tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38379329259481804772024-03-13T00:41:49.558-07:00Sen. Don L. IpsonRepresenting the Good People of Utah's Dixie Before the Utah State SenateDon Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-42521095479841415862016-10-09T19:07:00.002-07:002016-10-09T19:07:38.267-07:00Proud to Serve the People of Washington County<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-46999868051535918172016-10-09T18:38:00.002-07:002016-10-09T18:38:33.195-07:002016 Interim: Drones & Wildfires <div class="MsoNormal">
You know the saying, “curiosity killed the cat”? We might
want to update the saying a bit to “drone curiosity killed the taxpayer.” This
past week, the Utah Legislature was called into a Special Session to increase
the penalties for illegal drone use over wildfires and to give law enforcement
the ability to neutralize the drones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Illegal drone use forced the grounding of fire fighting air efforts an
unbelievable 5 separate times during the battle over the Saddle Fire. Thank
goodness these selfish explorations by drone lookie-loos only cost money and
not lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One would think that it would
be common sense to leave firefighters alone to do their jobs (if not offer
support), but in an age fueled by “likes” and the latest YouTube video,
apparently it is not enough to say there will be fines and penalties. While I
will gladly support giving law enforcement the power to neutralize drones that
stand in the way of protecting lives and property, it saddens me that they will
have to subtract time from their primary focus to neutralize drones!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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To date the fire fighting efforts for the Saddle Fire have
totaled nearly $13.7 million. This isn’t monopoly money, this is OUR money.
This is money collected in taxes that could go to any number of collective
needs and projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want firefighters
to have all the funds necessary to do their job, but one can’t help but wonder that
if efforts hadn’t unnecessarily stalled 5 times, would that price tag be
lower?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would days or weeks have been
shaved off the timeline to containment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would it have taken less gallons of water if fire fighters could have
kept up a relentless counter offense with all the tools at their disposal? We
may never know the true dollar amounts of what “drone curiosity” cost us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The money, resources, and people it takes to fight a fire
like this are staggering. At the peak of the blaze, nearly 675 fire fighters
were engaged in 24/7 operations. Nearly 490,000 gallons of water and 392,000
gallons of flame retardant have been used on this fire. 2,300 acres of forest
habitat is burned to a crisp and the fire came within 0.5 mile of homes and
property. My thanks and gratitude goes out to our firefighters; brave men and
women that answered the call to protect a beautiful mountain valley community. I
will gladly help secure the funding and tools so they can do this difficult and
hazardous job, including giving them the means to remove illegal drones from the
skies<o:p></o:p></div>
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Drones can be fun, useful, and they can do jobs that would
be dangerous for a person to do. But they can also be costly. The person or
persons that decided their own voyeuristic needs were more important than
firefighter safety or the economic pressure on taxpayers needs to be held
responsible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly hope the person
that flew the drone over the Saddle Fire is caught and punished, but in the
meantime, I will rest easier knowing firefighters and law enforcement can do
their jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-57789338293033316472016-10-09T18:37:00.001-07:002016-10-09T18:37:04.487-07:002016 Session: Police & Body Camera Update<div class="MsoNormal">
As the Chairman of the House Law Enforcement and Criminal
Justice committee, one of the important issues my committee is addressing in
legislation this year is the regulation of the use of body cameras worn by
police officers. This new and emerging law enforcement tool is being adopted
and implemented in many jurisdictions across the state. However, right now the
regulation of when to use them, how to retain the recordings, and what privacy
standards to use is piecemeal because we lack a an overarching state law on the
issue. Camera recordings are an important part of the justice system.<u style="text-underline: red;"> </u><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I believe there are some areas where we want consistent and
uniform policy throughout the state so that each officer and citizen has the
same expectations of how the recordings will be treated and used in criminal or
other proceedings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all recording are
critical to save for long periods of time. For instance, recording that fall in
the critical incident category should be saved for a longer amount of time than
recordings of inconsequential interactions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, once we set the timelines for each category of recording, those
category times should be consistent statewide. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, a universal policy on how to treat any
recordings that contain nudity, gore or children is a must. Body cameras are an
important tool for a variety of reasons, but if used incorrectly the tool could
have damaging effects. Privacy of citizens is important<u style="text-underline: red;"> </u>and I believe we should error on the side of marking the recordings
private.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are two different bills that have been proposed to set
these universal laws. The first, HB 300 Body-Worn Cameras for Law Enforcement
by Rep. Dan McCay sets the laws for body cameras in state statute including
items like when to turn the camera off and on, how to announce a camera is in
use, and how to display the camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
bill would give some leeway to local community to set some regulations as well.
The second bill, SB 94 Law Enforcement Use of Body Cameras by Sen. Dan Thatcher
would designate the Peace Officer Standards and Training Division (POST) as the
entity to establish and implement statewide guidelines for camera use, length
of film retention, and standard implementation. The reasons why this sponsor
feels designating POST as the entity with the statewide authority is because
this is an area of new and emerging technology that might need updates or
revisions sooner than the annual 45-day legislative session can accommodate. In
addition, the sponsor believes that POST will have more expertise on what types
of situations and realistic expectations a law enforcement officer with a
camera is likely to encounter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am confident that as we debate these two bill and consider
that best policy for Utahns, we will find the best way to enact these universal
standards and ensure everyone has the same expectations for body cameras no
matter where in the state they happen to live or travel.<o:p></o:p></div>
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-1016314165465906402016-10-09T18:30:00.005-07:002016-10-09T18:30:50.179-07:002015 Interim: Changes for Dixie ATC<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">During
the legislative session earlier this year, the southern Utah delegation was
able to secure $31.9 million in state funding for the new Dixie Applied
Technology College (DXATC). These funds will be combined with another $8
million from Washington County that will fully fund the construction of the new
DXATC on the land formerly occupied by the St. George airport. Construction is
expected to start at the beginning of January 2016. This will allow the DXATC
to move all of their classroom and training facilities into one cohesive
campus. I am very excited about this new project and economic development
potential this new facility will bring to southern Utah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Some
readers might be aware of the Governor’s Prosperity 2020 plan to advance
educational investment and innovation. The goal of this plan is to raise the
bar for students of all ages and ensure that 2/3 of all Utahns achieve
postsecondary training by 2020.We need an educated and well-trained workforce
to continue to propel Utah’s economic prosperity. What some people might
not know is that an important component of the plan to support postsecondary
education are the Applied Technology Colleges (ATCs) located throughout the
state. The certificates and 2-year degrees offered at the ATCs can launch
well-paying careers not just jobs. Our high schools students can take classes
for free at the ATC’s; receiving a certificate and high school diploma at the
same time. The manufacturing industry has reported it has an intense need for
advanced manufacturing workers like welders, machinists, and industrial
productions specialists that can pay anywhere from $35,000 to $80,000 a year.
It isn’t only the industrial sector that needs people with training from an
ATC. The bio-life science sector needs laboratory technicians and medical
records technicians and you can find that training at an ATC too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Last
year, the DXATC served 7,644 students on the current campus. That is the
highest enrollment in the Utah ATC system and this is the third year in a row
that DXATC has led with the highest enrollment. During the most recent school
year 951 high school students took advantage of the free classes. The
certificate programs have been growing and are up 64% over the previous year.
