Wednesday, February 3, 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

Today Legislators will consider bills in Standing Committees from 8 to 10 and on House and Senate floors from 10 to noon. Then this afternoon they’ll turn to budgets in Appropriations Subcommittees. Also the HOUSE RETIREMENT AND INDEPENDENT ENTITIES COMMITTEE meets at noon in House Room 30 to discuss state retirement benefits (HB 233).

MORNING COMMITTEES

HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is looking at House Joint Resolution 5, which encourages citizens to eliminate all unnecessary idling of cars and trucks. HJR 5 argues that less idling would protect public health and the environment, reduce air pollution, conserve fuel, and actually protect motor vehicle performance.

SB 89 is before SENATE JUDICIARY this morning. It requires public notices published in newspapers — such as open and public meeting notices, changes in land use ordinances and road construction bids—to be published as well on a Utah Public Notice Website or a website established by Utah newspapers. One question is whether the public is more likely to notice announcements on line or in newspapers.

SENATE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES will consider SB 117, proposing that Highway 68 (Redwood Road) from 2100 South to 1700 North be designated the Pete Suazo Memorial Highway after the late Utah Senator who died in an ATV accident.

AFTERNOON APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES

Services for (Child Support) Recovery Services and People with Disabilities are on the HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES APPROPRIATIONS agenda. Public comment will be taken on the budget, including proposed Medicaid cuts, from 3 to 5 PM.

THURSDAY MORNING PREVIEW

Tomorrow morning HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES will discuss the controversial HJR 12, Climate Change Joint Resolution, which urges the EPA to cease its carbon dioxide reduction regulations until climate data and global warming science are substantiated.

Also in Natural Resources on Thursday is HB 102 Agriculture Sustainability Act, a long but carefully written bill that would allow Cache County to preserve its farmland The concept has a history of failed attempts.

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

From Kathy Van Dame:

Rep. Urquhart's Renewable Energy bill SB 104, which adds air compressed by renewable energy
(for example by wind turbine power) to the recognized list of Renewable Energy sources,
passed unanimously out of the Senate Transportation and Public Utilities and Technology Committee.

HEAL's Christopher Thomas testified in support.

From Ann O’Connell:

Two bills of particular interest were in the Senate NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT Committee yesterday.

SB 51 Bioprospecting, sponsored by Senator Hillyard was held in committee for amending. It addresses a new concept in Utah: protecting the commercial value of native life forms. The purpose is to protect the state’s commercial interest in useful microbes found in the state’s exotic waters and muds. Possible unintended consequences caused the committee to hold the bill for careful wordsmithing. The topic is perhaps not controversial but difficult to define.

HB 33 Groundwater Recharge and Recovery Act Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Noel, passed out with unanimous approval. The bill creates legal procedures that govern the process of recharging, then withdrawing, water from the Navajo Aquifer in Washington County. Senator Karen Morgan complimented Representative Noel on his preparation for the bill. He spent the interim working with all parties and had the bill ready to go at the beginning of this session--and with no dissent.

From Sherilyn Bennion:

On Tuesday, February 2, the House spent much of its debate time on HB 22 (Ray), which would enable insured correctional institution inmates to continue private health insurance while incarcerated. The bill failed, with 30 yes votes and 44 no votes.

Also, the five House ethics bills were moved to the top of the third reading calendar and circled, with debate on the floor expected Thursday (or possibly Friday). A third item of interest was the eloquent speech by the Rev. France Davis representing the Martin Luther King Commission for the State of Utah.

The Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee met in the afternoon and passed out two bills with favorable recommendations: SB 103 (Urquhart), which clarifies water conveyance rights of way, and SB 53 (Knudson), which specifies what constitutes a valid voter challenge and when and how such challenges may be made. It was supported by the ACLU.

From Jenn Connelly:

In House Health & Human Services

H.B. 71 Nicotine Product Restrictions (Rep. Ray, P.) - A second substitute was adopted by the committee. HB 71 bans the sale of all nicotine products, other than what is currently on the market. It would also ban e-cigarettes. A number of citizens spoke against the ban of e-cigarettes. Rep. Reisen requested an amendment to exempt all e-cigarettes as smoking secession tools. But the amendment failed. Second Substitute HB 71 passed with a vote of 6 yeas and 1 nay.

H.B. 232 - Medical Language Interpreter Amendments (Rep. Chavez-Houck, R.) clarifies and strengthens certification of medical interpreters. It passed out unanimously and was placed on the House Consent Calendar.

H.B. 67 Substitute - Health System Amendments (Rep. Wimmer, C.) states that no portion of the National Healthcare reform may be implemented by any state agency without first going to the legislature for approval. Then a bill must be passed allowing Utah to implement federal health reform. HB 67 would deny the citizens of Utah any access to federal health reform efforts. Rep. Wimmer argues that the federal legislation infringes on states rights and that his bills would stop this from happening.

In addition, he says that HB 67 gives the Legislature time to draft and possibly pass a constitutional amendment. He said "I see this bill as a bridge to a constitutional amendment. ...The federal proposals for health system reform infringe on states’ powers. Regardless of whether they come out with an outstanding idea, it still infringes on state power."

The bill passed out favorably with 5 yeas, 1 nay, and 1 absent.

Sandy Peck