Tag Archives: Utah

Today’s lesson in civics

Today the History teacher at my school and I are taking a group of our students (11th and 12th graders) to observe today’s floor session of the Utah Senate. I am anxious to hear the students’ perceptions. I faciliate the learning of this group of students in our school’s Service Learning Class. It is this class time that will be used for the field trip. Our history teacher will be spending the class time at school today preparing them for the trip by reveiwing the procedure of the Senate and House sessions and what bills have been introduced and debated this year. We will be spending one hour observing the Utah Senate.

After the session, I will be joining supporters of the GLBT community in a peaceful demonstration just outside the Senate building (4pm) to voice opposition to the school clubs bill by Senator Buttars. I have mentioned the demonstration to students in case they want to observe yet another way that citizens make their voices heard.

Hill Happenings

Articles in published in today’s Utah newspapers about Utah Legislature and related news:

Salt Lake Tribune
Public funding for state’s community colleges on decline–Not just Utah: Students are paying more to offset inadequate public funding for community colleges
Achievement gap attacked–Batch of legislation would help minority students catch up with whites

Deseret News
Don’t expect Legislature to police ‘drops’ – Opinion
Parental choice in education overdue – Opinion
Utah woos Harvard researchers
Toll-road bill nears OK, but opposition building
Alpine is reviewing its policy on clubs
Ovations, not jeers, for hate-crimes bill:Litvack’s new approach to divisive issue pays off

Hill Happenings

Articles in published in today’s Utah newspapers about Utah Legislature news:

Salt Lake Tribune
Legislative clock ticking on controversial bills–
Three-day rush: With the session set to end Wednesday, hundreds of proposals are pending

Lawmaker says pawnshops not abetting thieves
Bad rap? Lockhart’s amendment would let the stores sell items without a waiting period

Deseret News
Deadlock makes for a wild legislative session – Opinion
Huntsman brings out ‘big stick’: He’s ready to use veto, twist arms
Most oppose records restriction
Increase in roads funding favored
Cities may soon control schools

Hatch Doesn’t Want To Be Held Accountable

Utah’s U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch has told Utah’s lawmakers that there is no need to hold him accountable to them.

“I don’t think we need legislation, to be frank with you. I think we can work this out together,” Hatch told the state Senate. “We respect you. We know you have a tough job.”

The intent of the bill revolves around states’ rights, requiring more accountability. SB156, sponsored by Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, is intended to have a more formal process between Utah’s legislature and U.S. Senators, including allowing Utah lawmakers to give direction to them and request reports. The bill has been amended since its introdution to include an interim study on the issue of whether lawmakers should have a role in choosing their political parties’ nominees.

Elected officials do need to be formally held accountable. Requiring U.S. Senators to take direction from the states they represent and to submit reports as requested is not an outrageous idea. It makes sense and is a good example of how all elected officials must be held accountable – from the people up.

Message Bills, McCoy’s testimony, a little history and a rally to support the GLBT community

I’ve been posting frequently about the Buttars Bills. The issues on which these bills (and some others, I might add) are based are what is being termed as “message” bills and not focused on citizens needs.

One Utah has an audio clip of Utah Senator Scott McCoy’s passionate testimony about the Buttars bills and the attack on the homosexual community. Posting about his remarks does not do his testimony justice. Listen to it.

Other senators opposed to this legislation make testimony also about divisiveness and hatred and “throwing stones”. Analogies and poignant stories of past events are made to the body.

Proponents of the bill pointed out that the words “gay and lesbian” are not mentioned in the bill. However, Buttars keeps referring to homosexuality in his defense of the bill.

Buttars argued that “traditional moral values” upon which these countries were founded must be upheld……
Let’s taken a momentary aside and examine the personal lives and “moral values”of our founding fathers, shall we? Thomas Jefferson, for example, had a questionable sexual life. There is also some question as to whether or not Amercia was actually founded on the principles of christianity – even amongst the christian communities.

When touting the “traditional moral values” upon which our country was founded, it would behoove our legislators to first define “traditional moral values” and to then substantiate the claims with evidence that may be or my not be challenged.

The GLBT community and supporters will be holding a rally on Monday night:

Family Night at the Capitol
Monday, February 27 at 4:00 P.M. on the West Plaza Capital Grounds

PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) invites you to a peaceful rally of support for the GLBT Community and for Gay/Straight Alliances on Monday, February 27 at 4:00 p.m. on the West Plaza Capital Grounds.

What our legislators are doing and saying is wrong, immoral, and sending a negative message to our community. Bring friends and family. Wear t-shirts, buttons, and make banners or posters that make a statement of how you feel about the proposed bills that will affect our community and our loved ones. Include positive messages that we want them to know about our friends and family members. Together we can make a difference. This is the last chance we have during this Legislative session to stand together and have our voices be heard. Please join us!

