Utah’s lawmaker’s may be determining the fate of Daylight Savings time this legislative session. What do you think?
Filed under: Utah Legislature | Tagged: daylight savings time | 2 Comments »
2012 Legislative Survey
Posted on January 25, 2012 by dlt
The Utah House Democrats have posted a survey for people to take on the 2012 Legislative Session. Please consider taking the survey!
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Breaking: Gov calls special session to repeal H.B.477; Citizens organize rally
Posted on March 21, 2011 by dlt
Governor Herbert has issued a call for special session on Friday at noon to repeal House Bill 477 which makes electronic communications of elected officials closed to the public. Utah Legislature Watch earlier reported on legislators having a change of heart over the bill and efforts were being made to move towards a special session at that point.
Herbert has stated he wants to see the bill “replaced” with a new GRAMA bill. Citizen watchdogs are sure to be on their toes, monitoring the revisions that come out of this.
Meanwhile, citizens are organizing a Repeal, Don’t Replace (We like GRAMA just the way she is) Rally on Friday, March 25 · 11:00am – 2:00pm at the Utah State Capitol Rotunda.
Filed under: Citizen initiatives, Citizen involvement, Citizen Rights, Governor, Legislators, transparency, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »
H.B. 477: A change of heart?
Posted on March 20, 2011 by dlt
Utah’s lawmakers are either pulling their collective heads out of the sand or are worried about their political careers…..or both.
Perhaps one of the most controversial pieces of legislature in the 2011 Utah Session was the passage and signing of H.B. 477, which now makes electronic communications of elected officials private. Hundreds of people from all political persuasions opposed the signing of this bill and even stormed the State Capitol Building on the final evening of the legislative session, demanding that democracy and transparency be upheld by repealing this action.
Genuine and sustainable leadership has been absent in this struggle and our country and state has increasingly witnessed a pendulum type swing from democracy into corporatocracy where policy implemented benefits a select few and HB477 only serves but a select few. This is easily demonstrated as our Governor has decided to keep prying eyes away from what we all call a HONEST DEMOCRACY. We found out last year thanks to our open records law which companies our Governor chose to give lucrative state contracts to. Which also lets the public review who the major contributors are, to our Governor and our State Legislators. By the Governor Herbert signing this bill WE can ALL see who benefits from HB-477.
(Melodia Gutierrez, One Utah post, Where has justice gone and what can we do to retrieve it?)
But now some lawmakers are re-considering the bill and are even advocating repealing the bill in a special spring session before consideration of any amendments which would occur over the summer.
Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, initially supported the bill because he had at one time been forced to release a personal email.
“After the bill had passed I really dug deep into House Bill 477. I looked at our current law.” He says. “I looked at the laws that are outside of Utah, some of the other states and their open-records laws and I realized how draconian our laws would be with 477 on the books.”
“I’d be supportive of a repeal of (HB)477, and bringing forward a bill that creates a careful balance between the First Amendment right to know and a Fourth Amendment right to privacy.”
(Interview with the Standard Examiner’s Political Buzz Alison Peek)
It is also no secret that Carl Wimmer is considering a run for the new 4th Congressional Seat in Utah.
Four House members from southern Utah, including former House Speaker David Clark, are calling on Gov. Gary Herbert and the Legislature to repeal a bill restricting public access to government records.
“I think we should repeal this. I think it should happen in April,” Clark said Friday in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s very clear to me the best thing right now would be to start over.”
Clark placed blame on the media, in the article referenced above, for “fanning the flames of controversy to a point that it has damaged public trust in government.”
Well I say, good for the media!
A majority of Utahns want to see the law repealed.
The Deseret News-KSL survey found that 58 percent of those surveyed said they definitely would sign a petition to repeal the law, while another 22 percent said they probably would sign it.Organizers have a little more than a month to collect the 96,372 signatures needed to put the Government Records Access and Management Act on the ballot. The petition drive has drawn the support of former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Utah tea party organizer David Kirkham, who are usually on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
(Associated Press article posted on The Republic)
It appears obvious that legislators are trying to cover up their actions by insinuating that they did not realize the full intent of the bill and that the public outcry on this issue has rattled their cages of because they were “caught” ramming a bill through with little insight as to its ramifications.
Thankfully people were watching. And listening. And didn’t sit still. Hopefully this will inspire citizens to be more on their toes with regards to the activities of the Utah Legislature.
Filed under: Citizen involvement, Legislators, transparency, Utah Legislature | 3 Comments »
Fukushima and Utah
Posted on March 13, 2011 by dlt
Some Utah Legislators want to approve the development of a nuclear plant in Green River. Everyone should be following the unfolding events of Fukushima with regards to the nuclear reactors there as a result of the devastating earthquake and tsunami. This should serve as a “wake up call” to advocates of nuclear energy development.
