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House opens 1996 session with centennial ceremonies and Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Day proclamation
Summary
The Utah House opened its 1996 annual session with centennial-themed presentations, musical performances and a proclamation from Gov. Michael O. Levitt recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Day; the House completed roll call, adopted prior rules and recessed until 2 p.m.
The Utah House convened Jan. 15, 1996 with an extended centennial program that included an invocation by President Thomas S. Monson, musical performances by area students, historical remarks about Utah’s first legislature and a gubernatorial proclamation recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Day.
President Thomas S. Monson, introduced by the Speaker, delivered the opening prayer and asked that members be guided as they consider legislation. The assembly recited the Pledge of Allegiance and a historical Civil War letter was read as part of the centennial theme. Elementary students from Beehive Elementary performed under the direction of Cheryl Wilkes and accompanist Fawn Dantida; later the Viewmont High School Madrigals performed three musical numbers.
The presiding officer reviewed facts about Utah’s first legislature (1896) and linked the state’s history to the current session’s heavy legislative load, noting more than 1,000 bills had been filed this session. House officers completed certification of membership after Lieutenant Governor Aline S. Walker read the certificate of membership and the clerk conducted roll call; one member was excused for convalescence.
As part of commemorations for Martin Luther King Jr., Sandra Adams, chair of the governor’s Black Advisory Council, read a gubernatorial declaration in which Governor Michael O. Levitt "do[es] hereby declare that the State of Utah observe Martin Luther King Junior Human Rights Day tenth anniversary and call upon all citizens to promote respect for our common humanity and renew our commitment to justice, equality, and peace." Members of the Utah State Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission, led on the floor by Dr. Forrest Corbett, offered brief reflections on nonviolence, racial harmony and civic responsibility and invited legislators to evening events in the Rotunda.
On routine organizational business, the House adopted the same membership organization and rules as the prior year, authorized the Speaker to appoint committees to inform the Senate and the Governor that the House was organized and suspended the reading of full bill titles on the calendar except upon request. A long list of bills and resolutions was read for the record and referred to the rules committee for first-reading consideration. The House recessed for lunch and agreed to reconvene at 2 p.m. for the State of the Judiciary and other centennial events.
The opening day combined ceremonial observances tied to the state’s centennial with routine organizational steps required to begin the legislative session. The House carried multiple procedural motions by voice vote; no contested roll-call votes on substantive policy were recorded during the opening proceedings.
