A Quick Wrapup

by Senator Mike Dmitrich, Minority Leader
and Senator Gene Davis, Minority Whip

Yesterday marked the end of a two-day special session called by Governor Huntsman to make budget adjustments to remedy a $354 million revenue shortfall.  The Utah Constitution requires a balanced budget, so it seemed prudent to make adjustments early before the situation got out of hand.   In Utah, we base the budget on projections.  Sometimes they’re off.  Chalk it up to unforeseen economic events.  We worked with the Senate Republicans to accomplish the task of balancing the budget.

All agencies reduced their budgets by 4% with the following exceptions:

Human Services 3%
Health 3%
Corrections 3%
Public Education Held Harmless

For now:

Education is untouched (the governor’s prerequisite for calling the special session).
The $100M fund for education set aside during the 2008 general session remains intact.
The $434M Rainy Day Fund remains intact.
Bonding for transportation projects was unnecessary.

Like all Utahns, we are disappointed about the economic downturn and resultant budget modifications.  We are concerned that economic conditions may worsen before they improve, which would further adversely affect services provided by state government.

We question the wisdom of cutting Medicaid because every $1 reduction in state funds results in a $3 loss of federal funds.  The loss of federal dollars only adds to the downturn as those dollars are put right back into the economy as wages that boost the economy.

We are pleased that education was held harmless in the special session.  In the event that reductions in the education budget become necessary in the upcoming session, we strongly recommend reducing or eliminating the newest eduation programs, particularly those which are in the process of being implemented or which have not yet been implemented.

Thanks for Keeping Us Safe

by
Senator Ross Romero
Senator Gene Davis
Senator Fred Fife

Last Saturday, March 29, Senators Romero, Fife, and Davis enrolled in Fire Ops 101, a genuine firefighter’s training experience for elected officials sponsored by the Salt Lake City Fire Department and the International Association of Firefighters. Fire Ops 101 was an example of the training that firefighters go through to prepare themselves for their strenuous and demanding profession.

Each senator donned a firefighting uniform, complete with gear, helmet, and boots and participated in hands on emergency situations. They climbed ladders carrying hoses and put out real fires in buildings, extinguished real car fires, extricated trapped victims in cars, and entered smoke-filled rooms wearing breathing equipment.

Senator Romero using cutting tools.

“It’s truly admirable to understand what firefighters have to do and the pressures they’re under and the effort they take to make sure we’re safe,” said Senator Ross Romero.

Senator Fred Fife said, “The stress from constant readiness on the job to meet the dangers of every call is a burden every firefighter must bear. That was demonstrated in the exercises. We learned that the work of firefighters requires teamwork and comradery. They displayed that for us. I learned much from Fire Ops 101, and it was a great experience for me.”

You can read reports and watch video of Fire Ops 101 at ksl.com, abc4.com, kutv.com, and The Salt Lake Tribune.

We express our sincere appreciation to our city’s firefighters for their commitment and bravery in performing the duties of their jobs.

Pres. Valentine Marries Two Valentines on Valentine’s Day

James Peterson, married his sweetheart Chanta Quiterio, on the Senate Floor.  They were married on Valentine’s Day by Senate President John Valentine.  Hmmm…very amusing! The groom, James Peterson, is a long-time friend of Senator Mike Dmitrich.

Views on Health Care Reform

by Senator Gene Davis
Senate Minority Whip

In Utah as well as elsewhere in this country, our health care system is in crisis. We applaud the fact that Governor Huntsman and the Legislature (HB 133) are willing to look at this issue, but we have to be cautious in our fix so that we keep the health care stool on a level playing field (legs of this stool are access, cost and quality). It is important that we find ways to encourage all citizens in the state to have adequate health care. We must address the issue that all cannot afford insurance. Whatever we do, it cannot be a plan that mandates and thus rewards the insurance industry; the rewards should go to the consumer. Providers should be paid adequately across the board so we don’t shift the burden to consumers. We must address the shortage of health care professionals. Whatever program is ultimately adopted, it must be health care that addresses medical, dental, vision and mental health, as well as giving all providers access to all patients. We believe we can improve the system if we are willing to address disease management, best practice guidelines, and evidence-based medicine and to encourage the teaching of healthy lifestyles without bias.

