We as a society love to say how much we support our troops, but it is rare that policy makers actually step up to the plate and say “thank you, we are going to make your life a little bit easier because you have decided to protect our nation.” That is why I applaud Senator [...]
Archive for the ‘Bills I am For’ Category
Bills to Watch: SB 156, Elected Official Retirement Benefits Amendments, Sen. John Valentine
One issue that has always mildly bugged me has been that lawmakers receive retirement benefits similar to long term state employees if they simply put in enough years at the state legislature. Currently, if a lawmaker manages to stick it out for ten years, they receive the same benefits as a full-time state employee may receive after [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 274, Adoption Amendments, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck
I don’t want you all to think that I am biased towards Representative Rebecca Chavez-Houck (D – Salt Lake, District 24) simply because she happens to have ranked number 1 last year for best representing my interests…or because she just so happens to be my actual representative on the hill; but the honest truth is, I am [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 124, In-State Tuition for Veterans, Rep. Curtis Oda
It is rare when I agree with Representative Curtis (R – Clearfield, District 14); so on those rare occasions that I do, I feel it is worth noting. With HB 124, In-State Tuition for Veterans, Oda is saying in no uncertain terms, thank you, to the men and women who serve (or have honorably served) our country by offering [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 119, Study of Signing Petitions Online, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck
One of the reasons I have always liked Representative Rebecca Chavez-Houck (D – Salt Lake, District 24), is that she has always fought to expand the rights of voters in Utah. She has been a strong advocate for modernizing our democracy while still holding true to is roots. I point to HB 119, Study of Signing Petitions [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 263 Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouse, Rep. Lynn Hemingway
After reading up on HB 263, Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouse as proposed by Representative Lynn Hemingway (D – Salt Lake City, District 40), I was shocked to find out we needed a bill like this in the first place. Being the spouse of a serviceman or woman is a difficult one, often times meaning that you [...]
Bills to Watch: SB 115, Historical District Creation Requirements, Sen. Wayne Niederhauser
This time last year, Senator Wayne Niederhauser (R – Sandy, District 9) showed just how much disregard he has for local government sovereignty by proposing SB 243 – Historic Areas or Sites Amendments. Apparently, in the past year, Niederhauser realized just how draconian his law really was to begin with…but is still missing the point. Time to pull out [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 283, State Stores Pilot Program for Days of Sale of Liquor, Rep. Patrice Arent
One of the many perplexing liquor laws in Utah revolves around state liquor stores being closed on the more “obscure” legal holidays. Most Utahns don’t get holidays like Columbus Day or Presidents Day off from work, yet our liquor stores are inexplicably closed on those days. Thankfully Representative Patrice Arent (D – Salt Lake City, District 36) is attempting to [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 70, Air Quality Task Force, Rep. Patrice Arent
On the list of “important things our legislature really should cover,” our metro area’s air quality should be at the top of the list. Year after year the inversion gets worse and worse, and yet our lawmakers seem to completely ignore it. This is somewhat ironic as the inversion always seems to set in at [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 64 – Amendments to Public Employee Health Care, Rep. Brian Doughty
I have to hand it to freshman Representative Brian Doughty (D-Salt Lake City, District 30). His bill, HB 64, Amendments to Public Employee Health Care would go far in proving that Utah is not some backwater stuck in the 1940′s. Doughty’s bill makes the revolutionary step to acknowledge that not every state employee fits into the classic [...]