Republican Representative Paul Ray’s anti-nicotine bill didn’t get very far this year, but he’s already planning a similar campaign for the year ahead, including new legislation targeting electronic cigarettes. One lobbyist, though, says his efforts are misguided. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.
Groups that are typically at odds on most political issues are finding common ground as they call on Governor Gary Herbert to veto a guest worker bill passed by the state legislature. HB 116, which has gained national attention, allows the state to issue permits for undocumented immigrants to legally work in Utah. Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration spokesman Ron Mortensen says the bill is inherently flawed, and the only solution is to veto it.
A bill that prevents victims of medical malpractice from suing a hospital for employing an unqualified doctor cleared the House last night. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, some lawmakers say it prevents lawsuits that would cause health care costs to surge, while others say it weakens oversight.
While public education gets more funding in the legislature’s latest budget plan, state parks and higher education are taking bigger hits than expected. Senate Budget Chairman Lyle Hillyard says the rationale for cuts to higher ed is that colleges and universities can raise tuition.
The Utah Legislature has backed off its plans to immediately implement an overhaul of Utah’s public records law. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the bill was recalled at the request of the governor, who was concerned how quickly it sailed through the legislature.
State school board candidates could soon be running as Republicans or Democrats. Senate Bill 224, sponsored by Republican Senator Howard Stephenson, was approved by the Senate yesterday. It creates direct, partisan elections for the State Board of Education. Currently, a 12-person committee nominates three candidates for school board seats, and the governor chooses two names that go on the ballot.
It’s now up to Governor Gary Herbert to decide whether the public and media will be barred from accessing text messages, voice mails, and some e-mails sent by Legislators for official business. A bill approved by the legislature late last week sparked an uproar as it raced through both chambers despite opposition from the public as well as some lawmakers who barely had time to read the bill. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.
Environmental activist Tim DeChristopher told a crowd of supporters he’s prepared to go to prison, after being found guilty Thursday in federal court. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.
A bill that gives Utah students more options for taking online courses cleared the Senate yesterday. But as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, some people are opposed to the price tag, and others say it’s a voucher program in disguise.
A bill that imposes a one-year moratorium on new historic districts is only one vote away from being sent to the governor’s desk. SB 243 has jammed a wedge between residents of Salt Lake City’s Yalecrest neighborhood. Democratic Representative Larry Wiley told a House Committee this morning that there’s no leadership from the city on this issue, and a moratorium would be a step in the right direction.
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