I must admit that I was impressed when I saw that Senator Karen Morgan (D – Salt Lake –District 8) proposed SB 31, Classroom Size Amendments. It is short, it is sweet, and it cuts to the very core of one of the principal problems with Utah schools: large class sizes. Morgan is proposing that there [...]
Archive for the ‘Bills I am For’ Category
Bills to Watch: HB 63, Mobile Home Park Residency Act Amendments, Rep. Janice Fisher
It is an understatement to say that Utah has poor renters rights, placing greater worth on landlords and property owners. In the class of renters, there is an even worse off group of people – those living in mobile homes. State and local laws are so bad that, currently, mobile home renters have no process [...]
Bills to Watch: SB 69 – Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Textbooks for Higher Education, K. Mayne
We all know the price of college is not getting any lower, and the burden for these costs are often placed on students who’s caloric intake on any given week consists of ramen noodles and whatever was left over from when they crashed the underwater basket-weaving clubs meeting in hopes of getting a sweet, sweet slice of free pizza [...]
Bills to Watch: SB 65 – Statewide Online Education Program, H. Stephenson
Senator Howard Stephenson (R – Draper, District 11) has rightly taken a lot of heat lately about his statements saying that state universities give away “degrees to nowhere.” Although it is concerning that a public official feels this way about higher education, I must admit that I am very pleased to see the same senator propose SB [...]
Bills to Watch: SB 61 – Education for Prescribing Controlled Substances, P. Jones
Although many people may not want to talk about it, the abuse of prescription pain killers is a big problem in the state. In many cases, those addicted to these medications did not seek them out because of the classic cliche’s associated with illegal drug use. Most often addicts are addicts because of a painful [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 171 – Abortion Clinic Licensing, C. Wimmer
They must be throwing snowballs in hell, because it is a damn cold day down there when I agree with Representative Carl Wimmer (R – Herriman, District 52) on anything, let alone agree with him on an abortion bill. But after some very careful reading, I have to say that I agree with the concept [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 164 – Campaign Contributions Limits, R. Chavez-Houck
Although I have never actually banged my head against a wall, but I imagine it is how Representative Rebecca Chavez – Houck (D – Salt Lake, District 24) feels when she is trying to push HB 164 – Campaign Contributions Limits through the unimaginable 45 day hell that is the legislative session. The bill most likely has [...]
Bills to Watch: SB 124 – Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle, B. McAdams
It is hard to believe that a person would knowingly and purposefully leave a child in a car under conditions that could cause harm or death to that child. Sadly, we hear stories all too often of an event where a child is knowingly left in a car (and in harms way) because the guardian [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 96 – Mandatory Emission Inspections and Maintenance Programs, J. Biskupski
Although you wouldn’t think it, Utah is actually is actually one of the more densely populated states in the nation with 2.3 of its 2.7 million residents stretching along a corridor 120 long and 40 miles wide equating to roughly 500 people per square mile. This is due, in large part, to the geography of the state [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 89 – Protection of Children Riding in Motor Vehicles, P. Arent
HB 89 – Protection of Children Riding in Motor Vehicles has been kicked around in one form or another for many years now. This time, Representative Patrice Arent (D – Salt Lake City, District 36) has decided to take up the call and attempt to pass a bill that makes it an infraction to smoke [...]