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The Week Ahead
Capitol Hill will be busy this week with numerous interim committee and task force meetings. Click to the meeting notices and agendas from the Legislature’s calendar page. Also, check out the many political events listed this week on our calendar at the right.
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Blog Watch
Sen. Lyle Hillyard, who co-chairs the Executive Appropriations Committee, uses The Senate Site to describe the Legislature’s new approach to budgeting in which lawmakers plan to pass a base budget in the first few weeks of the session. The Legislative Process Committee will discuss the budgeting process today at 2 p.m. in room W130. Also on the Senate blog, Senate Pres. John Valentine talks about a meeting with the ambassador to the U.S. from the League of Arab States.
Washington Watch
Hatch to Give Keynote Address at Forum
Sen. Orrin Hatch will give the keynote address today at the “Woodrow Wilson Center Cross-Border Forum on Energy Issues”, where business, academic, and policy leaders will be gathering to discuss U.S.-Canada cross-border cooperation, with a focus on North American petroleum production.
Huntsman Attends Energy Conference
The Associated Press reports that Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will join other western governors at the “Montana Symposium: Energy Future of the West” in Bozeman on Tuesday. A highlight of the conference will be a panel Tuesday evening featuring Govs. Brian Schweitzer of Montana, Huntsman, Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming, Christine Gregoire of Washington, and Ted Kulongoski of Oregon. Gov. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia might also attend.
Vegas to Spend Billions for Pipelines
A story in the Las Vegas Sun says “the Southern Nevada Water Authority hopes to nearly double the Las Vegas area's water supplies with major pipeline projects that could cost more than $3 billion. The projects involve the Virgin River and two groundwater aquifers shared by Utah and Nevada.”
Wal-Mart’s Bank Draws Record Comments
A Reuters report said the FDIC has received more than 1,000 comments, “more than any other application subject to public commentary,” regarding Wal-Mart’s bid to open an industrial bank in Utah. (Rival Target Stores already has an industrial bank.)
Check Out Antelope Island
The Davis Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting an Antelope Island Experience, Tuesday, Oct. 18, from noon to 4:30 p.m. Davis County state legislators Julie Fisher, Curt Oda and Sheldon Killpack are assisting with the event.
The activities begin at noon at the Garr Fielding Ranch with lunch and an introduction to the island. Participants can then choose to ride horses or go on a wildlife safari. Other activities on the island that are not being offered for this event but well worth noting include sea kayaking and daily cruises and weekend dinner cruises aboard the "Majestic Islander". RSVP to lois@davisareacvb.com or call Lois Bowden at 801-774-8200.
People You Ought to Know
Name: David C. Gessel
Occupation: Currently serving as Vice President of Government Relations and Legal Affairs for UHA, Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association. Prior work experience includes practicing law with a major Utah law firm and serving as Legislative Director for a U.S. Congressman.
Education: B.S. in Political Science from the University of Utah, M.A. in Public Policy from Rutgers University, J.D. from the University of Virginia.
Growing Up: Grew up in a great family with five siblings in Salt Lake City. Proud Graduate of Olympus High School. Served an LDS Mission to Australia. Went to BYU as a freshman.
Family: My wife Diana and I graduated from the U of U on the same day but didn’t meet until 2 years later when we were both working in the Washington, D.C. area. We have three sons and one daughter.
Why Political Involvement: My parents are both WWII veterans and I grew up in a home that was locally active in politics. Interested in student government from any early age. Really got “turned on” to politics after my mission when I served as a Hinckley Intern for a Utah Speaker of the House and a Utah Congressman. I am a great fan of the Hinckley Institute.
Hobbies: Golf, travel, reading, coaching soccer, Utah politics.
Hottest Issues: Medicaid, medical malpractice tort reform, Privately Owned Healthcare Task Force, any issues dealing with hospitals and health policy.
Proudest moments: My marriage to Diana and birth of our four wonderful children.
Favorite Books: My favorite fiction books are the Lord of The Rings Trilogy. I was inspired as a young man by The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino. Love to read so have lots of other favorites -- particularly dealing with Utah history and politics, LDS history and doctrine and U.S. history and politics.
Favorite mentors: Parents, my scoutmaster Gil Pederson, R.J. Snow of the Hinckley Institute, Congressman Ron Packard, Rick Kinnersley and Robert Grow.
Political Heroes: Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Ronald
Reagan.
Anything else: My great grandfather, Henry Gardner, served for six years as Utah Senate President in the early days of statehood. This has been relevant to me in lobbying as his picture has been right next to the Capitol door where lobbyists wait for current Senators to come out. I have often looked at his picture and been inspired to do my best to make the legislative process in Utah better for my children and fellow citizens. (So if any current Senators are reading this, I am lobbying you to put the Senate Presidents’ pictures back in the same places when you move back into the Capitol!!!) |
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