Join the continuing discussion on our Facebook page.
Filed under: Energy, Environment, Health, Legislators, Nuclear, Utah Legislature, Waste | Leave a Comment »
WHOSE Land is This?
Posted on March 6, 2011 by dlt
There is a double standard going on in Utah. Legislators want control of the land to be “given back” to Utah:
Utah to Washington: This land is my land! Resolution suggests D.C. cede 35,000 square miles of state
“Be it resolved, that the Legislature of the state of Utah calls on the United States, through their agent, Congress, to relinquish to the state of Utah all right, title, and jurisdiction in those lands that were committed to the purposes of this state by terms of its Enabling act compact with them and that now reside within the state as public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management that were reserved by Congress after the date of Utah statehood,” says theState Jurisdiction of Federally Managed Lands Joint Resolution.
WHOSE land is this? Hint: It’s NOT the Federal Government’s and it is NOT the Utah Government. If ANYONE is going to get their land back, it must be to be the RIGHTFUL guardians of the land: The Newe (Utes, Piutes, Goshutes, Shoshoni) and Diné (Navajo) People.
Utah Indian tribes--Utes, Goshutes, Navajo, and Shoshone
If Utah’s Legislators are really interested in insisting that the reigns on the land be released from the hands of government, they need to get it straight. This land does not “belong” to anyone. The control of the land should be restored to the ancestors of the original Natives of the land, from whom the control was stolen.
Oh but wait. Back to the double standard going on in Utah. The governor of Utah has taken control of Indian Affairs in Utah. It looks like Utah’s Government will stay in control of Native Affairs for the foreseeable future.
Filed under: Native Americans, state and federal governments, Utah Legislature | 2 Comments »
Education facing the budget axe
Posted on February 10, 2011 by dlt
It’s bad enough that Utah Legislators are attempting to destroy the public educational system in the state. Along with bills that want to transfer control from the State Board over to the Legilators or the Governor (depending on which bill), the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee has proposed a total of $257 million dollars to education programs for the upcoming fiscal year.
Ouch. Double ouch. Triple ouch.
What is making the situation worse is the shocker news about cutting programs at both ends of the spectrum – gifted and special needs. As
aresponse to a demand to prioritize cuts, the State Board inlcuded The Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind in the amount of $20 million. Double take. $20 million.
“We’re going to cut some of these things, so you need to tell us in what rank of importance do you see (these programs)” Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, said to State Superintendent Larry Shumway.
The State Board of Education approved a list of programs that could be cut if needed last week, and on the figurative chopping block was $20 million in funding for USDB. The board was emphatic that it doesn’t want to see education cut in any way and was only making the recommendation to assist the committee.
(Deseret News, February 8, 2011)
This axe would effectively kill early intervention services to students with sight and hearing impairments, along with services that are best delivered in the specialized setting of the separate schools.
Legislators have put state education officials in a precarious position. Utah is already at the top of the list in class size and at the bottom in per pupil spending. The system already operates on a bare bones budget.
What will be the sacrifice of these cuts? What are the stakes for our future generations when education is sacrificed – for all students? Mediocrity appears to be the mission. Dare I say…..reminiscent of A Brave New World? Maybe…….
Filed under: budget, Education, Public Education, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »
Mineral and Petroleum “Literacy” Act: “Balanced” curriculum?
Posted on January 31, 2011 by dlt
Legislators are on the move this year to take control of Utah’s education system (SJR1 and SJR9). It seems that there are already steps being taken to write curriculum in the form of legislation.
Rep. Jack Draxler, R-Logan, is pushing legislation that would require educators to “consider” adding lessons into the curriculum about energy development, with the “Mineral and Petroleum Literacy Act”, HB25. The bill has passed the house and has moved on to the Senate.
Recommended by the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee, and, in Drexler’s mind, in an effort to “balance” the curriculum, the bill
seeks to “educate” children about mining and petroleum drilling. The funds for the program would come out of surplus mining profits….most Utah kids don’t know that oil, gas and coal contribute to their education, and to the state’s economy. “Most of them,” he[Drexler] said, “don’t know their iPods, their toothbrushes, their homes and their roads are all products of this kind of natural resource development.”
(Jillian Rayfield, TPMMuckracker, November 19, 2010, who adds “The plan, it seems, is to show young Utahans how great oil is.”)
It’s not enough that information about Utah is taught in elementary and middle school Utah Studies curriculum, including industries of the Beehive state. I t is speculated by some that legislators fear the knowledge that children are receiving in other curricular areas about energy and conservation.
