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 | 1 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.”

(KCPW blog)

“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.”

(Salt Lake Tribune)

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 »

Final Days

Posted on March 9, 2010 by dlt

The last week of Utah’s 2010 Legislative Session brings with it a scramble to get all the “t”‘s crossed and “i”‘s dotted on legislation this year.  Committee meetings are over and the remainder of the session will be spent on floor time.  Here is how readers can continue to stay informed:

View the Legislative General Session Home page here where schedules, reading calendars, and status’ of bills are listed.  There are links to videos to watch all discussion and debate.

News feeds can be found on Utah Legislature Watch’s sidebars (left and right) to stay current on reported news and opinion on Hill Happenings.

There are a number of political blogs offering insights and opinion as well.  Go to Utah Legislature Watch’s Political Blogs tab for the list.

Utah Legislature Watch also has Facebook and Twitter pages.  The links are posted in the Social Networking box on the right sidebar of ULW’s home page.

Filed under: Citizen involvement, Citizen Reporting, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »

Utah Citizens Organize “Clean Air” Rally

Posted on March 4, 2010 by dlt

There will be a “Rally for Clean Air”  on the Steps on the South Side of the Utah State Capitol, Wednesday, March 10, 2010 from 3-4pm.  The rally will be an effort to get legislators to reconsider their positions on HJR 12 Climate Change Resolution and HJR 21 Joint Resolution on Energy Policy.  Organizer Drew Thompson sent out this announcement today:

The Legislature has had its say, now it’s our turn. Despite our phone calls, letters, emails, and testimonies HJR 12 passed resoundingly in both the House and Senate, and HJR 21 is well on its way to the same fate.

This complete disregard of both science and the economic and environmental future of our state demands our protest. Utilize your right to assemble and join all those who still reject scientific half-truths and scare tactics in favor of reason and justice.

We will be rallying on the steps of the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, March 10 at 3:00 pm. Former SLC Mayor Rocky Anderson, BYU Geologist Barry Bickmore, Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, and U of U Sociology Professor Andrew Jorgenson will be speaking at the event.

Bring picket signs, bring your friends, and ride your bike.

Check out the event “Clean Air Rally” at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=376479900791.

View previous posts on these two Resolutions here.

Filed under: Citizen involvement, Citizen Rights, Climate Change, Environment, Utah Legislature | 1 Comment »

Continuing the Struggle Against the Ban on Affirmative Action

Posted on March 4, 2010 by dlt

We have reported on this blog in a  previous post on HJR 24 Joint Resolution on Equal Treatment by Government whihc aims to place a ban on affirmative action.

A Utah Legislature Watch Reader has written in with this:

HJR 24 is still looming on the horizon.  This Amendment could kill targeted programs in Utah like the Women’s Resource Center at the U of U for instance.  The only way to kill this bad policy in the Legislature is for people to call Representatives all over Utah and urge them to vote NO on HJR 24.

More info can be found on facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TRUE-Equal-Treatment-in-Utah-STOP-HJR-24-NOW/313470782866

Here are some links to updates in current news on the issue:

Deseret News – Affirmative action ban gains backing after changes

Salt Lake Tribune – Group Mobilizes to Fight  Ban on Affirmative Action

KCPW – Will Proposed Affirmative Action Ban Pass?

Filed under: Advocacy Groups, Affirmative Action, Citizen involvement, Citizen Reporting, Citizen Rights, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »

Utahns Speak Out on Climate Change Issues and Utah’s Legislators Actions

Posted on March 3, 2010 by dlt

Filed under: Citizen involvement, Citizen Reporting, Climate Change, Environment, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »

Immigration Reform – Repairing a Broken System

Posted on February 27, 2010 by dlt

There are a number of immigration bills that have been signed into law in the past and new bills this year addressing immigration issues in Utah.

Mark Alvarez, Utah  Attorney, had a piece published in the Salt Lake Tribune in which he says,

In 2000, George W. Bush said, “Immigration is not a problem to be solved; it is the sign of a successful nation.” Candidate Bush said he wanted to make policy friendlier to immigrants. That effort froze on Sept. 11, 2001.

In 2008, Barack Obama said that America had nothing to fear from today’s immigrants: “Because we are all Americans. Todos somos Americanos. And in this country, we rise and fall together.”

Congressional debate will begin soon. Three main questions are: 1. Who should be able to come here? 2. How should border and internal enforcement be designed? 3. What should be done with undocumented immigrants?

Alvarez continues on by addressing 6 “points of contention”:

1. Family-based versus employment-based immigration.

2. Temporary workers versus permanent workers.

3. Skilled workers versus unskilled workers.

4. Genuine employment verification versus the status quo.

5. “Path to citizenship” versus “amnesty.”

