MINUTES OF THE

SENATE JUDICIARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT & CRIMINAL JUSTICE

STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 250, Utah State Capitol

February 16, 2015

 

Members Present:     Sen. Mark B. Madsen, Chair

                                    Sen. Gene Davis

                                    Sen. Luz Escamilla

                                    Sen. Lyle W. Hillyard

                                    Sen. Daniel W. Thatcher

                                    Sen. Stephen H. Urquhart

                                    Sen. Todd Weiler

 

Staff Present:             Mr. Nathan Brady, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Nancy Skidmore, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Madsen called the meeting to order at 2:17 p.m.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Weiler moved to approve the minutes of the February 11, 2016 meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

S.B. 135       Administrative Law Judge Amendments (Sen. W. Harper)

 

MOTION:   Sen. Weiler moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.         Page 23, Line 682:         


             682             (1)    {Each}    Except as provided in Subsection (6), each   administrative law judge hired on or after May 10, 2016, shall be hired in


 

2.         Page 23, Line 703:         


                                       703 fill the administrative law judge position.

 

                      (6)   This section does not apply to an administrative law judge who is appointed by the governor.  

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the

vote.

 

Sen Harper explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Thatcher moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Thatcher moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 105      Human Trafficking Revisions (Rep. A. Romero)

 

Rep. Romero explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Ms. Laura Bunker, President, United Families International

 

MOTION:  Sen. Thatcher moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Thatcher moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 22        Civil Asset Forfeiture – Procedural Reforms (Rep. B. Greene)

 

MOTION:   Sen. Escamilla moved H.B. 22 be replaced with 1st Sub. H.B. 22. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

Rep. Greene explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Ms. Jennifer Valencia, Director, Sentencing Commission

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Ms. Marina Lowe, Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union

                                                Mr. Jim Bradshaw, Attorney

                                                Ms. Dorothy Bradford

                                                Mr. Chris Harrod, former State Representative

                                                Mr. Connor Boyack, President, Libertas Institute

 

Spoke against the bill:             Mr. Jim Winder, Sheriff, Salt Lake County

                                                Mr. Chad Platte, Association of Prosecutors

                                                Mr. Sim Gill, District Attorney, Salt Lake County

                                                Mr. Lee Russo, Police Chief, West Valley City

                                                Mr. Kelly Atkinson, Executive Director, Fraternal Order of Police

 

MOTION:                              Sen. Davis moved to table the bill.

 

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:   Sen. Weiler moved to go to the next item on the agenda. The motion failed with Sen. Madsen and Sen Weiler voting in favor and Sen. Hillyard was absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:                              The motion to table the bill passed with Sen. Weiler voting in opposition and Sen. Hillyard absent for the vote.

 

 

 

H.B. 62           Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice – Statutory Reports Repeal (Rep. D. Ipson)

 

Rep. Ipson explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Escamilla moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard and Sen. Thatcher absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Davis moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Thatcher absent for the vote

 

H.B. 67        Weapons on Public Transportation (Rep. N. Thurston)

 

Rep. Thurston explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke against the bill:             Mr. Sean Benjamin

 

MOTION:  Sen. Weiler moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Thatcher, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Weiler moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard, Sen. Thatcher, Sen. Davis and Sen. Urquhart absent for the vote.

 

Chair Madsen adjourned the meeting 4:06 p.m.

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Mark B. Madsen, Chair