Off and running….

 The 2009 General Legislative Session began today at the State Capitol on a snowy day in our capital  city.  It was an enjoyable, ceremonial day.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offered the morning prayer.
(President and Sister Uchtdorf pictured with Senate Minority Leadership)

Newly elected senators took the oath of office.

New members of the Senate Minority Leadership team
assumed their new responsibilities.

Session staff and full-time staffers were introduced.
Interns from universities throughout the state were introduced.

Sen. Robles’ Appropriations Subcommittee Report

by Senator Luz Robles
Senate Minority Caucus Manager
Senate District One

Sitting in the Transportation, Environmental Quality, and National Guard Appropriations Subcommittee, I was disheartened by the action of the members to renew their efforts to cut the budget by an unrealistic 15%.  While I acknowledge their efforts to prioritize the specifics of the cuts, I feel the passing of a budget that includes a cut to the National Guard Tuition Assistance and Veterans Affairs Outreach should not be included. This is why I voted no.

The committee passed the 7.5% budget cut for FY2009 and the 15% cut for FY2010.  This will now go to the Executive Appropriations Committee on Friday, January 23, where my voice will be against the proposed 15% and for more reasonable solutions for Utah.

What we learned….

Justin Jones, Manager of Government Relations at UTA and Representative Jay Seegmiller, Amtrak conductor, talking trains.

The Utah Senate and House Democrats traveled by UTA (Utah Transit Authority) bus visiting various businesses and organizations in the Salt Lake County area in an effort to understand more fully the issues confronting Utah’s businesses and industries.   This is the first bus tour of 2009, and after the legislative session, the Democrats will continue their visits in other locales in Utah.

The bus tour began with a trip north to Farmington where we boarded the FrontRunner commuter train and returned to Salt Lake Central Station where Trax and FrontRunner converge for passengers transferring to and from one mode of public transportation to another.

Accompanying the senators and representatives were John Inglish, General Manager of UTA, Justin Jones, Manager of Government Relations, and Ralph Jackson, Deputy Chief of Major Program Development.  UTA serves 6 counties, reaches approximately 2 million people, spans 130 miles by 20 miles, employs 2,000 people, and carries 38 million passengers per year.  Along with UTA’s many successful transportation projects already in operation, there are numerous additional light rail and commuter rail projects in the works.

Electronic Fare Collection was introduced at the first of this month by UTA.  Just tap your electronic card to a reader located at any door of a bus or on a train platform.  Tap on. Tap off.  Tap your annual pass or contactless credit/debit card on the reader when you board and tap it again when you get off.

The train ride was S-M-O-O-O-T-H and comfortable.  If you’ve been a FrontRunner passenger, you’ll know what we’re talking about!  How about boarding FrontRunner, riding north, dining at a restaurant close to the station, and then returning home—a great idea for an enjoyable weekend experience.

FrontRunner arrives at the Station

John Inglish, General Manager of UTA, at right

Senator McCoy, Bill Barnes, Government Relations Director, Primary Children’s
Medical Center, Senator Romero and Senator Robles

Ralph Jackson, Deputy Chief of Major Program Development, UTA, with
Senator Mayne, Senator Morgan, Representative Poulson and Representative Beck

Next stop on the tour was the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce.  Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Chamber (and former state senator and senate president), and his staff gave us an overview of the exciting City Creek Center, a walkable urban community of residences, offices, and retail stores on approximately 20 acres across three blocks in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City.  The project completion date is 2012.

It’s difficult to adequately describe this magnificent project, so check out the details of the City Creek Center at www.downtownrising.com.  Take the virtual tour, and don’t miss the retractable roof, which will shelter the crowd from precipitation.

Lane Beattie, President and CEO of the Chamber, Speaks to the Legislators

We thank the Chamber for sharing this information.  And we thank the LDS Church for developing and building this splendid project in our capital city.  Every Utahn should be proud!

Then tour guides from the Chamber took us to a number of locations under development in Salt Lake City.   According to our Chamber tour guide, top priorities for the Chamber for moving forward as a thriving metropolis include (1) liquor laws conducive to economic development, (2) development of a super-size hotel (1,000 rooms) near the Salt Palace so the city can compete for convention business, and (3) a cultural district.

Last stop on the tour was a visit to the new Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.  The new CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, Dr. Charles Sorenson, made a presentation to the legislators in the Jon and Karen Huntsman Cancer Center.

Dr. Charles Sorenson Addressing the Group

Dr. Charles Sorenson and Senator Luz Robles

Intermountain Healthcare is committed to three guiding principles:

1.    Implementing clinical Best Practices (which reduce medical costs).
2.    Providing high quality health care at the lowest possible cost.
3.     Providing the best care possible regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

Intermountain Healthcare’s innovative electronic medical records system provides system-wide integration of patient histories and facilitates its ability to provide high quality health care.  Its records system is respected in Utah and outside of Utah.

