Tag Archives: politics

Urge Gov. Huntsman to veto House Bill 100

From HEAL Utah

Gov. Huntsman has until March 21st to veto House Bill 100, a bill passed by the Legislature that would severely restrict the ability of environmental groups–and any other non-profit–to use the courts to stop environmentally harmful practices by corporations or the government. Gov. Huntsman has hinted he may veto the bill because it impinges on the constitutional rights of non-profits, but he has yet to take decisive action.

Please take a minute to contact Gov. Huntsman and ask him to veto HB 100 and preserve the right of environmental organizations to access the courts. He alone has the power to prevent this legislation from becoming law. You can call the governor at (801) 538-1000 or send an email here: http://www.utah.gov/governor/contact.html.

Rep. Aaron Tilton (R-Springville) proposed HB 100 to seek revenge on environmental groups for winning a court order delaying construction of the Legacy Parkway. His vindictive legislation purports to prevent environmental groups from filing “frivolous lawsuits,” and requires organizations to post a bond to cover any costs of delaying a project–including lost profits, employee wages, construction costs and taxes–or face losing their right to do business with the state. These bonds could easily reach in excess of millions of dollars.
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Hill Happenings

Articles in today’s newspapers about state legislature-related News:

Deseret News
Huntsman to travel the state signing bills: Aim is to aid lawmakers who help him on the Hill

Media catches news about “Desert Greens”

“Desert Greens” is now listed as an officially registered political party at theUtah Elections Office Website.

Two items have appeared in the media today about the Nationally Affiliated Green Party of Utah‘s news registered political party name Desert Greens. One is published nationally from the Green Party of the United States and the other one locally in the Provo Herald, a Utah County newspaper>

Read both articles at the Green Party of Utah LJ Forum.

Hill Happenings

Articles in today’s newspapers about state legislature-related News:

Salt Lake Tribune
S.L. County poised to tack on fee for Corridor land:
An extra 10 bucks to drive?

Deseret News
State spending is surging: Year’s 17.5% jump far outpaces population growth and inflation
Huntsman hails USTAR: He likens the initiative to U.’s Research Park
Lobbyists’ favorite tool was food

Utah’s New Slogan

Utah has uveiled it’s new state slogan: “Life Elevated”.

ohhh……kaaaaay.

Today in the Salt Lake Tribune Paul Rolly has a piece called“New slogan should slow things a bit”.

In it he outlines the top 10 alternative slogans discussed amongst his acquaintances:

Thinking outside the box: In conversations with a few media types, some alternative state slogans were tossed about. Here are the top 10:
l Land of the Wives
l The Heterosexual State
l Ain’t No Monkeys Here
l No Rich Child Left Behind
l The Special Session State
l Home of Orrin Hatch
l Run, Merrill, Run
l Where Democrats Aren’t Allowed
l Bring Your Guns
l Where the Fish Whirl

Part of the Plan also has a piece on the new slogan.
More appropiate would have been: “Utah! Where Ideas Converge Because Difference Of Opinion Is Prohibited”

Hill Happenings

Articles in today’s newspapers about state legislature-related News:

Salt Lake Tribune
Logic of legislators defies pattern-seekers: Analysis – Legislators focus heavily on the unborn
Utah lawmakers say e-mail privacy issue will resurface: Officials moved to withhold communications from constituents among other privacy concerns
School-voucher group hopes to oust opponents–Parents for Choice: The political action committee has a list of legislators it wants to replace with friends
Despite record surplus, lawmakers cut contribution to open-space fund
Huntsman hopes hardball works second time around

Deseret News
Oly hotel project seeks OK on Hill
Legislature chips away at GRAMA: 7 bills passed in ’06 to alter records-access law
Session a mixed bag for Dixie: Area’s lawmakers got funds for flood relief but little for colleges
Tax distribution measure may hurt several cities
Will medical-mistakes bill pass judicial muster?

Nationally Affiliated Green Party of Utah Announces Results of 2006 Nominating Convention

The Nationally Affiliated Green Party of Utah held its nominating convention from March 9 – 12. The voting in this convention resulted in the following people being nominated for candidacy in 2006 Utah races for the Desert Greens Green Party of Utah:

Tom King, State House District #43
Deanna Taylor, Salt Lake County Council District #5
Chuck Tripp, Salt Lake County Council At Large

Candidates will file for office this coming week.

These candidates were nominated in addition to Julian Hatch, who was nominated in Novebmer 2005 for the 2006 U.S. Senate race.


Julian Hatch…………………………Tom King

Deanna Taylor……………………..Chuck Tripp

Free Tibet

Yeseterday, a rally was held in protest of the plight of Tibetans and the rememberance of the 47th anniversary of Uprising Day at the Federal Building Plaza in downtown Salt Lake.

The Utah Tibetan Association holds this protest every year to educate the public on the near extinction of Tibetan people since being held under Chines Occupation.

Chuck Tripp, a Desert Greens Green Party of Utah member and political science professor at Westminster College participates in the event every year.

“This issue hasn’t gone away,” said Westminster College professor Chuck Tripp, who was joined at the protest by some of his political science students.
Protests and bumper stickers reading “Free Tibet” have been met with cynicism over the years, according to Tripp. “It became something of a joke,” he said.
But times have changed, Tripp added, and people are more “sophisticated” and less “misty-eyed” about Tibet’s ongoing struggles.
Tripp said he wanted to expose his students to Tibet’s culture of nonviolence and its brand of Buddhism. He praised Tibetans’ courage and staying power after decades of exile and “brutal” attacks by the Chinese government.
Image
Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Dawa Bhuti prays during the Salt Lake demonstration Friday. About 50 people gathered to protest China’s occupation of Tibet.
“I think that’s a great lesson for all of us,” Tripp said.
One of his students, Joey Caputo, 24, held signs that called for a free Tibet. His reasons for protesting every year for the past four years run deeper than a distant quest for independent Tibetans.
“China as a whole I kind of have a problem with,” Caputo said. “China needs to open up and become more transparent.”
Caputo would like to see consumers make decisions that don’t finance a communist China — his shoes, for example, are union-made, and he buys used clothing.

Photos of yesterday’s event, taken by Tom King:












Orrin Files for Office

Tom happened to be in the Elections Office yesterday finalizing the process for the Desert Greens Green Party of Utah to become registered and…..

Lo and behold who should appear?
(no, not Santa and his eight tiny reindeer….)–
Orrin Hatch and his entourage this year!

Cute rhyme, huh!

Orrin Hatch filing for candidacy for 2006 (photos taken by Tom King):



HIll Happenings – Utah State and Federal

Articles in today’s newspapers about state and Federal Legislature News:

Salt Lake Tribune
Huntsman seals the deal on 103 bills
March 21 is deadline: Toll-road measure gets signature, as well as tighter tattoo laws and looser FBI checks for military, missionaries

Bennett says some parts of New Orleans shouldn’t be
Science panel urges major overhaul of nuke-waste rules–Utah affected: The report notes current statutes are a patchwork formed over 60 years
Hatch picked for oversight panel on wiretaps

Deseret News
College tuitions soaring: Board of Regents blames Legislature for the increases