With the new facility coming on-line soon, the DXATC will also be adding new
programs and additional student capacity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">With
the start of the school year, you might want to direct your high school aged
children to look at the programs offered by the DXATC and how that might open
doors to a future career or give them a jump start on a traditional college
experience. It is also a very cost effective option for anyone that wants to
continue their education with a cost of about $2/classroom hour in tuition for
adults. Our new facility will offer state of the art facilities in the heart of
St. George!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-27181439890803164312016-10-09T18:29:00.002-07:002016-10-09T18:29:33.888-07:002015 Interim: Police & Body Cameras<div class="MsoNormal">
Police procedure, body cameras, and how and when to
implement camera use have been hot topics nationally for the past year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other states and cities have been flash
points for the difficult infancy of body camera use. However, several southern
Utah towns have been quietly working toward implementing the use of body cameras
and their experience will inform the discussion and implementation as other law
enforcement agencies throughout Utah purchase and deploy cameras. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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While this technology and its impact on the public and law
enforcement is very new, it clearly has an important role to play in our
digital age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Already there are anecdotal
reports about how the presence of a camera modifies behaviors of both law enforcement
and the public in de-escalating tense situations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like all new technologies, at first its
presence can be very disruptive as one figures out how to best use the new tool.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This year I’m serving as the co-chair of the Law Enforcement
and Criminal Justice Interim Committee with Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Woods Cross).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have decided that the issue of body camera
use will be a topic our committee studies this year. My hope is that we can
bring forward a consensus bill in the 2016 General Session that will provide statewide
guidance for these cameras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Issues like
data storage and security, requests for footage by the media or other
interested parties, direction for law enforcement offices on when to use
cameras, and how to ensure privacy of citizens are just a few of the items I
expect the committee to discuss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will
be consulting with the law enforcement, attorneys on rules of evidence, and the
public on how to best put this tool into use. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In our May committee meeting we heard many points of view
from various legislators and interested parties about what items might be best
as statewide, universal standards and other items that might be better decided
at the local level where law enforcement agencies can vary widely by size,
sophistication, and geographic territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the major items we must tackle is how to store the sheer volume
of data the cameras will generate. It is true we are getting better and better
at compressing data and making it more affordable to store, but the cameras
could generate several terabytes a week of data that will compound based on how
long we require the records be kept and how many cameras an agency has in the
field. That could get very expensive for a moderately sized police department
quickly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As we continue to study the issue over the coming months,
I’m looking forward to first hand reports from the departments in southern Utah
that have cameras and from the public on the results they see or the concerns
they want addressed. We in southern Utah will have a unique ability to shape
this policy and technology. Please be part of the discussion this summer and
provide us your feedback for the benefit of the entire state.<o:p></o:p></div>
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-20691951579603989942016-10-09T18:27:00.002-07:002016-10-09T18:27:57.528-07:002015 Session: Transportation Funding<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-themecolor: text1;">It might seem odd for a guy that makes his
living by trucking to support an increase to the gas tax. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, fuel costs are the second highest expense
of doing business, after labor, in my industry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spend quite a bit of time considering the
conditions of roads and routes that my trucks will be taking to deliver goods.
In addition, I have served on the Transportation Interim Committee for several
years, which for the past several interim cycles has heard report after report
about the conditions of bridges, shortfalls in transportation funding and
particular needs at the local level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Transportation is the backbone of our economy
and every Utahn benefits from a system that effectively and reliably moves good
and services. However, this isn’t a system that we just build once and can
ignore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utah’s population is expected to
double in the next 35 years, which means more need for roads as an increased
number of people, goods, and services are traveling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The gas tax is our primary funding source for
transportation in the state of Utah. The tax is at a fixed rate, 24.5 cents per
gallon, which means that as our vehicles have become more fuel efficient, we
collect less in revenue. The last time we raised the rate was in 1997. Since
that rate increase, construction costs have increased nearly 300% while the
purchasing power of the gas tax has declined by 48%. Local governments in
particular struggle to meet their transportation needs because their share of
the gas tax covers less than half of their actual costs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-themecolor: text1;">We have clearly put off for a very long time
considering an increase to the gas tax or other transportation related fees.
The State has gotten by with supplementing transportation from the general fund
as have locals, but that is just a band-aid and not a real solution. I think it
is time we truly consider a change to how we assess and manage this tax and
perhaps even consider an increase in the rate. There are a few bills offering
different solutions this year. One originating in the Senate offers a straightforward
increase in the gas tax from 24.5 cents to 34.5 cents to make up the lost
purchasing power. The other proposal originating in the House would change the
cents per gallon tax to a percentage based tax with floors and ceiling to
ensure the rate wouldn’t spike or drop. This approach means that the collection
of funds will rise with the price of fuel rather than consumption. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-themecolor: text1;">I think both proposals have merit, but the
more important thing in my mind is that we don’t allow another year to pass
without addressing the problem. We know we have a funding problem and to not
find a solution is irresponsible public policy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-64600403754043307352016-10-09T18:26:00.000-07:002016-10-09T18:26:04.973-07:002014 Interim: Transportation Update<div class="MsoNormal">
With only 2 more interim meetings to go (October and
November) before the start of the 2015 General Session, discussions on some of
the more complex issues are underway this fall. One such issue is
transportation. This is an issue that has impacts statewide, though some of the
needs vary depending on where you call home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Wasatch Front’s transportation needs have more to do with congestion
and capacity, while rural Utah’s concerns lie more with impacts to secondary
roads that now carry more cars and heavy trucks that they were originally
intended to serve. The entire state has aging infrastructure, specifically
bridges, that are reaching the end of their designed life span.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To a certain extent, some of the transportation deficits are
the result of things that show we have a growing population and economy. A
dynamic population and economy are, of course, very good things to have and for
the most part this natural growth gives us enhanced funds for many needs. Since
our unemployment is low, we naturally see an increase in funds from income tax
without raising the existing tax rates at all. In fact, the State’s fiscal year
just ended with a $166 million surplus, mostly in the area of income tax, which
after moving some to our Rainy Day Fund, will leave $112 million that will flow
into public and higher education because income tax is dedicated to those two
areas. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The one area of tax collection over that has been on a
downward trend for many years is the gas tax, our traditional dedicated source
of transportation funding. This tax is a fixed amount per gallon of gasoline
and the rate has remained unchanged since 1997. However, the way we travel and
the cars we use have changed dramatically since the last rate adjustment. Our
traditional gas cars now have significantly improved engines and emissions that
have resulted in much better gas mileage. It is now quite common to own or know
someone that with a hybrid, electric or natural gas vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this means, we are buying less
gasoline resulting is less of the tax being collected. This shouldn’t be
interpreted to mean we are actually driving less. The opposite is actually
true. Between 1990 and 2010 Utah experienced a 78% increase in vehicles miles
traveled. The problem is pretty clear; we drive more and collect less. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We have a funding problem that is pretty widely accepted,
but the fixes vary greatly. My natural inclination is not to raise taxes, but
to find a better funding fit for the need. We have a history of pairing needs
with a related funding source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
instance we paired education with income tax. If the gas tax is no longer a
good pairing, what would a better fit be? The Transportation Interim Committee
is looking at a lot of possible pairings from sales tax to vehicle registration
fees to a hybrid that still includes the gas tax. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of these have pros and cons. I’m
interested in solutions that keep any taxes transparent, uniform across the
state and simple to administer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
chime in on this debate, the Transportation Interim Committee will be
discussing this issue again on October 15<sup>th</sup> and you can listen
online or send your comments or thoughts to your legislators. <o:p></o:p></div>
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-5088209284289326472016-10-09T18:24:00.002-07:002016-10-09T18:24:57.524-07:002014 Interim: Forest Fires<div class="MsoNormal">
Earlier this month, I listened to the national news about
the large number of wild fires burning in California due to the extreme drought
conditions. My heart went out to those impacted by the fires and I hope for the
health and safety of the firefighters. Though it is still spring in Utah, we
are on the verge of our own wild fire season. As a desert state with large
swaths of open land, it is very important that we protect ourselves against
costly and damaging wild fires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are numerous fires each year that are attributed to
human actions and so we must be mindful as the weather warms, schools are out
for the summer and families start vacations to be very careful with campfires,
target shooting and fireworks. Fires are expensive to fight and the aftermath
can be extremely costly as well so it is important to keep in mind that fire
related expenses are funded out of your tax dollars. If we can reduce the fires
we as human cause, those funds can be reallocated to other uses. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course lightning starts many wild fires too. There isn’t
much we can do to stop lightning, so instead we must focus on programs that
prevent wild fires from become catastrophes. Studies have shown that for every
$1 we invest in prevention, we save $17 in fire fighting cost. Last December
the Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Steering Committee identified regional
projects that could be undertaken to help reduce our fire risk. In addition,
the Legislature passed SCR 7 Concurrent Resolution on Comprehensive Statewide
Wildland Fire Prevention, Preparedness and Suppression Policy to urge
coordination by all level of government on the best use of time and resources
to prevent wild fires<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Some of the projects recommended are taking place near us in
the Dixie National Forest. Prescribed burns are being employed in some parts of
the forest to reduced downed debris and rejuvenate timber stands. This type of
project is employed when personnel, resources and weather conditions are all at
optimum levels to accomplish the goals without risk of the fire getting out of
control. Other parts of the forest may see strategic logging or other project
that are intended to keep the forest health or improve firebreaks or access
roads. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Our local fire fighters are our first line of defense for
wild fires. It takes time to deploy hotshot crews or other specialty resources.
