Hill Happenings

Yesterday’s Utah Legislative Report Summary
Articles in published in today’s Utah newspapers about the Yesterday’s Utah Legislature news:

Salt Lake Tribune
Short Sessions: Legislative Briefs
Heard on the Hill
Lawmakers react to tax cut warning Senate bill: It would freeze cities’ borrowing against sales tax revenues
Deadbeats’ driving is targeted–House approves bill that would restrict their licenses
Senators OK N-waste override–It would give lawmakers power to block governor’s veto of Envirocare expansion
Utah lawmakers would pick, direct U.S. senators
Lawmaker wants HAFB renamed for Reagan
The link? The Draper legislator sees a natural connection between the base and the late president

Open space funding sees quiet comeback
Ex-Utahn’s mine safety track record scrutinized
In wake of deaths: Union says industry-friendly approach had the fox watching the henhouse

Cannon backs reshuffle in House

Deseret News
Legislators seek say over U.S. senators–State lawmakers working around 17th Amendment
A break on energy costs? Legislation would end tax windfall for cities, state
Food-tax foes hit snag
The case for ethics reform–Opinion
Keep peyote in its proper place–
Deseret Morning News editorial

State health coverage for small firms?
Waste-veto measure squeaks past Senate committee–Legislation seeks to shrink governor’s say in process
Measure would earmark some sales tax for roads
‘Origins of life’ bill moves on to the House
Global trade panel advances in House
House panel OKs tourism tax bill
House panel axes cabbie bill
Demos want to use surplus for public education
Details of Utah Democrats’ public education measures
House adopts ‘deadbeat dad’ bill — with changes
Measure seeks to remove politics from Board of Regents

Today in history

January 24

1970
John Lennon & Yoko Ono cropped their hair short for the first time in years, declaring 1970 “Year One for Peace” and helped organize a Toronto Peace Festival.


John and Yoko

The Green Moment

I was reading Chlorophyll and clicked on the link to a Pulse of the Twin Cities article entitled One Green Moment, a post about the Green Party as a growing aned viable political party. As I was reading the article I had to blink twice when I saw a graphic that a friend of Utah Greens designed for the Green Party of Utah. We have this graphic on some merchandise items.

It’s cool that this original design is being used!

S.B. 70 – Envirocare….continued

Green Jenni attended the hearing and has a post on this morning’s hearing on S.B. 70, the Envirocare bill that I posted on earlier today.

This evening HEAL Utah has sent out this letter:
——————————————-
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to the hearing this morning at the Capitol on such short notice. The vote was close, but Senate Bill 70 passed out of the committee by a vote of 3-2 and will now move on to the Senate for a full vote.

As you know, SB 70 rewrites state law to make it easier for nuclear and hazardous waste dumps to expand or develop in Utah by taking away the need for gubernatorial approval. The bill effectively removes power from the Governor and gives it to Envirocare.

In an effort to remove the public from the process, this bill has been on a fast-track and will most likely be voted on THIS WEEK. We need a lot of help to defeat this legislation in the Senate. If you have any time at all this week, your involvement could stop an effort to make it easier for nuclear and toxic waste to be dumped in Utah. This is truly urgent. Can you help with any of the following?
Continue reading

1/8W + (D-d) 3/8 x TQ

That’s the forumula that Wales health psychologist Cliff Arnall has devised to determine that today, Monday, January 23, is the “bluest day of the year.”

On paper, the formula looks like this:
1/8W + (D-d) 3/8 x TQ
M x NA
The variables: (W)eather, (D)ebt, (d) or monthly salary, (T)ime since Christmas, time since failure to (Q)uit a bad habit, low (M)otivational levels and (NA), the need to take action.
(–Cox News Service)

Arnall said this formula holds true for Britain and the U.S. except in states where there is warmer weather.

Hooray, a formula at last! So if you are feeling “blue” today, now you know why!

Carnival of the Green #11

This week’s Carnival of the Green is being hosted by The Ideal Bite: Irrevrant Thoughts on Being Green.

Today’s features include these topics with light-hearted commentary by The Ideal Bite:

  • Hedgehogs dying out in Britain
  • Economist on Population Decline – Not Always a Bad Thing
  • A funny video clip with Will Ferrell as GW on Global Warming
  • Starbucks and the power of consumers
  • Fake Diamonds
  • Manchester police using horse manure to warm their stables
  • A review of the Warner Bros. film “SYRIANA”

    Happy Reading!

  • HEAL Utah has issued the statement below urging citizens to attend the hearing TODAY on S.B. 70 (Sen. Stephenson), which, if passed, would allow Envirocare to double the size of its radioactive waste dump. The hearing will be heard by the Senate Natural Resources Committee at 9am in room 015 of the West Wing (bottom floor of the new west wing addition to the capitol.
    Citizens are also urged to email their representatives (Email addreses are listed towards the end of this post.).

    As I posted a few days ago, it has been discovered that Sen. Stephenson is a registered lobbyist for the group Utah Taxpayers Association, which ironically includes amongst Envirocare its members.

    Corporate interests continue to be the focus of some legislators, influenced heavily by the corporations themselves, at the expense of our environment and health and well-being of our citizens. Citizens need to send a strong message to our representatives that we are tired of Utah being used as a dumping ground, we are tired of our legislators not representing the desires of their consituents, we are tired of our legislators continually proposing bills that clearly represent conflicts of interest and we are tired of our lives and those of our children’s and beyond being sacrificed for greed and the interests of the elite few.

    Message from HEAL:
    Continue reading

    Hill Happenings

    These are the headlines from Sunday and Today:

    Salt Lake Tribune
    Today’s Legislature Headlines
    Monday’s agenda highlights
    Buttars stands out as morals crusader
    Be assured, where state senator goes, controversy follows

    D.C. Notebook: Blast from the past drives Hatch to tears

    Deseret News
    Today’s Legislature Headlines
    Diverse views of origins measure
    Bills may impact voters
    Sunday’s Legislature Headlines
    Utahns want reform in Legislature–Lawmakers, public differ on need for ethics changes
    Transit bill detours millions to roads
    City-manager bill put on hold for revision–Legislation’s sponsor working on substitute for the disputed idea
    Republicans skirmish over Mascaro’s Medicaid bill–HB24 is sent to a panel where he thinks it will die

    Today in history

    January 23

    1875
    First British Disarmament Campaign, Liverpool, England

    1962
    Fifteen members of the Committee of 100, the Non-Violent Direct Action wing of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) sat in at the British House of Commons demanding a halt to nuclear weapon tests.

    Continue reading

    Change in Dee’s ‘Dotes Live Journal url

    Live Journal has made changes to improve its services. This includes the url of everyone’s blogs.
    For those of you who have my blog bookmarked or listed, please change the url to:

    http://deesings.livejournal.com