Following the Utah Legislature 2/04/09

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY

After a morning of standing committees and floor debate, legislators will be in Appropriations Subcommittees from 2 to 5 this afternoon working on the coming 2010 budget.

THIS MORNING

SENATE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE may consider HB 216, which would remove the cap on prices for current Qwest telephone customers who use only basic residential service. Since deregulation, competitive services from several telecommunications companies are available for those who want lots of features. But those who want or can afford only basic service have no choice other than Qwest, their original supplier. Other choices require a computer and high speed internet service or are much more expensive or allow limited service (wireless), which low income households can't afford.

SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT will discuss SB 128, Rainwater Harvesting. Utah water law requires a person to apply to the state and put to beneficial use any water that hasn't already been appropriated. This could even apply to the rainwater running off a roof collected in a barrel. SB 128 makes an exception. If the storage container holds less than 2500 gallons the water would be considered already appropriated to good use without applying.

HOUSE EDUCATION will hear HB 264, which requires each local school board to develop a program that identifies and encourages quality instruction by teachers in order to improve student achievement. The State School Board would supply criteria for the program, and provisional educators would be helped by trained mentors.

HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HB 128 requires doctors to offer their patients the chance to have their prescriptions issued electronically. The system would have to be secure, and pharmacies who couldn't afford it would be exempt. The system might make it easier to detect unsafe medication combinations and multiple prescriptions for addictive drugs.

THIS AFTERNOON

CAPITOL FACILITIES AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE hears requests for "other-funded" capital projects on the University of Utah and Utah Valley campuses. Such projects funded in part by private funds have been mentioned by the Governor as economic development projects that the state could fund by issuing bonds.


COMMITTEE ACTION YESTERDAY

Yesterday morning the SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT committee passed unanimously Senate Joint Resolution 4, which urges a study of how to dispose of 240 million pounds of electronic waste discarded in Utah this year. Besides depleting landfills, computers, monitors, televisions, cell phones, and audio video products contain hazardous lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium and brominated flame retardants, which cause health problems in humans, fish, and wildlife. SJR 4 says recycling businesses can disassemble most waste safely and economically, providing jobs as well as reusable computer resources for education.

The resolution urges the Department of Environmental Quality to work with the Recycling Coalition of Utah's Electronic Scrap Steering Committee to study the issue, including what other states are doing, and to make recommendations to the interim Natural Resources, Agriculture and Energy Committee next October.

The HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE once again scheduled HB 229, a comprehensive tax bill that would reduce reliance on property taxes and increase sales taxes to fund education, sponsored by Representative Wayne Harper. He said the bill would strengthen the three-legged stool of funding (income, sales and property taxes), create equalization across districts and protect property owners. The bill would replace property tax with an increased sales tax, combine 11 different levies into one and eliminate the Capital
Foundation Program.

The Utah State Office of Education protested that the sales tax is too volatile, and the Capital Foundation Program is needed by small school districts for building projects. They said property taxes are not onerous. Utah ranks 15th highest in the nation in sales tax burden, 15th in income tax, and only 28th in property tax. Utah Taxpayers and Retail Merchants associations said sales tax revenue depends too much on the economy. The Utah Education Association thanked Harper for trying to improve education funding, but recommended keeping the property tax and adding some sales tax. The committee did not vote on the bill but voted to move to the next agenda item.

ON THE SENATE FLOOR Senate Joint Resolution 1, sponsored by Senator Pat Jones, encouraging renewable energy development, passed the Senate yesterday It directs the State Energy Program to assess the need for local government solar and geothermal ordinances, then to report to the Legislature on how it assesses that need. Senator Buttars wanted to amend the bill to include nuclear energy, which presented some problems. The State Energy Program deals only with renewables, not nuclear, said Senator Jones. Unfriendly amendment, Senator Buttars, because you didn't warn the sponsor, said Senator Romero. Senator Hinkins opined that geothermal wells that go cold aren't renewable either. Senator Madsen felt radiation in the earth's crust and mantle prove that
nuclear is indeed renewable. Senator Buttars complained that the State Energy Program was discriminating by not callling nuclear a renewable and called the question. Amendment failed 11-14. Bill passed 27-1.

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