Fires, of course, don’t wait for special crews to arrive. Locals have to be
ready to start the fight and assess the situation. This past session the Legislature
appropriated $75,000 in new on-going annual funding to wild fire land training
for local fire departments. While I hope our local crews don’t have to deploy,
having the knowledge and skills to manage the wild fire response from the
beginning will hopefully pay dividends in fires stopped quickly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m hoping that our investments in better coordination,
prevention and training will mean a quiet and safe fire year for Utah. Please
remember to practice fight safety this summer and consult utahfireinfo.gov if
you have questions about how you can<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>help reduce our fire danger this summer. <o:p></o:p></div>
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-7642194940904880282016-10-09T18:04:00.000-07:002016-10-09T18:04:05.148-07:002014 Session: Budget Update<div class="MsoNormal">
The Legislature has two primary duties each year. The first
is to create and balance a state budget and the second is to consider matters
of public policy. We begin each year with a focus on the “base budget.” This is
actually a series of budgets for each of the various departments that contains
the basic funding for each area. Later in the session we appropriate any
surplus revenues to new programs or growth in programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This session, we decided it was time to give the
base budgets a deeper review. All standing committees (the committees that
review policy bills rather than budget bills) were postponed until Week 2 and
double appropriations hearings were booked for each appropriations committee.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This gave each appropriations committee more time to dig into
budgets and ask important questions about funding levels, whether programs are
properly a-lined and producing the goals intended, and to ensure the funding
choices are still relevant. After some very long meetings and pouring over
spreadsheets, this exercise proved profitable as we discovered some pockets of
funds that hadn’t been used or programs that were obsolete or duplicated in
another department. The appropriations committees were then able to
re-appropriate these funds to other needs inside the budget. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It can be a risky thing to spend so much time on just one
part of our legislative responsibilities. Our State has one of the shortest
annual sessions at just 45-calendar days. We have learned how to work within
this timeline by keeping a rigid schedule of committee meetings and budget
hearings. To change that schedule and spend more time on budget hearings means
less time for policy bills and debate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both budget and policy are equally important so balancing the time
component can be difficult. Toward that end, I’m particularly pleased with a
bill, HJR10 Joint Resolution on a Long-Term Planning Conference, that would
enable the Legislature to hold a long-term planning study session every 2 years
outside of our normal 45-day general session. The purpose will be to focus on
fiscal trends and the longer term economic and demographic needs of the State.
Our 45-day session often doesn’t allow for this type of discussion or review.
Instead, we are working to pass a budget and consider all the bills before the
clocks strikes midnight on the final day. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Information is delivered and digested quickly in-session.
While we hope we are making the best decisions for the good of the state, there
often isn’t time to bring in experts, have lengthy discussions or model projections.
This planning conference would focus on long-range planning so we can discuss
and set goals. Then we can enter the next session looking at specific programs
or policies for education, transportation, or tax reform that appropriately
frame the issue in terms of how it helps us reach our goals and impacts
long-term planning. </div>
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I hope this bill and the deeper review of the base budget
this year will provide the public with greater budget transparency and
confidence while at the same time helping legislators do both their policy and
budgeting jobs better by having the right tools and information available. </div>
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-57361799173691495872016-10-09T17:54:00.003-07:002016-10-09T17:54:41.100-07:002014 Session: Transportation Funding2014 General Session<br />
Transportation Funding<br />
<br />
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An effective and efficient transportation system is critical
for any successful economy. We have to be able to get goods to market and
people to jobs. In a state like ours, it is critically important that we connect
our rural communities so oil from the Uintah Basin, Green River melons and
Zions National Park tourists can all crisscross the state with a positive
economic impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the key
component of our transportation funding strategy is not keeping pace with
costs. The gas tax is a constitutionally protected revenue source for roads and
transportation funding. We use a cents per gallon model, which is currently at
24.5 cents and has been at that rate since 1997. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the seventeen years since the last gas tax increase, our
vehicles have changed dramatically. Hybrids, electrics, CNG and LNG vehicles
have joined the mix while traditional gas fueled vehicles have also become more
fuel-efficient. We travel more road miles than ever before, but we use less gas
to do so which means we collect less in the tax that pays for road construction
and maintenance. It has become an inverse relationship that has shifted more
and more of the funding burden to other parts of the budget at all levels of
government. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This session, the Legislature is assessing what we can
change to more appropriately pair transportation with a funding mechanism or
mechanisms that meets the need. While taxing gas, or any other fuel source,
will likely always be a part of any transportation funding pool, we need to
figure out how to capture revenue from vehicles that use less of the fuel
source, but have equal impact on the roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are a few clear guidelines as the options are assessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any changes need to be something that is
uniformly adopted across the state so as not to increase the regulatory or tax
collection burden on retailers. We need options to provide an adequate amount
of transportation that will let us keep pace with repairs but also optimize
movement of goods and people with new construction. The constitutional
protection that ensures the gas tax is preserved for transportation (just like
the protection of income tax for education) is something to explore further as
well. We don’t want to work on a new funding scheme only to see the funds
diverted to other areas of the budget. Finally, this discussion and debate
about transportation needs and funding mechanisms is an important public policy
function that the legislature should revisit at appropriate intervals. Who
knows, some future Legislature may find that a tax on dilithium crystals is a
more appropriate source of funding. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Please stay tuned and chime in as the Legislature continues
this discussion for the next several weeks. This is an important policy
discussion as our fuel sources shifts and expands as we continue to evolve in
the way goods and people get to market.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-47199076676197094312013-03-08T14:35:00.000-08:002013-03-08T14:35:40.319-08:00Week 6 Newsletter<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Greetings,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only a week remains in the 2013 General Session. Committee meetings are complete and the
remainder of our time here will be spent on floor debate and working to
finalize a balanced State budget. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This week all of the bills
on the House 3rd Reading Calendar were “wiped,” meaning they were taken off and
reordered. This ensures that the bills considered a priority are debated on the
floor before the session ends on March 14. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless of time constraints
we will pass a balanced budget totaling nearly $13 billion and we will increase
education funding as well as provide a safety net for Utah’s most needy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions on bills
during the session. I always enjoy feedback from constituents and find it very
helpful when gauging how to vote on the important issues that come before
us. The easiest ay to reach me
during the session is by email at dipson@le.utah.gov or at 435-817-5281<u><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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</o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Representative Don L. Ipson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "PT Sans";">Dipson@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "PT Sans";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "PT Sans";"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="color: #980000; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-family: Baskerville; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3"; mso-font-kerning: 36.0pt;">Current Legislation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville; line-height: 130%;">House
Bill 408 – Criminal Suspect Photographs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: .25in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Baskerville; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">If approved, this measure would require people
requesting a copy of a mug shot to sign a statement that the photo will not be
placed in a publication or on a website that requires payment in order to
remove the picture. Violators would face a class B misdemeanor for writing a
false statement, up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The bill would strike a balance,
allowing access to the booking photos by the press for legitimate news stories
and by those doing background checks.
