2013 Utah Legislative Update: A Few More Selected Items of Pending Legislation

Time is short, so it’s a perfect chance to ram stuff through

As the Utah legislature approaches the final days of the regular 2013 Utah legislative session, we'll follow up our most recent Weber County Forum 2013 legislative-topical postings with a focus on a few more selected items of pending 2013 legislation. As Standard-Examiner columnist Charlie Trentleman wryly remarks in Wasatch Rambler column this morning , "The final days of the session are the best time to see those guys [Utah legislators] in full flower. Time is short, [so] it’s a perfect chance to ram stuff through."

Just to get the ball rolling, we'll note that the Standard carries a short item this morning, reporting that Ogden's City's very own beloved Senator Stuart Reid (R), in a spirit fully consistent with "ramming stuff through at the last minute," summarily canceled yesterday's regularly-calendered committee hearing on his much criticized "citizen's referendum reform bill" (SB66), so particularly irate citizens  there to testify against it would get no chance to do so. Since all committee action ends in a day, the bill will next be discussed on the floor of the house when it comes up for passage. There will therefor be "no public input," one sharp-eyed WCF reader points out in a heads-up email this morning, "thanks to Reid's cancelling the committee hearing on it." Have at it, O Gentle Ones:

• Organizers of Layton referendum shut out in bid to argue against bill

In other Reid-related news of course, this morning's Standard also reports that Senator Reid was not quite so dextrous with his (SB39), a bill which one web commentator labeled "Sex Ed for Parents (For All the Wrong Reasons)"' and was also roundly denounced by the Standard-Examiner.  This bill, which got mercilously clobbered yesterday in the House by a lopsided 16-50 floor vote, also featured a curious floor transaction, the Standard informs its readers, wherein House sponsor, and Utah legislative "class clown"  Rep. Jeremy Peterson, R-Ogden, in an unmatched exhibition of Utah State House dignity, "put an interesting spin on the vote after the tally was announced. Given the microphone for personal privilege, Peterson simply echoed “waa, waa, waa” to amused House members."

Notable too is Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck's HB 91, a bill which would drag Utah's elections (kicking and screaming?) into the 21st century, and into alignment with at least eight other (shall we say more "progressive") states, by "making it possible [for Utah lumpencitizens] to register and vote in Utah on the day of an election," according to this morning's Standard-Examiner:

• Bill would make same-day registration and vote possible

So what about it folks?  Does Rep. Chavez-Houck's HB91 have a snowball's chance in hell of making its way through the legislature and into the Utah lawbooks?

Nope.  We don't think so either. Sadly, in view of  recent disturbing politicl developments, the overall U.S. Republican legislative strategy, (and thus the Utah GOP legislative majority approach, wethinks) appears to revolve around reducing, and not increasing voter registration eligibility pools:

• Legislature briefs: Bill would drop nonvoters from registration rolls

Moreover Ms. Chavez-Houck's legislative resume sports a dreaded "D," which obvious debility, as every Utah political wonk knows, is usually the kiss of death for any creative, intelligent, innovative and even highly "democratic" legislation originating from the "wrong" side of the political aisle. 

Nope, whatever she does, we don't think Rep. Chavez-Houck has even so much as a "snowball's chance" of "ramming" this one through.

That's it for now, O Gentle Readers.  Time again to throw in your own 2¢.