From the Alcohol Compromise (PDF) posted to the Senate Site:
Generates Revenue for remodeling and enforcement training by removing state stamp on alcohol packages and permitting alcohol sales at state stores and package agencies on election days
Yay! No more rush to buy celebratory booze on Monday before election!
Tags: booze
Word went out a few days ago that Wednesday evening would be a blogger presser from the Utah Senate. Although I live in a state where I often have felt that my voice doesn’t count much in politics, especially on the state-wide scene, and where I often disagree with what seems to be the majority, it’s been a good year to be a blogger, even in Utah.
The details for tomorrow were published this evening, and this part really made me feel like previous efforts on the part of all of Utah’s bloggers have been building up:
Utah political bloggers push the envelope again Wednesday night. New media paradigm. I need my bosses to understand who you are, and what you do and I want you — gentle bloggers — to get to know the senators and become more frequent fliers up here on the Hill.
I’m definitely looking forward to tomorrow’s discussion, and to writing about that discussion!
This morning, the Senate Site streamed live video for the Alcohol Policy Press Conference. Kudos to them for keeping those of us at home in the loop! Plenty of us Twittered this live, you can find it under the hashtag #UTAP.
If you don’t want to sift through those, here’s the recap: Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. opened the presser, but didn’t say much outside of buttering up Senator Valentine, and making sure we knew that Utah’s alcohol laws are quirky, before introducing Senator Greg Hughes. He did give a sneak peak by saying that we will be disposing of membership and fee requirements, and of the glass wall known as the Zion Curtain.
Sen. Hughes had nothing of substance to say. He described Utah’s liquor laws, while avoiding the term “quirky”, but said Utah has a unique approach and he likes it, darn it! He also said that there were lots of stakeholders, and they usually can’t agree on anything, but that they did this. Interestingly, he did say that anyone who had a stake in this were at the table, but I’m wondering why I didn’t get an invite?
Hughes did say something about scanning IDs, and pointed out that he has a big bag of fake IDs, if you don’t believe underage drinking is a problem. He spent most of the time kissing up to people and groups like MADD, before giving the podium to Senator Valentine.
Senator Valentine really got to the meat of what the new laws will be. You notice that there’s no doubt this will pass. This new bill will be a substitute for SB 187.
That was all the Valentine explained. I’m not sure who the next speaker was, but he let us know that even though he’s from Utah County, he knows alcohol because he’s been to Europe. (As Twitter user @nicktjohnson explained: They also have mass-transit in Europe.)
There will be new, tougher penalties enacted:
The Gov took another moment at the mic to explain that this signals the world that we’re keeping pace with change, and that this is an attempt to balance our laws.
The Q&A gave some additional explanation about bars in restaurants. Existing restaurants can take down the Zion curtain, and kids will not be allowed to be seated at the bar areas. The new restaurants can serve alcohol, but cannot have a bar in the facility.
One of the Q&A questions was about the LDS Church, and whether they were one of the stakeholders. I’m not sure if it was Hughes or Valentine that stepped up, but he explained that they were definitely a stakeholder, they gave much input on this new set of laws, and that they will always be an important component of any liquor legislation in Utah.
Tags: alcohol
S.B. 79 – Health Reform – Medical Malpractice Amendments is misleading in it’s title. Health reform is generally thought of as something that improves the quality or availability of health care. In this case, it’s just the opposite.
The general summary is that it will grant immunity to Emergency Room Doctors, and other staff, from malpractice. It will require a “clear and convincing evidence for malpractice actions based on emergency care received in an emergency room”, which sounds like it might be a good thing.
According to the Deseret News article today:
In effect it will “institutionalize bad medicine in Utah and make it virtually impossible for lawyers to sue doctors for negligently cutting off the wrong leg,” said attorney Joe Steele.
Cutting off that wrong leg would be deemed “mere” negligence, which would mean the injured patient would have no right to trial whatsoever.
But, listen to this story from the Salt Lake Tribune:
Karla Glodowski still cries when she talks about what happened to her 8-year-old son, Christopher.
In July 2002, the then-16-month-old stuck his finger in his older sister’s bike chain, ripping it off from the tip to the first joint. When doctors intubated him for surgery, however, the asthmatic toddler suffered a bronchial spasm, depriving him of oxygen and ultimately leading to an anoxic brain injury.
Now Christopher goes to school, but mainly for the light stimulation and muscle movement. “He’s never going to learn to read and to write and to add. He’ll never be able to talk. His schooling is just therapy,” his mother said.