But it would also prevent those found innocent or whose charges were
dropped from having their mug shots remain on the web.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">House Bill 114 –
Second Amendment Preservation Act<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">This bill
passed out of the House Friday morning to the Senate with a vote of 49-17. This Act affirms that the Utah State
Legislature holds the exclusive authority </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Baskerville; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">to adopt and enact any and all laws, orders, rules,
or regulations regarding the manufacture, transfer, possession, ownership, and
use of firearms exclusively within this state.</span><span style="font-family: Baskerville;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Baskerville; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Senate Bill 226 – Sales and Use Tax Amendments<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Baskerville; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">This bill requires online retailers to collect and remit sales tax on
behalf of their customers. It modifies
the circumstances under which a person may be required to collect and remit
sales and use taxes to the State Tax Commission and makes technical and
conforming changes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-79032551941923063892013-03-01T14:20:00.004-08:002013-03-01T14:20:52.434-08:00Week 5 Legislative Newsletter
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Greetings,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This week at the Capitol
we were given revised revenue projections that provided the final numbers on
revenue growth and the last piece of budget info we need to finish balancing
the budget. This is a highly anticipated number and one that is tracked
throughout the year. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately, with the
shifting numbers and failed policy of Washington DC looming around us, it is
incredibly difficult to build a budget.
The Federal government’s tax increase earlier this year caused a $100
million negative impact. Despite
these challenges, we in Utah will balance our state budget on time and to the
penny. We will do the very best with the funds we have and match needs with the
appropriate funding source, hoping Washington will follow our lead. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions on bills
during the session. I always enjoy feedback from constituents and find it very
helpful when gauging how to vote on the important issues that come before
us. The easiest ay to reach me
during the session is by email at dipso<span style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 0.25in;">n@le.utah.gov or at 435-817-5281</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Representative Don L. Ipson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "PT Sans";">Dipson@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #980000; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 130%; text-indent: 0.25in;">Current Legislation</span></div>
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<b>HB 209 Public
Assistance Restrictions<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This bill prohibits the recipient of any type of public
financial assistance from using the benefits at a liquor store, gaming
establishment or adult-oriented entertainment establishment. I think we can all
agree that when the taxpayer is providing assistance to someone in need, we
expect them to use the money to support themselves and their families in
appropriate ways through the purchase of food or housing essentials. Using
those public safety net funds in inappropriate ways or places is a violation of
the public good will and trust for which those funds were set aside. </div>
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<b>HB 129 </b><b>Amendments to Powers, Functions, and Duties of
Office of Legislative Fiscal Analyst<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Would you like to see exactly where your dollars are going?
The idea behind this bill is a taxpayer receipt that would be available on the
state’s transparency website (transparent.utah.gov). It would build a custom receipt based on your tax input for
state income tax and sales tax, complete with graphs. Information is power. By
making a receipt available, the taxpayer has a greater ability to assess the
expenditures, weigh the pros and cons of policy areas, and then get involved in
changing the funding formulas. </div>
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<b>H.B. 268
Substitute Disorderly Conduct Amendments<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This session there are several “gun bills” that have been proposed. This
is a very sensitive area given recent tragedies and closely held 2<sup>nd</sup>
amendment rights. This bill attempts to strike a balance between our state laws
that allow for fire arms to be openly carried, but gives law enforcement
personnel the ability to engage with persons that may be causing a disturbance
in a public place when open carrying a fire arm. After much debate and some
amendments, this bill seems to strike the right balance on the issue of the
open carrying of firearms.</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-91835853037657301572013-02-22T12:46:00.001-08:002013-02-22T12:46:05.320-08:00Week 4 Legislator Newsletter
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<o:p> </o:p>Greetings,</div>
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Among the many areas of concern we are addressing this Legislative
session is our crumbling infrastructure.
As cars become more fuel efficient, the gas tax collected per mile
traveled falls, leaving the government unable to fund much needed road
projects. This issue is important
for everyone, and we will exhaust every effort leading to the best solution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We have received hundreds of responses from the survey the Southern
Utah delegation recently published, and we value and thank you for your
input. From the results we see
that Southern Utahns are most concerned with the issues of infrastructure and
education. We are working hard to
address these issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Legislature will be launching a task force at the end of
the session that will meet throughout the legislative interim to evaluate how
to put the policies and funding mechanisms in place to reach our goals. I’m
excited about this goal and direction for the state as. Our future is indeed
bright. </div>
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Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions on bills
during the session. I always enjoy feedback from constituents and find it very
helpful when gauging how to vote on the important issues that come before us. The easiest ay to reach me during the
session is by email at <a href="mailto:dipson@le.utah.gov">dipson@le.utah.gov</a> or at 435-817-5281<o:p></o:p></div>
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House Bill 76 – Concealed Carry
Amendments</div>
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This bill passed the House Judiciary committee this week and
is yet to be heard by the full House.
The bill has a provision that would allow anyone over the age of 21 to
carry a concealed weapon with or without a permit.</div>
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House Bill 114 – Second Amendment
preservation Act</div>
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This bill reserves the right to regulate firearms on behalf
of the state, providing penalties for anyone attempting to enforce federal
second amendment restrictions. </div>
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House Bill 30 – Line-of-Duty Death
and Disability Amendments</div>
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This bill closes a loophole in death and disability
definitions that can leave the families of fallen public safety officers or
firefighters without compensation.
