Kara Hetrick:          KCPW LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

(801) 359-5279 ext.            air KCPW time 8:30      Record time 7:10   Kara will call   

                                                ANNA BROWER  REPORTING   

http://www.lwvutah.org/legislative-updates.htm

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY?

Again today, Appropriations Subcommittee meetings are taking up a good deal of legislators’ time and attention.  They meet from 8 to 11 this morning and from 2 to 5 this afternoon.

Legislators will take a Floor action break from 11 to noon, to debate and vote on bills.

This evening, there’s a special traditional event:

At 6:30, Senators and Representatives will gather in the House Chamber to hear Governor Gary Herbert’s “State of the State” address.

Appropriations Subcommittees Agendas

MORNING MEETINGS are from 8 TO 11 AM

The Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee will examine budgets for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Heritage and Arts, and the Labor Commission

Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality will focus on budgets of three Divisions:  Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Wildlife Resources; and Parks Administration.

The subcommittee might have time to discuss the School and Institutional Lands Administration (SITLA.)  As you may know, revenue generated from the state lands SITLA administers goes into a $1.6 billion dollar permanent School Trust Fund. 

The interest earned from investing that money is supposed to benefit public schools, although now and then suggestions crop up from legislators for other uses, for instance relocating the state prison in Draper. 

Trying to maximize that revenue has led to disputes with environmental protection and hunting groups over questions like whether to drill for oil in the Book Cliffs. Last summer a task force of investment counselors suggested management changes that they said could increase the value of the SITLA fund to $2.8 billion, generating more money for Utah schools. 

The Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee will ponder funding for charter schools, incentive compensation for teachers, voted and Board local tax levies, and school building programs.

And this morning Social Services Appropriations is discussing Department of Human Services budgets for People with Disabilities, Substance Abuse and Mental Health programs, plus Aging and Adult Services.  For each of those programs the committee will be looking at funding reductions and revenue options, expenditure trends, Federal funding, information technology projects, and Performance Measure trends.

AFTERNOON APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS are from 2 to 5 PM

The Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee plans to talk about State Courts and Department of Public Safety budgets.

Higher Education Subcommittee members will hear briefs on instructional costs plus presentations by Weber State, Southern Utah and Dixie State university officials.

The Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee is actually meeting twice today.  This afternoon they’ll look at base budgets for Disease Control and Local Health Departments.  And as we might expect, they’ll also discuss the contentious issues of Medicaid spending and Medicaid Reform.

Finally, the Utah Department of Transportation will be discussed in the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee if time permits. 

    Decisions about transportation policy and budgets are especially important because of the need for dollars to improve public education and to improve Utah’s air quality.  Both issues are of great concern to Utahns.

More Action at the Capitol After Hours

From 6 to 8 PM           There will be a Governor’s Reception in the Rotunda
And from 6:30 to 7:30 PM Governor Herbert will deliver his State of the Statpe to a Joint session of the Legislature in the House chamber.

The League invites you to join us at the Legislature this year.

 
Or you can watch, listen or contact your legislator on line at Utah’s legislative website le.utah.gov

  
For more information, and to read the League’s studies “Funding Utah Public Education” and “Relocation of the Utah State Prison at Draper," visit our home page lwvutah.org

We are also on Facebook and Twitter.

League of Women Voters
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http://lwvutah.org/


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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.


Sandy Peck
sandypeck@xmission.com  

Be kind.  For every one you meet is fighting a great battle.
		-Philo of Alexandria