March Madness at the Legislature

March Madness at the Utah Legislature

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Dear Neighbor,

As the session draws to a close, the legislature is at full speed. We have one week left, just one, to do everything that we need to do. This means that our last committee sessions have taken place and we are now in floor time from sun up to sun down (but every once in a while they allow us a motion for a fifteen minute “saunter”).

I have recently completed the analyses of the constituent surveys that I sent out with Senator Dayton prior to the commencement of this year’s session. The results of this survey can be found by clicking here.

The majority of my bills this session have been given the gubernatorial stamp and been set in stone as a law of Utah. HB 401, Residential Facilities for Elderly Persons, has been sent back to Interim Committee to work out some final quirks before a final vote, and HB 366, Motor Vehicle Business Regulation Act Amendments, and HB 150S01, Administrative Su bpoena Amendments, still sit in the Senate to await a final debate and vote. Also, my trio of prescription drug abuse bills have finally passed through the senate and are enrolled to be sent to the governor.

Highlights of this week include the following: The Legislature passed legislation that would expand and strengthen the state's health insurance exchange. House Speaker David Clark says, in regards to his bill, that he wants Utah to be the model of a market based health care solution. HB 294 now advances to the governor's office. For information on the health exchange, visit http://le.utah.gov/~2010/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0294.htm.

Other bills to take note of that have passed through both the Senate and the House and are: Two bills to overhaul the state's retirement system, four bills regarding ethics reform one of which establishes an independent five-member ethics commission and a tobacco tax bill which increases a pack of cigarettes by a dollar and will generate about $43 million in revenue.

I truly am grateful to all of you for expressing your support during this past year and not hesitating in contacting me with questions on legislation or in providing your own insight on issues here at the capitol. With that said, I do have one last favor—as if you’re not tired enough of surveys already—I have compiled together a survey asking for your opinions on this session’s newsletters and my communication. I would very much appreciate if you took a moment to fill it out so that I may be able to improve my ways of connecting to our district while working at the capitol. It is only eight brief questions and can be found here: 2010 Newsletter, Tell Me What You Think.

Thanks again and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Brad Daw