The current law compensates families after a death due to blunt force
trauma, but neglects to include death or disability from other causes. </div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-74096650389828071732013-02-08T12:52:00.003-08:002013-02-08T12:52:49.417-08:00Week 2 Legislative Newsletter<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Greetings,</div>
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One of the primary responsibilities of the Legislature each year is to
develop and balance the state budget. This is a serious responsibility and one
that requires significant work each year. The budgeting this year has been made
immeasurably more complicated this year due to fiscal irresponsibility in
Washington DC. By the end of Week 2 of the session, the legislative
appropriations committees are usually deep into the budget review process. This
year the process has been slowed as we await revised revenue projections and
the latest “best guess” on the budget cuts Washington will attempt to pass onto
the states. Stay tuned for revised budget updates on February 19<sup>th</sup>
that will provide us with the final numbers we will budget toward. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Southern Utah delegation recently published a survey in <i>The Spectrum and Daily News</i> as a means
for Southern Utahns to voice their opinions and thoughts on a variety of hot
topics. The survey especially focused on your ideas about spending. This week we received many of these
completed surveys back and we appreciate your insight and comments on the
important issues that we will discuss this legislative session. I very much value your feedback and use
to assess the bills we vote on.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Below is an important update on House Bill 61. Please feel free to contact me with any
comments or questions on bills during the session. I always enjoy feedback from
constituents and find it very helpful when gauging how to vote on the important
issues that come before us. The
easiest ay to reach me during the session is by email at <a href="mailto:dipson@le.utah.gov">dipson@le.utah.gov</a> or at
801-538-1029<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">House Bill 61 Update – Dixie State College University
Status<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This bill
will be heard as the first item of business in the Utah House of
Representatives beginning at 10AM on February 13<sup>th</sup>, and will then be
moved directly to the Senate where Senator Urquhart will present it for final
passage. The Governor will sign
the bill on Saturday, February 16<sup>th</sup> at 9AM on Dixie State University
campus, which will implement an immediate effective date and We will be Dixie
State University that day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-18765058665731328702013-02-04T12:43:00.004-08:002013-02-04T12:43:49.641-08:002013 Legislative Session - Week 1 NewsletterGreetings,<br />
<br />
We have reached the end of the opening week of the 2013 Utah Legislative session, but we still have much to accomplish over the next 40 days. This week featured much of the pomp and circumstance that you might expect would accompany the opening week. Speaker Lockhart opened the session with a speech about the challenges we face because of budget inaction by Congress. We also heard the annual State of the State address from Governor Herbert, who highlighted many of the things Utah is doing right, while laying out several policy directives including an emphasis on public education.<br />
<br />
I was able to present a bill to the education committee who unanimously approved it. Many in Southern Utah have worked on this bill for the past few years. It is the bill that will formally move Dixie State College to full university status (see below for a short description of the bill). This move has been in the works for many years. Several past legislators from Southern Utah, including former Speaker David Clark and former Senator Bill Hickman, were able to attend the committee hearing and be recognized for the leadership they showed on getting Dixie State College to this point. The bill is now awaiting consideration by the full house.<br />
<br />
Below are some of the bills that were considered this week that you might find interesting. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions on bills during the session. I always enjoy feedback from constituents and find it very helpful when gauging how to vote on the important issues that come before us. The easiest ay to reach me during the session is by email at dipson@le.utah.gov or at 801-538-1029<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Representative Don L. Ipson </b><br />
<b>DIpson@le.utah.gov</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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House Bill 61 – Dixie State College - University Status
This bill modifies the State System of Higher Education code by changing the name of Dixie State College of Utah to Dixie State University. It establishes the status of the university as a continuation of the college and makes technical changes. This bill will provide substantial growth opportunities for the school.<br />
<br />
House Bill 15 - State Park Access Amendments
The bill designates an additional access road to Quail Creek State Park, and designates access roads to Sand Hollow State Park. The extra road designated in Quail Creek State Park is the North Access in Hurricane City, and is 1 mile long. 2 additional roads are designated part of Sand Hollow State Park, both in Hurricane.<br />
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HJR 6 – Joint Resolution on Compensation and Expense Reimbursement
Compensation and Expense Reimbursements: This bill acts on the recommendation of the Independent Compensation Commission and requires the Legislature receive compensation through an actual salary, rather food and housing stipends. Legislators will continue to make about $16,000 a year, only now legislators that have housing and travel expenses will submit receipts for reimbursement.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-59910717592769419892012-10-25T12:50:00.003-07:002012-10-29T10:49:14.624-07:00September 2012: Dixie State College UpdateThe article below if from an article I wrote for the Spectrum Newspaper in September 2012.
Under outstanding leadership, and in cooperation with the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Board of Regents, Dixie State College has been working over the past several years to achieve the goals outlined in a benchmark study commissioned to aid its transition to university status. I am pleased to report that the college is very close to achieving those goals.
These goals have been met in no small part because of Dixie State’s creative use of limited resources. Through digital learning and partnerships with other institutions the world has increasingly become our campus. For example, institutions like Harvard and MIT have put some of their very best programs on-line, and our students will continue to take advantage of these. Similarly, outreach programs at the University of Utah—and potentially Utah State and other institutions—provide our students access to specialty degree programs, some of which may only need to be offered once a year. Our students also enjoy a wider range of health care opportunities, thanks to a-partnership with Intermountain Health Care. This remarkable collaboration has provided great educational programs as well as employment opportunities, two of our area’s leading economic drivers.
Such developments have allowed us to provide a complete college experience for students, while making the most of our education budget and maintaining the hometown atmosphere of our campus. Growth has also meant that we have been able to capture the tuition dollars necessary to expand our own programs, rather than allowing the money to go elsewhere. This, in turn, has made it possible to continue to expand the curriculum and to recruit a world-class faculty and staff. A city with a thriving institution of higher education has cultural and economic development opportunities not just for students, but the entire community.
I anticipate that the additional degrees Dixie State needs for its new status will have the Regents’ approval before the end of 2012 and that the Board will vote to approve the change in January. This means that it is now time to formally begin the transition. To this end, I have opened a bill file for the 2013 legislative session, which will facilitate the change of Dixie State’s status from college to university. Senator Urquhart will be the Senate sponsor of the bill. I know the entire delegation from Washington County is very supportive of this transition and legislation and will be working through the upcoming legislative session to facilitate the bill’s passage. Hopefully this legislation will open the door to another century of success for an institution that has long been a great benefit to our community and region. Good luck to Dixie State as we work through this final transition and happy studying to all the students will benefit from expanded opportunities, classes and degrees!
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-53853190893302128862012-10-25T12:49:00.003-07:002012-10-29T10:49:36.701-07:00May 2012 "What do Legislators do the Rest of the Year?" This is from an article I submitted to the Spectrum Newspaper in May of 2012.
After the Legislature adjourns in March each year, I’m often asked what legislators do the rest of the year. Most people are aware that legislators only serve part-time, but many are unaware that the part-time service continues throughout the year. From April through November the House and Senate resolve into joint committees co-chaired by a senator and a representative. The committees meet once a month to study issues, review potential bills and receive budget updates from State departments. We call this time period “the Interim.”
Our State has one of the shortest annual sessions in the nation at only 45-days. In addition, many states separate budget and issues sessions into separate years or sessions. We do both budgets and issues in the same session. The only way to accomplish all of the States business in 45-days is to lay all the groundwork in advance. I often think of annual session as the 4th quarter of a football game. Right now we are starting the 1st quarter of a new game that will conclude in March of 2013.
During our first interim meetings held last Wednesday, the committees received the annual training required by the Open and Public Meeting Act, reviewed the list of statutorily required reports and sunset reviews by each committee, reviewed the list of Master Study Resolution items, and heard reports on various issues. The Master Study Resolution is an important guide as to what items will be studied. Legislators add items to this list throughout the annual session and then the resolution is passed as one of the final bills of the session. It almost serves as a “to do list” of items that might have needed more review, study or input before final action could be taken. The first interim meetings also offer opportunities for legislators to suggest new items for committees to study.
