2011 Session Week 2
Dear Friends in Senate District 15 ~
In the Senate this week the first order of business was to pass the base budget. That means we had to pass 8 different budget bills, one for each appropriation committee, by Wednesday at noon. The base budget is the foundation for the final state budget we pass at the end of session. Much of the media talk of “cuts” was exaggerated – no one complains about the height of a house when all they’ve done is pour the concrete. We’ll be working to craft the rest of the budget for the remainder of the session. If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.
For the first time in recent years, our analysts report the numbers look somewhat optimistic; state revenue will be up. However, growth in state responsibilities like education, medicaid, and meeting federal mandates will more than eat up the available revenue so we need to proceed carefully. This year one of our goals is to regain structural balance, so our ongoing financial commitments are less than our income.
Congressman Rob Bishop visited on Tuesday. He congratulated us on our speed and efficiency-wishing that Washington could somehow follow Utah’s example. He promised some pushback on Utah federal lands issues and spoke about his continued work on 10th Amendment issues, immigration and the repeal of the HealthCare program. Senator Hatch addressed us this morning. He discussed his concerns with federally-mandated health care, dealing with gridlock in Congress and the importance of state sovereignty. Congressman Matheson also visited the Senate and took questions.
In addition to working on the budget, the legislature addressed some policy issues as well. I worked on a bill dealing with commissions. Prior to presenting the bill on the Senate floor, Gov. Herbert discussed this issue w/me. He had a suggestion for amendments – which I accept and appreciate his support of the bill.
Pictured – My intern Jordan Hess, and me meeting with the Governor in his office.
Here is a link to my bill.
Changes to the Constitutional Revision Commission:
http://www.senatesite.com/home/crc-trc/
This week I also very much enjoyed presenting House Bill 25 in the Senate. HB25 originated in the House with Rep. Jack Draxler and addresses Mineral and Petroleum Literacy. The bill arranges for a small portion of money from the Oil and Gas Conservation Account to be used for preparing educational materials for the schools on the benefits of the minerals and petroleum available in our great state. Understanding the role of this critical industry and the role its products play in people’s lives is essential for an educated public. (For example – not many people know that nearly 5 tons of copper are required for building a wind turbine, nor do most know that minerals needed for a cell phone include copper, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, indium, titanium, beryllium as others) Our wealth comes from earth.
The attached 6 minute video is a delightful example of the kinds of teaching tools that could be used for Mineral and Petroleum Literacy. (note – no whales were hurt in the making of this video!)
http://www.kennecott.com/ore-to-more/
Here are links to some other bills of interest:
Utah Medicaid Reform:
http://www.senatesite.com/home/medicaid/
Mission based funding for Higher Ed:
http://www.senatesite.com/home/higheredmissio/
Performance Based Funding in Government (this passed quietly, but may
be one of the most revolutionary, far-reaching policies we approve this
year):
http://www.senatesite.com/home/results-driven-government/
Affinity Fraud Policy
http://www.senatesite.com/home/affinityfraud/
Alcohol Legislation:
http://www.senatesite.com/home/alcoholamendments/
You may also enjoy some of the photo albums from this week at the Utah
State Capitol:
http://www.senatesite.com/home/Utah%20State%20Senate/photo-album/
Yours for freedom,
Margaret Dayton
