The second week of the session has proved to be just as busy as the first, as committee meetings are in full swing, and bills head to the floor for debate. We began this week by passing base budgets, which are rough outlines of the amount of funding programs can expect from the final budget. These base budgets are the first step in creating a fiscally responsible plan for the future of the state.

Some highlights from the week include a bill that increases the speed limit of certain stretches of Utah Highway in an effort to smooth the flow of traffic, a bill that awards college credit to veterans with certain military training and experience, and a series of bills that increase transparency during elections. Most notably, a bill that requires those paying for a push poll to disclose their identity, and if they fail to comply, pay a fine. This will ensure voters know who is paying for the push poll and who is responsible for the questions being asked.

Over the course of the 2013 legislative session we will continue our support of a strong education system, the protection of Utah’s most needy, and the tradition of fiscal responsibility.

Next week we’ll continue to hear bills during our committee meetings, as well as on the House floor. Below is a list bills that were voted on and passed out of the House, as well as a list of my current legislation. As always, I look forward to hearing from you regarding your concerns and expectations.

Legislation Passed on the House Floor:

Here are a few highlights from this week. You can search and follow bills at le.utah.gov.

HB 83 – Speed Limit Amendments
This bill allows the speed limit of certain stretches of Utah highway to be raised from 75 mph to 80 mph. Only areas of road that are geometrically designed to handle higher speeds will be changed, which means curves and inclines will stay the same. Portions of I-15, I-180, and I -84 will be affected.

HB289 Fireworks Amendments
This bill allows the legislative body of a municipality to prohibit fireworks in specified areas if the local fire code official determines that hazardous environmental conditions exist. You can read more about this bill in this Deseret News story.

HB 272 Traffic Signal Amendments
This bill allows drivers to turn left at a red light when at a diverging diamond interchange.

HB254 College Credits for Veterans
This Bill requires a college or university within the state system of higher education to award credit for certain military service training and experience.

HB 53 Election Law Amendments
This bill allows municipalities to forgo early voting if conducting an election by absentee ballots only.

HB 40 Scheduling of Special Elections
This bill amends the date of which a special election may be held to encourage participation

HB 44: Election Polling
This bill requires the disclosure of the person paying for a push poll regarding a candidate or ballot proposition, and imposes a fine for those that don’t disclose.

HB 26 Inmate Medical Donation Act
This bill allows for inmates to voluntarily donate their organs posthumously.

HB93 Substitute Traffic Violations Amendments
This bill defines serious bodily injury; provides that if a person has received a citation for a moving traffic violation that resulted in a collision and any person involved in the collision sustained serious bodily injury or death as a proximate result of the collision, a court may not accept a plea of guilty or no contest to a charge for the moving traffic violation unless the prosecutor agrees to the plea; requires a peace officer that issues a citation for a moving traffic violation to record on the citation whether the moving traffic violation resulted in a collision in which any person involved in the collision sustained serious bodily injury or death as a proximate result of the traffic collision; and makes technical corrections. This bill was featured in a Salt Lake Tribune story.

You can look at a running list of all the bills passed in the 2013 Legislative Session here.

On the Radio

This week I spent a little time on the radio, first on X96′s Radio from Hell show. (And I survived. Actually, we had a great conversation about many of issues.) And I also spoke with Jason Williams and his team on KVNU’s For the People. My part of the interview starts at around 38:30. You can click on the shows to hear the interviews.

Parrots in the Capitol?

Yes. During the session we get to see all kinds of exhibits and interesting things during the session. This week the Tracy Aviary brought this beautiful bird for the Legislators to see. To see some of the other photos of the week you can follow the UtahReps Photostream.

There are always many people to be thanked at times such as these. I’d specifically like to thank my husband and children, who have supported me through the years, in the good times and also in the more challenging times. And also a big thank you to my parents who taught me to value family, faith, and the Constitution. A special thank you also to those in the huge majority and those in the vocal minority. To those in the gallery and those outside our doors, lobbyists and activists, protestors and the media. This can be a frustrating process. It’s an imperfect process. But to all those who participate, thank you for your time, your energy, your help, and yes, I suppose your occasional opposition. You are making Utah a better place for all of us.