If you have an idea for a bill or an issue that you want to be studied by the Legislature, now is the time to contact your legislator. Bills take time to be drafted and often a bill needs to be considered from multiple angles to ensure there are no unintended consequences by a change in policy. Groups that will be impacted need time to review and offer input on how to improve the bill or mitigate negative impacts. Often when someone brings up a new idea during the annual session, there just isn’t time in the 45-days to draft, study, gather input, and complete the committee hearing and voting process before the final gavel.
On a more personal level, this is also the time of year where legislators might personally dig into an issue that they want to understand better and that might lead to legislation later in the year. For instance, I’m working with a small group of legislators on the issue of restaurant liquor licenses. Our license system has created license shortages that have stymied economic development in some cases. No one wants to make any changes that might increase DUIs or over consumption, but other states handle liquor licenses in different ways and perhaps we can learn from their licensing systems. There maybe be a better way to manage this issue for all parties involved. It is an ambitious course of study and I’m excited to see what we learn and what conclusions we can draw.
Please feel free to contact your State Legislator if you have an idea, a question or would like to know how to engage more in the interim process. Many good bills are the result of ideas from constituents suggesting something that could be done differently for a better outcome.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-51023903455856149392012-10-25T12:48:00.004-07:002012-10-29T10:50:02.055-07:00Constituent Newsletter, March 8, 2012Final Gavel of 2012
We did it! Our $13 billion budget is balanced, we debated nearly 1,000 bills, and now we are adjourned until January 2013— unless, of course, the Governor calls the Legislature back into a special session at some
point during the year. We were able to address the financial needs of the State without any tax increases and managed to put $11 million back into our Rainy Day Fund.
Public education received the lion’s share of additional funding this year. Some of the funding items were included because our revenue estimates have grown from what was originally projected at about $280 million to now about $422 million. Here is a list of new spending items for Public Education over and above the Public Education base budget:
• $41 million for enrollment growth for the 12,500 new students that will start school next year,
• $5 million for teacher supplies,
• $7 million for computer adaptive testing,
• $5 million for small, rural schools,
• Nearly $22 million increase in per pupil spending,
• $5 million for online testing,
• $2.5 million for charter schools,
• Over $1 million for special education students,
• $5 million for school buildings
I wanted to provide some brief updates on some of the notable bills during the session. Two bills, SB 66 and HB 354, deal with some reforms to our State’s alcohol management policy. Legislative audits last fall revealed mismanagement and possible criminal malfeasance within the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC). Together these bills would make changes to the management and operations of the DABC. The bills would expand the number of commissioners, provide for internal auditors, and for Senate approval of commissioners appointed by the Governor. The bills would also move the management of money from alcohol sales and alcohol mark-ups to the State Tax Commission in order to provide for better account checks and balances of these critical funds. The Department of Public Safety is also charged, under these bills, with collecting data about alcohol abuse, underage drinking, DUI rates, over-serving, and over-consumption. Currently, the data used is either outdated or based on historical precedent.This information would allow for more correct and appropriate policy creation in the future.
HB 173, Transportation Funding Modifications, is another important bill that will reduce our State bonding authorization for roads by $130 million. Essentially this means we are self-imposing a lower credit limit so we eliminate the possibility of over extending ourselves with road debt. Rather than have outside financial entities or economic circumstances dictate our credit and debt, we are self-regulating our credit limit. The best guarantee against future economic crisis is to ensure our budgets are sustainable. The bill also gives UDOT increased flexibility to move funding around within their budget for various projects by extending the road budget process out for a period of 3-fiscal years. Often projects on the list are in different phases of readiness due to design, environmental impacts and other factors. This will also allow UDOT to move projects ahead that are shovel ready over other projects that still need design; resulting in lower construction costs and other savings with the flexibility. It is anticipated that with this flexibility, UDOT will be able to complete additional transportation projects while at the same time reducing our overall bonding debt.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you at the Legislature. I appreciate all the feedback I received during the session and hope you will continue to reach out to me with your views and issues. Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-19091668317318721912012-10-25T12:45:00.001-07:002012-10-29T10:50:45.398-07:00Main Street Fairness, March 2012The following is from an article I submitted to the Spectrum Newspaper in March of 2012.
The Internet has changed all of our lives. From E-mail to Facebook to the Wikipedia we now access a variety of information in a whole different way. It has also changed the way we shop. I think we can all admit to shopping from the couch in pajamas!
As Internet retail has evolved and grown, the problem of how to collect sales tax on the online purchases has also grown. Right now an online retailer that also has a physical retail presence in the State must collect and remit sales tax just as brick and mortar retailers do. An example of this might be buying a book from www.barnesandnoble.com. Since there are brick and mortar Barnes and Noble stores in the State, the online retailer will collect and remit the sales tax on a purchase. However, online retailers without a physical presence can pass the burden for remitting sales tax back to the purchaser who then must remit the tax on their annual State tax return. Unfortunately, the Utah State Tax Commission reports that less than 1% of Utahns file any sales and use tax on their tax returns. Yet, the percentage of Utahns making purchases on-line where sales and use tax is not collected is likely much higher than 1% percent, especially for generations X and Y. Many Utahns are not even aware they owe tax on these online purchases.
This difference in tax burden from brick and mortar retailers to online retailers without nexus is significant. Since online retailers don’t collect sales tax on their products, they are able to offer products for about 7% less. It isn’t that the product is really 7% less; it is the difference between a tax being collected and a tax not being collected. The impact on our local retailers is significant, but so to is the impact to the State. A 2011 Janney Capital Markets’ study estimated that Utah misses out on $180 million each year in online sales tax. This is a growing sales segment as more and more people conduct purchases on-line.
Compounding this issue is the problem that some online retailers are engaged in a deliberate shell game of hiding manufacturing, service or distribution centers in separate holding companies in order to avoid the sales tax collection. This session a bill has been proposed that seeks to address this online sales issue and close the loophole of what constitutes physical presence. HB 384 would provide for an expanded definition of nexus for online retailers. This is just the first step toward market equity on the issue of sales tax for online and brick and mortar retailers, but it is an important first step. The shell game must stop.
As the Legislature evaluates this bill we will consider the needs of all retailers and the sales tax principles regarding fairness to Utah’s retailers. Government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers when it comes to tax policy.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-15979603929628789742012-10-25T12:42:00.001-07:002012-10-29T10:51:04.776-07:00Constituent Newsletter Feb. 25, 2012Fiscal Update: Slow & Steady Growth
We are now in the budget intensive part of the annual legislative session. This past week we received new revenue projections that we will use to finalize the budget. Early in the session, we “pencil” in the budget numbers based on the December 2011 projections. These new numbers are more accurate and will allow us to do the final work of balancing the budget.
The revised projections show additional growth of about $14 million dollars, bringing our total revenue growth to $422 million. We also learned in the past week that the State would be receiving $23 million as Utah’s portion of the national mortgage lender settlement. Overall, this is good news. It means the State is experiencing slow, but steady growth. Many states are not yet experiencing growth in the post-recession period.
We still have more funding requests than money available, so the work of sifting the requests by priority will begin in earnest next week. Some of the top items that are considered likely to receive some of the revenue growth include: 1% pay raises for teachers and state employees, replenishment of the Rainy Day Fund, and higher
education pay raises. The majority of the additional revenue will be used to fund growth in public education, Medicaid, and to address the structural deficit of $52 million in on-going programs that were backfilled with one-time money during the recession.
Earlier in the session, we passed the base budgets which make up 95% of our nearly $13 billion State budget. The remaining 5% of the budget will be completed in the next 2 weeks as we finalize allocating the $422 million of revenue growth and $23 million from the mortgage lender settlement.
