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News Highlights
Utah featured in New
York Times story about political rebellion in the states
against expanding federal power.
Fillmore gets ready for big event as Legislature and
governor head south on Tuesday (Salt
Lake Tribune). Gov. Jon Huntsman has strong personal ties
to Fillmore area (Tribune).
Gov. Huntsman's first weeks earn mixed reviews (Deseret
Morning News).
Columnist Lee Benson says big credit unions
that act like banks should pay taxes like banks (Morning
News).
Quote of the Day
"Most of the legislators have been very helpful and willing to
share their expertise. Everybody seems to realize we're all there
for only a short time and need to work together."
-- New legislator Rep. Lorie Fowlke on preparation for the
legislative session that begins today (Morning
News).
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Monday Buzz
Compiled and
Written by LaVarr Webb |
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The Week Ahead
It’s a big political week in Utah and nationally with the Legislature
kicking off today, Gov. Jon Huntsman delivering his state-of-the-state
address in Fillmore Tuesday evening, and the presidential inaugural
on Thursday. We should know a lot more about Huntsman’s plans and
priorities after his speech Tuesday.
Follow Legislative Activities
Lots of things will be happening in the Legislature, obviously,
over the next 45 days. Because of the tight quarters at the temporary
legislative facilities, it will be difficult to be physically present
as lawmakers do their work. But the Legislature has created a terrific
Web site that is
almost as good as being there in person. You can track bills, track
committee action, listen to floor debate, and many other things
at the site. This
link allows you to keep track of legislative events. We’ll
publish more about the legislative Web site in the near future.
Legislative leaders and staff deserve a lot of credit for really
opening government up to the masses through this excellent Web site.
Insights of House Majority Leader
Here are a couple more excerpts, covering transportation and lobbying,
from House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander’s newsletter:
“A Driving Force. We are in a transportation crisis in Utah.
Tight budgets have put road construction on the back burner. Now
may be the time to use much of the new revenue to fund new roads
and repairs. Raising new taxes is not the answer.
“Nothing stifles an economy more than increased taxes and government
intervention. In fact, just as President Reagan and Bush did to
stimulate the federal economy, some lawmakers are talking about
a new tax cut.
“Transportation needs have to come back to the forefront and be
funded properly as a prerequisite for economic development.
“To Lobby or Not to Lobby. Another hobby horse the media
love to ride is lobbyist bashing. They point to lobbyists as the
source of all corruption! Now, there is no question that too much
exposure to one side of an issue is not healthy for any of us. But
businesses, special interest groups and charities, state departments,
and colleges and universities all use lobbyists to educate lawmakers
on the issues pertaining to their organizations. And sometimes,
lunch is the only time we have free. I know at my business I often
go to lunch with an industry sales representative because I would
never find another time to give them. As part-time legislators,
we benefit greatly from these “information specialists”, (lobbyists)
as long as we look at all sides of the issues.
“Two other great sources of information and advice are the Legislative
Research office and the Legislative Fiscal Analyst office. They
are able to provide us with important information and good analysis
for any legislation we might be initiating or following.
“Finally, in a very real way, anyone who espouses an issue and
acts upon their feelings by calling their representative or contributing
to an organization that actively supports issues is a lobbyist.
And they should be. This makes the system work. Even the media,
though they hate to admit it, are a powerful lobby through their
editorials and columns.”
Top 10 News Stories of 2004
What are news media professionals like in person, and what do they
think about the stories they cover? Come and see for yourself—and
ask them some tough questions—a t an event sponsored by the Salt
Lake Chamber on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Salt Lake City Marriott
Downtown, 75 South West Temple.
A panel of reporters and editors will debate the top 10 stories
of 2004, providing their insights about the big issues in Utah during
the big political year. A reception and continental breakfast will
begin at 7:30 a.m., followed by a panel presentation from 7:45 a.m.
to 9:30 a.m. This is the fifth year of this fun and informative
event. Cost is $15 for Chamber Members, $20 for all others. RSVP
to the Chamber, 801.364.3631, or register
online.
This year's panel:
- Randall Carlisle, Anchor, ABC 4 News, KTVX-TV
- Rick Hall, Managing Editor, Deseret Morning News
- Jaqueline Hurtado, News Reporter, KUTH-Univision
- Mark Koelbel, News Anchor, KUTV 2 News
- Keith McCord, Weekend Anchor, KSL TV 5
- Peg McEntee, News Editor, The Salt Lake Tribune
- Jennifer Napier-Pearce, Morning Host, KCPW 88.3/105.3
FM
- Max Roth, Reporter, KSTU Fox 13
- Scott Seegar, Afternoon News Host, KSL Newsradio 1160
- Kimball Thomson, Senior Editor, Wasatch Digital iQ
- Special guest and master of ceremonies is Bob Hendricks,
Director of Communications, Clear Channel
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Standard-Examiner
2005 Editorial Agenda
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I recently published the editorial goals of the Salt Lake Tribune
and the Deseret Morning News. Don Porter, editorial page
editor of the Standard-Examiner, based in Ogden, sent a message
suggesting I shouldn’t forget the newspaper at the top of Utah.