More than a year after their boy’s injury, the Glodowskis settled out of court with the hospital that treated Christopher, providing them with the means to take care of their son. But Karla fears that tort reform legislation proposed by Sen. Peter Knudson, R-Brigham City, will make it more difficult for other Utahns to seek the same relief.
Also part of the bill, new requirements for out of state doctors to testify in such a case would make them subject to disciplinary actions that they might not otherwise, which would discourage them from doing so in the first place.
Under the bill, in-state doctors would be protected from out-of-state, expert scrutiny, he said, by expert witnesses requiring them to associate with local doctors and voluntarily subject themselves to the Utah Medical Association.
We’re not talking about a huge number of lawsuits against doctors in Utah in the first place. The supposed point of this is to reduce the cost of ER Doctor’s medical malpractice insurance. But, that isn’t likely to happen. The cost of that insurance will continue to skyrocket. But, consumers will be placed more at risk because this bill would encourage sloppiness, and it would prevent many, especially the poorest among us, from having any recourse if a doctor screws up.
Is there a crisis in this state? Yes, an insurance crisis, not a medical negligence crisis. The answer is not to push for restrictions on the rights of patients but to reign in the insurance companies from price-gouging consumers and doctors as claims continue to decline. With medical negligence being the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, we should be embracing improved patient safety as the way to lower medical malpractice costs – not locking the courthouse doors on everyday Americans.
This is a case of state government removing protections from citizens, and lowering the standard of our health care. And it’s now on the Senate Floor. Don’t let this one pass. Call your Senator and tell them this is a bad idea.
Tags: health care, medical malpractice, S.B. 79
From the Feministing Blog:
We have just learned that Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is expected to attack Planned Parenthood. He will offer an amendment to the Appropriations Act this afternoon that would block Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal funds from Title X, the nation’s family planning program.
The Title X program enables family planning health centers to provide basic health care, such as birth control, breast exams and Pap tests for early detection of cancer, blood pressure testing, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV screening, and adoption referrals. Vitter’s attack on Planned Parenthood is an anti-choice tactic to prevent women from accessing abortion, but Title X funds cannot be used to provide abortion services — in fact, a main goal of the Title X program is to prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce the need for abortion.
If you’re in Utah, here is the information you need:
Bennett, Robert F. – (R – UT)
(202) 224-5444
Web Form
Hatch, Orrin G. – (R – UT)
(202) 224-5251
Web Form
Please call both of them, if you can. Calls carry more weight than email, but if you can’t call, please do drop a note in their inbox using the links above. This is all you have to say:
Planned Parenthood’s health center is my community’s women’s health center, and I oppose Sen. David Vitter’s Amendment No. 601 to the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R.1105). It is an unconstitutional, completely unfounded attack. Please don’t support it.
Update: I just wanted to add that this isn’t just about abortion, although that is what drives Vitter in this case. This would remove health care for women across the nation. Women without health care, or young women afraid to ask their parents for help, use Planned Parenthood for birth control (reducing the “need” for abortion in the first place!), annual exams, STD testing, and more. This organization is vital to women’s health. I used it before I got a “real job” with health care, and I know lots of people who would have no other way of getting basic healthcare, much less birth control to prevent unplanned pregnancies. Defunding this organization would create a new and greater health care crisis, at a time we can’t afford it. Please don’t let this happen.
Tags: Planned Parenthood, Senator David Vitter, Senator Orrin Hatch, Senator Rob Bennett
I follow Rep. Jason Chaffetz on Twitter. He sent a link out today to this video with Stephen Colbert:
Amusing, as all Chaffetz-Colbert interaction seems to be. But, the next one has me a bit concerned. Watch him talk about Obama’s budget:
He says that Obama’s budget is “an all time record high”. Except he’s leaving out the fact that Obama isn’t hiding pieces of his budget, as Bush did. He included everything that should have been in there, instead of hiding funding in other bills and pretending they weren’t supposed to be part of the budget.
“It is only by restoring fiscal discipline over the long run that we can produce sustained growth and prosperity. [...] In keeping with my commitment to make our government more open and transparent, this budget is an honest accounting of where we are and where we intend to go. For too long, our budget has not told the whole truth about how precious tax dollars are spent. Large sums have been left off the books, including the true cost of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
It feels like Chaffetz is not viewing the situation honestly, and is instead giving in to the kneejerk reaction that there’s no room for compromise between Democrats and Republicans. Perhaps he’s trying to make a name for himself, and secure his seat in the years to come. But, if he saw things wrong with the budget, I think he would have been far more effective to try to work with it, and fix the things he saw wrong, instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. He won’t prevent the budget from being passed, but it’s possible that if he wasn’t so dead set against it, that he might be able to make it better. And that if he didn’t view everything with partisan glasses, he might be an effective Congressman someday.
