Thursday, February 28, 2008

THIS MORNING

At 7:00 the SENATE RETIREMENT AND INDEPENDENT ENTITIES COMMITTEE will discuss allowing cities and counties to make health care benefits available to municipal employees and their dependents. SB299 (by Bell) is an alternative to SB267 by Buttars. SB267 has been in the news because it prohibits cities and counties from setting up registries that recognize a domestic partnership, civil union or any other domestic relationship other than marriage for any reason, including health care visitation. That bill was changed to allow health care to be available to employees and financially dependent adults, but the adults would have to be related by marriage or be blood relatives. The new bill allows ordinances that make health care benefits available to employees and their dependents, including any financially dependent adult designated by an unmarried employee, with no requirement that they be
relatives. The city or county could share information with the financially dependent adult's health insurers or employers. In a separate section, SB299 specifically prohibits creating a registry that gives legal status to a domestic partnership, civil union or domestic relationship other than marriage.

Also in SENATE RETIREMENT, Substitute HB94 (Shurtliff) requires a retired public employee to get approval in writing from the retiree's spouse when selecting one of the six retirement options in the system.

And HB39 (Fisher) would prohibit investing money from the Utah State Retirement Investment Fund in businesses that sell more than 5 percent of their supplies or services to the government of Iran or invest more than $20 million a year there. This could cost the Retirement Systems $2.2 million in lost revenue in 2009.

FLOOR TIME today is from 9 to 5 with a two-hour break for lunch. The HOUSE i s likely to discuss Substitute HB395 (Donnelson), which would allow prisoners illegally in the U.S. to be released and deported, and Substitute HB470 (Allen) which makes it a third degree felony to intentionally torture a companion animal. On the Senate Boards are SB224, Coal Mine Safety Act, Third Substitute 269, Water Rights Ombudsman, and SB210 Proof of Citizenship Required for Voter Registration.

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

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

The Senate succeeded in acting on nearly all the Senate bills on its board yesterday, an historic feat this early in the session according to Senate President Valentine. At the end of the day they wiped all House bills off the board so they can bring out some new ones. But before the board was wiped, HB106, Clean Air and Efficient Vehicle Tax Incentives passed with one dissenting vote. It will provide a $750 credit for new vehicles that meet air quality and EPA fuel economy guidelines, a credit of $2,500 for converting a vehicle to run on clean fuel such as natural gas, propane or electric, and an alternative fuel tax to help pay for road and highway maintenance. The dissenting vote was from Senator Dayton.

Third Substitute SB85 was debated at length. It creates a new Water Policy Board to make policy recommendations and set fees in place of the State Engineer. Sponsor Senator Stowell was proud that the board could appoint an administrative law judge to settle water disputes for small water users, sparing them the expense of paying attorneys to appeal in District Court. Opponents think the Board will add an extra layer of bureaucracy and slow things down. It passed 16 to 11.

SB210 - Proof of Citizenship Required to Vote, was not debated at all but circled by the sponsor. According to the ACLU, requiring registrants to supply more citizenship information may violate the National Voter Registration Act.

HB188 Transit Revisions failed in the HOUSE yesterday. The vote was 30-38. HB188 expanded and changed the duties of the Utah Transit Authority Board. Opponents seemed to feel that it was too harsh, since no one had given UTA a chance to implement the recommendations from a recent legislative audit.

Advocates for education and human services were worried about cuts in the budget due to the lowered estimates of surplus revenue. Teachers may not receive expected raises. A planned increase for special education has been deleted. The International Baccalaureate program was funded, but at $100,000 instead of $300,000. Medicaid dental services were in danger. Education groups held an afternoon press conference. Immigration reform supporters also met the press. When asked a question about employers taking advantage of immigrants by paying low wages, Rep Donnelson, sponsor of many bills, responded "It's wrong, wrong, wrong."

Sandy Peck
League of Women Voters