ST. GEORGE – Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed several bills that affect Southern Utah before a crowd at Dixie State College of Utah.
One of these bills, Senate Concurrent Resolution Bill 11, helps set Dixie State College on the path to becoming a university. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Steve Urquhart, reads, in part:
“…the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein, express their support for Dixie State College’s plan, as presented to the Utah State Board of Regents, for achieving university status.”
The Dixie State College Herald Trumpets played a fanfare just before Herbert signed SCR 11. Herbert held the signed bill up high for all to see and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
“I’ve never had such an enthusiastic welcome,” Herbert told the crowd. “We’re all Dixie rebels today.”
Herbert signed several other bills affecting Southern Utah, including:
* House Bill 492, which releases state money to build a veterans’ nursing home in Ivins
* House Bill 411, which requires drivers passing too closely to a pulled-over emergency vehicle to attend a four-hour defensive driving class
* House Bill 374, which prevents a person arrested for domestic violence from contacting the alleged victim while in jail
* House Bill 92, which helps support rural school districts
* House Bill 97, which establishes mission-based funding for Utah higher education institutions
Many retired military veterans attended the bill signings to show their support for House Bill 492.
Don Ipson, sponsor of House Bill 492, referenced the military operation that killed Osama bin Laden when explaining the bill to the crowd.
“I think this past week shows that when you give [military members] a job, they do it,” he said.
Herbert praised the people of Southern Utah and Dixie State College.
“The growth that’s been taking place down here is phenomenal,” Herbert said. “Everybody wants to come down here to Utah’s Dixie, don’t they?”
