Monday, January 28, 2008

MORNING COMMITTEES

This morning HOUSE REVENUE AND TAXATION will hear HB106 - Clean Air and Efficient Vehicle Tax Incentives. Taxpayers would get a $1,000 tax credit for new vehicles meeting air quality and fuel economy guidelines set by the EPA (including hybrid electric and gasoline vehicles) or a credit of $2,500
for conversion of a vehicle to run on clean fuel such as natural gas. Fuel economy standards range from 19 miles per gallon for ethanol/gasoline blends, to 31 mpg for gasoline, to 36 mpg for diesel fueled vehicles.

SENATE EDUCATION, beginning at 7:53 a.m. sharp, will consider SB61, a plan to improve financial literacy education for high school students. Budgeting, balancing a checkbook, saving and investing, rights and responsibilities of buying a home, loans and borrowing money, insurance and taxes would be studied. The program would be optional, but student mastery would be tracked and reported back to the Education Interim Committee.

SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES will review HB60, which changes the Legislature's annual review of health insurance coverage - of mental health coverage, for example - which the law requires insurance companies to cover. The review assesses the fiscal impact on state and private health
insurance and the purpose and effectiveness of a mandate. Only the Business and Labor Committee (rather than Business and Labor, plus Health and Human Services, plus the Legislative Auditor) would perform the review.

SENATE BUSINESS AND LABOR will hear SB132, a bill to strengthen the Attorney General's ability to enforce the law that requires companies to protect consumers' credit records against the loss of personal information such as Social Security numbers and passwords. Subpoena power and access to company records would be increased. Alleged violators would have to pay $500 or more to cover copying and providing records to the AG, or lose their license to do business in Utah.

In HOUSE WORKFORCE SERVICES AND COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HB48
- Mobile Homeowners' Rights - would increase the notice a mobile home resident must receive before losing his or her lease or having to vacate the home due to a change in land use or condemnation. Notification would have to be 6 months before termination of a lease, and one year before
having to vacate the park.

AFTERNOON

This afternoon from 2 to 5 Appropriations Subcommittees will continue their work.

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

WHAT HAPPENED FRIDAY

The HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE passed two bills last week aiming to improve public education by extending the school year and attracting teachers who are in short supply.

HB67 would pay special education teachers who teach children with disabilities a stipend of $200 a day for up to 10 days a year. Special ed teachers say they need that extra time. HB270 would offer grants to pay math and science teachers for a longer school year. The goal is to attract more teachers, better prepare students for college, and save money by using school buildings more efficiently.

Both bills are now up for debate in the House.

The SENATE JUDICIARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE approved SB105. It creates a Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission to evaluate the performance of judges standing for retention election. Sitting judges and legislators could not be members of the commission, although legislative leadership, the Supreme Court and the governor all would appoint some of the 13 members on a bipartisan basis. The number of members of the bar would be limited. The Commission's evaluations would go into the state Voter Information Pamphlet. Unlike many states, Utah does not directly elect judges but votes on whether to keep them in office after they are appointed. This helps to keep judges above the partisan political fray and protects them from having to raise election campaign funds from those -especially lawyers - who might appear before them in court some day.

There was more good news on the legal front last week. The Utah Supreme Court adopted a strong rule to protect reporters who refuse to identify confidential sources. A reporter would have to identify a source only if protecting it would lead to "substantial injury or death." The reporter's unpublished notes and source material would be protected as well.

The League of Women Voters supported the shield rule in a letter to the Supreme Court, saying, "Clearly, people will be very reluctant to share information when there exists the very real threat of disclosure and consequent punishment of the whistleblower. This rule will help provide a remedy for the disclosure
problem... It strikes a good balance; a case-by-case evaluation can be made by a judge to determine whether 'the free flow of information to news reporters outweighs the need for disclosure.' "

Sandy Peck
League of Women Voters