So here is the Standard-Examiner's 2005 editorial agenda, published
Jan. 2, 2005:
We editorialists tend to view
ourselves as optimists, even when the great body of evidence leads
some people to conclude otherwise. Yes, we often criticize and rebuke,
but we almost always do so as part of an endeavor to prompt positive
change and movement in society.
We want things to be better.
We know they can be, and so we lobby for progress.
That philosophy is behind this,
the eighth annual announcement of the Standard-Examiner's Editorial
Agenda -- the collection of topics we will emphasize during 2005.
They are listed here in no particular order of importance:
Base closure. Hill Air
Force Base is the state's No. 1 employer, and its loss in the upcoming
Base Realignment and Closure round would be catastrophic for Utah's
economy. The Top of Utah, and state government, must mount a vigorous
and successful defense.
Commuter rail. As the
2007 completion date for passenger rail service between Pleasant
View and Salt Lake City draws nearer, communities along the corridor
will be making decisions about how their future will be affected.
Legacy Highway. This
year, we hope, will see renewed construction on the Legacy OK'd
by the federal courts. The need for the alternate freeway has only
grown more pressing during the years the project has been idle due
to an environmental lawsuit.
Balanced state funding.
Education, social programs, public safety, wildlife management and
many more state services compete for the tax dollars it takes to
fund them. We will urge responsible and prudent allocation of that
tax revenue.
Economic development.
If Utah's economy is to sustain our rapid growth, and if retail
and manufacturing sectors are to remain strong, all levels of government
will have to encourage business expansion within the state and the
attraction of new employers to the Beehive State.
Electrical infrastructure.
The health and reliability of the state's electrical grid is critical
to our quality of life and to retaining businesses that need dependable
electric service.
Quality growth planning.
Utah counties, cities and towns need to work more closely together
to create communities that are attractive and convenient for their
residents.
Taxes. Tax reform will
likely be high on the state agenda this year. The Ogden School District
likely will be asking for a tax increase. Weber County just raised
its taxes. Ogden continues to try to lower its taxes. And that's
only for starters.
Affordable health care.
Utahns are increasingly being priced out of health insurance coverage,
and prices for health services are soaring. Prescription drug prices
are astronomical and continuing to increase. The system begs for
reform.
Education. Teachers
will likely get their first substantial raise since the late-1990s
this year. But looking ahead to an additional 145,000 students,
over and above current enrollment levels, over the next decade makes
us wonder how we'll pay for it all.
Better government. It's
time to decide whether Davis and Weber and other counties' three-member
commissions are the best forms of government for residents. Are
they representative of the people? Do they concentrate too much
power in the hands of a few individuals? And more than that, are
our government leaders really doing all they can to make our communities
and our state a better place? Do we have the best possible people
in these jobs?
Water resources. Our
growing population will demand development of more water for culinary,
secondary and industrial uses. Conservation must also become a greater
priority.
Diversity. Much as we
would like to think otherwise, deep divisions remain along religious,
ethnic, racial and cultural lines in our society. We must strive
to live together with tolerance and respect.
Huntsman's first year.
Utah has a brand new gubernatorial administration for the first
time since 1992, and the decisions Jon Huntsman, Jr. makes during
his first year in office will affect the remainder of his years
in office -- as well as the well-being of our state.
Open government. For
years, there have been government efforts to restrict public access
to records and information that ought to be easily available to
Utahns. We are committed to working toward an open governmental
process that can be observed by interested citizens and Fourth Estate
watchdogs alike.
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Monday
January 17, 2005
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New York Times
- Red,
blue and angry all over
Deseret Morning News
- Little
diversity on Hill — still
- Gastronomy
chain banning smoking
- Huntsman's
early days earn mixed reviews
- Let
the session begin
- Lee
Benson: Banks ought to win this legal battle
- Community
meets again to find unity among faiths
- John
Florez: Passing blame for schools' ills is no solution
Standard-Examiner
- Bill
would change charity rules for counties
- Editorial:
Ogden gondola, redux
St. George Spectrum
- State
Legislature convenes, debates sales tax issues
- Editorial:
Legislature needs good, fast start
Daily Herald
- The
trouble with family-friendly law
Salt Lake Tribune
- Ogden
presses case for gondolas as mass transit option
- Fillmore
gussies up for favored son
- Huntsman's
Fillmore roots run deep
- How
did Centerville get boxed into store?
