Tag Archives: Utah

This week’s Utah Legislative HIT and MISS

Posted on February 11, 2007 | 1 comment

While I could list many items in each category (see my previous posts during the 2007 Utah legislative session), I have chosen one in each for this past legislative week:

HIT
Utah House committee unanimously opposes Nevada test
Readers of my blog know my position on the Divine Strake Test. This is a very positive move by our legislators to oppose this test. Even military supporters are opposing the test.

MISS
Stadium plan is Real as it gets: State sets aside $35M for Sandy soccer facility
While Utah citizens continue to not be able to afford healthcare, work for poverty level wages, and our educational system needs continued funding to improve its system, our state legislators devote millions of dollars to recreation that only the rich can afford.

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Tagged 2007 legislature, politics, Utah

Call your Senator! Student Club Bill Issue

Posted on February 9, 2007 | Leave a comment

Fourth Substitute HB 236 STUDENT CLUB AMENDMENTS will be heard by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee TOMORROW (2/9/2007).

They will decide what version goes to the Senate Floor for a vote!

Here’s what we need you to do:

1: Get informed. The choice will be between a bill that just requires parental permission to join a club (like 3rd Substitute) or a 16 page list of requirements, regulations, and restrictions on every club (like 4th Substitute).
The Third Substitute was approved by the House of Representatives in a vote of 72 to 3.

2. Contact the Senators on the Health & Human Services Committee. Ask them to support parental consent without burdening students, teachers, and clubs.Ask them to support Third Substitute HB 236 and Oppose Fourth Substitute HB 236.

Sen. Peter C. Knudson pknudson@utahsenate.org (435) 723-2035
Sen. Scott D. McCoy smccoy@utahsenate.org (801) 359-2544
Sen. Allen M. Christensen achristensen@utahsenate.org (801) 782-5600
Sen. Brent H. Goodfellow bgoodfellow@utahsenate.org (801) 968-0626

A sample email could be:

Dear Senator Knudson (or McCoy, or Christensen, or Goodfellow),

I am writing to express my support of the Third Substitute to HB236 School Clubs Amendments sponsored by Representative Wyatt and my opposition to the Fourth Substitute sponsored by Senator Buttars.

I believe parents have a right to know what clubs their children are participating in. Third Substitute HB 236 will encourage parental involvement without burdening clubs with extensive application and reporting requirements. The Fourth Substitute to HB 236 was drafted to prevent gay straight alliances but will end up discouraging all students from forming clubs.

Will you please support the Third Substitute to HB236 and pass it out favorably instead of the Fourth Substitute?

Regards,

Your Name

3. Come to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee Meeting. The Senators will meet in the West Office Building in room W020 at 3:00 pm on Friday, February 9. HB 236 is the second item on the agenda.

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Tagged politics, Utah

“Strategy for Success”: Hatch’s reason for supporting Surge

Posted on February 9, 2007 | Leave a comment

Orrin Hatch is now claiming that more troops are needed in Iraq because of the “failed” preparation for war in the first place.

Huh?

“I am supporting a strategy for success,” Hatch, R-Utah, said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

Of course he means the strategy for success to gain control all the oil in Iraq.

“So far, President Bush — who has a lot to answer for the mistakes that have been made”

What he is referring to is the mistake of not gaining control of the oil in the first place.

— is offering the only way to try to leave Iraq in better shape than it is now.”

He means that it will be better to have more control of the oil fields.

Strategy for “success”? “Success” will be achieved through the immediate withdrawl of U.S. troops so that Iraq can deal with its own issues and no more troops are killed in this illegal occupation of a country we had no business bombing in the first place.

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Tagged Activism, government corruption, iraq war, military, politics, Utah

Utah’s ABC Channel 4’s bravery in confronting the government on Divine Strake

Posted on February 8, 2007 | Leave a comment

BE SURE TO WATCH THIS STUNNING VIDEO and account of delivery of email comments that overloaded the government’s computers so channel 4 decided to deliver them. Watch and listen to the resistance they confronted and the statement by channel 4.
Channel 4, KUDOS!!

Re: Divine Strake

THIS IS PERHAPS THE GUTSIEST, MOST DARING, BRAVE THING ANYONE IN THE MEDIA HAS EVER DONE FOR DIVINE STRAKE.

Go to http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoID=59263

or http://www.abc4.com and click on the video for the story ‘ ABC 4 hand delivers viewers comments to the Department of Energy in Las Vegas ‘ that includes a moving commentary from Terry Wood, a 40-year veteran journalist.