There is one group of people I exclude from my gratitude. Today I exclude Congress. A group of 535 people who have made gridlock a profession. Normally, I’m in favor of gridlock in Washington. It means less mischief that we have to deal with on a state level. But after years of meddling with the economy and amassing trillions in debt, their actions are having a direct and immediate impact on Utah. The Utah Legislature has spent decades making good decisions on behalf of our people. We’ve enacted good tax policies and created a business-friendly environment. Those actions are bearing fruit, as Utah’s job growth is double the national average. That’s allowed us to invest significant funds in our education system, our transportation infrastructure, and in public safety. We’ve also pursued sustainable and responsible development of our natural resources. But lately, it’s become increasingly apparent that the action or in-action of the Federal Government profoundly influences our success. It’s beginning to feel like it really no longer matters how carefully we manage our budget here in Utah.

The so-called “fiscal cliff” crisis is just the latest example. One day we’re looking at promising revenue forecasts, the result of years of hard work and difficult decisions; and literally, the next day we’re staring at perhaps $100 million less in revenue because of a Washington D.C. deal. What have we lost with that $100 million? What could we fund with that revenue?

• $100 million could provide a modest tax cut for the people of Utah.
• $100 million could fund 1,600 new teachers per year.
• $100 million could fund drug and alcohol rehabilitation for 28,000 prisoners.
• $100 million could provide necessary services for the disabled who have been waiting patiently for years.

Who do we want managing our affairs in Utah? A federal government trillions of dollars in debt and unable to do something as basic as passing any budget – let alone abalanced budget? Or responsive state level representation that balances the budget and regularly answers to the public?

While I’m on the subject of the Federal Government, I’ll briefly mention the Affordable Care Act. We are being tempted to enter into a partnership with the federal government with promises of flexibility. But we have learned through sad experience over many decades that the Federal Government is never truly interested in a partnership. They give lip service to partnerships and flexibility, but over and over we are denied the promised flexibility. And now Utah’s health insurance exchange, Avenue H, faces the threat of being moved away from a free market consumer-driven vehicle to a single-payer government-issue gateway.

Let me be absolutely clear on this: there is no negotiating with the federal government on this issue. There will be no such thing as a true state and federal partnership. The federal government’s definition of a partnership is one in which they command and we obey. Usually while they’re picking our pockets. Anyone who believes otherwise is in it for the money, or deliberately ignoring history.

Our decisions on behalf of the people of Utah must be based on facts and the historic record, not on wishful thinking. And lest we get smug as we sit in these hallowed chambers, confident in our self-righteous anger, lest we sit back and point fingers and lay all the blame on others, we in this room are not free from sin. Yes, we have done a great degree of good for this state. But why is it that we find great fault with Congress while also greedily stumbling toward their siren song of cheap and easy money? A song that will lead us to a fiscal shipwreck. We claim and embrace the values of self-reliance, yet we are content with over 30% of our budget coming from Washington, D.C. We must have and implement a plan to get the state of Utah less reliant on Federal revenues. We know from experience, representatives, we KNOW that money alone does not solve problems. It can be a tool, but solving problems requires changing how we do things. If we need more technology in classrooms, we may need to move money away from ineffective programs. If the higher education certificates and degrees we fund aren’t cutting it in today’s job market, perhaps it means eliminating some while elevating others. I challenge you today to become problem solvers. Think outside the money box. States are supposed to be the incubators of innovation for this great country. Let’s find solutions that don’t further burden our taxpayers. Utah taxpayers are saddled with the 29th highest tax burden in the country. For a state that prides itself on low taxes and good management, that seems awfully high, don’t you think? But it’s not only money management where we and Congress run into trouble. We emulate their draconian regulatory schemes. We far too often look for problems where none exist. Can someone here please tell me what definition of “health and public safety” hair braiding falls into? Do we really need to license more so-called professions so as to artificially limit commerce? The free market?

So to you, the members of the House of Representatives, I’m pleading with you to remember this one word for the next 45 days: restraint. Restraint, representatives.Make sure to take a second and third look at that legislation you are proposing. Do we really need it? It’s been said that we each commit three federal felonies a day whether we know it or not because of the complexity of federal code. Do we as a Legislature really want to be in that kind of company? Creating so many regulations, complicating so many issues, that the average citizen can’t help but run afoul of the law? Restraint, representatives. Read through the bills brought to you by outside influences. Ask tough questions, even if what you’re being asked to carry sounds innocuous. Especially then!

If you hear anyone say, “This is really a very simple bill,” that should be your first warning. A little restraint today, means a lot less trouble down the road. I know there are some great ideas out there. There are critical issues we must address. But we’ve already got almost 1,000 bills being prepared this session. History says we’ll pass somewhere around 400 of them. And the governor doesn’t use the veto pen nearly as often as he should, which means we’ll add another 200 pages of code on top of the 200 pages we added last year. That’s on top of the thousands of pages added over the decades. Do we really want to keep doing that? Really? Really? That was a rhetorical question. What we should be doing is tackling the foundational issues that government is supposed to handle, and setting into motion legislation that will benefit our children and our children’s children.