Interestingly, Dr. Sorenson recommended that the Legislature not cut Medicaid (due to the loss of the federal $3 match and the resultant cost shift to businesses) and recommended keeping deductibles at reasonable levels (higher deductibles encourage people to neglect preventive care and to postpone needed care until it advances to more serious problems that are more expensive to treat).  For years Democrats have questioned the wisdom in cutting Medicaid.

Senator Karen Mayne and Alan Dayton, Director of Government Relations for Intermountain Healthcare, exiting the Jon and Karen Huntsman Cancer Center

We express our appreciation to our wonderful hosts on the tour, and our thanks, as well, to the Judiciary for lunch and the information they presented to us.

Then it’s back to the Capitol….and they’re still talking trains.

Bus Tour Itinerary

The Utah Senate and House Democrats will spend the day Thursday, January 15, 2009, traveling by UTA (Utah Transit Authority) bus visiting several organizations and businesses in Salt Lake County.  As advocates of Utah’s communities and its citizens, the senators and representatives are interested in understanding more fully the issues facing businesses and industries throughout the state.  As a first step in accomplishing this objective, the senators and representatives will travel to several destinations in Salt Lake County on Thursday,  January 15.  Following the legislative session and during the remainder of this year, they will visit additional businesses and organizations in locales throughout the state.

We invite the media to follow along with us.  Our destinations for Thursday, January 15, are:

8:15 a.m.                         Pickup at Capitol (east side)
8:30 -10:00 a.m.           Utah Transit Authority Briefing and Ride on FrontRunner
10:00 - 11:50 a.m.         Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.           Lunch at Matheson Courthouse, sponsored by the Judiciary
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.           *Visit with LDS Church Officials
3:20 - 4:30 p.m.             Intermountain Healthcare at Intermountain Medical Center
5:00 p.m.                         Drop off at Capitol (east side)

*At the request of the Democratic caucus, this meeting will be closed to the media.

QUESTIONS:

Contact Senator Jones at 801-647-8482 or pjones@utahsenate.org

OR

Janeen Halverson at the Senate Democrat Office 801-538-1406 or jhalverson@utah senate.org

All Aboard!

The Utah Senate and House Democrats will spend the day Thursday, January 15, 2009, traveling by bus (UTA bus, that is) to several businesses and organizations in the Salt Lake County area.  The senators and representatives are interested in understanding more fully the issues facing businesses and industries throughout the state.  After the legislative session ends, they plan to visit other locales in the state.  Check this site tomorrow for a detailed itinerary of their planned visits.  (Press Release to be distributed, als0.)

A Treasure in our Community

by Senator Ross Romero
District 7

Recently I had the opportunity to tour the National Ability Center (”NAC”) in Park City.  It was great to see all the work the NAC does in and for our Utah community.  I hope you might consider the Center in your giving or volunteer plans this year.

The NAC is the nation’s largest provider of recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.  Founded in 1985, the NAC has grown from teaching a few dozen ski lessons to wounded veterans in its first year to teaching more than 20,000 lessons annually in 22 programs.  While the activities at the NAC are designed to give individuals with disabilities a chance to participate in sports using adaptive techniques and equipment, the bigger purpose is to help those individuals reach their potential as human beings.  A physical or cognitive disability may change the way someone skis on the Greatest Snow on Earth or rides a horse on the trails of the Beehive state, but it shouldn’t inhibit their ability to be a part of society.

This year, studies by Harris Interactive and Disabled Sports USA showed that participants in programs like the NAC’s are twice as likely as their peers to be employed.  Those same studies show that individuals with disabilities who participated regularly in recreational or competitive sports programs are more fit, confident and positive people.  With more than 8,000 participants in the NAC programs last year, the NAC sees these results in many lives.

Programs at the NAC include skiing, snowboarding, the world’s only adaptive bobsled team, horseback riding, cycling, swimming, and archery, to name a few.  During the summer, they host Discovery Camps as week-long day camps for kids with disabilities  There are different camps for kids with physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders.  Having a camp where kids can hang out and do things with others who are in similar situations can have great results.

Helping people discover their abilities brings with it a unique and wonderful feeling.  The NAC records tens of thousands of volunteer hours each year because everyone from middle school students to retirees finds a place to help out.  Some like to help with a ski lesson, and others enjoy helping at one of the NAC’s annual fundraising events.  No matter where the help is given, it is always appreciated and needed.  If you are interested in volunteering or registering for a program, call Jenn Carpenter at 435-649-3991.  If you would like to help the National Ability Center with a donation to help its programs, contact Scott Lyttle at 435-200-0983.  Much more information is available at the NAC’s website www.discovernac.org.