PLEASE
PLEASE
PLEASE

PASS THIS ALONG. SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. STOPDIVINESTRAKE.COM IS GETTING HUNDREDS OF HITS PER HOUR FROM SALT LAKE CITIZENS WHO ARE REACTING TO THIS AMAZING PIECE OF JOURNALISM. VIEW THE NEWS SEGMENT IN ENTIRETY AND PASS ALONG WIDELY.

CANCEL THE DIVINE STRAKE! STOP WEAPONS TESTING ON WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND! END NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION!

The video may not work best with Firefox; if so, try Internet explorer.

Andrew at StopDivineStrake.com
Continue reading →

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Tagged divine strake, environment, indigenous issues, nuclear issues, Utah

Utah Legislators continue to “show women their place”

Posted on February 7, 2007 | Leave a comment

It’s bad enough that the men of our legislature are making decisions regarding women’s reproductive choices for women of our state. Now they are continuing to “put women in their place” by preventing them from other health care needs.

A House Committee killed a bill for healthcare that would potentially prevent a fatal form of cancer in women.

HB358 would have given the Utah Department of Health $1 million to educate females about cervical cancer and immunize girls and young women against it with the new Gardasil vaccine. Bill sponsor Rep. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, said she thought the bill would pass out of the House Health and Human Services Committee.
“Many people are afraid of something new,” she said. “I think these are individuals who are against immunization altogether. But this is the first vaccine to protect against cancer.”

Upon reading the article, it is clear that conservative lobbyists in this state have had influence over the death of this bill because heaven forbid we provide any kind of education on health care to young girls and teenagers.

They might learn something and that would be (gasp!)unthinkable.

So women of Utah remember your place.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged healthcare, politics, Utah, women's issues, women's rights

Energy Pollutions Bill Passes

Posted on February 7, 2007 | Leave a comment

Sadly, the Utah Senate has passed SB155, which will take away legislative oversight of nuclear waste coming into our state. This gives Energy ~~Pollutions~~ Solutions one more step towards total autonomy over this issue.

Speaking for EnergySolutions and its operations plans, Sen. Darin Peterson, R-Nephi, said, “Every time they have tried to change, they have been opposed by one group or another, and they have never lost one of those challenges. Never.”
There should be a point where the company can go forward without as much hassle, according to Peterson. EnergySolutions is performing a service, said Peterson, sponsor of SB155. “They have proven themselves to be good partners.”

Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, said he was not speaking to impugn the corporate reputation of Energy Solutions. “What I’m trying to do here is to think about the public policy behind what is a significantly important material to many of the people of the state of Utah,” McCoy said. Many do not want to leave decisions about the material “in the hands of a group of bureaucrats.” “I think the Legislature should keep some skin in this game,” said McCoy. He said officials charged with oversight “absolutely have a role in the process,” and they are the experts. “What I have a problem with is absenting ourselves and the governor and the county from a role in that process.”

There is a lot of confusion, according to the article, over the language of the law and of this bill. But one thing is clear to me: There are a number of Utah legislators who do not care to listen to their constituents and care only about money and not people. This bill is a prime example of that.

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Tagged 2007 legislature, environment, nuclear waste, politics, toxic waste, Utah

Do As I Say – Not As I Do

Posted on February 5, 2007 | Leave a comment

Some representatives in the Utah Legislature are up to their old tricks by imposing inequitable laws.

In today’s Salt Lake Tribune:
Cell phones, tanning booths, video games – they all pose potential threats to children, according to Utah lawmakers.
But ATVs and hunting rifles are apparently OK for even the youngest children to use, if parents say so.
Once again, the 2007 Utah Legislature is zigzagging its way around parental rights, the best interests of children and government policy. With some bills, they have decided parents really do know best.
Isn’t that typical of governments all over? Dictate what’s in the best interests of people and their children without conulting them.

Yup. It’s in our best interests to listen.

NOT!

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Tagged 2007 legislature, politics, Utah

School Vouchers Blogswarm-NO to H.B. 148

Posted on February 1, 2007 | Leave a comment

School Voucher Blogswarm

No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: An Unproven Risky Scheme-Davis Didjeridu
No on 148, No to Vouchers: Accountability-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: Constitutional Issues-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: Unrealistic Finances-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: The Wholesale Purchase of the Legislation by Purchase of the Legislators-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: Conclusion-Davis Didjeridu

No to Utah School Vouchers Blogswarm-Ober Dicta by Steve
Blogswarm: No on school vouchers-Jen’s Green Journal
Vouchers are being fast tracked

Vouchers and simple economics

Higher education grant programs as a justification for vouchers
The truth about vouchers

On January 30th I posted my piece, School Vouchers-A Bad Idea. Today I offer this related post as part of a blog swarm on the topic which is being decided on in the Utah Legislature this year.
Continue reading →

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Tagged education, government, politics, Utah