The House put its stamp of approval Tuesday on renaming the Post Office in Beaver to honor Abe Murdock, a former Democratic senator and House member from Utah.
Rep. Jim Hansen, a conservative Republican, is pushing the bill to honor the liberal Democrat because city officials in Beaver - which is in his district - requested his help to change the name in time for Murdock's 100th birthday on July 18, 1993.A statement by Hansen read to the House said, "Throughout his political career, he supported Utah by protecting grazing rights and ensuring the conservation of both water and soil."
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Murdock served four terms in the House from 1933 to 1941. He was then considered a liberal for his support of Franklin D.
Roosevelt's New Deal, and became the only Utahn to ever beat an incumbent senator in a primary election challenge.
Hansen said that while Murdock was in the Senate, he helped ensure Utah was granted its fair share of water from the Colorado River.
Murdock died in 1979 at the age of 86.