Lifetime Achievement

Earlier this month, the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) celebrated it’s 70th anniversary with two outstanding events, one in Price and one in Salt Lake City.  Senator Mike Dmitrich received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and distinguished career in public service.  Senator Dmitrich expressed his deep appreciation to CEU for this recognition.

Mike was an outstanding athlete at Carbon High School and Carbon College (predecessor to the College of Eastern Utah), and he has continued to be actively involved in sports.  He has officiated at 20 state basketball tournaments and countless high school basketball and football games.

Mike Dmitrich is a member of the CEU Athletic Hall of Fame, has been awarded an honorary degree by the College, and is recognized in the name of the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center on the CEU campus.

(from 70th Anniversary Celebration printed program)

 (Click photos for larger image)

 

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.

Taxpayers Association Honors Senator Dmitrich

At the Utah Taxpayers Association annual conference May 13, 2008, Senator Mike Dmitrich received the Association’s Lifetime Service Award, recognizing his 40 years of distinguished service in the Utah House of Representatives and the Utah Senate and his constructive and cooperative leadership style as Minority Leader in both houses. Senator Dmitrich received a standing ovation from the 200+ crowd attending the conference.

Senator Mike Dmitrich announced in March that he would not seek re-election. He has served continuously in the Utah Legislature for the past 40 years and is currently the longest serving legislator on Capitol Hill. He represents Senate District 27 comprised of Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan, and Utah counties.

Congratulations to Senator Dmitrich and thank you to the Utah Taxpayers Association for acknowledging Senator Dmitrich’s outstanding contribution to Utah government.

Goodbye to an Old Friend

by Senator Mike Dmitrich
Senate Minority Leader
District 27

Last month, my old friend, former Representative Gerald Woodmansee passed away at the age of 77. Since I’ve been on the Hill for 40 years, I believe I am the only current legislator who served with Jerry. He was a fellow House Democrat from 1969-1978.

Representative Gerald Woodmansee
Click here for Jerry’s obituary.

Jerry was a visionary legislator, promoting futuristic ideas long before their time. So visionary were his ideas that he sometimes had a hard time passing his bills. In 1973, he sponsored HB 45 to create the office of Lieutenant Governor. In 1975, he sponsored legislation to allow Court discretion in granting visitation rights to grandparents in divorce cases.

In 1976, he sponsored and passed HB25, Utah Indoor Clean Air Act, which prohibited smoking in public places or public meetings except in designated smoking areas. When designated, existing physical barriers and ventilation systems shall be used to prevent the toxic effects of smoke in adjacent nonsmoking areas.

Several times, Jerry sponsored legislation to provide funding for the purchase of the Devereaux House, and finally in 1978, HB 1, Devereaux House Appropriation, passed. After lobbying his colleagues for several years, he had the support he needed for the purchase. (Believed to be the first mansion constructed in Utah, the Devereaux House was the venue early Utah Territorial leaders used to entertain visiting VIPs. It was built in 1857.)

While serving with Jerry, we often played handball and I could NEVER beat him. Now I know the reason why. In Jerry’s obituary, it states, “…he regularly visited the Deseret Gym where he…gained recognition as a state handball champion.”

Representative Woodmansee was a wonderful friend. I will miss him.

“It’s time,” he says, “to move on.”

Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich will not seek re-election in 2008. This year, he will celebrate his 72nd birthday, having served the majority of his lifetime in the Utah Legislature. “It’s time,” he says, “to move on.” Senator Dmitrich was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 1968 at the age of 31 and has served continuously in the House and Senate for 40 years, honorably representing Utah’s citizens in eastern and southern Utah.

In 1991, while serving in the House, he was appointed to the Utah State Senate and then elected to the Senate in 1992. Since 2001, he has served as the Senate Minority Leader. While in the House, he also served as House Minority Leader from 1983 to 1990. Throughout his political career, he has been a resounding voice for public and higher education and for the health and economic stability of Utah’s families. Backed by 30 years of experience in the coal mining industry, he has served on many natural resources committees and provided invaluable expertise to the state. This past year, he served on the governor’s Utah Mine Safety Commission following the mining accident at the Crandall Canyon Mine.

Senator Dmitrich and his wife Bo reside in Price USA (as he calls it). They are parents of three and grandparents of three. Senator Dmitrich is looking forward to spending more time with his family and more time (you guessed it) playing the wonderful game of golf.

