Link to Zipped WordPerfect Minutes 8K bytes

MINUTES OF THE
HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS STANDING COMMITTEE
ROOM W010, WEST OFFICE BUILDING, STATE CAPITOL COMPLEX
February 8, 2006

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Douglas C. Aagard, Chair
        Rep. DeMar "Bud" Bowman
        Rep. Craig W. Buttars
        Rep. Neil B. Hansen
        Rep. Neal B. Hendrickson
        Rep. Eric K. Hutchings
        Rep. John G. Mathis
        Rep. Aaron Tilton
        Rep. Mark Wheatley                        
        
MEMBERS ABSENT:    Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Vice Chair
        Rep. Stephen D. Clark

STAFF PRESENT:    Benjamin N. Christensen, Policy Analyst
        Carrie Griffith, Committee Secretary

Note:    A list of visitors and copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes.

Rep. Aagard called the meeting to order at 8:16 a.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Bowman moved to approve the minutes of the February 3, 2006 meeting. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Buttars, Rep. Hendrickson, and Rep. Hutchings absent for the vote.

Rep. Aagard relinquished the chair to Rep. Hansen.

H.B. 348    Election Code - Electronic Voting Procedures and Requirements (Rep. D. Aagard)

Rep. Aagard, assisted by Gary Herbert, Lt. Governor, explained the bill to the committee.

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Bowman, Rep. Buttars, and Rep. Hutchings absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Hansen moved to place the bill on the consent calendar. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Buttars and Rep. Hutchings absent for the vote.

Rep. Hansen relinquished the chair to Rep. Aagard.

H.B. 331    Ambulance Services - Free Market Competition (Rep. G. Hughes)

H.B. 331 was not considered


H.B. 420    Municipal Building Inspectors Availability (Rep. A. Tilton)

Rep. Tilton explained the bill to the committee.

Rep. Tilton moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 1, Line 26 through Page 2, Line 28 :    

             26          Each municipality that employs at least one
  full-time       building inspector shall ensure the

             27      availability of a building inspector during regular business hours of each
{   business   } day        Monday through Friday       , except

             28      for
  holidays and       normal absences due to vacation, sickness, or other commonly acceptable reasons.


Spoke for the bill:        Rich Thorne, President, Association of General Contractors

Spoke against the bill:    Lincoln Shirts, Utah League of Cities and Towns
                Taz Biesinger, Utah Home Builder's Association
                Scott Marsell, Chief Building Official, Sandy City
                Rep. Larry Wiley, building inspector, Salt Lake County (declared a conflict of interest)

MOTION:    Rep. Hansen moved to pass the bill out favorably, as amended. The motion passed, with Rep. Hendrickson and Rep. Wheatley voting in opposition.

H.B. 423    Limitation on Local Highway Authorities (Rep. W. Harper)

Rep. Harper explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke to the bill:    Reinhard Haidenthaller

MOTION:    Rep. Buttars moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Tilton absent for the vote.

S.B. 55    Election Reform (Sen. L. A. Mansell) (Rep. )

MOTION:    Rep. Buttars moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 11, Lines 317 through 319 :    

             317      attacks on any candidate. I shall not participate in or nor shall I permit the use of defamation,
             318      libel, or slander against any candidate. I shall not participate in
{   or   }        nor       shall I

permit the use of any


             319      other criticism of any candidate that I do not believe to be truthful, provable, and relevant to my

2.    Page 11, Lines 323 through 324 :    

             323          I SHALL NOT use
{   or   } nor shall I permit the use of any practice that tends to corrupt or

             324      undermine our American system of free elections, or that hinders or prevents the free

3.    Page 13, Lines 390 through 391 :    

             390          (ii) contain the name and title of the officer being replaced, and the name,
  street       address,

             391      occupation, and title of the new officer.

4.    Page 16, Lines 461 through 462 :    

             461          (ii) contain the name and title of the officer being replaced and the name,
  street       address,

             462      occupation, and title of the new officer.

Sen. Mansell explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke against the bill:    Tom Patterson, Director Sentencing Commission
                Kathy Doren, League of Voters

MOTION:    Rep. Hutchings moved to pass the bill out favorably, as amended. The motion passed, with Rep. Hansen voting in opposition. Rep. Tilton was absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Buttars moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously, with unanimously with Rep. Tilton absent for the vote.

Rep. Aagard adjourned the meeting at 9:44 a.m.



    

                    __________________________
                    Rep. Douglas C. Aagard, Chair