Sunday, January 16
Salt Lake Tribune
- Herbert:
Economic development to boost education funding
- GOP
picks replacements
- New
leaders usher in new era for Legislature
- Sometimes
legislators go against public opinion
- Senate
Demo undergoes lung surgery
- Leavitt
under fire from right as HHS pick
- Mullen:
Up to leaders to bridge the divide
- Cities
vie for soccer stadium
Standard-Examiner
- Huntsman
era: Economic development
- Huntsman
era: Education
- Huntsman
era: Governor
- Huntsman
era: Top of Utah
- Huntsman
era: Challenges
- Tuition
tax credit would hurt rural schools, superintendent says
- Editorial:
Parting ways, shame added
St. George Spectrum
- Sen.
Orrin Hatch views S. Utah flood damage
Daily Herald
- Laying
down the law
- State
senator wants to stop giving businesses property tax breaks
- Legislators
move to temporary chambers
- Editorial:
Time to pass hate crime law
Deseret Morning News
- Money
abounds, but lawmakers feeling squeezed
- Most
Utahns reject ban on smoking in clubs
- Heavy
hitters backing Leavitt
- Outside
counsel on Amendment 3
- Amendment
3 foe files a complaint
- Crime
bills' success likely to depend on available funding
- Tuition
tax credits could go for 'test drive'
- Lawmakers
targeting RDAs
- GOP
caucus fills empty legislative seats
- Everybody's
business
- Pignanelli
& Webb: Huntsman is not afraid to shake things up
Saturday, January 15
Associated Press
- Indigenous
tribes gather to discuss crucial issues
Deseret Morning News
- Huntsman
budget calls for hefty pay hikes
- 'Friends
from north' seething
- Cottonwood
Heights officially becomes a city
- Editorial:
Reform the freebie policy
Standard-Examiner
- Huntsman
targets Hill Air Force Base in proposed budget
KSL
- Editorial:
A legislative wish list
Salt Lake Tribune
- Rocky's
remarks stir sparks in Davis
- Task
force to weigh Wendover questions
- Flood
prompts N-waste alert
- New
city Cottonwood Heights ready to make own rules
- Amendment
3 opponents ask for investigation
- Lawsuit
against Cannon's firm is settled
- Huntsman
budget favors roads, schools
- Editorial:
Rocky's mouth
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Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com
- Jan 17: 2005 legislative session begins.
- Jan 19: "Left, Right...Which Way America?"
A one-hour discussion between Adrian Wooldridge (author of The Right
Nation) and Robert Reich (author of Reason: Why Liberals Will Win
the Battle for America), 6 pm. KCPW is heard at 88. FM, 105.3
FM and 1010 AM.
- Jan 20: Presidential Inauguration.
- Jan 20: Live Coverage of President Bush
Inauguration, 9:30 am. KCPW is heard at 88. FM, 105.3 FM and
1010 AM.
- Jan 27: Last day to request bills (by noon).
- Jan 27: Last day to approve bills for numbering
(by noon).
- Jan 29: Central Committee Meeting.
- Jan 31: Utah Issues 31st Citizen’s Day at the Legislature,
8:30am to 1:30 pm, Prime Hotel, 215 W South Temple, Salt Lake City.
Free event with breakfast and lunch provided. For more information
please visit www.utahissues.org.
- Feb 3: Salt Lake Chamber’s Annual Legislative Reception,
5:30 pm to 8 pm, Grand America Hotel.
- Feb 5: Annual Green Party of Utah Convention,
10 am to 2 pm, Anderson-Foothill Library, 1135 E 2100 S, Salt Lake
City.
- Feb 12: Morgan County Lincoln Day Dinner.
- Feb 12: Utah County Lincoln Day Dinner.
- Feb 18: Last day for legislators to prioritize
bills and other programs with fiscal impact.
- Feb 23: Final meeting for the Executive
Appropriations Committee on all budget matters.
- Feb. 25: Massachusetts Gov. and 2008 presidential hopeful
Mitt Romney speaks at Salt Lake County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner,
7 p.m., Little America Hotel. For ticket information see: www.lincolnclub.net.
- Feb 25: Salt Lake County Lincoln Day Dinner.
- Feb 25: Bonding bill available to legislators
by noon and final action taken on it by calendared closing time.
- Feb 25: Last day to pass bills with fiscal note
of $10,000 or more.
- Feb 26: Republican Women Federation Fundraiser.
- Feb 27: Last day to consider bills from
own house.
- Feb 27: Last day for a motion to reconsider.
- Feb 28: General appropriations bill, supplemental
appropriations bill, and school finance bill available to legislators
by calendared floor time and final action taken on each bill by
calendared closing time.
- Mar 2: Second supplemental appropriations bill
available to legislators by calendared floor time and final action
taken by noon.
- Mar 2: 2005 legislative session ends.
- Mar 22: Last day governor may sign or veto bills.
- Apr 30: Utah County Republican Party Organizing Convention,
7 pm, Canyon View Junior High, 950 N 700 E, Orem.
- May 1: Last day a veto-override session may begin.
- May 2: Normal effective date for bills.
- May 2: First day to file bills for the 2006
General Session.
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