6. Illegal immigration versus legal immigration.

Read his points in their entirety here.

A Facebook group called Utahns for Immigration Reform has been created to advocate for a fair and just system of immigration for all people without violating anyone’s civil rights, regardless of immigration status.  The group calls for citizens to become engaged in the process of advocating for the repair of the current broken system and creating an equitable system for all people.   From the group’s page:

We can influence American immigration laws by being engaged in the process.

No person is illegal. Being undocumented is a violation of civil law, not criminal law. Federal immigration reform needs to happen now because the immigration system is terribly broken. We agree that all people should immigrate legally but in a broken system unfortunately that is not the reality.

The page continues on by describing how current legislation is damaging:

SB 81 is a now Utah law. The new law encourages racial profiling. Most law enforcement agencies in Utah understand that the law is an afront to civil rights and have refused to enforce it.

Immigration reform will make SB 81 unnecessary.

Cory Redstone, creator of Utahns for Immigration Reform issued this notice yesterday about SB251 Verification of Employment Eligibility and  HB 428 Non Resident Tuition Amendments

SB 251 is another employment verification bill. This bill mandates the use of E-verify for every employer, not just those contracting with the state as SB 81 did. Because E-verify has a %5 rate of inaccurate information this is just wasteful. Additionally the rate of failure could be used to discriminate against minority workers and cause undue delays in employment if a record is mistakenly flagged. There will be discrimination against businesses who are minority owned. They will face more scrutiny and undue harassment because of this law.

Make no mistake E-verify use is eventually going to be mandated on a federal level eventually but all of the kinks need to be worked out. We also need to see Comprehensive Immigration Reform so nobody works without documentation. Please call OR email your legislator and tell them to vote no on SB 251. Just one phone call from you can make a huge difference.

There is also a bill to take in-state tuition away from undocumented college students HB 428.

Here is the link to find your state Senator to call or email:
http://www.utahsenate.org/map.html

There is an analysis of HB428 at the Enriching Utah Coalition blog. (Read this coalitions mission and values here.)

Bills on immigration can be viewed here, but not all bills addressing immigration issues are in this category and in fact the bills referred and linked to in the above paragraphs are not listed on this page.  For example another bill that addresses health care for immigrant children up for consideration this year: SB44 Health Amendments for Legal Immigrant Children

One thing is evident:  The people must be engaged and getting their voices heard on these issues to address the unjust system currently in place.

Filed under: Advocacy Groups, Citizen involvement, Citizen Lobbying, Human rights, Immigration, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »

“Unless you have been in our wheelchairs, you don’t know what it’s like….”

Posted on February 24, 2010 by dlt

This is the message that  disabled citizens wanted to get across to legislators as they rallied yesterdayat the Utah Capitol in protest of the cuts being made to health care in Utah as part of HB67 Health System Amendments and the budget cuts being made this year.  The bill is before the Senate after passing the House on February 11th. (See previous post on this issue here.)

The Deseret News reported on the rally in today’s news.

“….[the legislators] are compounding the problem by supporting bills against health care reform,” said Stevie Edwards, a West Jordan resident who said he came to the Capitol to “do what I can to make sure that they understand that their positions have real-life consequences for those of us who depend on a little assistance just to get by.”

Several attending the rally, which was organized by the Disabled Rights Action Committee and the Anti-Hunger Action Committee, said the bill is premature, likely unconstitutional and makes outlandish claims without any convincing evidence to back them up.

“And they are compounding the problem by supporting bills against health care reform,” said Stevie Edwards, a West Jordan resident who said he came to the Capitol to “do what I can to make sure that they understand that their positions have real-life consequences for those of us who depend on a little assistance just to get by.”

Organizers of the rally had these things to say:

The coalition’s chairwoman, Barbara Toomer, who has been a wheelchair-bound disabled rights activist for years, said….”By bringing health care reform into this new push for state sovereignty, lawmakers should know they are reaching for that high ideal by standing on the backs of the disabled and the 258,000 uninsured citizens who would finally have coverage under federal reforms,” Toomer said.

Utah lawmakers pride themselves on being health care reform leaders in their own right, said Bill Tibbetts, head of the anti-hunger coalition. “So far, the main health care reform solution is to do less every year.”

Participants in the event are tired of fighting this issue year after year.

“This is not national health care reform leadership, and HB67 is a lie,” said protestor Jason Weeks, a disabled local keyboard player and Web-based music promoter.

“I’m just here to be part of the group that has to constantly fight tooth and nail to keep on being able to fight tooth and nail their whole lives,” Weeks said. “The federal options are not the obscenity some lawmakers are trying to make them out to be. Besides that, it hasn’t even happened yet, and who knows if it will.”