How the Cookie Crumbles

by Senator Gene Davis
Senate Minority Whip

Since the pro-voucher cookie ad aired comparing school-age children to stacks of Oreo cookies, we have seen and read endless commentary. Unstated in the analogy is the fact that private interests, not community interests, will be consuming a number of the cookies (our tax dollars). Taxpayers will be paying private industry to educate a select few in schools where there will be essentially no oversight of the tax dollars.

While the private sector may have a role in providing some state services, it cannot provide traditional state services for all citizens because the necessity of profit will always trump service. If public funds are diverted to private education, what control will the taxpayers have on the quality of private schools? What voice will taxpayers have in the qualifications of educators, the curriculum, or even the lunch menu?

Voucher proponents tell us it’s okay to divert our tax dollars to private industry because it will result in more tax dollars for public schools. This assertion is false. Taxpayers will double-fund each student who accepts a voucher, paying once for the voucher and again for a portion of the per-student state funding to the school district.

Prior to casting your vote, please read the Impartial Analysis in the Voter Information Pamphlet prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Analyst. Read the analysis and you will see the cost of vouchers to the state will exceed savings realized by the school districts. Click here to view the pamphlet.

Candle Count

Birthdays are for senators, too!
Senator McCoy (on the left) and Senator Davis (on the right) celebrated
their birthdays last month on Interim Day.

Three candles???

It would be politically incorrect to reveal their ages.

Sorry, Henry, the time ran out….

by Senator Gene Davis
Senate Minority Whip

Senate Bill 190, Animal Cruelty Offenses (dubbed Henry’s Bill in honor of Henry, the dog placed in a hot oven by its owner’s estranged spouse), passed in the Senate and the House by decisive margins. However, in the House, the bill was amended and passed at a late hour on the last day of the Legislative session, too late for the bill to be returned to the Senate so senators could concur with the bill as amended.

Again next year, I plan to sponsor Henry’s Bill, and I’ll work very hard for its passage. Public outcry continues. Have you been reading the newspaper? Numerous letters from readers have been published expressing disappointment about Henry’s Bill. Email is still voluminous.

Next year, Henry, let’s do it.

V~OUCH~ERS–Ouch!!

Utah now has one of the broadest school voucher programs in the country, allowing up to $3,000 of General Fund monies to be transferred to private schools for students who elect to leave their public schools and attend private schools.

The legislation passed in the House of Representatives by only ONE vote (38-37). The Senate vote was 19-10. For the record, EVERY Senate Democrat voted against the bill. To reiterate, the Senate Democratic Caucus opposes school vouchers. We believe their existence will undermine the public school system, particularly in our state where per-pupil spending is the lowest in the nation. We have grave concerns about the forthcoming impact of this new law. “I am not sure our state can afford three education systems,” said Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, referring to public schools, charter schools, and now private schools.

Public opinion polls in the state indicate opposition to vouchers. The will of the people is reflected in our NO votes.

Click here for Senator Davis’ poignant speech 2/9/07 on the Senate floor during the HB148 debate.

Click here for the Senate Vote.

Henry’s Bill

by Senator Gene Davis
Senate Minority Whip

Each session I receive hundreds of email from constituents requesting my support on issues of concern to them. If these email are any indication of the importance of a bill, then SB 190 must be passed.

For the past two years, there have been strong efforts to pass an animal cruelty bill, but those efforts met with little success. Each year the bill has failed, the intensity and pressure to pass the bill has increased. In 2006 that pressure increased after the misdemeanor conviction of Mark Vincent. Henry, a dog abused by Vincent, has become the poster animal of the campaign supporting the animal cruelty bill. In 2007 support for an animal cruelty bill is stronger than ever. As research linking animal cruelty and domestic violence becomes more conclusive, the need for this bill grows.

This year the bill was started in the Senate to address the concerns that hindered the bill in years past. I have been working with individuals in the agricultural sector and others to resolve concerns and refine the bill. With the help of many dedicated people, and despite some setbacks, I feel confident Utah will join 41 states that have already taken steps to make animal cruelty a felony offense.

SB190 passed in the Senate last Friday with the support of the majority of rural legislators voting “aye.” It will now be considered in the House of Representatives.