Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. is expected to announce the call today for Utah Legislators to convene a special session beginning May 24. The special session will begin by greeting Mexican President Vicente Fox to Utah.
At this point, it is predicted that Utah lawmakers will focus mainly on taxes:
The governor wants tax reform, in the form of a “flatter, fairer” system of income tax that would provide long-term stability and predictability. But some lawmakers would be satisfied just to lower rates to get a $70 million tax cut before November’s election.
Against Utah lawmakers wishes, the governor is considering putting the medicaid issue on the agenda. Advocates for the poor are urging the legislature to fund another year’s worth of dental and vision care for more than 60,000 adults on Medicaid – at a cost of $4.6 million.
Newly released state Health Department data show between 2003 and 2005 – the last time dental coverage was pulled – the state and federal government spent $725,166 on hospital emergency room visits for Medicaid clients with oral health complications.
I will be following this special session as best as I can and posting news items here.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 