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Utah Matters
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Written by Micah Olson
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Monday, 22 February 2010 17:51 |
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Dear Neighbor, This week we were fortunate to celebrate President’s Day on Monday, and then move into a session on double time on Tuesday. In an attempt to ensure that all bills are heard and have time to be discussed, the Legislature has expanded floor time hours in both the House and Senate as will be the case for the rest of the session. I presented a resolution to the Public Utilities and Technology Committee on Friday morning, HCR012—Printing and Graphic Arts Recognition Month Concurrent Resolution, which passed unanimously and was put on the consent calendar. HCR designates April 2010 as Printing and Graphic Arts Recognition Month in the state of Utah and recognizes the contributions made by the printing and graphic arts industries and encourages institutions of learning to continue education in this field. My three prescription drug abuse bills were intended to pass through the Senate floor this week, but like always, there was a bump in the road regarding the fiscal notes attached to these bills, so they were temporarily tabled. Due to the state’s budget deficit, any bill that has a small fiscal note attached to it has a much smaller chance of passing through the Legislature. I was able to meet with the fiscal analyst, drafting attorney, and the Department of Commerce to negotiate the bill’s necessary money’s appropriated. After much discussion, we were able to come up with a way to ensure that the fiscal notes would be zeroed out on all three bills. HB0110, County Jail Inmate Medical Costs, passed through the Senate without any delay, and HB0254, Voter Identification Amendments, was presented to a Senate committee on Friday and passed through with a favorable recommendation. In other news, sponsor, Representative Sandstorm presented 1S.H.B. 234 – Opting out of the Real ID Act, to the House floor on February 18th, and had the bill pass with a 68 to 3 vote. This is another bill that fights for the sovereignty of the state of Utah. It provides legislative findings regarding the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 and prohibits the state from participating in the implementation of the Real ID Act, any national identification card system that may be enacted by the US and Congress. Here’s an article in the Salt Lake Tribune covering the passage of the bill through the House—House votes to opt out of REAL ID Act - Salt Lake Tribune. A modest proposal to the federal government: Let Utah do it, written by Senate President Michael G. Waddoups and House Speaker David Clark published in The Washington Post this week, discusses “a modest experiment” concerning the expansion of the federal government over the years. Their proposal focuses on the state working to regulate important programs such as health care, education, and others that are being heavily funded by the federal government (http://www.washingtonpost. com/wpdyn/content/article/ 2010/02/18/AR2010021803978. html). Once again, I thank you for your support. I will continue to do my best in representing the best needs of our district as I enter the fifth week of the 2010 Legislature session. And as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Brad Daw
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Last Updated on Monday, 22 February 2010 17:57 |
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Week 4 at the Legislature |
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Written by Micah Olson
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Tuesday, 16 February 2010 23:47 |
Dear Neighbor,
At the conclusion of the first month of the 2010 session, I am happy to report on the progress of the Legislature. This week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to present a resolution on commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America , see my Voter Identification Amendment bill pass through the House, witness the success of HB 67 (Health System Amendments) in the House, and present HB 110 in front of the Senate Government Operations Committee.
On Monday, many Utah leaders representing the Boy Scouts of America joined me as I presented HCR 5. We were joined by a golden eagle named Scout as the resolution was passed through the house, senate, and then signed by Governor Herbert. This was a great time to honor the admiral values and morals that the BSA has equipped our young men with over the past century. A few pictures of the event are attached to this letter.
In Higher Education Appropriations we were faced with the task of determining this year’s budget. With the state’s deficit, a cut was unavoidable. However, we were able to scrape by with a .2% cut. In the end, we decided it was more important to subsidize with the Rainy Day Fund than to hurt the education system.
A few interesting pieces of legislation coming to the forefront of state attention include SB 11, HB 67, and HB 143. SB 11, sponsored by Senator Margaret Dayton, states that firearms made within the state of Utah are not subject to Federal regulations. This Deseret News article describes the bill in more detail: Utah Legislature hopes to hold a gun to federal law. This bill passed through the house this week, and is now being prepared to be signed by the governor. HB 67, sponsored by Representative Wimmer, passed through the House with a 53 to 20 vote. The bill’s legislation regarding the resistance of a federal healthcare plan makes its future still uncertain as it is presented to the Senate.
