With the recent announcement by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT)…it’s time for Governor Huntsman to call the Legislature into Special Session to address the current transportation funding crisis, NOW!

Following the same “logic” that drove the Legislature into Special Session recently to address the approximately $300M budget shortfall…this transportation “crisis” has a pricetag of $3.9B  Let’s do the prudent thing and fix the problem, NOW!

Click HERE for road projects on UDOT’s chopping block.

Today the US Supreme Court hears arguments relating to “religious monuments” in a Pleasant Grove City park.  Significant?  Yes.

DNews article…click HERE.

SLTrib article…click HERE.

Congratulations to new House leadership elected by the House Majority Caucus tonight.  New leadership includes:

Speaker David Clark (Santa Clara)

Majority Leader Kevin Garn (Layton)

Majority Whip Brad Dee (Ogden)

Majority Assistant Whip Becky Lockhart (Provo)

This morning, I received an e-mail from a constituent who wondered what “the loss of the three Republican House seats in S/E Salt Lake County means for Utah County Republicans?

Beside the loss of continued association with respected colleagues…the implicit nature of his question prompted the following response:

Republicans still hold a “super majority” in the House (50 votes required).  Democrats control the minority, still.  The new House composition is 53 Republicans and 22 Democrats (a net loss of 2 Republican seats).

Shifting “Power”

Losses of republican legislative seats in S/E Salt Lake County (Monsen, Curtis, and Christensen) will further shift “power” in the House to the Utah County and Davis/Weber County caucuses.  (Davis/Weber picks up one additional House seat with Rep-Elect Wallis’ victory in a previously held democrat seat.)  Utah County’s legislative delegation remains 100 percent Republican.  (13 House members).

Further weakening Salt Lake County’s republican “influence” is the rapid population increases in northern Utah County (from Pleasant Grove to Eagle Mountain).  Current population projections for Utah County boast 750,000 residents by 2025 (up from 420,000 in 2003).  Rep. Ken Sumsion (R-AF) believes his house district is approximately 80,000 residents strong (the size of a 2001 redistricted senate district).  Rep. Craig Frank (R-PG) and Rep. John Dougall (R-Highland) have seen their house districts grow to nearly 50,000 residents each.  Original house district sizes as the result of 2000 census and subsequent redistricting was approximately 30,000 persons.  Three house districts in 2001 then equal approximately 90,000 persons; however, current “northern” Utah County district averaged numbers are nearly double 2001 redistricting numbers.

Also, with the recent victory of Senator-Elect David Hinkins over current Representative Brad King (D-Price) in Senate District 27 (Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan, and Utah Counties), replacing 40-year legislator Senator Mike Dmitrich (D-Price), Utah County Senate Republican representation increases by twenty-five percent.

Pending Leadership Elections

Post November 4^th Election house republicans are now 53 in number.  To create a majority in the majority caucus, which is critical in leadership races, 27 votes are required to place a candidate into a leadership seat.  Utah County’s caucus represents 24 percent of the total Republican House Caucus and 48 percent of the votes required for a majority leadership seat.  Draw your own conclusions…

The House Majority Caucus recently voted to hold their leadership elections on Tuesday evening, November 11^th.  Previously, House republicans would have held their leadership elections simultaneously (separate venue) with the Senate Majority Caucus on Friday evening, November 7^th.  In an effort to allow for additional time for the House to organize these critical bi-annual internal elections, four days were added to the customary schedule.  Those running for leadership have been given a much needed time extension to contact (and strategize) with House colleagues.

And, Hold On To Your Wallets…$300k…$250k…$200k…$150k…$120k…$97k…and falling…

Now…who is it that will get that tax increase???

Also,

Robert Kirby, Trib, has some sage advice for the new Chief Executive…

Click HERE.

Arthur Raymond, a writer for the Deseret News, has summarized, in layman’s terms, the proposed Amendments to the Utah State Constitution on tomorrow’s ballot.  Five measures on the ballot change the state constitution on technical and not so technical issues.  See Mr. Raymond’s article in the DesNews HERE.

Many constituents have asked how I’ll vote on the Amendments “A” through “E.”  (Please vote YOUR conscience!)  Click HERE for Ballot Measures.

YES on “A”  Although many of us have always assumed the succession of the Lt. Governor was clear,  this amendment will HELP CLARIFY constitutional language that was recently called into question during legislative debate.   A good example of the application of this might be:  What happens if…say for instance…a certain Republican candidate becomes President of the United States and asks…say for instance…the Governor of the State of Utah to serve in his cabinet and that governor resigns his position as governor?  This amendment would clarify that for the following two years the citizens of the state of Utah would be governed, not by an “acting” executive, but a governor with all the rights and authorities of the office of the state’s chief executive (even though implicitly stated previously).  Hypothetically speaking…of course!  Confused?  That’s why I’m voting YES.

YES on “B”  All “additional” dollars from Severance Taxes in excess of $98.6M annually would be deposited into a “rainy day” fund to protect against state budget shortfalls.  The Utah Taxpayers Association has endorsed this amendment.   Click HERE for further explanation.

YES on “C”  At first, I had problems with this proposal.  After all, Utah has been a state much longer than the Civil Rights federal holiday has existed on our January calendars (third Monday in January).  I do agree there is room for debate.  Starting the legislative general session a week later does allow additional time for better budgetary planning.  We get the final numbers about three weeks into February, which only leaves a few days to formulate the state’s upcoming year’s financial plan…which can be a difficult and tricky thing to do at times.  Also, allowing for a “break” on President’s Day would give legislators the opportunity to touch base with constituents, family, and occupational responsibilities.

YES on “D” In an effort to avoid potential litigation related to redistricting…this is just a technical change to the constitution related to redistricting.

YES on “E”  This amendment gives the state the ability to use SITLA revenues and some Education Fund monies for investing in private company stocks and bonds.  Although, probably not a very good idea in this current dynamic market, things will stabilize out there…eventually…up or down…and this is a viable option for state financial investors to put the “state’s money” (taxpayer money) into higher yield, private funds.   I must say that I’m NOT for this 100% !  Reservations?  Placing the People’s money in “less” stable investments (potentially)…places the People’s money at greater risk.   Good idea?  Bad idea?  You decide…tomorrow.

Please Vote!

It’s never good for judges to over-turn, interpret specific codified policies passed by the peoples’ elected officials and signed by the governor into law.

When a Utah judge overturned a deadline in our election law, that judge was stepping outside of judicial duty and responsibility.  Read HERE.

Rep. Craig Frank (R-Pleasant Grove) and Sen. Howard Stephensen (R-Draper) recently recieved the ”Innovators In Action” award from The Reason Foundation for 2008.  Other recipients this year of this presigious award included US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Frank and Stephensen focused many of their efforts during the 2007 Interim and the 2008 General Session on Privatization and Competition legislation…getting government out of the business of business.

Link HERE to full magazine article.