While in Florence, Italy some years ago I had the opportunity of visiting the Duomo. If you have seen this cathedral you know it is absolutely beautiful! It is one of the most incredible buildings I have ever seen. It took my breath away! Construction began in 1296 and it took 140 years to complete. The workers and artists who laid the foundation probably knew they would never see it to completion and never have the opportunity of worshipping inside. But they did it anyway. It could have been faith, it could have been loyalty, it could have been the need to make a living. But those who finally had the opportunity to worship there benefitted greatly because of the sacrifices and foresight of previous generations. Like those who built the Duomo, we can lay a foundation for future generations. Let us look forward as best we can and enact those policies that will ensure our posterity has abundant opportunity to achieve their hopes and dreams.

Many of you have seen the artwork I have in my office. One piece is a picture pedigree of my family tree. I hang this in my office to remind me of my heritage. It reminds me to not bring shame upon the names of those who have gone before and sacrificed so much so that I could be here today. One part of my family is what you would all expect: European Latter Day Saint converts and pioneers. But another part is quite different: My Great Grandmother, Guadalupe Cilberia Trujillo, died a few years before I was born, but my Mother knew her well and has fond memories of spending many days with her Grandmother learning to make tortillas and attending Mass. She gained valuable and unique insights about life and religion from her grandma Lupe and passed them along to me. I tell you this, because we don’t always know where our colleagues come from. We make assumptions about each other that aren’t necessarily accurate. From the outside we look like a homogeneous like-minded group with commonheritage. But each of us brings a unique history and valuable contributions from diverse experiences and families. You may not know your seatmate as well as you think you do.

Get to know your colleagues and learn from their distinctive make-up. However, knowing and respecting your colleagues shouldn’t prevent you from vigorously fighting for or against the issues important to your constituents. You’re going to hear a lot about a lack of “civility” up here, and I can tell you right now that most of it is nonsense. When someone is calling for more civility, it’s usually a demand that their opposition sit down and keep quiet. Well not here, not in this House! Speak your mind, but let me be absolutely clear: Disrespect will be dealt with swiftly, and we are a House of rules that will be followed. But I expect Rep. Hughes to give the most heart-felt and aggressive defense of a bill, even while knowing that it is going down in flames. I expect Rep. Seelig to champion the minority with stinging rebukes to a majority who will pass a bill whatever she says. I expect and encourage those things because it’s in the heat of those debates that opinions are changed and friendships are forged. It’s where bills are refined, and laws made better.

In my 14 years in this House, this House that I love dearly, I have rarely, rarely seen instances that I would deem uncivil. Tense? Yes. Unfriendly? Certainly. Frank? Absolutely. But rare is the time when opponents haven’t been able to come together and shake hands whatever the outcome. There is no greater example of that than the relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. What began as near hatred of each other became one of the most enduring stories of friendship in our history. There was a key factor in the forming of that friendship. It was when they started listening to each other that their differences were put aside and they were able to reason together. I’m not saying that Rep. Hughes and Rep. Seelig will see eye to eye on ALL the issues.

Or really any of the issues. But their friendship and banter is something I hold in high regard. It’s an example of what keeps us working together to solve problems. We need all of you to make this work. We need Rep. Ipson’s rags to riches life experience. We need Representative Cosgrove’s dedication to our veterans. We need Rep. Sanpei’s unshakeable level-headedness. At the end of the day, at the end of 45 days, I hope that you can look back and say that you did your very best. There are almost 37,000 people in your respective districts depending on you to make the hard decisions. And whatever else may influence you up here, never forget that in the end, it’s your constituents who matter most. To paraphrase the great Bill Cosby, “They brought you into this world. And they can take you out.”

Representatives, you came forward and asked your friends and neighbors to put their faith and trust in you. And they responded by voting for you to represent them. They put you in these seats to find solutions to the challenges we all face. Those challenges will stretch us to our limits. The burdens we bear will feel heavy on our shoulders. The decisions we make will be our legacy. The words of Thomas Paine are as true today as they were hundreds of years ago, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Be courageous, make the difficult decisions, and the people of Utah will thank you now and in the future. Representatives, thank you for all that you are about to do. Now, let’s get to work!

