Keeping House

by Representative Kraig Powell

June 22, 2009

The Utah Legislature met last Wednesday for its June interim committee meetings. Foremost on everyone’s mind is still the economy and state budget. The Legislative Fiscal Analyst reported that lawmakers’ predictions for the current year are largely holding true. This means that no new budget cuts should be needed this year, but no immediate improvement in economic growth is on the horizon, either.

We also heard a report on the distribution of federal stimulus funds to Utah. Most of the federal money designated for public education and health care has already been appropriated. The other large stimulus item is road construction, which is now underway in earnest across the state.

A growing concern is that, if economic activity and government revenues do not improve soon, next year’s budget formulation will be even more difficult than this year’s was. That is because the $400 million in federal stimulus money that softened the budget blow this year will be all used up, possibly necessitating truly drastic cuts to education and social services when we begin the 2010 General Session in January.

The only consolation in all this news is that Utah still has a balanced budget and is in much better financial shape than most other states.

I serve on two interim committees: Public Education and Transportation. This month in the Education Committee, we discussed the pros and cons of a recent movement to adopt national standards for student competency in English, language arts, mathematics and science. This effort is being spearheaded by the National Governors’ Association as a means to improve Americans’ competitiveness in the global economy.

Although Utah state education officials are concerned that national standards will stifle innovation and dilute the curriculum, representatives from the Governors’ Association warned that if the states do not voluntarily adopt some uniform standards, the federal government will step in and impose its own program.

The Transportation Interim Committee heard reports from the Utah Department of Transportation on the progress of projects being funded by the federal stimulus package and by state transportation bonds passed during the 2009 General Session. These projects include several new improvements to U.S. Highways 40 and 189 in Duchesne and Wasatch counties that are actively in the design and installation phases.

One committee I am watching closely, but do not serve on, is the new Legislative Ethics Standing Committee. Currently, this committee is studying the reporting and disciplinary process for lawmakers accused of violating ethics rules.

Legislative staff this month reported on their research showing that the Utah Constitution does not allow the House or Senate to delegate to another body its authority to sanction or remove members for rules violations. This means that if a panel composed of citizens and representatives from other branches of government were formed to hear ethics charges against legislators, a constitutional amendment would have to be passed in order to make the panel’s decisions binding.

The Ethics Standing Committee will also be considering bills regulating campaign contributions from lobbyists and special interest groups. Utah is one of the only states with no restrictions on the amount of funds that can be donated or the purposes for which lawmakers can spend donations. I will be re-introducing my bill to impose reasonable restrictions on the receipt and expenditure of political contributions.

I still believe that the best way to avoid even the appearance of improper influence is for lawmakers to refuse to accept any money from lobbyists, special interest groups, and corporations that lobby the Legislature, which is the practice that I follow. Constitutional restrictions prevent such a ban from being written into law, however, so it is up to individual legislators to adopt this policy on a voluntary basis.

Many of my constituents have shared with me ideas for bills that I am now working on. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your comments or suggestions by email at kraigpowell [at] utah.gov or by phone at 435-657-0185.

Also, I will be attending Myton Daze, the Neola Fourth of July festivities, Altamont Longhorn Days, UBIC, and other similar events in the next several months. I hope to see you there!