According to ABC 4 News, the LDS Church released the following statement:
From the outset, the Church’s position has always been to engage in civil and respectful dialogue on this issue. Senator Buttars does not speak for the Church.
Given President Waddoups obvious reluctance at disagreeing with or censuring Buttars, I have to wonder if the LDS Church might have put a bug in Waddoups’ ear that this needed to happen. Not that I know anything about how all that stuff works. Even if that’s not the case, I truly appreciate the LDS Church’s statement, and I gained a bit of respect for them because of it.
Tags: LDS Church, Senator Chris Buttars, Senator Michael Waddoups
This is being reposted with permission from the lovely Dominique Storni:
2-20-2009
10:05am
(feel free to post & repost)Dominique Storni
I’d like to say a little something about Senator Chris Buttars, the President of the Utah State Senate, Michael Waddoups, and what took place at the Utah State Capitol at this morning’s press conference.
Many are upset with how Senator Waddoups responded; that he was maudlin, didn’t go far enough, or that he was complicit by not censuring Senator Buttars. By the tone of his voice and by the words he spoke, it is apparent that Senator Waddoups agrees with Senator Buttars’ comments and was upset he was forced to do anything at all.
Senator Waddoups was evasive in answering questions, and completely ignored the question from the Gay press. Did we really expect anything different? I didn’t.
The greatest good that has come from Senator Buttars speaking openly, honestly, and without filter, is that he has been exposed for who he is. Time and time again he proves how he feels about people who are not white and not Mormon. He has proven in words and in deed that he is a bigot.
That is not an ad hominem attack. It is simple truth. He has stated his disdain for people of color and for gay and transgender people emphatically many times. He has said that gay and transgender people are the greatest threat to America than anything else. He has declared that he will openly block any legislation that will give these minorities any civil rights.
When someone calls him on his behavior, he once again proves his true colors. In his own words, “I don’t care.”
This has not only created a stir in Salt Lake City. This has not only created a stir in Utah’s Gay community. This has not only created a distraction at the Utah State Capitol. This is now national and international news. Senator Buttars has single handedly brought more attention to backwards beliefs, bigoted thinking, false information, and stereotypical Utah attitudes than any gay or transgender activist could ever hope to bring.
The more he exercises his right to free speech, (which, by the way, I will defend to my death) the more he hurts himself, his constituents, and Utah. With every bigoted statement, he exposes himself. For me, the saddest reality is that Senator Buttars most likely does speak for his constituents.
By their failure to vote him out, by their silence, by their posts on ksl.com and other blogs, there are few among his supporters who disagree with him or who want him censured.
Hell’s bells, they re-elected him. They emboldened him. They empowered him to speak for them. And he does.
Two friends of mine stated it poignantly. The first said, “I think Waddops is an idiot – checking his watch every second – and then not addressing the GLBT community at all – grrrr!”.
The second said, “I think the outrageous part of Waddoups behavior isn’t that he ignored us, it’s that he actually said he and his colleagues agree with most of what Buttars said, but not ALL of it. Are you kidding me with this? Waddoups should be censured.”
I happen to agree with the Senate action. The harsh truth for those of us who are a bit more enlightened and a bit more progressive is that the voters should decide if this man serves or not. I don’t believe that he should be removed by the Senate until he breaks the law or violates the terms of his oath. It is up to the voters of West Jordan to decide if a bigot represents them.
Senator Buttars doesn’t care about anyone who’s not white and not Mormon. Senator Waddoups appears not to care, either. The people of West Jordan don’t appear to care. The people of Utah don’t appear to care. The elected officials on The Hill don’t care because they “agree with most of what Senator Buttars said.”
Some may speak less offensive words. Some may speak words of support. But their actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what they say. By their deeds, their words are erased.
By their fruits ye shall know them. In my humble opinion, their fruits are rotten. I suggest everyone read chapter 5 of the book of Jacob in The Book of Mormon and meditate on how the vineyard of Utah is represented in the parable of the vineyard.
In my Mormon youth, I was taught, “Where much is given, much is required.”
There are so many Utahns and so many Mormons who support equal rights for gay and transgender people. Recent polls show that the Utah legislature is out of step with the majority of Utah.
It is time for them to listen to the silent majority and stop being frightened into submission by the very vocal minority represented by America Forever, The Sutherland Institute, and the Gayle Ruzicka’s Eagle Forum.
When political leaders claim moral superiority due to their religion, or religious leaders claim high moral ground because of their politics, I see a major problem. Indeed, I see the secret combinations of the Gadianton Robbers spoken of by Helaman in the Book of Mormon.