Thanks,

Geralynn Barney
PFLAG Mom

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
Renters’ advocates: Keep cap on application
Hatch takes on Utah Legislature–Back off: Utah’s senior U.S. senator opposes a legislator’s plan for oversight of his work
Senate revives early voting measure–It would allow ballots 14 days before an election; bill will head to governor with minor tuning
How to spend extra $300M? Governor, Legislature compromise on food tax, other breaks
Rule changes for hand-held gadgets OK’d
Hope for vouchers fades
Senate splits on pair of bills
Hate crimes bill has a shot

Deseret News
Legislators, guv chip away at 2006 budget disputes
A good hate-crimes bill
Foe of immigrant tuition denies supremacist links: Bill to overturn in-state perk apparently is dead
Stadium deal upsets Salt Lake: Officials say cities were not on level playing field
Huntsman to pitch immigration plan
Law isn’t needed, Hatch tells legislators
House passes competency-test bill
School-voucher bill’s future in serious doubt: Sponsor says he won’t run the measure without votes
Salt Lake upset over stadium dealings
Senate, with only 4 no votes, passes formal ‘flatter tax’ plan
Foundation may get OK to sell some Winter Sports Park land
House passes bill to exempt some from graduation test
Senators unanimously approve measure to overhaul RDAs
House passes bill to develop Utah suicide prevention plan
Athletic-trainer licensing measure is close to passing

Senat Bill 70 – Vigil at State Capitol!

This came in from HEAL Utah. I plan to attend.

We’re down to the last week of the legislative session, which ends March 1st. Governor Huntsman has pledged to veto Senate Bill 70, which should send the bill back to the Legislature on Tuesday, February 28th. That gives the Legislature 2 days to attempt to override the governor’s veto.

Can you be at the Capitol to help stop this? We need to make a stand during the final hours of the legislative session to send a message that we do not want to make it easier to dump nuclear waste in Utah.

Press Conference and Glowstick Rally
Tuesday, Feb. 28th, at 6:15pm
East entrance to the West Building of the Utah State Capitol (this is in the courtyard behind the Capitol building)
We’ll provide the glowsticks!

We believe having a strong citizen presence at the Capitol at the end of the session will force our legislators to be accountable to the people they represent–us. Will the legislature pass a state budget, improve funding for our schools, and deal with the state surplus? Or will our legislators prioritize making it easier for nuclear waste to be dumped in Utah and in the final hours of the legislative session take power away from the governor and give it to nuclear waste dumps like Envirocare?

After the press conference, we’ll head into the galleries of the House and Senate Chambers. If our legislators know a lot of us are watching, they’ll be less likely to try to sneak this override through. Can you join us?

Capitol Vigil
We hope to keep a strong citizen presence going throughout the last day of the session–Wednesday, March 1st. If you have an hour or two that day, sign up to join us at the Capitol between 8:00am and 10:00pm (they end at Midnight). Your presence alone will send a message to our legislators that we’re watching and want them to focus on real priorities. You can also take this opportunity to talk to any your legislators (we’ll have “How-to Lobby” packets to hand-out).

In every district we’ve flyered, the response has been overwhelmingly positive (80-90% of the people we talk to are opposed to SB 70). Yet, this bill passed easily through the legislature. Help bridge this gap. This is our last chance this session to make sure our legislature puts the health of Utahns above the interests of nuclear waste dumps.

(Our final day of flyering this session is this Saturday. Meet us at 11:00am at Pioneer Park at the corner of 400 W and 400 S if you can join us.)

Thank you for staying involved over the past 5 weeks. Let’s finish strong.

John Urgo
Outreach Director
HEAL Utah
68 S Main St, Suite 400
SLC, UT 84101
(801) 355-5055
john@healutah.org

Utah Governor expected to consider a veto of the Buttars Bills

Governor Huntsman has indicated that he will veto the anti-gay club and evolution bills. He said he will make a final decision if and when they reach his desk and he has had chance to review them for any significant changes.

Both bills are sponsored by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who said he was surprised at the governor’s veto threat. “Why doesn’t he like them? What’s wrong with them?” Buttars asked. “I find it amazing he’d make those kind of comments, and he’s never asked to talk to me.”
The governor, who had earlier raised concerns about the need for Buttars’ bills, had talked early on in the 45-day session about avoiding so-called message bills and staying focused on more important issues.
“These are no message bills,” Buttars said. “These are solid pieces of legislation that involve morality. Morality isn’t a ‘message bill.’ “

This year’s Legislative session in Utah is beginning to be termed the “gayest” on record with all the pieces of legislation having to directly or indirectly pertain to gay and lesbian issues.

Ben Fulton, editor of the Salt Lake City Weekly states in his editorial this week, For Republicans in Washington, D.C., the running line is, “If you’re not with us, you’re against us.” The Utah Legislature’s unspoken motto seems to be “If you’re not with us, you’re with those dirty homosexuals.”

It’s true. It seems that each year more and more legislation has to do with morality and less and less to do with services. [Broken record again] It’s time for Utahns to speak out and push to elect officials who will speak out for services for citizens and leave morality issues to individuals and not the government.

Anti-Bullying Resolution Passes

Yesterday Utah Legislators passed the anti-bullying bill, aimed at addressing bullying in Utah schools. The Governor is expected to sign the passed bill into law.

Cliff of One Utah has been heavily involved in this issue.

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
Legislature briefs
Bill gets nod from Senate amid ‘clarity’ questions–
Dubious impact? Some on the Hill say it wouldn’t meet its presumed goal

Hunting Guns for Kids
Budget deal is in works
Bill would help schools with fees
Violent Games: Adults would be punished as felons for providing them to kids

Deseret News
House passes hate-crimes measure: Compromise may have a good chance in Senate
Buttars’ bills may face vetoes: Huntsman skeptical of evolution and school-gay-club measures
Huntsman brokers a tax-cut deal: Neither side gets all it wants in proposed budget package
‘Pie in the sky’ class-size reduction bill clears panel
Clock ticking to repeal law on in-state tuition
House OKs bill targeting violent video games
Anti-bullying resolution passes the Legislature
House widens scope of Carson Smith eligibility
House panel OKs funding to boost English skills