Thursday, February 14, 2008

MORNING COMMITTEES

HOUSE REVENUE AND TAXATION will review a bill related to the rising cost of health care. HB360 would enact an income tax credit for 5% of the cost of long term care insurance premiums. Also on their agenda is SB135, which makes permanent a sales tax exemption for facilities that operate primarily to reduce air or water pollution. Under current law the exemption would expire June 30, 2009.

SENATE JUDICIARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE will discuss HB23, which adds intentional child abandonment to the definition of the crime of child abuse. It would be a felony for a parent or guardian to intentionally fail to provide a child with food, shelter or clothing or to intentionally fail to make arrangements for the child's safety, care and physical custody.

HB143 is in SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT. It allows the State Engineer, who keeps track of Utah water rights in Utah, to make an agreement with another state to regulate and distribute surface water from an interstate source. The governor and Department of Natural Resources Director would have to approve.

SENATE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY will debate SB208. It addresses the issue of preserving government access to land needed for future highways. The bill requires the Department of Transportation and city and county officials in charge of land use to keep each other informed about which transportation corridors are critical and about applications, such as building permits, that would change land use within the corridors. If the land use change interferes with a critical transportation corridor, SB208 authorizes the Department to buy the land or acquire it through the power of eminent domain after 45 days notice.

ON THE HOUSE FLOOR

At 11:00 am, legislators will debate HJR10, a resolution urging Congress and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management not to designate 9 million acres of new wilderness areas in Utah. They'll discuss the effect of wilderness on energy supply, economic development, and the environment.

For more information, visit your legislature — in person or online at www.le.utah.gov

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

The SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE passed SB97 - Immigration Task Force unanimously yesterday. The Task Force would make recommendations by November 30th about federal and state policies governing employer verification of immigrant status, instate tuition, access to public benefits, obtaining a valid driver license or ID card, and state enforcement of federal immigration laws-issues that are before the legislature this session in several separate bills. SB97 was amended by Senator McCoy to suggest that the Task Force study the contributions of immigrants as well as the problems. Senator Hickman, sponsor of the omnibus bill SB81 - Illegal Immigration, voted for the Task Force with the clarification that he was not abandoning his own bill, but wanted both passed. He thought it was a fine idea for the Task Force to study the effects of his bill-but after it passes. Senator Romero countered that the effects of a bill that removes so many privileges should be studied before it is passed, not after.

SB169 - Renewable Energy Zone Task Force - passed a preliminary vote in the SENATE yesterday. The task force would look at establishing renewable energy enterprise zones around the state to take advantage of renewable resources, such as wind and geothermal, as well as traditional energy sources like coal, oil shale and nuclear. The Senators agreed that developers of renewable energy need a study of where the good resources are located, what transmission is needed, and what policy changes might be needed. They added a member to represent consumers and directed the task force to compare the cost to consumers of all energy sources. Although important, calculating cost to consumers can be time consuming. It requires very complex studies and involves many levels of regulatory and economic analysis.

The HOUSE passed Substitute SB144, tipping the balance of power between the Legislature and the Governor towards themselves. The bill requires legislative approval of interstate agreements made by the Governor and other state executives. Although it's now passed both the SENATE and the HOUSE by veto-proof majorities, the Governor has said he will veto it. Many believe that the bill was prompted by the recent energy policy agreement among Western governors although Representatives on the floor solemnly denied it.

Sandy Peck
League of Women Voters