 and a projected $35,000,000 for fiscal 1992, and recommended issuing approximately $90,000,000 in general obligation bonds.

On environmental policy, he pointed to the creation of the Department of Environmental Quality and backed a clean-air legislative package developed with the Clean Air Commission to limit previously uncontrolled pollution sources. "Utah will not become the nation's dumping ground," he said, and proposed increasing disposal fees for commercial waste.

Bangerter proposed a new section in the Division of Finance to step up collection of state receivables, saying the courts alone have "over $60,000,000 in outstanding fines and forfeitures and fees" that could be pursued to increase revenues.

Addressing corrections, he recommended a modest $1,000,000 appropriation for a prison literacy lab to augment inmate education and ease reentry, proposing a combined effort among public education, higher education and corrections. He also proposed legislation to make clandestine drug labs illegal and to strengthen the state's drug-precursor controls.

On health matters, Bangerter asked for a second $2,000,000 appropriation to continue an uninsurable-risk health insurance pool that he said is helping about 353 residents who cannot obtain coverage elsewhere. He introduced the Beck family as beneficiaries of that program and requested about $293,000 to support measles immunization for kindergartners.

He closed by thanking his family, staff and colleagues and offering a farewell to the Legislature. The joint session later voted to have the governor's remarks printed in both chambers' journals.