Friday will be day 33 of the 45-day legislative session, and with new revenue projections forecasting a decrease in state income, legislators are suddenly running out of both time and money. That was the message Tooele County leaders heard Wednesday from their elected representatives at a monthly county caucus meeting at the state capital.
Rep. Ronda Menlove, R- Garland, said some of her education bills, such as House Bill 67 that would pay special education teachers for up to 10 extra days per year, have been put on hold for financial concerns due to the new lower revenue projections. HB 67 passed unanimously in both the House and on second reading in the Senate, but now has been tabled while waiting for a third and final reading in the Senate.
Rep Jim Gowans, D-Tooele, explained why bills take so long to get completely through the legislative process: three readings in the house and the senate, and at least two committee hearings, one in the house and one in the senate. With only two and a half weeks left in the session, bills that do not get at least a committee hearing in the next few days may run out of time as the session comes to a close on March 5.
Gowans also reported that Tooele public schools have been removed from the merger of Salt Lake Community College and the Salt Lake-Tooele Applied Technology College. The Tooele County School District will now be allowed to partner with the Davis Applied Technology College to offer classes for high school students in Tooele. Gowans also expressed hope that in the near future, once funding can be secured, Tooele will get its own facility and have a stand-alone Tooele Applied Technology College.
Funding for a Tooele juvenile receiving center for youths who have committed minor offenses received a setback. Going into the session, funding for the center was included in the governor's budget. In fact, it was the second priority for new funding for the state Division of Juvenile Justice Services, according to division director Dan Maldonado. After a hearing in the appropriations committee, however, it was ranked No. 48 in priority.
The receiving center is a place for juveniles that do not require incarceration to spend the day under supervision while continuing to receive an education and counseling. Receiving centers are an early intervention method, preventing more serious problems down the road, according to Doug Thomas, Tooele Unit Manager for Valley Mental Health. Currently, juveniles must be transported to Salt Lake City for services. Tooele County is the most populous county in the state without its own juvenile receiving center.
Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, updated the caucus on water legislation. Senate Bill 85 to create a state water board has been approved by the committee and should be heard by the full senate soon. Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, sponsor of the bill, has indicated that he may offer an amendment to his bill giving small water users the opportunity to appeal decisions of the state engineer to an administrative law judge. Senate Bill 269, also sponsored by Stowell, would give water users access to the state private property ombudsman for help with appeals of water rights issues. SB 269 is scheduled for a committee hearing in the Senate this Friday.
Another bill dealing with water rights, House Bill 51, sponsored by Rep. Pat Painter, R-Nephi, protects water rights of municipalities and gives everybody an additional two years to use water before forfeiture may take place. The bill has passed the House and was given a favorable recommendation by a Senate committee, and now is waiting for approval by the full Senate.
Menlove's bill to designate magnesium as the state metal may be a victim of time, she said. The bill was passed out of a House committee with a favorable recommendation, and is on the calendar for consideration by the full House. However, with time running short, the house may not be able to consider the bill before House leadership starts the process of "sifting" the agenda, Menlove said. "Sifting" is the process used towards the end of the session to prioritize bills still on the agenda.
Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com
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