Following the Utah Legislature 2/24/09

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Tuesday, February 24 2009

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

TODAY standing committees will meet from 9 to 10. There will be lots of floor debate, from 10 to noon and from 2 to 4, with a break for caucus lunch at noon.

HOUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE will hear Substitute HB 248, which prohibits using a handheld wireless communication device while operating a moving vehicle unless it allows hands-free talking and listening and is used that way. This infraction would be secondary when a vehicle was stopped for another offense. It would not be a reportable violation, so no points would be assessed.
HB 64 is also in committee. It authorizes the Department of Public Safety to coordinate a multi-agency strike force to combat violent and other major crimes associated with illegal immigration and human trafficking. Officers of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement plus state and local law enforcement personnel could participate voluntarily. HB 64 appropriates $1 million to the Department.

HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT will discuss HB 412. It amends the state energy policy to require determination of the economic impacts of legislative or executive action involving climate change, including impacts on Utah’s ability to attract industry to rural and urban Utah. HB 412 also calls for climate change regulation by the federal government that is fair and consistent throughout the state and based on commercially successful technology.

In SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, HB 122 is #6 on the agenda. It deals with conditions under which public records can be protected from disclosure in anticipation of litigation. House amendments clarified that a record could not be released unless it is determined by clear and convincing evidence that the public interest favoring access to the record outweighs the interest favoring restriction of access.

HOUSE TRANSPORTATION will discuss HB 337, which creates a Choose Life Adoption Support Special Group License Plate and special account for adoption support programs, to be administered through the state Division of Child and Family Services. Applicants for the license plate would donate $25 annually. Legislative appropriations, private contributions and public or private donations or grants could also go into the account. Funds would then be distributed to charitable organizations that have adoption programs as part of their primary mission, to be used for production and distribution of educational and promotional material and for courses on adoption.


WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

In committee action yesterday

HOUSE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS gave a helping hand to cities in Salt Lake County. It passed HB 439, repealing current sales tax law that prevents cities in Salt Lake County only from levying the sales tax used for Botanical, Cultural, Recreational, and Zoological facilities. The change could increase revenues in the county by up to $10.4 million. The vote was 8-3-1.

SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES unanimously approved SB 17, which prohibits health or accident insurance policies from charging a cancer patient more for chemotherapy that's taken orally than for intravenous chemotherapy.

Under HB 132, victims of sexual assault could be provided with information about emergency contraception and with emergency contraception itself, if they requested it, at urgent care centers and general acute hospitals. HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES approved HB 132 by a 7-0 vote.

ON THE HOUSE FLOOR

Bills passed and failed at a good clip yesterday as representatives debated from 10 to noon and from 2 to well past 4 p.m.

Second Substitute HB 126, Voter ID for Elections, passed 51-22. It requires voters to present ID when they vote on Election Day. The original bill was overly restrictive because it required photo ID – which many among the elderly, minorities and low income voters do not have. It also required photocopies of ID to be sent in with absentee ballots – which seemed an invitation to identity theft.
Representative Daw corrected these flaws, so that the substitute allows a lengthy list of IDs to prove you are who you say you are and absentee ballots can continue to be sent in without photocopies. Two amendments were added. One eliminated a requirement that election judges write down which form of ID is presented by each voter at the polls. This should help prevent delays. The second amendment by Representative Watkins was inspired by her Native American constituents. She was concerned that they would travel long distances without bringing ID. Her amendment allows those without ID who vote a provisional ballot to bring in their ID within 5 business days after Election Day.
Even with these changes, the ID requirement will still limit access for some voters and may discourage turnout in general, which is unfortunate because the bill isn’t really needed to prevent fraud – the reason being that voter fraud of this kind is very rare all over the country. Meanwhile, more time and money will be needed to educate and remind voters not to leave their ID at home.

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