Senator Dmitrich remarked, “I would like to thank the constituents of the districts I have represented over the years for allowing me the privilege of serving them in the Utah Legislature. I also appreciate the friendships I have formed on both sides of the aisle during my legislative career.”

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.

She’s Doing It!

Senator Karen Mayne was featured today in The Salt Lake Tribune in an article entitled, “Karen Mayne tries to carry on for beloved late husband as conscience of the Senate.”

Well, she’s not just “trying.” She’s doing it. Senator Mayne knows the process and cares about her constituents–just like her late husband, Senator Ed Mayne. She hardly needs coaching at all.

She has already surveyed her district and held a standing-room-only town meeting last weekend, attended by over 100 people. Senator Mayne has defined her priorities and is ably filling the shoes of her husband, Senator Ed Mayne.

Equalization of School Capital Funding

by Senator Mike Dmitrich
Senate Minority Leader

In the past general election, east side Salt Lake County voters approved the split of Jordan School District, the largest school district in the state. The district split created capital outlay inequities among school districts, some experiencing increasing enrollment and others decreasing enrollment, resulting in greater or lesser needs for school buildings. Last year, I served on the Equalization Task Force, the objective of which was to design a fair method of equalizing the statewide financial burden of constructing school buildings. Senate Bill 48 emerged from the Task Force, and we support this proposal as a viable plan.

The bill, now SB 48, Second Substitute, “Equalization of School Capital Outlay Funding” (Sen. Dan Eastman), increases by $28.5 million the ongoing funding to the Capital Outlay Foundation Program, which provides state funding to school districts that receive less property tax revenues per pupil due to their smaller property tax base per pupil. The bill also increases the combined capital-related property tax rates a school district must impose to receive full funding from .0024 to .0030 and allows for proportional funding if a district imposes a rate below .0030.

End of an Era - The Passing of Senator Ed Mayne

by Senator Mike Dmitrich
Senate Minority Leader

Earlier this year, we reported that Senator Ed Mayne, Assistant Senate Minority Whip, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Senator Mayne passed away yesterday morning (Sunday, November 25, 2007) at the age of 62, while serving in his fourth Senate term. We express our sincere condolences to his wife Karen, his children and grandchildren, his parents, and all members of his family.

His passing marks the end of the Ed Mayne Era in the Utah Legislature. He fought the good fight for Utah communities his entire life, and in the past several months, he has concurrently fought his own personal battle against a formidable opponent–cancer. We are so sorry the disease has prevailed.

It has been a privilege and honor to serve with Senator Ed Mayne, advocate of working families in both his profession and his public service. He led and inspired all who knew him. Ed was passionate and compassionate, a loyal friend, and a fierce contender, right to the very end. The void created by his passing will never be filled.

“Ed was a champion,” Senator Gene Davis, Senate Minority Whip, remarked. “When Ed spoke, he spoke for and to the working men and women of Utah. He stood up for families be it a working wage, health care, education, or seniors. Senator Mayne championed the common person.”

Senator Ed Mayne’s legacy dictates that we, the Utah Senate Democrats, attempt to continue to carry Ed’s Olympic Torch on behalf of the men, women, and children who reside in the great state of Utah.

Thank you, Paul Rolly, for your endearing tribute to Senator Mayne. Click here to read the article. Click here and then click on the link “View a collection of photos here” to view an outstanding slide show/photo album of Senator Mayne assembled by his son Paul.

The Message of Referendum 1

by Senator Mike Dmitrich
Senate Minority Leader

For the past few days since last Tuesday’s election, I have reflected on the results of Referendum 1 and the voluminous follow-up commentary.
Even though 62 percent of voters in Utah rejected school vouchers, 38 percent of Utah voters were in favor of school vouchers, believing they offered a win-win option for parental choice and public school funding. The message of the voucher vote is clear. The high voter turnout, coupled with both the YES votes and the NO votes, indicates that Utah’s citizens are cognizant of the challenges facing public education and want something done about it.

Although I do not support using public funds to subsidize private schools, I do support using public funds to meet every child’s needs through our public education system, which is the option chosen by the overwhelming majority of Utah’s students. I believe the Utah Legislature should listen to the public and, together with teachers, parents, students, and taxpayers, fortify our public education system so it will appropriately meet the needs of all students. In my opinion, the preferred outcome of the voucher election is a superior public school system, and I hope the players in education will take advantage of this opportunity to secure the lifeline of our public schools.

At the end of the day, parents still have the choice of two education systems in Utah, public and private, and both are excellent options.