House Democrats end 2011 Utah Legislature with solid support for public education, human services and government transparency
A message from House of Representatives Minority Leader David Litvack:
Long before the 2011 Legislature opened, the House Democrats chose a message to guide us in our work: “Common-sense solutions for Utah challenges.”
Our caucus agreed this was an essential Democratic mission statement, especially in a Legislature often dominated by time-consuming message bills. For instance: In the narrow window of a 45-day session, 24 measures challenging the federal government and asserting states’ rights were heard in committee and/or passed by the Republican majority. The same majority passed three anti-abortion bills that already exist in code; adopted a state handgun; meddled in Salt Lake City’s planning and zoning powers; took on the Utah Supreme Court for a pro-plaintiff decision on a medical malpractice case; and rushed HB477, an effort to dismantle the state’s open records act, through both houses.
In contrast, the House Democrats decided to act sensibly and in the public good. We battled for maximum funding for public and higher education – including dollars for anticipated explosive growth in student population. We supported a K-3 reading program, which is critical to our state’s literacy rate, and ultimately to our employment levels and economic growth. We saved critical social service programs, such as respite assistance for caregivers of seniors and people with disabilities. The Legislature adopted our priority budget items of funding for primary care at rural medical clinics, and health outreach to veterans. House Democrats found revenue to support the health-care needs of Medicaid clients – two-thirds of them children.
In the area of public safety, we backed increased funding for Children’s Justice Centers (vital assistance for young crime victims) and emergency and Homeland Security services. House Democrats supported $4.2 million for statewide child abuse investigations and $12 million for keeping open two state prison units. We found $119,000 for critical domestic violence prevention work. And finally, after several years of neglect the crumbling Utah State Hospital will get a long-awaited facelift.
On the contentious issue of immigration, we tried to keep the focus on comprehensive reform, including HB 116 — a sensible guest worker program. Our continued hope is for the federal government to step up and address the immigration challenge.
On March 10, the Utah Legislature sent a $12 billion budget to Governor Gary Herbert for his signature. This was a difficult—sometimes bruising—process. We are relieved that a base budget proposing 7-percent cuts to state programs ended in a final budget with an overall reduction of less than 2 percent. Both House and Senate Democrats had urged the majority not to plug the state’s structural deficit in one year. We considered that reckless budgeting. In the end, Republicans closed only a portion of the gap, leaving legislators the ability to address the imbalance more gradually—and wisely.
House Democrats, for the record
A record number of 1,174 bills and resolutions were filed this year. Seeing a bill through from drafting to passage is a Herculean feat.
Unfortunately, a number of Democratic measures did not survive the process. The good news is some bills were held for the interim, such as Rep. Brian King’s HB 112, a common-sense effort to raise severance tax on oil and natural gas extraction in Utah. The Legislative Fiscal Analyst estimates the change could add $38 million to the General Fund over two years. HB 423, which would have established an earthquake safety committee for public schools, failed in committee. Its sponsor, Rep. Larry Wiley, has battled for six years to have school seismic safety addressed and vows he’ll try again next year. Rep. Carol Spackman Moss carried a bill for direct state school board elections, which would remove the governor from the nominating process. The bill failed.
We claim victories, too. Rep. Tim Cosgrove’s HB 384, which gives veterans credit toward state occupational licensing for skills they learned in the military, passed unanimously in both houses. Rep. Jennifer Seelig, watching out for vulnerable constituents, sponsored HB 384, which gives teen mothers who have been abandoned by their parents the power to authorize their own immunizations. HB 89, which bans smoking in motor vehicles when children 15 and younger are present, passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Rep. Patrice Arent relentlessly worked this children’s health bill on both sides of the aisle, resurrecting it after it appeared to be dead early in the session.
In many cases, House Democrats worked to block bad bills. Reps. Moss, Arent and Marie Poulson were especially challenged on the House Education Standing Committee, where they opposed bills that attacked teacher performance, the public school revenue base and educational requirements for school administrators. Democrats vigorously opposed a Republican bill to abolish tenure at the state’s universities, helping to kill the measure in committee.
Finally, the majority of House Democrats voted against HB 477, which would substantially alter GRAMA, the state’s open records law. The bill cleared both houses in less than 72 hours. The governor signed the bill, with the understanding that legislators will revisit it and work to improve problem areas before a special session to address the issue in June. The House Democrats strongly support openness in government process and will work to keep GRAMA effective for citizens.
We have been proud to represent you at the 2011 Legislature. We thank those of you who contacted us his year. We value your support and encourage you to contact us with any questions or issues of concern. To reach your representative, go here: http://www.utah.gov/house/representatives.html
Thank you.