The second week of the General Session had some notable moments.
Straight Ticket Voting Ban
I had an opportunity to present our bi-partisan proposal to ban straight ticket voting. The bill was heard in the Government Operations Standing Committee Tuesday afternoon. Our presentation went well. Unfortunate, the vote did not. The bill was voted down 4-6. Having lobbied the committee in advance, I was a bit surprised by several votes. You can listen to our presentation (and GOP Chairman James Evans' prickly and confrontational response) here:
Drafting Drafting Drafting
I still have 5 bills that are in the drafting process. A couple are bogged down in the queue to be written. A couple are waiting for stakeholders to iron out their differences before we put things on paper. The rest are being polished up and should be released soon. A bill requiring a 3-year legislative review of all tax credits is nearly done. Another bill will phase out (over a four year period) tax credits for solar panel purchases.
Suspended Animation
The House deliberated a few bills on the House Floor. But, for the most part, our body was bogged down in minutia and couldn't seem to move some significant policy forward. We kept pulling bills off the shelf, tinkering with them, then putting them back on the shelf to tinker with again later. I have three bills patiently waiting on the board that will hopefully be debated next week...hopefully.
Tip of the Day
Never, never let go of your balloon while in the Capitol.
Special Guests
One of my favorite things to do is have my kids come down to the Capitol to see what their dad does during the day. This week my daughter Wynnie brought some friends with her. They were able to attend a Revenue and Taxation Committee meeting which I chaired. Their eyes glazed over when they heard what meeting they were coming to but we kept things interesting and they learned something about tax policy while they were there.
Of course, my kids love to visit my office. There are plenty of fun things there.
COMING SOON...
As of the writing of this update, it appears at least one of the two Medical Marijuana bills proposed this session is flagging after the LDS Church expressed its opposition. I was skeptical of this particular bill initially due to its broad approach. Look for more drama on this subject next week.
We also go to two-a-day Floor time next week so expect to see more significant topics come up for debate.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to CONTACT ME.
I lived in Colorado until just after the vote to legalize marijuana there. When I moved to Utah in 2013, I was so glad that this state had not done that yet. When I talk to friends who still live in Colorado, I hear horror stories of the way their communities are changing for the worse and the rapidly growing numbers of disabled people needing care. I know that medical marijuana and recreational marijuana aren't the same thing, but in Colorado, one did lead to the other rather quickly. And the presence of medical marijuana (or recreational)in the home gives children and youth very harmful access. In Colorado, there are "doctors" right next to medical marijuana stores who crank out prescriptions like printing presses. I certainly have empathy for sick and suffering people who think that THC is their only hope. But there must be a better solution than to expose our entire state's population to this hazard. Mr. Peterson, please do what you can to keep this from happening in Utah.
ReplyDeleteAfter the committee vote against the ban on straight ticket voting, did you learn of the reasons for opposition from the opposed committee members?
ReplyDeleteAgree with Emily above. What was the reason for opposition from the committee members? I was pleased to see this bill, and the bi-partisan support in the proposal of the bill!!
ReplyDeleteYou are doing a great Job Jeremy. Keep up the great work. Our state is fortunate to have you serving us.
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