Senator Romero Receives Justice Award

Last month, Senator Ross Romero received a Peace and Justice Award from the Utah Coalition of La Raza at its 15th annual Cesar Chavez Banquet.  Senator Romero received this prestigious award for his work as a legislator and lawyer in the community.  Senator Romero is a member of the Utah Minority Bar Association.  Read the post on the Utah Minority Bar Association blog. Congratulations to Senator Romero.

City Weekly’s Best Legislator

City Weekly’s 2008 Best of Utah issue hit the news stands April 3. City Weekly readers voted on 100 “best of” categories. Senator Scott McCoy is the Readers’ Choice for Best State Legislator. CONGRATULATIONS Senator McCoy. If you have a copy of the April 3 City Weekly issue, you can read about Senator McCoy on page 60. You can also read about Senator McCoy by clicking here and then scrolling down until you see his picture.

Senator Ross Romero is third runner-up for Best State Legislator. CONGRATULATIONS Senator Romero.

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.

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.

“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.”

Thanks to the Fearless Five

We thank our excellent team of interns for the 2008 session, who have worked many, many hours during the past 45 days. We could never have accomplished our lawmaking responsibilities without you! Autumn Orme (seated); then left to right, Joey Nations, Zach Fountain, Steve McKeone, and Greg Buckway.

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.

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.

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.