House & Senate Democrats On Message Bills: Enough Already!
Utah Democrats delivered a message Tuesday about the many “message bills” that Republican legislators are running this election year to attack the federal government and the Obama administration.
“Enough is enough,” House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake City, said in a news conference.
House Democratic Assistant Whip Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, complained that message bills take “time and the energy and the resources of the state Legislature … and divert them away from productive activity and into an attack on the federal government and an attack on the Obama administration.”
While Democrats don’t like the many message bills that attack public lands policies, they especially targeted the Senate-passed SB208, which would have Utah join a compact of states seeking to opt out of federal health care reform and, if allowed by Congress, control such programs as Medicare and Medicaid locally with federal block grants.
“This is not just a benign message bill,” said Senate Assistant Whip Pat Jones, D-Holladay. “Utah would be in charge of our own Medicaid and Medicare.”
She said Republicans are willing to take that big leap to send a message, without studying the costs and ramifications. She said she’s sure it will either raise taxes or lead to cuts in health care for seniors.
Litvack said the GOP effort is just “being driven by this desire to tell the current administration” that Republicans don’t like health reform, and “what is this, the seventh, eighth or ninth time that we’ve done that, so haven’t we sent that message?”
“If we’re serious as a legislative body and are not driven by posturing and politics and we want to talk about what’s the best way to provide health care to our citizens, then let’s do it the right way,” which he said would be to carefully look at costs and effects instead of leaving those as unanswered questions.
Read the full article HERE
Read MoreDeseret News Names Some Courageous Democrats In The House
“Are they doing any good up there?” That’s a question we frequently hear during the legislative session. Citizens often get a skewed image of the Legislature because the news media (us included) tend to focus on the unusual and inflammatory.
While it is much more fun to make snide remarks about legislative action, the truth is that almost all of what happens on the Hill is solid and sensible, and lawmakers receive little recognition for this work.
In addition, a number of legislators each session demonstrate real courage when they confront the establishment, their fellow party members, or conventional norms, sometimes putting themselves in political peril — in order to make a difference.
Here’s a short sampling of lawmakers who are sticking their necks out, for good or for bad (depending on your political perspective). Please note: Frank has a dog in almost all these legislative fights. He is more conflicted than Woody Allen.
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We often hear about attempts to reform education — but rarely from a Democrat and a teacher. Rep. Carol Spackman Moss was a well-liked instructor at Olympus High School and has been a strong defender of public education in the Legislature. She is sponsoring a pilot project that will evaluate and assist underperforming veteran teachers.
It seems that all successful alcohol beverage legislation is sponsored by Republicans. One of Frank’s favorite bills — opening liquor stores on holidays — is sponsored by Democrat Rep. Patrice Arent. In defiance of tradition, the bill actually passed the House.
Read the full article HERE
Democratic Representatives Carol Spackman Moss and Patrice Arent
House Democratic Leader Announces Retirement
Outgoing- House Democratic Leader, Representative David Litvack (District 26)
Salt Lake City – Representative David Litvack, House Democratic Leader, announced today that he will not seek reelection this fall.
“I’ve spent a long time on Capitol Hill,” said Representative Litvack, “and it has been an honor. I’ve loved every single issue that I had a chance to get involved in and advocate for, but after 12 years in the Legislature it’s time to let someone else take the reigns so I can spend further time with my family.”
Representative David Litvack was first elected to the State Legislature in 2000, and has served as House Democratic Leader for the last 4 years.
“Working with Representative Litvack has been a joy,” said House Democratic Whip, Representative Jennifer Seelig.” His abilities as a legislator and a leader have created more successes for Democrats in Utah than most people will ever realize.”
“It has been a singular honor to serve next to this incredible man,” said Representative Brian King, House Democratic Assistant Whip, “he has been an honorable leader, a hard worker, and an impassioned advocate for Salt Lake City.”
“Representative Litvack will be sorely missed,” added House Democratic Caucus Manager, Representative Christine Watkins. “His leadership has been an inspiration.”
Read MoreRep King’s OpEd – Grab of US Land A ‘Get Rich Quick Scheme’
Representative Brian King (D)
Representative Brian King had an Op-Ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning. He outlines the heavy problems in the Republicans’ Land-Grab bills, calling them a “get rich quick scheme.” Read it below!
As in past years, this general session of the Legislature has produced several bills aimed at taking control of land owned by the United States and transferring it to Utah state ownership. The bill sponsors assert that if Utah were to take over this federal land with the authority to drill it, mine it, and sell it off to corporations, enormous amounts of money to fund public and higher education would appear.
Unfortunately, this quixotic endeavor has many problems. The United States is not likely to go along with Utah’s efforts to wrest control of the nationally owned real estate within Utah’s borders. Success in this venture likely will come only at the hands of sympathetic federal court judges and will undoubtedly require U.S. Supreme Court approval.
Supporters of Utah’s quest assert that public lands litigation carries the distinct possibility, even the likelihood, of victory. And with that victory they believe our ability to fund — at much higher levels — state programs, including public and higher education, will be guaranteed.
