Legislative actions
• Utah Valley University cleared its first legislative hurdle today despite concerns about whether the Utah County school will sacrifice its unique role and exactly how much the transformation will cost.
The Senate Education Committee moved forward SB70, sponsored by John Valentine, R-Orem, to turn Utah Valley State College into a master's degree university starting July 1, 2008. The school would continue to offer two-year programs and an expanded array of bachelor's degrees, but would also begin offering several graduate programs including education and nursing.
• A move to require parental consent before Utah teenagers visit tanning salons will move to the House after a third affirmative vote in the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, would require parents to personally visit tanning salons every 12 months and sign a consent form for their children. It also allows them to specify the number of tanning sessions allowed in each year-long period.
• A bill to repeal in-state tuition for some undocumented students failed to advance after a 37-37 tie vote in the House.
Much of the debate included appeals to the federal government to fix the nation's broken immigration system.
Rep. Keith Grover, R-Orem, absent and didn't vote.
The can be brought back with a majority vote.
• The House Political Subdivisions Committee passed a substitute version of HB222. Rep. John Dougall, R-American Fork, sponsored the bill which requires government bodies, like school boards and city councils, to post meeting notices on the Internet instead of using newspapers.
Dougall worked with groups like the Utah League of Cities and Towns, to ease concerns that smaller towns might not be to afford the change. The substitute legislation included a provision that makes sure government agencies won't suffer legal consequences if they fail to post information because of technological problems.
• A House committee approved a bill today that will allow Utah businesses to exempt small amounts of personal property from taxation.
Last November, Utahns amended the state Constitution to allow the personal property tax exemption.
Since the state doesn't levy a property tax, state funds will not be affected. However, local governments and school districts do levy property taxes, and Salt Lake County Assessor Lee Gardner said while the affects are not known now, the loss of revenue could be "significant."
• Unhappy about paying a $3 or $5 ATM teller fee when you're traveling in Europe and need to get some cash?
Well, the Utah Legislature can't do anything about those fees — some of which you may believe are outrageous.
But at least Utah can ding foreign tourists at Utah ATMs like those foreign banks are dinging us.
With a unanimous vote, the House passed HB88 Tuesday.
Sponsor Rep. Julie Fisher, R-Fruit Heights, said Visa and MasterCard has special agreements with foreign banks that don't allow such fees in the United States. The huge institutions ignored a more hazily-worded Utah law passed a year ago, said Fisher.
This bill makes it clear that local financial institutions can charge similar fees as the foreign ATMs, she added.
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