Utah Senate opens 1992 session; president outlines budget, education and health priorities

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate convened its 1992 organizational session, certifying membership, adopting the prior session’s rules and referring a broad set of bills to standing committees as President Arnold Christensen laid out the chamber’s priorities for the coming weeks.

Christensen opened the session, welcomed guests and noted the Senate would complete its work within the 45-day statutory window. The session began with an invocation by Elder Marvin J. Ashton and ceremonial music from the Hillcrest High School a cappella choir.

In a floor address, President Arnold Christensen said Utah’s economy was relatively strong compared with other states and previewed budget pressures ahead. "Preliminary budget figures indicate that there will be a $3,800,000,000 spending package for fiscal year '1993,'" Christensen said, adding that represented about a 4.9% increase in the total operations budget. He warned that rising school enrollments, increased caseloads for health and human services, and growth in the elderly population will pressure spending priorities.

Christensen listed the administration and legislative agenda items he expects to address this session: funding for education (he said education receives almost two out of every three dollars from the general fund), Medicaid and human services funding challenges, corrections and an increasing prison population, infrastructure repairs for highways and state facilities, and environmental measures including higher hazardous-waste disposal fees for out-of-state firms and vehicle emissions standards.

He also identified several proposed constitutional amendments the Senate will consider, including measures on legislative eligibility and separation of powers, changes regarding executive offices and boards, a legislative article to change the start date of the general session, a corporations article addressing restraints on trade, and a labor article to modernize work provisions.

On routine organization business, the Senate adopted a motion to retain the 1991 officers for the 1992 session. The president instructed the clerk to record officers in the Senate Journal, listing President Arnold Christensen, Majority Leader Carrie G. Peterson and Majority Whip Lane Beatty among the leadership. The chamber also appointed members to the Rules Committee, named Senator Chuck E. Peterson as chair, and added members to the Senate Employees Committee.

The Rules Committee reported referrals of dozens of bills to standing committees, including measures on alcoholic beverages in rural areas, telecommunication services for public education, hazardous and solid waste amendments, property tax and truth-in-taxation changes, and drivers' training fee increases. Several items were also placed on the second-reading calendar, among them a Sunset Act amendment and commemorative resolutions.

Senator Lane Beatty moved that Elder Ashton’s prayer be included in the Senate Journal; the motion carried. The Senate approved a procedural motion to suspend the reading of full bill and resolution titles for the remainder of the session unless a senator requests a full reading.

The president and staff announced an administrative change to cosponsorship handling: senators who wish to cosponsor bills are to sign an addendum sheet handled by Sharon Johnson in the East Office to avoid repeated reprinting. The process will attach cosponsor sheets to bills through enrollment and to the governor’s office.

The Senate adjourned until 2 p.m. The chamber’s immediate next public item was a joint session for the governor’s State of the State address scheduled that evening.

Sources: Floor proceedings of the Utah State Senate organizational session (opening ceremonies, certification of membership, roll call, motions and committee reports).