Friday, March 4, 2011

TODAY it’s floor time all the time, from 8 to noon and from 2 to 5--with one exception:

HB 477 Government Records Amendments will have a special hearing in SENATE RULES COMMITTEE at 3 PM in Capitol Room 415.  The bill enacts many new restrictions on what government and legislative records are available to the public, particularly electronic emails and texts.  Although it passed the House handily yesterday, it’s facing opposition from the media, good government groups and, according to a Dan Jones poll, from the general public.

During House debate, supporters emphasized the need for constituents to trust that legislators won’t reveal private information, and the need to prevent the press from going fishing to “dig up dirt on us.”  Sponsor Dougall is also concerned about the growing cost of supplying information to the public.

Open government supporters pointed out that current law opens only records with content related to government, not personal information, regardless of whether it’s printed or electronic, so the change isn’t needed. They said HB 477 will make it harder for citizens to prove they need access and make it more expensive to get copies or even look at records.

ON HOUSE AND SENATE CALENDARS SO FAR:

HOUSE THIRD READING has HB 497- Utah Illegal Immigrant Enforcement Act at the top of the list. Also on House Third are HB 400, which bans local government regulation of mining on state and federal land, two gun bills (Substitute HB 122 and HB 129) agricultural water quality regulation (HB 132), prison relocation (HB 445) and directing more tobacco settlement money to the General Fund (HB 451).

Ready for final passage on SENATE THIRD READING are HB 399, which requires posting a bond to stop environmental action; Substitute HCR 3, asking for a balanced budget amendment, and second substitute HB 128, health reform amendments.

On SENATE SECOND READING are SB 224 – Partisan School Board Elections, SB 263- State Board of Education Powers and Substitute SB 239, which increases the gas tax by 5 cents. 

Sandy Peck
sandypeck@xmission.com