The Salt Lake Tribune gives this bill a “thumbs down” to this piece of legislation:
Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Ogden, has convinced his colleagues in the House that Utah schoolchildren are learning too much about energy conservation and recycling and not enough about the benefits of drilling for gas and oil. We’re not sure why they see this as a scale that must be balanced. Somehow, they seem to fear, children will be persuaded that if conservation and recycling are good then energy development is bad. Draxler’s bill would allocate all-too-scarce dollars so that teachers can explain that Americans should continue to rely on and subsidize fossil fuels. If balance is needed, we’d like to also see an explanation of how burning carbon fuels and drilling for them are contributing to the air that’s so bad these same children can’t go outside at recess.
Not to mention education about the longevity of the natural resources being extracted and the impact to the ecosystems as a result of the degradation of the land.
The funding allocation is vague as well. While it is stated that monies would be generated from the surplus funds of the Oil and Gas Conservation Account, which is a fund that has a state mandated cap, it doesn’t say how much would be given from that and how much beyond the cap would need to come from Utah taxpayers.
This is a biased and unbalanced piece of legislation that has not brought all interests to the table for discussion.
Filed under: Curriculum, Education, Energy, Environment, taxes, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »
“Pursuit of Happiness”: Not if some legislators have their way….
Posted on January 29, 2011 by dlt
….all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Are our state legislators really interested in the values of our Founding Fathers? Or are they more interested in property rights…..including owning the “pursuit of happiness” as property?
The interference of such rights are at stake with HB 182, being introduced by Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-District 48.
Christensen (R-District 48) has reintroduced a bill he tried to pass in 2006 which prohibits same-sex couples from making contractual agreements, such as wills and financial arrangements.
The bill, known in 2006 as HB 304, but now as HB 182, slides in under the generic title “Voiding Transactions Against Public Policy,” and declares “an arrangement, agreement, or transaction that is illegal or against public policy to be void and unenforceable.”
HB 182′s language is virtually word-for word from the narrowly-defeated 2006 measure, and if passed, would strip even more rights away from the same-sex couples who depend on contractual arrangements, as Utah denies them any of the inherent protections afforded to heterosexual couples.
Not only is this bill a violation of the rights of human beings, it is based on the religious beliefs of some on what constitutes a “union” between two individuals. It is part of their efforts to do everything possible to impose those beliefs on others through bills such as this one which go so far as to invade the private business of individuals; not to mention that it is unenforceable. Should a bill like this manage to get passed, everyone’s rights will be more at stake – regardless of gender preference.
Legislators such as Rep. Christensen are living a double standard. They send messages with some bills that demand less interference from the federal government and claim to want to live the values of Founding Fathers of the United States. Yet messages such as the degradation of the rights of human beings, as is the intent of HB 182, is antithetical to these other messages, which intend to infringe upon the “unalienable Rights” endowed by the Creator, including the “pursuit of Happiness” of all men, women and children.
Filed under: constitution, Equality, Gay rights, Human rights, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »
Here we go again: raising taxes on food
Posted on January 28, 2011 by dlt
We have long written here on the issue of taxes on food by the legislature to fund other areas.
This year is no exception to the head rearing of this ugly issue.
Bill Tibbitts of Crossroads Urban Center, an organization advocating for the rights of the poor, says:
Utah Representative Mike “Nuclear” Noel is proposing to double the sales tax on food to fund a cut to property taxes– which will disproportionately benefit large businesses– like one of the nuclear power plants Noel wants to bring to Utah.
Read Nuclear Noel’s bill here:
http://le.utah.gov/~2011/bills/hbillint/hb0072.htmNuclear Noel is also a proud supporter of bringing nuclear power plants to Utah:
http://www.mikenoel.com/blog_display.cfm?bid=4DE42D1C-1143-15D5-EB7FF606E942D5A4
Utah is among the few states that charge people to eat. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that in 2009:
- Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia exempt most food purchased for consumption at home from the state sales tax. South Carolina is the state that most recently eliminated its sales tax on food (effective November 1, 2007).
- Seven states tax groceries at lower rates than other goods; they are Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- Five states — Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota— tax groceries fully but offer credits or rebates offsetting some of the taxes paid on food by some portions of the population. These credits or rebates usually are set at a flat amount per family member. The amounts and eligibility rules vary, but may be too narrow and/or insufficient to give eligible households full relief from sales taxes paid on food purchases.
- Two states continue to apply their sales tax fully to food purchased for home consumption without providing any offsetting relief for low- and moderate-income families. They are Alabama and Mississippi.
The bottom line is that no one should have to pay extra for what is necessary for survival. Eating is one of those necessities. The food tax should be taken away entirely.
Filed under: Food tax, Human rights, taxes | Leave a Comment »
