Utah State Legislature Highlights for January 21st-January 25th

The Legislature began the 2008 session with a huge snowstorm blanketing the newly renovated Capitol. Despite the inclement weather, the Representatives were here eagerly awaiting the beginning of the session. Another highlight of the week was hearing from Governor Huntsman for the annual State of the State address. The Legislators were happy to hear that his priorities for the year were similar to their own, including a continued focus on education funding and health system reform, in addition to caring for Utah's veterans. Other bills that moved forward this week are included below.

 H.B. 1, the Minimum School Program Base Budget, passed the House 71-0 on Thursday, January 24th. Sponsored by Representative Bradley G. Last (R) of St. George, H.B. 1 provided $2.3 billion for public education, including allocating money to provide teachers statewide with a raise in salary. H.B. 1 shows the continued dedication that legislators have to funding public education.

 H.B. 68, Educator Relicensure Initiative, passed the House with a vote of 68-0, on Wednesday, January 23rd. It allows a previously licensed teacher whose license has expired to renew their license in a more streamlined manner. Approximately 28,000 teachers with licenses live in Utah but do not have up-to-date credentials. By allowing these teachers access to an easier method of re-licensure it is hoped that more teachers will be available to lessen the teacher shortage in Utah. According to the sponsor of the bill, Representative Rhonda Rudd Menlove (R) of Garland, H.B. 68 will help decrease the teacher shortage by streamlining the process to regain a license.

 H.B. 129, passed unanimously in the House on Thursday, January 24th, will improve the State’s ability to care for its veterans. Sponsored by Representative Dee (R) of Ogden, H.B. 129 appropriated $19.7 million to build a veterans' nursing home in Ogden, Utah. Currently there is only one such facility in Utah, with a waiting list of one hundred. Veterans looking on from the House gallery (including Utah's only living Congressional Medal of Honor receipient, George E. Wahlen) applauded the effort, and were in turn honored by the representatives.

 H.B. 256, Utah's version of Jessica's Law, passed the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee 9-0 on January 23rd and moved to the House with a favorable recommendation. If passed, it will increase the minimum term of imprisonment for rape of a child, object rape of a child, or sodomy on a child, to 25 years and which may be for life.

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Immigration a hot topic

Friends and Neighbors,

Immigration will be a hot topic in the 2008 session.

Please feel free to call or email me with your ideas on how we address this very important
issue.

Happy Holiday's

Gage

gfroerer@utah.gov

Click here to read "With feds stuck, states take on immigrationan"

Legislative bills under consideration

Blogmeister Note: Our apologies as Rep. Froerer's office sent this information to us late last week. While it may look like a simple post, it took some time to download, then upload the attached files so you are able to download. Confused? Some of the Draft Bill files are large, so allow some time for the page to open when you click on the link.

Dear Ogden Valley Residents,


I would like to personally thank all those concerned citizens that attended the recent working group meeting on property taxes at the Huntsville Library. Their involvement will be a benefit to the entire State as we analyze correcting our current property tax system.

A special Thanks to Mr. John Primbs, the moderator and coordinator of the meeting. He did a great job of keeping us all on track and focused on the main issue of good public tax policy.

I am attaching with this letter several bills that are now under consideration on the property tax debate. I would appreciate your comments on these together with any ideas that are not present in these bills. I will be forwarding additional bills to this blog as they become available. The drafting process for bills is fairly lengthy and all bills are also available on the state legislature home page when they are ready. http://www.le.state.ut.us/

Thanks again for your help and support on this important issue and please feel free to call or email me with suggestions or ideas.


Gage Froerer
State Representative District 8

Draft Bill 0379-005 Property Tax Assessment Revisions

Draft Bill 0295-017 Truth in Taxation Amendments

Draft Bill 0289-001 Repeal of Board Leeway for Reading Improvement

Draft Bill 0322-005 Transparency in Government Finance

Draft Bill 0651-004 Public School Funding

Draft of Bill proposed by Revenue Tax Committee on property tax assessment revisions

Draft of Bill proposed by Revenue Tax Committee on property tax assessment revisions.

Email Gage with questions or comments: gfroerer@utah.gov


Property Tax Assessment Revisions (Large file - be patient while it loads)

Truth in Taxation ammendments - Part 1

Truth in Taxation ammendments - Part 2

2 NAT'L MEDIA GIANTS INVESTIGATE & SUPPORT UTAH'S REF 1

Two national articles in support of Referendum 1

"Something" by George Will

Utahns Can Vote for School Choice Tuesday by John Stossel

Utah State Legislature Revenue Update

This revenue update submitted by Representative Froerer and details Tax Collections.