Thursday, February 4, 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

This morning standing committees meet between 8 and 10 am, floor debate is from 10 to noon, and caucus lunch is from noon to 2 pm. Appropriations Subcommittees examine state budgets this afternoon from 2 to 5.

MORNING COMMITTEES

This morning HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT 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 is HB 228, a bill that expands the definition of renewable energy to include burning municipal solid waste. This would save landfill space. Some negatives are the emissions that could affect air quality, and competition discouraging community recycling, especially plastics derived from fossil fuels in the waste.

The committee revised its agenda, so HB 102 Agriculture Sustainability Act, a bill that would allow Cache County to preserve its farmland, will not be heard today.

HOUSE JUDICIARY will consider HB 112, which could slow down Supreme Court decisions in response to court cases about initiatives. The Court would no longer have a 30-day time limit for deciding a disagreement about the fiscal impact of an initiative. And when two initiatives passed but seemed to conflict with each other, the Court would no longer have to consider immediately then decide within 10 days whether there was indeed a conflict. If two initiatives do conflict, the measure that received the most yes votes (not the highest majority of yes votes) wins.

THIS AFTERNOON

Although Appropriations Committees are most concerned with budgets, not bills, they do discuss bills that affect the budget. Today HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES APPROPRIATIONS will review HB 235 – Child Support for Children in State Custody, HB 198 – an Assertive Community Mental Health Treatment Pilot Program, HB 106 – Expedited Background Checks for Human Service Providers, and HB 256 – Child Abuse Database Amendments.

Sandy Peck