Following the Utah Legislature 3/11/09

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Wednesday, March 11, 2009


WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

Today the House and Senate will start off with 76 bills scheduled for floor debate. And there are many more waiting in House and Senate Rules Committees if they run short. Debate will be from 8AM to noon and from 2 PM to “as needed.” At 7:30AM the Senate Education Confirmation Committee meets to confirm Brent L. Brown as a member of the Board of Regents. At 5 PM Executive Appropriations is scheduled to meet in Room 30 House Building.

IN THE HOUSE

On the CONCURRENCE calendar, three House bills amended by the Senate are waiting for House approval. The bills are HB 122, which reduces public access to some government records; HB 129, Alcoholic Beverage Amendments Related to Minors who submit a false proof of age; and Third Substitute HB 346, Campaign and Financial Reporting Requirements for candidates who receive campaign contributions in cash or in kind.

ON THE HOUSE SENATE BILL CALENDAR:
SB 28 says individuals convicted of a gang-related crime can not possess a dangerous weapon for five years. Substitute SB 184 increases several court filing fees for civil (not criminal) cases to bring in $11.3 million beginning in fiscal year 2010. The revenue will help prevent severe gaps in court services. Substitute SB 199 addresses the issue of equal recognition of all school parent groups by the schools their children attend.

ON THE SENATE SECOND READING CALENDAR
HB 430 offers a state economic development tax credit and local property tax rebates to businesses that invest in alternative energy projects. Its purpose is to increase renewable energy generation and create high paying jobs. The original bill stated that another purpose is to assure the health and welfare of Utah citizens, but the House amended that out.
Substitute HB 439 would allow Salt Lake and Davis County to raise the Botanical, Cultural, Recreational, and Zoological facilities sales tax to pay for transit improvements, including a line between Salt Lake and Davis counties and a North Temple viaduct do-over.

IN THE SENATE ON THIRD READING
One of the bills awaiting one more vote in the Senate is HB 302. It changes the amount of money that will go from the Tobacco Settlement Account to programs in the Departments of Health and Human Services. CHIP will get more for children’s health care. Media messages that discourage smoking will get less, but Drug Courts that divert drug offenders from incarceration will get more. The Tobacco Settlement money came from a lawsuit against tobacco companies brought by several states including Utah to compensate for Medicaid costs caused by smoking.


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY


The SENATE passed several House bills from Second to Third Reading yesterday without much discussion. They need one more vote before going to the Governor:

Second Substitute HB 120 creates a Snake Valley Aquifer Research Team and Advisory Council to protect Utah against a Nevada water grab. HB 345 would prohibit elected state officials from acting as lobbyists for one year after leaving office. Substitute HB 132 allows rape victims to get emergency contraceptives and information from more hospitals. HB 198 would permit marriage license applicants to pay an extra ten dollars to fund domestic violence shelters.

HB 412 – Energy Policy Amendments – passed from Second to Third, too, but only after considerable debate. HB 412 amends State energy policy to determine the economic impacts of a proposed legislative or executive action involving climate change. It also says state policy should advocate for fair and consistent Federal climate change regulation. Senator Jones asked who would pay to study the economic effect of a bill, resolution or action by the governor before the action was even proposed.
A discussion of that point including Senator McCoy pointed out that the legislature’s fiscal analyst examines those costs when a bill is written, but not beforehand. And who would look at the cost of a proposed action by the Governor? An extra economic impact study would be a waste of taxpayer money, and picks on just one area, climate change, said Senator Jones, calling the bill ridiculous. Senate sponsor Jenkins tried to explain that the bill is more about what energy policy should be than about energy legislation and called for a vote. HB 412 passed to Third Reading 17-9. Senator Valentine joined the Democrats in opposition.

After a long debate, the HOUSE passed Substitute SJR 16, a non-binding resolution supporting nuclear power. It “encourages new nuclear power development in Utah due to its beneficial impact on the economy, fuel diversification and the environment, and its impressive operational safety and security record.” The vote was 56 to 17.
Rep Biskupski said new nuclear plants will not be available for decades and would not be cost effective in Utah where power rates are lower; Rocky Mountain Power is not planning to build one.
Rep Noel thought prices would be more competitive if plant construction costs were not factored in. He said Utah needs baseload 24-hr power from coal or nuclear because wind and solar are available only intermittently.
Rep Allen’s proposed amendment would have considered the need for and adequacy of water resources. Rep Riesen’s amendment said nuclear development should be pursued only after a safe disposal site for the waste has been developed. After both amendments failed, Rep Daw pointed out that 20 percent of U.S. electric power is already nuclear. He said those plants seem to have a handle on their by-products. Rep Watkins predicted that the current price of electricity will go up, making cost a less important consideration.

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