There are several important public policy issues being discussed this year, but one that I find particularly intriguing deals with performance pay for school administrators and teachers. Merit or performance pay is the term usually used when discussing the idea of rewarding the good performers and penalizing the bad. In concept the plan is simple; identify criteria that people associate with good teachers and administrators and when the criteria is met apply a reward. However, identifying those criteria has proven to be a challenging task. Previous proposals have met with opposition from various groups and have stalled before ever coming to a vote. This year it seems we might have found a proposal that has the support of the Salt Lake Chamber, Prosperity 20/20, the State Board of Education, UEA, USBA and the PTA.
The basic premise of the bill is to address a school’s leadership and then follow that through to the teaching level. Under this bill every administrator would have an annual evaluation which would measure 4 key criteria: a) leadership skills (based on supervisor, teachers, and parent comment), b) student progress indicators (like annual school grade), c) competence and consistency in completing teacher evaluations, and d) other district criteria. All future salary increases would be converted to pay for performance until 15% of an administrator’s direct compensation is tied to their annual performance evaluation.
The bill then addresses teaching by having administrators evaluate and rank teachers annually on a scale of 1 to 4. A public report would be compiled for each school listing the number of teachers who fall within each of the evaluation levels each year. Teachers who fall in the bottom half of the evaluation scale would not be eligible for annual salary increases (steps and lanes). Additionally, administrators would have 120 days from the notice of poor evaluation to remediate the teacher or make a decision to terminate the teacher. Repeated poor performance by teachers within a 3-year time- frame could be cause for termination. Obviously, addressing performance pay for administrators and teachers is only the first of many steps toward improving public education, but I think this is an excellent proposal.
Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions on any bills. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you on Capitol Hill.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-36130583992584224872012-10-25T12:40:00.001-07:002012-10-25T12:40:17.908-07:00Constituent Newsletter Feb. 5, 2012Positive Fiscal News Kicks-Off 2012 Session!
For the first time in nearly three Legislative sessions, we are starting off the year with positive fiscal news! During the Great Recession, the State lost over $1 billion in revenues and faced steeper budget cuts than even encountered during the Great Depression. This year, however, we are entering the annual legislative session with positive revenue growth of nearly $400 million. Hopefully when we receive the final revenue projections during Week 4 of the session, that number will hold solid.
The challenge after so many years of belt tightening will be to resist spending our surplus with abandon. The lesson of the recession is renewed fiscal responsibility. Utah has always enjoyed the reputation of a fiscally prudent state, which allowed us to weather the recession with our AAA bond rating intact and a portion of our Rainy Day Fund still unspent. However, we must renew our commitment to investing wisely in economic development opportunities, continuing to fund growth in public education, and to continuing to set aside funds for a rainy day. Our State budget is the
same as a family budget, just on a larger scale, and should adhere to all the same principles of sound budgeting.
The end of Week 2 of the legislative session marks an important budget milestone, the passage of base budgets. We use a “base budget” process to help streamline the budgeting process in our relatively short 45-day session. We are required by legislative rule to vote on base budgets in the second week. Ideally, the budgets are meant to match the prior year’s funding. This means that if the Legislature did nothing else for the remainder of the session, the State would continue to operate on flat budgets.
Base budgets account for 95% of the total State budget, the other 5% will come as new programs or other one-time spending initiatives that will be added over the coming weeks. The 5% of the budget still to be allocated includes the $400 million in revenue growth, much of which is already earmarked to fund student growth in public education, one of our areas of greatest need. Due to the recession, base budget the past few years had included some across the board budget cuts. This year, however, it hasn’t been necessary to trim the base budgets at all. Another sign that the worst
of the recession seems to be behind us!
At this point, the Legislature has sent 33 bills to the Governor to sign or veto, but we still have 1,073 bills awaiting consideration. Not all of these bills will make it to the Governor’s desk. Some will fail to pass muster in committee, others will stall in floor debate or be held due to a requirement for funding prior to implementation. Obviously we still have a lot of work to do over the next 5 weeks. Some of the issues I’m actively following include computer adaptive testing (HB 15), which could have a dramatic improvement on how we test students to better allocate resources and teaching efforts. The testing allows for real-time feedback for teachers so students are placed in the proper skill level group earlier in the school year. Another important issues is Main Street fairness, the idea that on-line retailers must collect and remit sales tax just as brick & mortar merchants do so as not to provide a competitive advantage to on-line retailers.
In future articles and newsletters I will continue to keep you up to date on the budget process and critical bills being considered by the Legislature. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions on bills. I always enjoy feedback from constituents and find it very helpful when gauging how to vote on the important issues that come before us. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you on Capitol Hill.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-30571239569662344402012-10-25T12:37:00.000-07:002012-10-25T12:37:17.033-07:00Public Access to Snow Canyon State Park, February 2012This is from an article I submitted to the Spectrum Newspaper in February of 2012.
Snow Canyon is a beautiful and important part of community, but I’m concerned about the access restrictions and fees limit the publics’ use and enjoyment of our park. The fees and regulations applied to the park don’t necessarily reflect the way our community views and would like to use the park. It is my desire to achieve a balance that preserves the pristine nature of the park and gives access to the people who actually own this crown jewel.
Concern about the public's access to Snow Canyon State Park has created enough public interest that I have asked a group to join me in reviewing this situation. The committee includes: park manager Kristen Comella, Assistant Region Manager Lawrence Twitchell, Deputy Director Tim Smith, St. George Mayor Dan McArthur, Ivins Mayor Kris Hart, and Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner.
We need to address reasonable user fees and reconcile them with the use of the park and park facilities. Restrictions to some areas and fees to simply pass through the park are at the top of my list of concerns. The Desert Tortoise Preserve in Washington County and within the boundaries of Snow County State Park does complicate the mission and use of the area, however it is limited in total acreage compared to the overall size, therefore we will work through those issues to improve the peoples access
The reality is that this is a very well loved State Parks with a high user rate, but that doesn’t mean we need to drive people away with restricted access and high fees. If we are unable to come up with a satisfactory management plan for Snow Canyon, I am prepared to propose legislation that would move management of the park to a joint management system that includes Washington County, Ivins and St. George City. Together these entities have parks departments and law enforcement personnel necessary to manage this area without adding unnecessary costs to local governments. I believe it might be best if this park is placed under local control so that the needs of the community are met.
Government is always better when it is closer to the people. I believe local governance of this park will better serve the people of Southern Utah by ensuring our access to the park are not overlooked in a broader State Park management system. The role this park plays in our community it too important to have our access limited.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-29330587277762649702012-10-25T12:35:00.001-07:002012-10-25T12:35:32.076-07:00September 2011, Update on RedistrictingFrom an article I sent to the Spectrum Newspaper in September of 2011 providing an update on my assignment on the Redistricting Committee.
The redistricting process has been very interesting, engaging, and enlightening process. I’ve learned the job of drawing maps is much harder than it looks and I’m glad that once we finish, we won’t need to repeat the process for another decade. As Southern Utah’s lone member to serve on the Redistricting Committee, I have had the opportunity to visit 17 communities in all regions of the state listening to the peoples’ concerns regarding the boundaries to be created by the process. The public was very engaged in the process and most meetings were well attended with many people wanting to offer comments.
For the first time in the redistricting process there has been computer software available to the public at www.redistrictingutah.com for anyone to have a hand in drawing maps for State School Board districts, State Senate, State House and the ever illusive Congressional map. This is a gigantic evolution in the redistricting process. Even the last process in 2001 featured software systems that required too much memory and sophisticated computer know how in order to operate the program. This time it made a big difference for committee members and the public to be able to fully participate.
