Lawmaker aims to close lobbyist loophole
From the Deseret News…
A House Democratic leader has introduced a bill that would close a loophole in the new lobbying "cooling off period" law.
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, the minority assistant whip, said it's wrong that many legislators can skip the current one-year waiting period before they can become a registered lobbyist.
Many legislators thought they had a firm one-year waiting period when they passed a bill in the 2009 Legislature. But after the session ended, they found out that the bill (now a law) said that a legislator could go to work for a business or nonprofit and become a lobbyist right away.
And last summer, former Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, resigned his seat to become the government affairs director for the Utah Education Association, the main teachers' union in Utah. Holdaway did not have to wait a year to lobby his former colleagues, since he went to work for a business or nonprofit.
The new law, apparently, only applies to a former legislator who goes to work as a contract lobbyist — that is, a person who doesn't work for a business, but rather carries individual lobbyist clients under contract.
Moss said it is only right that the one-year "cooling off period" should apply to every legislator/lobbyist.
As of now, a package of GOP-sponsored ethics reform bills does not address the "loophole" in the new lobbyist/former legislator law.
— Bob Bernick Jr.
Read MoreProvo Daily Herald – Democrats decry Herbert's stance on taxes
Democrats decry Herbert's stance on taxes
Joe Pyrah – Daily Herald |
Democrats responded strongly to Gov. Gary Herbert's state of the state address by calling for targeted tax increases.
"Are you OK with increasing the class sizes in our schools because we are notpaying for the 11,000 additional students that are entering our public schools this year alone?" Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones asked the public.
Jones issued the Democratic response hours before even seeing the governor's speech, saying that she didn't expect anything different from what they've heard numerous times before.
"We know what he's going to say," Jones said earlier in the day.
Democrats are striking a more defiant tone early in this legislative session. During Herbert's speech, they sat quietly — for the first time in recent memory — while the governor was getting standing ovations from Republicans for promising no tax increases and bemoaning federal intrusion.
"We've cut so deep. We've cut so deep already," said House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake City, after the speech.
Litvack says a number of tax increases should be on the table, including the tobacco and gas taxes, both of which the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce supports.
"We have to identify where the line in the sand has to be drawn," Litvack said.
After the speech, both sides said the other's proposals were short-sighted. Herbert said in an interview afterward that increasing taxes now doesn't leave options for the future.
"It's not that we don't need a tax increase," he said. "It's that we don't need it right now."
Democrats disagreed, saying that by cutting critical services now instead of covering the shortfall with "targeted tax increases" that it will cost much more to restore them later.
"Unless we invest in our most important resource, our human capital, we are at risk of falling to average, to mediocrity," Jones said.
KUER's Jenny Brundin reports on the "State of The State" – with remarks From Minority Leader, David Litvack
Read MoreThe Democratic response to Governor Herbert's State of the State
The Democratic Response to the Governor’s State of the State Address
By Senator Pat Jones, D—Holladay
Good Evening. I’m Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones.
First, I would like to thank the Governor for his presentation tonight. We share his concern about the needs to keep our economy strong, invest in public and higher education, and to enhance Utah’s important energy resources.
Legislators receive an abundance of emails and calls begging us to protect services. Programs that help serve the disabled, assist those who otherwise may have no options, allow caregivers much-needed respite care, keep our best and brightest students stay in Utah with scholarships, and provide programs that help our young people learn to read are just a few of the programs that have served us well, but are in jeopardy because of limited funds.
Utah’s Democrats believe in fiscal responsibility. We must first look at every way to improve efficiency in government. These efforts have taken place over the past several years, as budgets have been slashed and department heads asked to judiciously cut personnel and services. We are now at a critical juncture.
Tonight, I’d like to ask YOU, our citizens, some hard questions.
- Are you okay with increasing the class sizes in our schools because we are NOT paying for the 11,000 ADDITIONAL students that are flooding our public schools this year alone?
- How important is it that our schools expose our young people to music, foreign languages, and the arts?
- Is it acceptable for your college student to be blocked out of classes because funding is not there?
- Is it okay that more college-bound students are NOT choosing to become teachers because statewide low pay and increasingly difficult conditions?
- What do you want to do about the growing number of dentists who donate their services to children on Medicaid but who are dropping out of the program because they simply cannot afford to meet the growing demand?
- Half of Utah’s Medicaid recipients are children. Which children do you want to turn away?
- Shall those who devote their lives to serve people with disabilities and earn less than $9 an hour be cut back on hours in order to accommodate budget cuts?
- Would you rather invest in helping the frail elderly remain in their homes by providing such services as in-home care, wheelchair ramps and grab bars, or would you prefer to send them to nursing homes at FIVE TIMES the cost?
- Substance abuse is a growing problem for Utah’s families, would you rather put the sick in jail cells, or put them through the drug court systems that have been proven effective at a fraction of the cost?
Utah has the youngest population in the country. We also have one of the highest elderly populations. Both are valuable assets. Unless we invest in our most important resource – our HUMAN CAPITAL, we are at risk of falling to average, to mediocrity. I know that average is NOT acceptable to our state, our communities, or our kids.
We cannot tax our way out of this problem, nor do we want to. However, raising the tax on tobacco is one responsible way to increase revenues to address the critical needs in Health and Human Services. Other alternatives for new revenues are being floated by organizations such as the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, who as much as anyone, understands the connection between a quality education system and economic viability.
I hope you will consider these hard questions. I would encourage you to contact your state representative and senator to let them know what is important to you. Good night.
Read MoreRepresentative Marie Poulson – Bill would allow Medicare card as valid voter ID
Bill would allow Medicare card as valid voter ID
From the Provo Daily Herald, by Joe Pyrah
Utah's law to erect barriers against voter fraud may be hurting the very people who vote the most.
A number of p
eople in their 80s and 90s have come forward to say they can't vote because they don't have a picture ID — such as a driver's license — because of their age, says Rep. Marie Poulson, D-Salt Lake City. (The U.S. Census shows the highest voting age group is those over the age of 65.)
They are those "who are mentally active, civically aware and very interested in participating in the process as voters," said Poulson, who is sponsoring a bill that would allow those older than 65 to use a Medicare card as valid voting ID.
Jason Yocum, Salt Lake County Recorder deputy, said his office has received a number of calls from older voters that they were turned away at the polls.
"Many of these people I understand left frustrated and never returned," he said.
The proposal comes with some heartburn for those who say the Medicare card doesn't have picture ID on it, which was a main thrust of recent legislation to prevent voter fraud. The Eagle Forum opposes the bill — though would support efforts to provide pick-up services to get voters to the polls.
Rep. Craig Frank, R-Cedar Hills, said the state already provides for those who don't drive.
"I think there's a provision in our current code … that allows for them to receive a state identification card," he said.
That argument, too, was poked at, given the recent woes at the Driver's License Division because of changes to the process to comply with the Real ID Act that have resulted in day-long lines.
"Getting a picture ID or driver's license has become much more difficult in the state of Utah," said Marina Lowe, legislative and policy counsel for the ACLU of Utah.
The bill was passed out of the House Government Operations Committee by a 5-3 vote and will be debated on the floor of the House.