MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 30, House Building

March 2, 2015

Members Present:                Rep. Jack Draxler, Chair

                                                Rep. Brad Daw, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. Patrice Arent

                                                Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck 

                                                Rep. Fred Cox

                                                Rep. Keith Grover

                                                Rep. Merrill Nelson

                                                Rep. Lee Perry

Rep. Dean Sanpei

                                                Rep. Val Peterson 

Staff Present:                        Mr. Brian Bean, Policy Analyst

                                                Ms. Kathy Gessel, Committee Secretary

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

Vice Chair Daw called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m.

H.B. 312         Reporting and Expenditure of Public Funds Amendments (Rep. S. DiCaro)

Rep. Dicaro explained the bill. A handout, "HB312 Example of Grants," was distributed to the committee.

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to replace H.B. 312 with 1st Sub H.B. 312. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Grover, Rep. Nelson, Rep. Perry, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Cox moved to pass out 1st Sub H.B. 312 favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Nelson, Rep. Perry, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

1st Sub. S.B. 90         Utah Navajo Royalties Amendments (Sen. K. Van Tassell)

Sen. Van Tassell explained the bill.

Spoke for the bill:       Clarence Rockwell, Utah Navajo Commission

MOTION:     Rep. Draxler moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

H.B. 381         Veterans Affairs Amendments (Rep. V. Peterson)

Rep. Peterson explained the bill with the assistance of Gary Harter, Utah Department of Veterans' and Military Affairs.

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to replace H.B. 381 with 1st Sub H.B. 381. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Perry moved to pass out 1st Sub H.B. 381 favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to place 1st Sub H.B. 381 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

H.B. 382         Utah National Guard Fund Amendments (Rep. V. Peterson)

Rep. Peterson explained the bill with the assistance of Michael Norton, Utah National Guard.

MOTION:     Rep. Draxler moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to place H.B. 382 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

H.C.R. 10       Concurrent Resolution on Basing and Infrastructure in Support of National and State Defense (Rep. V. Peterson)

Rep. Peterson explained the resolution with the assistance of Major Aaron Drake, Utah National Guard.

Spoke for the resolution:        Lane Beattie, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce

Tage Flint, Utah Defense Alliance

MOTION:     Rep. Perry moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Nelson and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to place H.C.R. 10 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Nelson and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

H.B. 313         Primary Elections Modifications (Rep. M. Roberts)

Rep. Roberts explained the bill.

Spoke for the bill:                   James Evans, Chairman, Utah Republican Party

Spoke against the bill:            Jenn Gonnelly, Utah League of Women Voters

Rich McKeown, Co-Chairman, Count My Vote

MOTION:     Rep. Draxler moved to replace H.B. 313 with 1st Sub H.B. 313. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Nelson absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Cox moved to pass out 1st Sub H.B. 313 favorably.

SUBSTITUTE

MOTION:     Rep. Chavez-Houck moved to hold the bill. The motion failed with Rep. Chavez-Houck and Rep. Nelson voting in favor of the motion and Rep. Arent absent for the vote.

Rep. Cox's original motion passed with Rep. Chavez-Houck voting in opposition and Rep. Arent absent for the vote.

H.B. 357         Emergency Services Account Loan Amendments (Rep. C. Oda)

Rep. Oda explained the bill.

Spoke for the bill:       Kris Hamlet, Director, Utah Division of Emergency Management

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to replace H.B. 357 with 1st Sub H.B. 357. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to pass out 1st Sub H.B. 357 favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Peterson moved to place 1st Sub H.B. 357 on Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Grover moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Arent and Rep. Sanpei absent for the vote.

Vice Chair Daw adjourned the meeting at 9:31 a.m.

__________________________

Rep. Jack Draxler, Chair