At the local meetings anyone who had drawn a map had the chance to present to the committee. The base map for State School Board was one drawn by Rob Horner, an interested citizen from Logan. Public ideas and input from citizen maps were used to flesh out the details of the other redistricting maps.
Washington and Iron counties have had a combined growth that has resulted in some interesting maps. Though the results aren’t final until the vote during the October 3rd Special Session, this is what has been generally agreed to for Southern Utah. 1) A new open seat will be created for State School Board that will cover both counties. 2) The final boundaries for Washington and Iron counties will result in five total State House seats (currently four State House Seats) with one being a new open seat in Washington County. Cedar City will be included in one district rather than divided between two seats in Iron County. The numbers were so close that we have 18 more people in the two counties than would be considered the ideal balance based on the census numbers for five seats. 3) Washington County will have one entirely contained State Senate seat and Washington, Iron and Beaver Counties will share a second State Senate seat.
The illusive Congressional map is still just that… illusive! There are still a few more redistricting meetings before the October 3rd Special Session to work on the Congressional map. Stand by for the excitement as we complete our work on the pizza slice/donut hole or totally new food group Congressional map. I want to thank everyone that has sent in maps or comments. You all know more about the unique neighborhoods, communities and geography in your area than the computer software and it is important we combine the sophistication of computer map drawing with the heart and soul of the people that live in the districts.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-57842332990684863502012-10-25T12:29:00.000-07:002012-10-25T12:29:23.689-07:00May 2011 article on my redistricting assignmentThe following is from an article I submitted to the Spectrum Newspaper in May of 2011
The redistricting process can seem like an odd ritual with obscure rules because it is something that only happens once every ten years. Like a total solar eclipse, this is a rare event and it can be easy for the details of how the process works to fade from our memories between cycles. As the only legislator from Southern Utah on the redistricting committee, I feel very lucky to be a part of this historic process that will shape the political future of our corner of the State for the next decade.
There are two very important events coming up for our area. The Redistricting Committee will be holding two hearing in Southern Utah on Saturday, June 11th, 2011. The first will be at 10:00 am in Cedar City, then the committee with move to St. George for a 3:00 pm hearing. This is your opportunity to weigh in on how the districts ought to be drawn and I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity.
The committee has adopted some overarching principles and procedural guidelines that will guide the committee in its work. The six principles are:
1. Congressional districts must be as nearly equal as practicable with a deviation not greater than ± .1 %.
2. State legislative districts and state school board districts must have substantial equality of population among the various districts with a deviation not greater than ± 3.5%.
3. Districts will be single member districts.
4. Plans will be drawn to create four Congressional Districts, 29 State Senate Districts, 75 State House Districts, and 15 State School Board Districts.
5. In drawing districts, the official population enumeration of the 2010 decennial census will be used.
6. Districts will be contiguous and reasonably compact.
Many of these principles have their roots in various court cases that have refined the redistricting process over the course of U.S. history. For instance in the case of Reynolds v. Sims in 1964, the Supreme Court held state political districts of unequal size resulted in under-representation of some citizens' interests and over-representation of others'. This was considered "unrepublican," per Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, and also unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause. In order to meet constitutional standards, districts had to be reapportioned so each had approximately equal population. Other court rules have expressed the court’s preference for single member districts and for contiguous and compact (i.e. protection against gerrymandering) districts (Shaw v. Reno 1993 and Miller v. Johnson 1995).
Some of the most difficult parts of the redistricting process have been eased with the advent of computer mapping software; making it possible to “draw” district while the computer does the hard work of calculating the population totals as the lines shift on the map. One difficulty will likely always remain. Were our population evenly distributed across the State, it would be easy to grid off square districts with even lines. However, our population is anything but evenly distributed and geographic features often separate populations in ways that defy even, straight lines. The Legislature is working on an on-line tool that will allow anyone to try their hand at drawing district maps and I encourage everyone to log-on and give it a try. I hope to see you all on June 11th for the redistricting hearings!
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3837932925948180477.post-27073616235038116972012-10-25T12:28:00.002-07:002012-10-25T12:28:06.356-07:00March 10, 2011 Newsletter2011 Session Summary
Forty‐five days start to finish, $12 billion dollars spent and nearly 500 bills passed. The 2011 legislative session is now complete and in the history books. The most important duty of the Legislature is to pass a balanced budget, something we did this year as we do every year. One of the biggest budget challenges this year was deciding what to do about the $313 million deficit that existed at the beginning of the session. The recession, while weakening like a spent storm, is still having a negative impact on State revenues. The early options for dealing with the deficit were: cut budgets up to 7%, spend some of the Rainy Day Fund, raise taxes, or some combination of these choice. While considering these options, we kept our fingers crossed that the final revenue projections would reveal an improving economy through the New Year.
Economic recovery was on our side and the final revenue projections showed an increase in both on‐going and one‐time funding sources, narrowing our budget gap to about $50 million. Who would have thought that one day a $50 million dollar deficit would have been cause for celebration? At this point we are one of only six states that still holds a AAA bond rating. At the beginning of the recession, 41 states had rainy day funds and reserves that totaled at least 5 percent of their budgets. By 2010, only 22 states had reserves at all according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. We will finish the session with just over $200 million still available in our Rainy Day Fund.
Given the stark realities of the budget picture, I am very pleased to report that for the first time in three years we were able to fund enrollment growth in our public schools. Nearly 14,000 new students are expected to enter Utah schools next year. While our public education budget is relatively flat, this injection of enrollment growth cash will help fund the new teachers necessary to absorb the new students into our schools. We hope that next year’s budget will allow for increased spending in this area so we can reduce classroom size and fund education initiatives.
Medicaid is another area of State spending that saw an increase in funding, however this is a reason for alarm rather than celebration. This budget will increase by 4.1% due to caseload growth, the expiration of federal stimulus funding and new federal program requirements. At current growth rates, it will not be long before Medicaid replaces public education in the top‐spending category. The Legislature is starting a process this year to cap Medicaid per enrollee spending to no more than the growth of the overall general fund and to take advantage of payment plans that incentivize cost and outcomes rather than a fee based on the number of procedures performed.
Immigration reform occupied much of our efforts this session. This has been a very difficult and emotional issue. In the end, the Legislature voted for a package of bills that addressed the issue from both economic and enforcement perspectives. The package included two different guest worker programs; one that would require a federal waiver to implement and another that would contract directly with the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon for skilled migrant labor. The package includes requirements that police check the immigration status of people detained or arrested for felonies and class A misdemeanors and gives police the discretion to check the status of those suspected for class B and class C misdemeanors. It also contains penalties for employers that fail to verify the lawful presence of workers and new provisions on in- state tuition rates for illegal immigrant children and children of guest workers. The package of bills doesn’t go as far as some would have liked and does far more than others might be comfortable with. In the end, this is very much a compromise package that would be much better with a federal immigration solution.
We will be back on the Hill again very soon to hold hearings on HB 477, Government Records Amendments, which deals with access to public records. This has been a hot topic in the final week and the Legislature recognizes we need a little more time to find the appropriate balance on which records should be considered private. The Governor has pledged to call us back into a Special Session in June to make the appropriate changes to the law after the public hearings in the spring. If you have issues or concerns you think we ought to address, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you on Capitol Hill.
Don Ipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623060412947249453noreply@blogger.com0