In an effort to avoid raising taxes, the legislators have proposed deep cuts to many services as part of this year’s budget balancing act.  (View post about budget proposal here.)

Filed under: Advocacy Groups, budget, Citizen involvement, Citizen Lobbying, Health, health care, Human rights, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »

Health Care Crisis: Groups Organize to Ask Important Questions

Posted on February 21, 2010 by dlt

The Disabled Rights Action Committee (DRAC) and the Anti-Hunger Action Committee (AHAC) have together organized a rally at the Utah Capitol for Tuesday to confront legislators on the HB67 Substitute Health System Amendments in advocacy for the rights to adequate and equitable health care for all, particularly addressing the current crisis of those who are without insurance.  This announcement was recently distributed via Facebook (links to organizations and the bill added by this post’s author):

Utah Legislature Action/Press Conference

Whereas the legislature continues to deny that there is a health care crisis we need to set the record straight!

Whereas the State of Utah, embodied in State Representative Carl Wimmer’s HB 67 bill continues to deny that there is a health care crisis in Utah and

Whereas Representative Wimmer asserts in HB 67 that Utah has embarked on… health system reform, that the health system reform efforts for the state … address the unique
circumstances within Utah and to provide solutions that work for Utah and that Utah is a leader in the nation for health system reform, and

Whereas on February 23 Families USA will be releasing a report detailing the number of uninsured Utahns who will die from untreated illnesses as a direct result of their uninsured status,

Now comes the Disabled Rights Action Committee (DRAC) and the Anti-Hunger Action Committee (AHAC) to ask why, in light of the above assertions, dental, vision, physical and other critical aspects of health care have been cut from Medicaid, to ask why critical health care has been cut from children and to ask why consideration is being given to further cutting back on Medicaid eligibility, further increasing the roles of Utah’s uninsured, and

To set the record straight that there is a heath care crisis in Utah—any needless death or suffering is a crisis.

Join us February 23, 2010 at 1:30 PM in the State Capitol Cafeteria to ask why our legislature insists on denying the existence of a health care crisis in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary while continuing to engage in actions that worsen the health care crisis.

Filed under: Advocacy Groups, Citizen involvement, Health, health care, Human rights, Utah Legislature | 1 Comment »

HJR12 Heats Up

Posted on February 17, 2010 by dlt

The heat is on with the Climate Change Joint Resolution (HJR12).  A message from a newly formed Facebook group of citizens against this resolution, which had organized a rally of 300 people for Friday at 2pm,  came out with this news and call to action:

It looks like those on the hill in support of HJR12 smelt defeat and moved the resolution to a new committee at the last minute. HJR 12 has been moved from the Senate Workforce Committee to the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee. This means that the senators voting on the resolution have changed to the people listed below and the vote will occur this Friday at 8:00 am instead of 2:00 pm. This will likely reduce the amount of people who can attend on Friday, but if you are able to make it this Friday at 8:00 am we could definitely use the support.

It is crucial for us to contact this new list of senators as soon as possible. It’s likely that the committee was changed to ensure that the resolution will pass. You can just forward the emails you sent to the last committee members to these new senators. Two of the senators, Okerlund and Morgan, serve on both committees. If you are not able to make it to the meeting this Friday due to the time change you may want to mention that in your email.

On another note, High Road for Human Rights is collecting signatures in opposition to HJR 12. Check out http://climateletter.highroadforhumanrights.org/ before Friday to add your name to the list.

Thanks,
Drew Thompson

Sen. Dennis E. Stowell (R) (Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Millard, Washington)
Email: dstowell@utahsenate.org
Home: (435) 477-8143
Cell: (435) 559-8143

Sen. Allen M. Christensen (R) (Morgan, Summit, Weber)
Email: achristensen@utahsenate.org
Home: (801) 782-5600
Cell: (801) 710-0315

Sen. Gene Davis (D) (Salt Lake)
Email: gdavis@utahsenate.org
Home: (801) 484-9428
Office: (801) 484-9442

Sen. Margaret Dayton (R) (Utah)
Email: mdayton@utahsenate.org
Home: (801) 221-0623

Sen. Karen W. Morgan (D) (Salt Lake)
Email: kmorgan@utahsenate.org
Home: (801) 943-0067
Office: (801) 538-1406

Sen. Ralph Okerlund (R) (Juab, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele, Wayne)
Email: rokerlund@utahsenate.org
Home: (435) 527-3370
Cell: (435) 979-7077

Read other posts about this Resolution here.

Filed under: Citizen involvement, Climate Change, Environment, Global Warming, Utah Legislature | Leave a Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 31 other followers