So how likely is it that the federal courts will allow us to take over national forests, BLM lands and even national parks? Not very. Our Utah Constitution states that the “people inhabiting this State do affirm and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within the boundaries hereof . …” Article III, Sec. 2.
The founding fathers of Utah gave up any claim to…
Read the full Op-Ed HERE
Read MoreCapitol Window! Week 6 Legislative Recap
Capitol Window
Week: Feb 27 – Mar 2, 2012
Welcome to Issue #6 of the Capitol Window from the Utah State House Democratic Caucus! With each weekly newsletter, we’ll bring you up to date information on the House Democrats’ efforts on Capitol Hill during the 2012 Legislative Session.
Common-sense Solutions
You may have noticed this year that we’re talking a lot about “common-sense solutions,” and there’s a reason for that. As we near the end of the 2012 session, a number of bills and issues inevitably arise which don’t meet that sensible mantra.
From the beginning of the 2012 session, the Legislature has made a point of refusing to hear any bills that would substantially revise Utah’s immigration policies. But earlier this week, Representative Chris Herrod (R) created quite a stir on the House floor when he attempted to change that.
When the Speaker of the House (currently Representative Becky Lockhart) leaves the floor, a Speaker Pro Tempore is appointed to act as Speaker temporarily. That had just occurred on Monday when Representative Herrod unexpectedly made a motion for his bill, HB 300, to be lifted from the The House Rules Committee where it had been held. HB 300 would repeal 2011′s HB116, commonly known as “Utah’s Guest Worker Law.”
The floor erupted, and the ensuing debate saw Representative Herrod quickly blame Utah’s murder, rape and suicide rates all on “illegal aliens.” But his motion never saw a vote, as a substitute motion was made to take a 15 minute recess (which passed easily).
House Democrats maintain our stance that immigration reform is not a matter for the State, but constitutionally belongs with Congress. But for those laws which have and will come out of Utah, we counsel and argue for every legislator to remember that this sensitive issue deals with families. Immigration is not an abstract discussion, it has real impacts and permanent ramifications on fathers, mothers, and children in Utah. It would behoove all involved to keep open hearts and minds when dealing with such sensitive topics.
Budget
Each year, House Democrats spend months working to create our own full and working budget for the State of Utah, independent of our Republican colleagues. While our budget priorities will eventually get folded into the Republican Budget this year, with some priorities surviving and some falling behind, we view this as a critical responsibility to show both the Legislature as well as our fellow citizens precisely what a “Common-Sense Budget” looks like.
When creating our Democratic Budget, we take measures to ensure that the programs desperately needed by Utahns are taken care of, while also ensuring that the budget is structurally sound and eliminates structural deficit.
Those whom we trust to tend to Utah’s future, Higher Education, Public Education and State Employees, deserve to know their own futures are secure. We’re pleased to announce that the Democratic Budget will cover not only their retirement costs, but also a one-time 1% compensation bump in the coming year.
Government is not a meaningless “it” to use as boogie-men, but the tool of the people to benefit our society as a whole. There are critical services that we use the government to provide, and the Democratic Budget is a reflection of such. Education, both public and higher ed, are critical to Utah’s economic development and as such, will receive greater funding, both for today and tomorrow’s jobs.
Public Services are always a big priority for Democrats and the people of Utah, and our budget includes critical services such as Medicaid and Community Health Centers for the elderly and disabled. Many disabled Utahns who are disabled have the desire and ability to work, and we want to make sure they are able to do so. Included this year is continued funds for job training, job coaching and even interpreters.
Overall, it is vital that we promote strong economic development and quality of life in Utah. As House Democrats, we are pushing strongly for support of proven programs that grow our economy, and promote the arts and sciences which will spark the imagination of the next generation. We are proud to live in Utah, we are proud of those community gems across the state, such as the Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Tracy Aviary, that bring bring joy and happiness to so many. We will continue to fight to make our beautiful State the best that it can be.
Would you like to see the entire budget? Click HERE to see it.
This Coming Week:
We’re getting ready to start the final week of the 2012 Session! If history has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot predict what is going to happen in the final week of the Utah State Legislature. There are still plenty of bills that do not have public language yet, but might be worded – lifted from the Rules Committee – and passed within a matter of a single day (remember HB 477 last year?). We will be vigilant and vocal, so make sure that you join us on the Hill, watch live at http://le.utah.gov or follow along on our twitter and facebook accounts!
Follow Us Online
Every day of the session, our website, Facebook page and Twitter stream flow non-stop with up-to-date information, pics and stories from the Hill. During hotly-contested moments, we’ll live-tweet it so you can watch the drama unfold as it happens! Join the conversation.
- Facebook: Utah House Democratic Caucus
- Twitter:@utahhousedems
- Website:www.utahhousedemocrats.org
Sincerely;
The Utah State House Democratic Caucus
David Litvack, House Democratic Leader