Monday, March 8, 2010

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

Legislators will be in floor sessions most of the day.  This morning the House Session is from 8 to noon and the Senate meets from 9 to noon. After caucus lunch, both houses meet from 2 to 4, then again from 5 to “as long as needed.”

THE HOUSE

Will work on House Bills today. After voting on four non-controversial bills on the CONSENT CALENDAR, representatives are likely to move to the CONCURRENCE CALENDAR to look at eight House bills amended last week by the Senate to see if they agree with the changes. 

Substitute HB 67, which could deny Utahns access to federal health reform without legislative approval, was amended to also prohibit Utahns from being mandated to purchase health insurance. 

Substitute HB 234 prohibits state participation in the federal REAL ID Act - or in any other national ID card system. (REAL ID requires state-issued driver licenses to have documentation of birth date, legal status and Social Security number.) Utah is already changing its driver licenses, but last week the Senate deleted the prohibition against participating in other national ID card systems.

Also still on the House calendar are HR 4, a Resolution Urging Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and Substitute HB 153, Recycling of Electronic Items.

HB 169 requires governments planning zoning or land use changes within 500 feet of a refinery to check with the refinery first. 

THE SENATE

Will tackle about 26 Senate bills.  They have a TIME CERTAIN at 10 to discuss UNICEF. 
Substitute SB 109, which would allow the Governor to appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is still circled on THIRD READING. 

Circled on SECOND READING is SB 194. It authorizes a local taxing entity to create a voluntary assessment area to finance energy efficiency upgrades or renewable energy systems.

Substitute SB 47 would allow the Public Service Commission to set a special price for customers who allow utilities to directly interrupt service to customer appliances or equipment during high demand periods.

Substitute SB 116 would add a juvenile court judge to the fifth district. 

And Second Substitute SB 44 makes legal immigrant children eligible for Medicaid or CHIP beginning July 1, 2012.
 

WHAT HAPPENED FRIDAY?

Sandy Peck reporting

IN THE SENATE 

The Senate passed a new version of HB 462, Criminal Homicide and Abortion Revisions 23-4-2. Sponsor Carl Wimmer (R-Herriman) had worked with Governor Gary Herbert to change the definition of criminal homicide in the billso that a woman would not be guilty of criminal homicide of her unborn child even if it was caused by a criminally negligent or reckless act, such as drug use, and as long as the death wasn’t caused by an intentional or knowing act of the woman. 

Two senators, Luz Robles ( D-Salt Lake ) and Ross Romero ( D-Salt Lake ) appreciated the change but voted against the bill because it still criminalizes women.  They noted an underlying problem of inadequate sex education about how to avoid unwanted pregnancies for teenagers such as the one whose case led to the bill.

Senators Gene Davis ( D-Salt Lake ) and Ben McAdams ( D-Salt Lake ) also voted no.           

Senator Margaret Dayton (R-Provo/0rem) disagreed.  She said the bill was not about sex education but about strengthening the right to life of the unborn. Senator Chris Buttars (R-West Jordan) also questioned the need for sex education.  He said Utah ’s percentage of unwanted pregnancies is low compared to other states.

The Senate completed its endorsement of a $43 million tobacco tax increase by passing Substitute HB 196 – Tobacco Tax Revisions by Rep Paul Ray (R-Clearfield).

The bill is the same as SSB 40 – Tobacco Tax Amendments sponsored by Senator Allen Christensen (R-North Ogden), which passed the Senate on Thursday and is in the House Rules Committee.  Now the question is whether Governor Herbert will sign it, since he is strongly opposed to tax increases.

SB 278 – Hospital Assessments by Senator Lyle Hillyard (R-Logan) passed 24-2-3.  It assesses hospitals for up to $33 million annually (in FY 2012 when the assessment ends).  Hospitals actually requested the assessment because the state will be able to use it to draw federal Medicaid funds ($84 million in FY 2012) to be used for Medicaid hospital patients. 

Senator Curt Bramble (R-Provo) favored the assessment, saying it won’t be added to patients’ bills and will hold the line on costs. 

Senator Stowell  (R-Parowan) said it would be especially important to rural hospitals. 

Senator Dayton (and Senator Mark Madsen, R- Lehi) voted no.  She called it the return of a sick tax that the Legislature killed 2 years earlier.

IN THE HOUSE

Second Substitute HB 295 – Expanded Uses of School District Property Tax Revenue by Rep Ken Sumsion (R-American Fork) was approved 74-0.  It allows the use of property tax revenue collected for building construction and maintenance to be spent instead on operating expenses, such as teacher salaries, for the fiscal years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.  

House Budget Chair Ron Bigelow (R- West Valley) recommended the change be for one year only in order not to dilute the authority of the legislature, which controls education spending. He said that if needed the change could be renewed next session. 

But several representatives thought the money would be needed for at least two years, so the amendment failed 21-53. 

Rep Jim Dunnigan (R-Taylorsville) amended the bill to say the funds cannot be used for administration, but are meant for teachers and classrooms. 

Sandy Peck