These are notes from the meeting Saturday of the progress of Utah state legation just before the last week. The host of the event jokingly said that his wife calls the group ‘eggs and egos. Everyone laughed.
– Marsha: daily savings bill never got out of committee. Change to have a daylight act.
– Take 28 votes in house and 15 in Senate to pass a bill after approval of the governor.
– Do not believe everything in the newspaper
– Norm: several bills on election reform. Why all the attention on this. A lot of weakness in the system (petition signature specifically) many felt they were not fully informed.
– Are you getting enough sleep? No. Got to bed 12 up by 6 one rep is trying to get exercise. Try to do some exercise. Not eat too much. Sometimes we not eat enough. It is stressful. Have a lot of people upset with you when working on tax reform. Even family members are upset with various bills and give their family member legislators their opinion.
– It is a fast and furious 45 days. Make sure we maintain a citizen legislator.
– News reporting skinny budget? What of other states done to shift the tax? What have they cone that can be done here? Hp441 (tax reform) we have a structural imbalance in the estate. The taxes are not in the right buckets. Wanted to shift money over to more buckets. There was no temper tantrum we know how to work together. We’ve already passed a base budget. Just need to address the 1.9 billion.
– Change the state fruit from a cherry to a peach:
– Will Utah County get $6 million to help cover costs for fighting the fire this past summer?
– Drug import from Canada? Passed house failed in Senate committee. Trying to find out where the money is going. It is going to someone. The pharmacies are not getting the money.
– Settle the alcohol debate? In many suicides, there is alcohol in the bloodstream. From the business committee> optimal not to proceed with this bill
– Change of government for the Utah count is to add commissioners? It is a county decision, not a state one.
– Hate crime bill sb103. Passed through the senate and house committee 8 to 2. List of hate crime attributes got larger.
– What are you doing to prepare for the next economic downturn? This is the foundation behind tax reform. We have one of the rebus emergency funds among the states. We are working hard to pay off debt. Last recession Utah fared well. We are consistently labeled as the best-managed state. We have a triple-A bond rating.
– Update the changing retirement program for the police to back to where it was? Utah almost has it funded. After last downturn. Police was getting 50% of pay after retirement. Went down to 37.5. We were having a hard time getting people to be police in Utah. We sent back up to %0% for 25 yrs. of service. That bill is making good progress. It has gone through senate and house committee.
– Sb177 ALEC bill special needs labeled so broadly even IEP student ae able to received public funds? Trying to address any child in need. Ongoing work for vouchers and school choice.
– Why changing the state flag? Some not happy with the designs currently offered.
– Hb46: allows 18-20 yr. olds to take the alcoholic drinks order at restaurants? It is particularly important to family-owned businesses. Allow family business to save money? Someone is still objecting and the bill is stuck in rules committee. Next year it will be the first top bill.
– Bill allowing teachers to incentivize their students to do well on standardized tests? If state says this is a valid measure of knowledge then this test can replace.
– How increase K2 funding? Up to 5 billion mass increase. Salary in line from 39k to 49K teacher salary. Yr. 3rd best state in education in world report publication. Every year the largest increase of money has been directed to funding.
– Tobacco 21 or older (restricting sale of tobacco). Update: passed out of committee. To preamp
– Eliminate straight party ballet: Problem is voting string ballet and ignore judges and other issues on the ballot. Passes unanimous. You will have to vote on individual issues.
– An increase of attention for socialism: put up firewalls to protect against negative possibilities. Grateful for legislators to work together.
– Keep 45 days. Thank goodness for short session. We work on the different issues throughout the year. The people are volunteers.
– Had several clean air bills that help and don’t involve big government.
– Bramble: duel path Utah’s election law is constitutional.
– Don’t believe everything you read in the media. Ask people why they voted.

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