Video (Utah State Legislature Video Archive)

Here’s a letter about the experience from Paul Child who attended one of the tours:

I hope that we will be able to do this again in the future. Sign up for my email list and I’ll be sure to let you know when we have future dates to announce. I hope that you will join me.

Good Morning. As we begin this General Session, allow me to express my gratitude to all of you for the opportunity to be the Speaker of the House. I am truly grateful to serve this House and the people of Utah.

One of the benefits of being the Speaker is that I get to brag about what Utah is doing. During my travels this past year, I’ve been able to share what we’ve done to achieve some pretty impressive successes. How despite some lean times we’ve budgeted wisely while crafting creative pension and medicaid reform; funded education, found innovative immigration solutions; and held to our belief in the free market and the power of individuals and families.

For me, the most significant visits took place not in Charleston, Tampa or New Orleans. Not in Puerto Rico or even China. Instead, these experiences took place right here in Utah.

The first was in Ephraim, where I spoke to a room full of exceptional rural High School students. Given the sincerity, urgency and meaningful nature of our interaction, I can only hope they will be among the people who replace you and me in these chambers someday. Logan Wisener, who led us in the pledge of allegiance this morning, was one of those students.

During my visit we discussed their future, what their world would look like, and their place in it. As part of a little experiment, I asked Logan and his fellow students to share with me some of their hopes and dreams and fears. We did it via text message so we could keep their identities anonymous, and quite frankly, because most of them are more comfortable communicating that way.

Afterwards, I wrote down a few of their responses so I could remember them. Their comments made a profound impact on me, and I hope I can convey the spirit in which they were sent.

“My deepest hope,” wrote one student, “is that they find a cure for cancer really soon so my family will stop suffering.”

Many students mentioned their concerns about the economy, our military conflicts in the Middle East, even our national debt. It’s clear they are connected to the world around them. But more encouraging than their grasp of current events, was the realization that they belong to a generation that wants to make a positive difference.

A number of students stated they didn’t want to let their parents down.

“To recognize truth,” wrote one. “To make a difference in just one person’s life,” wrote another. “To be the kind of person others can look up to,” wrote a third.

In the midst of daily meetings with influential people about complex issues, these students and their simple statements brought some questions into sharp focus for me.

How can we in this body help our youth achieve their hopes and dreams? What should we be focusing on?

We can’t cure cancer in this chamber, but we can help make Utah a welcoming place where university research is encouraged and businesses who will find a cure can thrive.

We can’t change our demographics. In Utah, we like our families large which makes funding schools a little more difficult. But we can provide a world class education to those who want to learn and use innovative techniques to deliver that education.

We can’t ensure that kids won’t let their parents down. But we can make Utah a place where families have every opportunity to be strong and where the rights of parents are protected.

The second profound experience was on Memorial Day. I was invited to speak at Camp Williams where families gathered to pay their respects. Even the most eloquent words would be insufficient to describe how humbling it was to stand before people whose loved one sacrificed all in defense of freedom. We honored the sacrifice and bravery of these soldiers. We honored men from Logan and American Fork, from West Valley and Clinton.

We speak on this floor often about freedom, liberty, God-given rights and the Constitution. And for good reason. These are ideals worth fighting for, and worth dying for. And many Utahns have paid that price. May we remember them when we are considering the issues before us.

Finally, I was invited to visit a few of the private organizations that partner with the State to provide services to the homeless. We in this room live relative lives of comfort, and I don’t think any of us truly understand the lives of those teenagers who escape to that run-down building on State Street. These are young men and women who often prostitute themselves to survive, these are lost boys who have nowhere to go.

As I met with the adults who provide the basics of life for these children, I was impressed by their compassion and dedication. I thought of my own children about the same age. My heart ached for these kids and their seemingly insurmountable challenges.

I don’t tell this story to demand that we fund a program. Government alone can’t and shouldn’t solve this problem. But as lawmakers, we can be aware of problems plaguing our society and help make those around us aware of such problems. We can encourage the private sector and our citizens to lend a hand that will be much more effective than government red tape. We can make it easier for all to get involved and help lift up those who have been knocked down.

With massive amounts of information and new cutting edge tools at our disposal, we should be able to craft creative solutions. As a society, we should be able to provide an effective safety net for our most needy without burying them in needless bureaucracy. As a government, we should be able to protect our citizens without trampling on their civil rights. As a legislature, we should be able to meet the needs of the people of Utah without over-burdening them with taxes. As parents, we should be able to figure out how to proactively teach our children without breaking the bank.

