I am shocked and saddened by the recent statements made by two members of the Republican Caucus of the Utah Senate. By now, you may have seen the Senate Majority Leader, Scot Jenkins, outburst on the outlandish thought of exempting military personnel from having to pay property taxes while serving on active duty (click here for [...]
Archive for the ‘Issues’ Category
Bills to Watch: SB 116, Armed Forces Property Tax Exemption, Sen. Luz Robles
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 [...]
Bills to Watch: SB 249, Firearm Possession Amendments, Sen. Mark Madsen
It always astounds me how much hot air comes out of the legislature every year about how grand the Constitution is and how we must uphold the document as a sacred text…unless there is something in there that happens to disagree with the legislature, that is. Take, for example SB 249, Firearm Possession Amendments as [...]
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 285, Repeal of Higher Education Tuition Assistance Program, Rep. Steve Eliason
There is always a cute dance that takes place at the start of every legislative session, where we get to see just how mean, crazy, out of touch, or (gasp dare I say it?) reasonable newly elected or appointed legislators are. Well, I am sorry to say that Representative Steve Eliason (R-Sandy, District 45) appears [...]
Bills to Watch: SB 107, Possession of Graffiti Paraphernalia, Sen. Karen Mayne
I must admit that I originally was not going to write about SB 107, Possession of Graffiti Paraphernalia for one main reason: I have very mixed feelings about the bill. However, after members of the online group Anonymous targeted (for some unknown reason) the Salt Lake City Police Department’s website in protest of this bill, I [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 298, Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Amendments, Rep. John Dougall
I have come to a conclusion: Representative John Dougall (R-American Fork, District 27) has no idea how cause and effect, prevention, or general common sense, works. Why else would he be proposing HB 298, Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Amendments? A bill that, based on his own arguments in the media, is a bad decision. HB 298 would eliminate the [...]
Bills to Watch: HB 226, Closed Meeting Amendments, Rep. Kraig Powell
I am deeply concerned with the utter disdain Representative Kraig Powell (R-Heber City, District 54) is showing towards the citizens of Utah. I have already written about his desire to remove people from the voter file – and now I am sickened by his push to make policy making a closed door affair. Yes, Powell’s HB 226, Closed Meeting Amendments, [...]
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 [...]