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County Organizing Conventions Underway Soon
This is a slow time for politics, but there’s still plenty happening out there for anyone who is interested. Both parties hold organizing conventions this year, starting right away. Party officers will be elected and other business conducted. The same county and state delegates who were elected last year are expected to attend the county and state conventions.
Republican county organizing conventions get started with Weber County on March 17 and end with Washington County on May 14. The state organizing convention is scheduled Aug. 27.
For Democrats, county conventions start on April 1 in Sanpete County and run through April 26 when the Tooele Convention will be held. The state Democratic Convention is scheduled for May 6-7. (See our calendar at the right for dates and details.)
Salt Lake Chamber Has a Good Session
The Salt Lake Chamber accomplished most of its legislative goals, according to a legislative update by chamber VP and government affairs director Robin Riggs. The chamber monitored 117 bills related to business, but voted to support 29 bills and oppose 6 bills. Of the 29 bills supported, 25 passed, and none of the 6 bills opposed passed.
All of the chamber’s major public policy initiatives passed in some form, including transportation infrastructure funding, research and development initiative, Salt Palace expansion, and funding for tourism.
The Legislature set aside $120 million in new money for transportation, a good start toward meeting the 10-year transportation funding goal. More money will be needed, however. The Legislature did not address funding needs for mass transit and additional action will be necessary to provide mechanisms for transit funding.
The Legislature provided a jumpstart to the chamber’s Research Universities Economic Development Initiative, which long term will enhance specific scientific and technological research clusters that already exist at the University of Utah and Utah State University. The technology and innovation spinning off these clusters will lead to more technology transfers into the private sector and greater job creation. The Legislature appropriated $7.35 million to get the initiative started.
IHC is Topic for Voice for Moderation
The next Voice for Moderation meeting will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, at the home of Lynn Price, 2851 East Sherwood Dr. in Salt Lake City.
The guest speaker will be Greg Paulsen, an IHC Senior Vice President. He will talk about the legislation dealing with IHC and how IHC sees the upcoming task force that will study managed care issues. The presentation will provide inside view of the controversy. The future of Voice for Moderation will also be discussed. For more information, contact Larry Siebers, siebers@earthlink.net.
News Media Watch
Liberal Bloggers Seek Media Allies
For anyone interested in blogging and its impact on politics, the New York Times has an interesting story about how liberal bloggers are holding conference calls with representatives of traditional media coordinate and share ideas in an effort to counter the conservative bloggers who seem to dominate the medium.
Liberal bloggers complain that the views of conservative bloggers seem to make it into the mainstream media through talk radio and Fox News. But conservative bloggers say the big newspapers and television networks ignore them.
In the same edition, the Times has another interesting story on how newspapers are trying to find ways to charge for on-line content on their Web sites without driving readers away.
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