Link to Zipped WordPerfect Minutes 7K bytes

MINUTES OF THE HOUSE

NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, & ENVIRONMENT STANDING COMMITTEE

Room W125, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex

January 31, 2006



Members Present:    Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Chair
    Rep. Michael E. Noel, Vice Chair
    Rep.     Jackie Biskupski
    Rep. Craig W. Buttars
    Rep. David N. Cox
    Rep. Margaret Dayton
    Rep. Carl W. Duckworth
    Rep. James R. Gowans     Rep. Bradley T. Johnson
    Rep. John G. Mathis
    Rep. Patrick L. Painter
    Rep. David Ure
    Rep. Mark W. Walker
    Rep. Mark A. Wheatley
    Rep. Richard Wheeler
    
Staff Present:    Brian Allred, Policy Analyst
            Linda Error, Committee Secretary
    
Note:        List of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes

Rep. Noel called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Buttars moved to approve the minutes of the January 27, 2006 meeting. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Biskupski, Rep. Cox, Rep. Duckworth Rep. Johnson, Rep. Ure and Rep. Wheatley absent for the vote.

1st Sub. H.B. 100    Environmental Litigation Bond (Rep. A. Tilton)

Rep. Tilton explained the bill to the committee.

MOTION:    Rep. Buttars moved to adopt 1st Substitute H.B. 100. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Cox, Rep. Duckworth and Rep. Johnson absent for the vote.

Rep. Biskupski distributed a letter from Legislative Research and General Counsel for members of the committee to review.


Spoke for the bill:    Tom Bingham, President, Utah Manufacturing Association
            David Litvin, Chairman, Utah Mining Association
            Mike Peterson, Utah Rural Electric Association

Spoke against the bill:    Jason Groenewold, Heal Utah
            Timothy Hawkes, Trout Unlimited
            Mike Peterson, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

MOTION:    Rep. Johnson moved to pass the substitute bill out favorably.

SUBSTITUTE
MOTION:    Rep. Ure moved to proceed to the next item on the adenda. The motion failed, with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Biskupski, Rep. Duckworth, Rep. Gowans, Rep. Ure and Rep. Wheatley voting in favor.

The original motion to pass the bill out favorably passed, with Rep. Biskupski, Rep. Duckworth and Rep. Wheatley voting in opposition.

1st Sub. H.B. 259    Division of Air Quality - Bond for Stay of an Order (Rep. A. Tilton)

Rep. Tilton explained the bill to the committee.

MOTION:    Rep. Buttars moved to adopt 1st Substitute H.B. 259. The motion passed unanimously.

Spoke for the bill:    Fred Finlinson, Sevier Power Company
            David Litvin, President, Utah Mining Association

Spoke against the bill:    Joro Walker, attorney, Western Resource Advocates
            Tim Wagner, Utah Chapter, The Sierra Club

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to pass the substitute bill out favorably. The motion passed, with Rep. Biskupski and Rep. Wheatley voting in opposition.

H.B. 287    Wildlife Damage Compensation Act Amendments (Rep. C. Buttars)

Rep. Buttars explained the bill to the committee.



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

1.    Page 2, Line 31 :    

             31          (c) "Livestock" means
{   [   } cattle      {   ]   }      {   a cow   } , sheep,      {   [   } goats      {   ]   }      {   goat   } , or      {   [   } turkeys      {   ]   }      {   turkey   } .


The motion to amend passed unanimously, with Rep. Wheeler absent for the vote.

Spoke for the bill:    Clark Willis, President, Utah Wool Growers Association
            Todd Bingham, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

Spoke to the bill:    Jim Karpowitz, Director, Wild Life Resources
            Mike Bodenchuk, United States Department of Agriculture, Wild Life             Resources

MOTION:    Rep. Biskupski moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Cox and Rep. Wheeler absent for the vote

MOTION:    Rep. Johnson moved that H.B. 287 be placed on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Cox and Rep. Wheeler absent for the vote.

H.B. 284    Veterinary Practice Act Amendments (Rep. J. Mathis)

Rep. Mathis explained the bill to the committee

Spoke for the bill:    Vaughn Park, former president, Utah Veterinary Medical Association

MOTION:    Rep. Johnson moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Cox and Rep. Wheeler absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Johnson moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously, with Rep. Cox and Rep. Wheeler absent for the vote.




    
                    _________________________
    Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Chair