I thought something was fishy.
Sen. Howard Stephenson (R-Draper), who introduced the bill (S.B. 70) that would change state law to make it easier for Envirocare to double the size of its radioactive waste dump, is under fire by a lawyers group that has called for an ethics investigation on Stephenson.
The group, Trial-lawyers Representing Utah’s Environment (TRUE), would need 3 state senators to write letters requesting the inquiry before the Senate Ethics Committee could initiate an investigation.
According to the Salt Lake Tribuen article, Stephenson is president and registered lobbyist of the Utah Taxpayers Association, a group of which Envirocare is a member.
TRUE is calling for the Senate Ethics Committee to find out how much money Envirocare contributes to the Taxpayers Association.
Stephenson, of course, refutes any “conflict of interest”, according to a quoted statement in the artilce:
Stephenson said neither his trade group nor Envirocare, which is one of 2,000 association members, requested SB70. He added that the company contributes 0.5 percent of the association’s budget.
The senator restated that the bill is intended to correct an “inappropriate” and “dangerous” power imbalance that could set an unconstitutional precedent.
“The Legislature has a constitutional prerogative to override vetoes of the governor,” he said.
Stephenson’s, SB70 would
change current law to give lawmakers override power when a governor rejects a hazardous or radioactive waste-site proposal.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 