HB 143 appeared on national news this week as Representative Chris Herrod, sponsor, held a press conference discussing the bill’s purpose. Essentially, this bill enables Utah to claim eminent domain from the federal government. Currently, 60% of Utah is public land, this bill would enable Utah to privatize some of that land and benefit from it’s resale as well as the abundance of natural resources. The Los Angeles Times discusses the specifics of this legislation: Some Utah lawmakers want to use eminent domain to return federal land to state for development.
My prescription drug bills continue to progress as they wait for final fiscal analysis and then floor time on the Senate. A recent local news article involving this topic supports even more need for this legislation: Large Prescription Drug Bust in Orem.
Lastly, this week I welcomed a visit from sixth grade Noah Webster Academy students as we toured the capitol, learned the bill process, and met with the governor. I always enjoy seeing faces from my district and welcome all of you to share in this legislative experience here at the capitol.
Sincerely,
Brad Daw
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Week One Utah State Legislature |
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Written by Micah Olson
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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 02:29 |
Dear Neighbor,
The first week of session at the Utah State Legislature has come to a close, but not an uneventful one. This past week numerous strides have been made in accomplishing our goals to strengthen the sovereignty of our state as well as protect the safety of our citizens.
One of the exciting events which took place this past Tuesday was the passing of my prescription drug bills through the house. Here is an article from the Daily Herald covering the bills: Bill to tackle prescription drug abuse problems. On Tuesday morning I held a press conference to explain the importance of this legislation. Articles covering this conference as well as reporting on their passing through the house can be found by following these links: Lawmaker introduces 3 bills targeting prescription drug abuse, Utah Legislature: House approves prescription drug abuse bills.
Legislators have also been busy preparing legislation to protect the rights of the state. The following is a list of legislators and the bills they are running dealing with these issues, as well as the links that will take you to the bill:
Representative Frank - HB 210 Eminent Domain Modifications; Representative Noel - Federal Law Enforcement Bill, State energy policy Amendment; Representative Morley- HJR 10 Joint Resolution Opposing the Establishment of a Federal Commission on State Workers' Compensation Laws, HJR 11 Joint Resolution Regarding Federal Health Insurance Reform; Representative Sandstrom - HB 234 Opting Out of the Real Id Act, SB 11 Utah State-made Firearms Protection Act; Representative Wimmer - HB 264 Law Enforcement Amendments, HB 67 Health System Amendments.
A few other initiatives I have going include a moist snuff taxation revision bill and a county inmate medical costs bill. The Moist Snuff bill amends the definition of “moist snuff” so that dry tobacco products are not based on weight for tax but only tobacco products containing 45% moisture content. The County Inmate bill specifies that the county will only cover medical expenses if the inmate is unable to cover it themselves through private healthcare or other funds. A similar bill is being run on the state level by Representative Ray. An article discussing his bill can be found at the Deseret News.
Also, as mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the issue of ethics is receiving a fair amount of attention this session. In Speaker David Clark’s opening remarks of the Legislature he commented on the fact that Republicans have already agreed to a series of ethics reforms. Additionally, in the State of the State Address Tuesday night, Governor Herbert claimed that he has signed an executive order that “reaffirms and clarifies” ethics guidelines originally set by former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update on the activities of the Utah State Legislature. I encourage you to continue to be involved in our state’s government. I also welcome comments and concerns and ask you to please feel free to contact me if I may be of assistance in any way.
Sincerely,
Brad Daw
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Utah State Legislature Week 2 |
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Written by Micah Olson
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Monday, 08 February 2010 14:50 |
Dear Neighbor,
Once again, another week has passed and I am happy to inform you of the work of the legislature. Several key issues have been discussed this week, attracting more attention from the media and public. Additionally, I have experienced success with pushing my legislation through the bill process.
