Friday, February 16, 2007

This morning

This morning in W135 the HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE is debating HB 33, proposing alternatives to the Basic Skills Competency Test that students must pass to graduate from high school. The State Board of Education could use a nationally norm-referenced exam, including a college entrance exam, or design a test of its own. Also on the agenda is HB 94, which adds $30 million to money set aside for reducing class size.

HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES in W 125 at 8:30 is considering HB 468, a $250,000 appropriation to provide transitional services to dependent children of bigamist families who have been forced to leave home in order to escape abuse, neglect or criminal activity.

Floor debate is scheduled from 10 to noon and from 2 to 4. HB 350, Marriage Preparation Education, Substitute HB 358, Cervical Cancer Prevention, and HB 178, Lobbyist Gift Ban, are on the House Board.

The Senate will take final votes on Fourth Substitute HB 236, Student Clubs, and SB 64, addressing the distribution of Salt Lake County's restaurant tax.

This afternoon

HOUSE TRANSPORTATION will discuss preserving highway rights of way. Second Substitute SB 12 directs the Department of Transportation to tell the Governor and the Transportation Appropriations subcommittee by November 15 how much money it will need for transportation corridor preservation . The bill suggests using one-time surplus money in years when it is available and financing with bonds in leaner years.

SB 69 amends the transportation finance law by specifying that the Local Transportation Corridor Preservation Fund must be used to preserve "highway," not "transportation" corridors. The bill also requires county governments to establish a priority list of highway corridor preservation projects within their county every year.

SENATE REVENUE AND TAXATION in W130 will hear a proposal to ask Utah voters whether they want to remove the sales tax on food by putting a nonbinding opinion question on the ballot. Under SB 245 the Legislature would pass a law or joint resolution specifying the wording of the question. Also before the committee is just such a resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 13. It lists facts and figures about the food tax and directs the question to go on the November 6, 2007, municipal election ballot. The question is:

"Should sales and use taxes on both the state and local level be removed from the purchase of food and food ingredients? Yes / No? What do you think?

Sandy Peck

League of Women Voters, 3804 Highland Drive 8-D, Salt Lake City UT 84106

801.272-8683 fax 801.272-5942

www.lwvutah.org

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