Deadline passes with no vetoes by governor
"There was a great deal of cooperation and collaboration between the branches of government last session," Huntsman's spokesman, Mike Mower, said Tuesday, the deadline for the governor to sign, veto or allow bills to become law without his signature.
In 2005, the governor vetoed two bills and one line item in the budget. Last year, he vetoed twice the number of bills and budget line items and publicly threatened to go after even more legislation.
But Huntsman ended up signing all but one bill passed by the 2007 Legislature, choosing this session to keep quiet about his concerns. Instead, Mower said, the administration worked with lawmakers behind the scenes.
"Early on, clear and convincing messages were sent with regard to potentially troubling legislation," Mower said, such as the so-called Ritalin bill that regulates what school officials can say to parents about their children's behavioral problems. Huntsman had vetoed an earlier version in 2005 but signed HB202.
Another example cited by Mower was a bill aimed at giving parents and school officials more control over gay-straight alliances in public schools. Huntsman was outspoken last year in questioning the need for such legislation but after it underwent multiple revisions, he signed HB236.
The only bill passed before the 2007 session ended at midnight on Feb. 28 not signed by Huntsman was the so-called EnergySolutions bill. SB155 removes the governor and legislators from direct oversight of the radioactive waste disposal company's Tooele County site, leaving it to solely to state regulators.
Last week, the governor announced EnergySolutions had agreed to withdraw an application to expand the amount of low-level waste stored at the site.
Most of the new laws take effect April 30, 60 days after the Feb. 28 end of the legislative session. Other legislation won't become law until the beginning of the state's new fiscal year on July 1 — or even until the start of the new calendar year on Jan. 1, 2008.
That's how long Utahns have to wait before they can pocket the reductions in personal income tax and sales tax rates on food and other purchases that are part of a record $220 million tax-cut package approved by lawmakers and signed by the governor.
Some Utahns are taking action to stop two bills passed this session. Both school vouchers and funding to keep the Real Salt Lake soccer team from leaving the state are already are being challenged through the referendum process. If enough signatures are collected, voters will have the opportunity to veto the Legislature's decision.
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