LOCAL LEGISLATORS are currently working on a variety of bills, including those focused on immigration and allowing guns to be carried near schools.
SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would allow citizens to carry guns openly near Utah schools and universities passed the House this week.
HB75, sponsored by Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, removes the 1,000-foot buffer zone currently in place. The vote was 58-15.
Oda says his bill is intended to prevent people from inadvertently breaking the law. It would still be illegal to openly carry guns on campuses or school grounds.
HB75 will now be considered in the Senate.
School Board election bill defeated
SALT LAKE CITY —A bill that would move to nonpartisan, direct elections for the State Board of Education failed 28-45 in the House.
Rep. Carol Moss, D-Salt Lake, sponsored the measure in an attempt to fix what many believe to be a flawed and confusing system for selecting school board members.
Currently, potential candidates are reviewed by a governor-appointed nomination committee who then sends the names on to the governor. Two names are selected by the governor to be added to the ballot for a public vote.
Those lawmakers who opposed the bill agreed changes were needed, but didn’t believe Moss’ bill was the best way to handle those changes.
Immigration bills stir debate
SALT LAKE CITY —A handful of immigration-related bills have caused a great deal of discussion in the Legislature, with lawmakers and citizens weighing in on both sides of the fence.
“It goes across the board, from those who want to have a boxcar parked next to the tracks and send them (illegals) all home, to those who want to make their house payment,” said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton. “Immigration is probably going to flow to the top pretty quickly. I have a great understanding of the immigration issue and it’s entirely broken. Whatever we do, technically we have to get permission from the federal government to make it work. There are great pieces of all of them (bills).”
UDOT agreement moves through both House and Senate
SALT LAKE CITY — Last year’s multimillion-dollar UDOT settlement surprised legislators — and the public, prompting the Legislature to draft a bill that would bring transparency to the financial settlement process.
HB34 provides for approval by the state transportation commission on settlements of at least $100,000.
Those of at least $500,000 would go to the commission and the governor. Settlements that are at least $1 million would be reviewed by the commission, the governor and legislative management.
bginos@davisclipper.com
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