We're pleased to report this morning that Representative Neil Hansen's anti-ticket quota bill (H.B. 264) cleared the House yesterday, in which connection we incorporate the lead paragraphs from this morning's Standard-Examiner story :
SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Neil Hansen’s ticket quota bill squeaked through a vote on the House floor Monday.Although it was indeed a relatively tight vote, it wasn't quite as close as the Std-Ex reports. The state legislature's website reports the vote was actually 39-31; and Rep. Hansen informed us this morning that the latter number is correct. We won't quibble over the Std-Ex's mal-reporting of the actual vote count however. A win is a win; and the important thing now is that the bill is now headed for the Senate.
Representatives voted 36-31 with five absent for House Bill 264, sponsored by Hansen, D-Ogden. The bill, which prohibits law enforcement agencies from mandating ticket quotas, now goes to the Senate for further consideration.
We are also informed that the bill will be sponsored in the Senate by GOP Senator Howard Stephenson. Unlike last year, we anticipate this bill will receive bipartisan support during this legislative session; and with a warhorse Republican like Sen. Stephenson carrying this legislation, we believe we can expect a far more favorable result than last year, when the 2007 version of the bill was unceremoniously killed in committee.
We once again congratulate Rep. Hansen for his heretofore success and tenacity; and we further extend our best wishes for a similar favorable result in the Senate.
We also provide a link to the Utah Senate roster, for the convenience of those readers who would like to actively lobby their own Utah state senator, to urge the prompt passage of this citizen-friendly and long overdue legislation.
