Following the Utah Legislature 2/05/09

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Thursday, January 29, 2009

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY

Today's order of business is morning Standing Committee meetings and floor time, then caucus lunch and Appropriations Committees from 2 to 5 p.m.

THIS MORNING

HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT will hear resolutions on energy and water. HJR 12 Is a joint resolution in support of gasified coal as a power source. It supports producing hydrogen from coal with carbon capture and sequestration technology, called CCS. CCS would store carbon underground, and the resolution says Utah's geology makes it a safe and ideal place. HJR 12 also urges the Public Service Commission to consider allowing power companies to recover the costs of prudent investment in coal with CCS. The cited benefits from adopting the technology include: reducing emission of carbon dioxide, using Utah's abundant coal resources, creating high paying jobs, and placing Utah businesses at the forefront of new hydrogen and carbon economies.

Another resolution, HCR 6, expresses strong opposition to any federal legislation that would expand the reach and scope of the Clean Water Act. The resolution says if federal jurisdiction was expanded from just "navigable" waters to cover "waters of the United States," it would inappropriately give the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction over all wet areas, or areas that had been wet at some time, including groundwater, ditches, pipes, streets, gutters, desert features, and even pools and puddles." The expansion could interfere with local government plans for land use, watershed, storm water, and flood plains management, as well as responsibilities such as mosquito abatement and waste treatment. And it might be unconstitutional since non-navigable waters probably wouldn't fall under the interstate commerce clause. HCR 6 says the Clean Water Act currently strikes a proper balance between clean water and state, local and federal authority.


THIS AFTERNOON

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES APPROPRIATIONS will discuss Medicaid, including an overview of the department, health care provider input, testimony from child care facilities and an audit report on DORA, the program that sends drug offenders to Drug Court with a chance for to avoid incarceration through rehabilitation. I


Thursday, January 29 2009

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

Yesterday, the SENATE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE passed HB 216, which would remove the cap on prices for current Qwest telephone customers who use only basic residential service. Following telecommunications deregulation, competitive services from several telecommunications companies became 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 phone company. Other choices would require a computer and high speed internet service or are
prohibitively expensive or allow limited service (wireless).

HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES passed HB 114, defining an Abortion Litigation Trust Account. Funds could be deposited into the account by the legislature or private entities. The money would be used to defend in court any law challenging the concept that a woman has the right to an abortion, even when she is not threatened with the loss of her life or substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, rape or incest

THIS MORNING

HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT will hear resolutions on energy and water. HJR 12 Is a joint resolution in support of gasified coal as a power source. It supports producing hydrogen from coal with carbon capture and sequestration technology, called CCS. CCS would store carbon underground, and the resolution says Utah's geology makes it a safe and ideal place. HJR 12 also urges the Public Service Commission to consider allowing power companies to recover the costs of prudent investment in coal with CCS. The cited benefits from adopting the technology include: reducing emission of carbon dioxide, using Utah's abundant coal resources, creating high paying jobs, and placing Utah businesses at the forefront of new hydrogen and carbon economies.

Another resolution, HCR 6, expresses strong opposition to any federal legislation that would expand the reach and scope of the Clean Water Act. The resolution says if federal jurisdiction was expanded from just "navigable" waters to cover "waters of the United States," it would inappropriately give the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction over all wet areas, or areas that had been wet at some time, including groundwater, ditches, pipes, streets, gutters, desert features, and even pools and puddles."
The expansion could interfere with local government plans for land use, watershed, storm water, and flood plains management, as well as responsibilities such as mosquito abatement and waste treatment. And it might be unconstitutional since non-navigable waters probably wouldn't fall under the interstate commerce clause. HCR 6 says the Clean Water Act currently strikes a proper balance between clean water and state, local and federal authority and shouldn't be changed.

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