One of the major bills discussed this week is HB 67 sponsored by Representative Wimmer. HB 67 addresses a possible federal healthcare plan and calls on Utah agencies to consult with the Legislature before automatically implementing the federal plan. On Wednesday this issue was brought to the Health and Human Services Committee where it was passed with a favorable recommendation. However, this outcome was not without debate from both legislators and public commentators (Deseret News- Utah bills hit back at federal mandates). As a strong proponent for states’ rights, I made the motion to pass this bill, justifying that we cannot rely on the federal government to fund our programs when the federal government has no money to give. Concluding the statement, I drew from the quote by Admiral David Glasgow Farragut where he shouts to disregard the torpedoes, and go “full speed ahead.”
My three prescription drug bills have now made their way through the senate committees and are on the agenda to be discussed in the senate floor session. I was fortunate to have Lindon police officer, Darrell Bingham, at my side to present HB 36 to the senate Law Enforcement committee. A brief explanation of this bill and its presentation in the senate committee can be found here – Utah Legislature – Committee OKs doctor notification bill.
I also presented HB 110 in the house Law Enforcement committee on Thursday. This bill, County Jail Inmate Medical Costs, allows the county to look towards inmate’s private health insurance to pay for medical fees. In the absence of private healthcare, the county will pay for the medical costs but can look towards reimbursement from the imamate’s cash account or possible private property in the jail’s possession. This bill will save the county money by utilizing the inmate’s resources. Another bill I sponsor, HB 254, was heard by the house Government Operations Committee on Friday. This bill amends the voter identification bill I passed last session. It makes a few technical changes on last year’s bill and specifies that current military IDs, Bureau of Indian Affairs cards, and tribal treaty cards will count as a primary form of identification at voting polls.
Lastly, a group of eventful legislation passed through the Health and Human Services Committee Friday afternoon. The three bills map out Utah’s health care reform, providing for a 10 year map to solve Utah’s health care problems. HB 25 and HB 52 simplify a system in which health care can be bought and paid for. HB 294 is the main focus of the reform and provides for a way to “move to a customized, competitive model that allows consumers to pick more suitable plans, carry coverage with them between jobs and sets options for employers who offer plans”(Utah Legislature: 3 bills blueprint new Utah health plan).
I have received many e-mails and thank you for taking that time to respond to these updates and voice your comments and concerns. I welcome all input as I continually strive to do my best to represent our district. Have a great week.
Sincerely,
Brad Daw
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Written by Micah Olson
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Saturday, 30 January 2010 07:43 |
Dear Neighbor,
This coming Monday, January 25th, the 2010 session of the Utah State Legislature will begin. The session will last for 45 days ending on March 11th. I will be sending you weekly updates to keep you informed on the activities of the legislature. Additionally, during this time, I invite you to e-mail me with your comments and concerns; I would love to hear from you and will take all input with the utmost consideration.
During this session I am sponsoring three main bills that involve prescription drug abuse. They all deal with helping to educate and inform those that write the prescriptions. Hopefully, through this heightened awareness, preventative measures can be taken to reduce the number of unnecessary deaths resulting from prescription drug abuse. If you wish to follow these bills during the times of the session, you can find them on the quick bill search on le.utah.gov. You can also see what these bills are about by clicking on the following links: HB 28, HB 35, HB 36.
Another piece of legislation you may be interested in coming to the floor this session is an ethics bill. A great article describing this bill can be found on the Deseret News.
On the national front, some interesting events have happened as of late involving national health care reform. Scott Brown, Republican, landed the Massachusetts’ senate seat, thus representing the 41st vote in the senate against the health care bill. The LA Times summarizes the situation in the following paragraph:
“To many Democrats, the bill is a victim of simple math. All 435 members of the House and one-third of the Senate are up for reelection in November, a fact that makes them acutely tuned to shifts in public opinion. With Brown campaigning . . . against healthcare in the Senate, they're not sure they want to risk their own political necks for a proposal that is spurring a huge voter backlash.” (Does Scott Brown’s Election Doom Healthcare?)
Other insighful articles on this topic can be found at Newsmax - Scott Brown Win Is a Wake-Up Call, and the Daily Caller: What’s next for health-care reform? We are currently diligently working in the state of Utah on reform that empowers consumers to make their own health care decisions as opposed to reform that enables the government to have that right.
Once again, I welcome your comments and concerns and invite you to visit me at the capital during the session. Thank you for your support and I promise to do all that I can to make this 2010 session the best one yet in representing the needs of our district.
Brad Daw
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