I expect higher morals and more ethical behavior from my Utah politicians because of their religion.
To them I repeat the words of the Savior, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Tags: Dominique Storni, President Michael Waddoups, Senator Chris Buttars
Pres. Waddoups - Sen. Buttars Press Conference
After President Waddoups ended the press conference about Buttars, Troy Williams pressed him to speak to the gay community. My impression was that he was looking for some sort of apology or empathy from Waddoups, and the Republican caucus in general, for the hurtful statements that Senator Buttars has made. Waddoups replied that he didn’t hear a question. Troy then asked if Waddoups thought that gay people have the same rights everyone else does. Waddoups sidestepped the question, answering that the Constitution gave everyone rights.
Troy Williams
Waddoups and the rest of the Republicans there for the press conference left. Senators Pat Jones and Ross Romero then took some questions and made some statements. I wasn’t able to catch them all, because the room was buzzing with noise.
Senator Pat Jones spoke about the fact that they were pushing for something to happen in regards to Buttars, but that it was something that the Republican leadership had to deal with. She was asked if she was satisfied with the censure of Buttars, and she refused to answer.
Senators Ross Romero and Pat Jones
Senator Ross Romero then spoke. He said that he was proposing today on the floor that there be a join rule change for both House and Senate, require cultural sensitivity and diversity training. He said that he fully agreed that free speech was legal and proper, but that there needed to be a balance when representing the people. He said that it would help (people like Buttars) to understand how offensive certain things they say could be. He mentioned that he had considered it last year after Buttars’ “black baby” comment. The purpose of this would not be to limit free speech, but for representatives to better understand the effects their speech has on others.
Romero also said that he thought that there should be an apology issued because of statements such as the one where Buttars said that the LGBT community lacks morals.
Senator Jones stepped back in to say that she felt that if Buttars apologized but was not sincere, it would be disingenuous.
Troy Williams and Gayle Ruzicka
Troy Williams with Gayle Ruzicka trying to leave
Shortly after that, Troy Williams went up to Gayle Ruzicka, President of The Eagle Forum, and spoke with her. The cameras were all over that. Ruzicka was obviously trying to leave the whole time. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but I did hear Troy suggest that Gayle ask Buttars what “pig sex” was. He also asked her how she could support him when he outright lied, and how was that moral or just. I don’t think she answered, and she did finally get her opportunity to run out of the room. That was quite an interesting exchange, and I was proud of Troy for taking the opportunity.
Tags: Eagle Forum, Gayle Ruzicka, Senator Chris Buttars, Senator Pat Jones, Senator Ross Romero, Troy Williams
I’m sitting in a room off of the Utah Senate Chambers, awaiting the press conference regarding Senator Chris Buttars to begin. KSL is broadcasting this live. I recognize many people here – Troy Williams, Glen Warchol, Michael Aaron, as well as tv news personalities.
When I arrived, I was turned away for not having a press pass. I will be changing that soon, but it’s too late today. I started to walk away to figure out who I knew that could get me in, when I was called back and told to go down the hall and have someone ask Ric Cantrell if I could get in.
Ric was very gracious, and said that he wanted to let bloggers that he knew in. I don’t think we’d met before, but he apparently knew my name and/or blog.
There’s lots of speculation as to whether the man of the hour will attend, and if we can ask questions.
My prediction (and as I write this, it’s 6 minutes away) is that Buttars will not resign. Instead, he’ll opt to be stripped of committee assignments. I’m told he’s a year away from the 10 year mark, where he gets free healthcare for life.
I’m thrilled at the possibility that the Utah State Senate might be stepping up to the plate, and not allowing such heinous statements to represent the entire Senate, or the people of Utah. Of course, at this moment, that’s just hope. They could very well end up defending him, using the “free speech” line.
There’s 1 minute left now, the room is getting quiet.
Free speech, but handle fairly for public.
Waddoups: Buttars is stripped from committee leadership. Intent to remove focus from distracting personal issues, so that the bills can be heard for their own merits rather than stir created in public with controversial comments. Second it frees Buttars to feel more at ease saying how he personally feels, without speaking on behalf of the committee or legislature. Allow him to more fully express his freedom of speech rights.
Buttars will continue serving on the Rules Committee.
Troy Williams pushed hard for Waddoups to address the gay community. Waddoups tried to sidestep it, even after asked directly if he believed that gay people have the same rights. Waddoups gave a generic answer, and said that all people were given rights in the constitution.
Ross Romero is still answering questions, the conference is over. I’ll make notes and write them up later.
Tags: Senator Chris Buttars
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Jean-Claude Vampire Ducky (to add to my ducky collection)
