Following the Utah Legislature 2/27/09

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Friday, February 27, 2009

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

Today standing committees will meet this morning from 8 to 9 and again from 4 to 6 this afternoon. Floor debate will be from 9 to noon and from 2 to 4. The House Ethics and House Retirement Committees meet at noon, and the Senate Retirement Committee meets at 1 PM.

SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES has scheduled HJR 3, expressing the Legislature’s support for public and private efforts to increase and improve cancer treatment, screening and research. It recognizes the importance of cancer prevention, early detection and survivorship programs, as well as public and private funding for research. Utah has some of the lowest cancer screening rates in the nation, thus some of the highest rates of cancer diagnosed at late stages.

Another resolution, Substitute HJR 5, encourages Congress to include the Navajo Nation in a federal web access pilot program that provides information needed to collect child support, establish paternity and enforce child and medical support obligations. Over half the Navajo Nation population lives below poverty level and over 40% are unemployed.

SENATE EDUCATION will consider Substitute HB 150. It requires direct, nonpartisan election of members of the State Board of Education, repealing the current selection by the governor and a nominating committee. HB 150 has passed the House, where a substitute bill to make the election partisan was voted down 31-42.

AT NOON

The HOUSE RETIREMENT COMMITTEE will consider HB 410. It reduces legislators’ daily pay by 10 percent to $117 a day through 2010 for general and special sessions and authorized legislative meetings. HB 96 would give a charter school that had opted out of participation in the state retirement system a one-time opportunity to opt back in.

HOUSE ETHICS will debate SB 162, prohibiting the personal use of leftover campaign funds by elected officials after they leave office. Also on the agenda: SB 156, which increases the reporting by lobbyists of gifts to public officials, adding meals that cost more than $25 and admission to sporting, recreational or artistic events. HB 213, would ban gifts over $5, with some exceptions, to public officials and their immediate families

At 1:00 The SENATE RETIREMENT COMMITTEE will hear SB 195, suspending for a year, beginning July 1st, the 1.5% employer defined contribution made on behalf of some state employees in the Public Employee’s Noncontributory Retirement System.


IN THE AFTERNOON at 4:10

SB 41, Siting of High Voltage Power Lines, heads the SENATE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY agenda. The Public Service Commission would conduct hearings and designate sites for power lines that cross more than one local government’s jurisdiction.


WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

In Committee action

HOUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE moved along Substitute HB 64, authorizing a multi-agency strike force to combat violent and other major felony crimes associated with illegal immigration and human trafficking. It also provides for a Fraudulent Documents Identification Unit.

Officers of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement plus state and local law enforcement personnel could participate voluntarily in the effort. HB 64 appropriates $891,000 to the Office of the Attorney General to help run it.

HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT approved HJR 16, a proposed Constitutional amendment that changes the article on municipal water rights. The amendment would allow municipalities to lease their water, but only if the leased water rights were for use within the state of Utah. The lease could not be longer than seven years, but it could be renewed one or more times.

IN THE HOUSE

The House passed HB 184, which restores an income tax credit for a dependent adult with a disability or dependent child with a disability. Sponsor Rep Dougall said he wanted to help taxpayers who offer loving care at home for those who depend on them.

This new exemption to the flat tax (no, said Rep Dougall –it’s a single rate tax, not flat) provoked some criticism. Rep. Mascaro said the pure flat tax just doesn’t work in a community with a variety of needs. Rep. Harper on the other hand , a fan of the flat tax, said the credit served a great, great, great purpose but was bad, bad, bad policy. Rep Duckworth reported she is getting email critical of the flat tax from constituents on fixed incomes.

HB 390, which eliminates absentee balloting in election clerk’s offices on the Monday before the election, was debated yesterday. Sponsor Mathis of Vernal said his county clerk asked for help, citing limited staff and being busy preparing for the election on Monday. He said all county clerks were in favor with the exception of Salt Lake County.
Rep Bird tried to amend HB 390 to let 1^st and 2^nd class counties continue Monday voting. He estimated 5800 voters would be denied the opportunity to vote in Salt Lake, enough to turn an election.

Rep Mathis replied that he had been advised that different rules for different counties is probably not constitutional. He also said that emergency voting would still be allowed and early voting is now giving voters more options. Rep Hansen indignantly asked where the spirit of public service was on the part of the clerks. Salt Lake has 700 precincts and many headaches but manages to handle Monday voting. But the bill passed 49-26.

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