In fact, we must be cautious now more than ever with how we spend taxpayer money so that we don’t do anything to cause our re-blooming economy to wilt.

Almost daily I have opportunities to meet with amazing Utahns doing remarkable things that make our state a wonderful place to live. We talk about their issues and I am reminded that we are elected to understand the proper role of government and meet the legitimate challenges facing our State.

Those of us who sit in this chamber today have been elected to help overcome those challenges. I can promise that the next 45 days will be both fulfilling and frustrating. Remember that you are responsible first and foremost to your constituents. You are here to serve them. You are in this room to make the hard choices just like others have before you.

And while we are making those choices, think of the hopes and dreams of those High School students and how we can best help them. Is it debating over who can braid whose hair or figuring out how to stop jails from filling up and students from dropping out? Is it in finagling ways to fund our pet projects or scrutinizing budgets that stretch into the billions of dollars?

During our lively and passionate discussions of founding principles and state sovereignty, let us not forget the many lives willingly given to protect our ability to have those conversations.

Throughout this intense and fast moving process, it is my hope that we look to our future. We must give thought to our communities and our role in providing an appropriate safety net for the most vulnerable among us. We must create an environment of safety and security for future generations.

So take what is in your heart – and in your mind – and apply it to our occasionally flawed but brilliant political system. Come up with real solutions for Utahns that will work without being intrusive. Not everyone will agree with your position every time. You may need to find a way to compromise while holding firm to your principles and values.

Be bold. Be brave. Be able to say when this session is over that you did your very best.

Thank you.

• We addressed a number of issues during the 2011 session, including immigration reform that we hope the federal government will agree is an excellent step forward.
• We also passed Medicaid reform that could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars, again if the federal government gives us the green light.
• Being beholden to the federal government over nearly ever every aspect of our state has proven a great frustration to conservative lawmakers like myself. To that end, we passed several pieces of legislation that pushes back against the federal government intruding in what we feel is state business.

Throughout the second half of 2012, the Legislature went through a once-in-a-decade practice of redrawing political lines throughout the state. We’re required by the state constitution to redraw the lines of the State House and Senate, the State School Board, and the Congressional districts based on new Census data. These maps will go into effect for the next election cycle.

The boundaries of House District 64 did not change significantly, but please visit the link on this site to the new map. Our county clerk is busy adjusting the voting precincts so that they are finalized by the end of this month. Your voting precinct may change. Watch for a notice from the county clerk informing you of any changes. Feel free to contact him with your questions (Bryan Thompson 801-851-8109).

During the 2012 session, which begins Jan. 23, the Legislature will be addressing some significant issues including:

• the management and oversight of the Division of Alcohol Beverage Control. An investigation performed by our Auditor found some serious issues in this agency, and we will be working to correct them and ensure they don’t happen again.
• the State Budget, which will consume much of our time and effort. The good news is that Utah appears to be leading the way out of our national recession. But we have a long way to go. So while we have some positive revenue growth for the first time in many years, we’ll continue to hold state agencies accountable for how they spend your hard-earned money.

My thoughts on being the Speaker of the House:

The opportunity to represent the people of District 64 is a great responsibility. Just after the last election, I was afforded the honor of being elected by my peers in the House of Representatives to be the Speaker of the House. This position continues to be both challenging and rewarding.

I’ve learned much this past year. I’ve learned to be more aware of the media. I also hope I’ve learned to be more savvy. I offered a different style of leadership to the House, one that would afford every Representative the opportunity to take part more fully in the process. I believe that debate should be embraced and encouraged. We should not be afraid of this great American process of making law and setting policy. This way of doing business is at times messy, and it is of course, more time-consuming. Not everyone enjoys this change, but I believe it is a healthier way for the House of Representatives to function.

This has been an unprecedented term for the House. We have had numerous resignations; more than in recent memory. There is a very steep learning curve in the Legislature, and I have worked to make sure all of the new members are prepared to contribute to the process on their very first day. I have been very impressed with their abilities and personal qualities.

But know that my No. 1 responsibility is to serve my constituents. You’ve entrusted me with the opportunity to serve, and I owe you my best efforts. I will continue to strive to provide the best representation for our district while also meeting my obligation to lead the entire House of Representatives.

An online survey is available. Please fill it out so I can know your concerns and comments. Having access to your email address is critical for me to continue to communicate with you through the year. Please know that I will not use if for any other purpose than to keep you updated on the issues.

I look forward to providing weekly updates during the 2012 Session, as I did last year. I want to hear from you! Please let me know your thoughts. I will do all I can to provide you with information.