Friday, February 22, 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

Legislators are busy today with standing committees 8 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.  Floor debate is 10 to noon and 2 to 4. 

          At noon the SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE considers some ethics bills that already passed the House:  Substitute HB 124 limits personal use of campaign contributions; HB 267 addresses limits and disclosure of lobbyist gifts to legislators; HJR 14 requires legislators to disclose, including on the Internet, financial conflicts of interest; and HJR 15 would amend the Constitution to establish a Legislative Ethics Commission.

          At 6 p.m. the SENATE JUDICIAL CONFIRMATION COMMITTEE will interview Judge Stephen L. Roth in room 450.

IN MORNING COMMITTEES

HOUSE REVENUE AND TAXATION is discussing HB 90, which would add two income tax brackets to the 5 percent flat tax rate.  For incomes between $250,000 and $750,000, the rate would be 6 percent.  For incomes greater than $750,000 the rate would be 7 percent. The change could yield over $100 million a year for education.

HB 161, authorizing a statewide voter registration database is #6 on the HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS agenda.  The database would be updated whenever voters submitted an address change to a state agency like the Driver License Division.  The Lt. Governor would ensure accuracy and notify county election officials.  Currently, voters who don’t re-register their address change before an election must vote provisional ballots.

HOUSE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS is debating HB 189.  It allows meetings to be closed to the public when buying, exchanging, leasing, or selling a water right or source of water supply is discussed.

SENATE EDUCATION is discussing SB 54, directing the State Board of Education to set curriculum requirements for reproductive health instruction, including a discussion of the benefits and limitations of contraception and encouraging interaction between students and parents.
 

IN AFTERNOON COMMITTEES

SENATE TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC UTILITIES/TECHNOLOGY is looking at energy policy bills:  SB 131 concerns kinds and amounts of energy utilities can use for carbon emission reductions.  SB 47 asks the PSC to approve prices for electrical utility energy conservation programs.  SB 72 allows public transit districts, such as the UTA, to finance nearby residential or commercial developments that would maximize access to public transit.

WHAT HAPPENED FRIDAY

In the House

Two bills that aim to deal with the question of public recreation access to streambeds adjoining private property were put on the “Time Certain” calendar to be debated at 2:30 this Monday afternoon. HB 80, Public Access to Private Streambeds (L.Fowlke –Orem), would allow public recreational activity within the ordinary high water mark of a public water over a private bed, and sets rules regarding matters such as portage around obstacles and lawsuits.

          HB 141, Recreational Use of Public Water on Private Property (K. McIff – Richfield ), states a legislative purpose of limiting the liability of public and private land owners toward a person entering the owner's land as a trespasser or for recreational purposes.

Substitute HB 234, Opting out of the REAL ID Act (S. Sandstrom – Orem ), passed 68-3-4 Friday afternoon.  It prohibits the state from participating in the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 or in any national identification card system. 
          The state already participates in the part of the act that requires a birth certificate for a driver’s license, a measure that will be needed to be able to fly on a plane or enter federal buildings. 
          Two concerns were that this driver license information would become part of a national database and that data in radio frequency chips in the cards would make personal data too accessible and allow movements of cardholders across state borders to be tracked.  State independence under the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution was cited as well. The sponsor and others noted that REAL ID is opposed by both the American Civil Liberties Union and the Eagle Forum. 

The House Board was “wiped,” or cleared of the long list of bills awaiting debate. Left on the board were 14 circled bills, including HJR 24, a proposed Constitutional amendment to limit both discrimination and affirmative action; HB 63, changing the rules for amended campaign financial statements; and HB 196, raising the tobacco tax. 
          The first uncircled bill on the new list of 24 is HB 66, Prosthetic Limb Health Insurance Parity, which would require health insurers to cover prosthetic devices such as artificial legs.
 

In the Senate

Two bills sponsored by Senator Dan Liljenquist ( Davis County ) that would reduce future state employee retirement benefits, were thoroughly debated and approved.  The bills are  Substitute SB 43 (vote 20-8-1) , and Second Substitute SB 63 (19-9-1).  At issue is whether the state can afford the current system, given losses from the economic downturn and generosity of benefits, and whether more study is needed before changes are made.

Next on the Senate Agenda?   Circled on Third Reading is SB 94, which changes 401(k) provisions.  Also circled are two bills increasing executive control over the Utah Supreme Court, 3^rd substitute SB 108, Judicial Nominating Commission Staff Amendments, and Substitute SB 109, allowing the Governor to appoint the Chief Justice.

At the top of Senate Second Reading are 3 bills by Senator John Valentine ( Utah County ) that would close legislative ethics complaint meetings to the public: 
SB 136, SB 138, and Substitute SJR 3

Sandy Peck