KVNUFTP

Senate Site Blogger Presser Live Blog

Conference starts at 6pm here, or check back / refresh this post for live updates on the event (reads bottom to top). Mucho gracias to Ric Cantrell at The Senate Site for making these happen. Check out Tyler’s Twittering of the presser and the “in-person” tweets of Misty Fowler for a more succinct play by play.
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Post Presser questions for Ric Cantrell: Where do you see this going? While back, a Senator from Cache Valley wouldn’t even use his laptop. Things have changed. We’re experimenting. X amount of hours in a day. Equal access to the government. One of the greatest dangers to the country… Ah, nevermind. You live under the laws these representatives create, but most of your neighbors couldn’t tell you how things work up here. If citizens aren’t engaged as a “board of directors” good behavior doesn’t get rewarded, bad behavior doesn’t get punished. Doesn’t take an armed insurrection to take back the government, it just takes a vote. It’s not hard to be educated. (Mr. Cantrell is my hero). Sign up for Senate Text Alerts here.

6:59 – Sen. Margaret Dayton (yes, that Margaret Dayton) steps in with a house rep. who’s name I didn’t catch. Presenting SB353. Genesis of bill is to thank video game retailers who’ve taken a pledge to keep mature games out of the hands of minors and increased compliance. Offer them “safe haven.” Gone from 15% compliance to 80%. Not an attempt to create or enforce ratings, create lawsuits. Subjects retailers to fines for non-compliance. Civil statute only. Question: Would this be incentive for manufacturers to no longer label, or to decide to not sign pledge to avoid fines? Answer: I don’t think it will. A lot of misinformation. It’s not a punitive bill. (Tweet from Tyler: I played M-rated video games growing up and now I’m a talk show host. BEWARE CHILDRENS!) Blogger Presser wraps up.

6:57 – Ric Cantrell in background, typing frantically on small electronic device. Fastest thumbs I’ve seen.

6:52 – Last minute question about budgets and back fill. Sen. Killpack: Back fill is one time but cuts are permanent. Flat tax = people’s withholdings were much less. We’ll know more after April. Utah may have a quicker turnaround than other states. No chance we’ll make all this up next year. Facebook/Technology use follow up. Sen. Killpack: I have 400 friends on Facebook! Time is an issue. During session, no individual staff. Usage tax is double taxation, but we have to talk needs first.

6:47 – Transportation taxation. Prediction where taxes are headed, miles traveled per gallon, etc? Sen. Killpack: People say they like change, but they lie, we hate change. The gas tax is a sales tax. Love the natural gas corridor idea, but no gas taxes collected on natural gas. Congestion is caused by number of vehicles, miles on road, not what fuel you burn. References Oregon “toll for travel” test market. Foolish to not look at all options. Not opposed to congestion pricing. Open to ideas (email him!).

6:45 – Glen Warchol: Will there be a promotion campaign for the relaxed liquor laws? “Come to Utah and Get Liquored Up!” Sen. Killpack: No.

6:43 – Road bonding, and MV registration fees increase. Question: Is this an attempt to look like you’re voting against a tax increase, yet increasing taxes? Response: Utah will come out of this with a $20 fee increase. Every 1 billion of bonding you create 20,000 jobs. Trying to bring companies from So. California to Utah.

6:36 – JMBell gets a question in on online voter registration (Sponsor: Sen. Knudson) and a separate Voter ID at the Polls bill. Answer is vague: precident in other states, can be handled responsibly. (?) Interruption as Senators have to head back to the floor, Waddoups compliments the questions/setting of the presser, wants to consider doing more in place of regular AM briefing next session.

6:28 – Misty from Saintless.com asks for recap of liquor law debates. Response: Republican caucus discussed alcohol issues in December planning meeting. Three principles adopted: 1. Confront underage drinking 2. Address Over-indulgence 3. (Most important) Driving under the influence. ID scanning, people were “paranoid” about a big brother atmosphere that would create. Public safety input: database doesn’t help us. Sen. Valentine arrives (just in time!). Iron curtain became the focal point. Sen. Valentine: Trying to define the difference between a restaurant and a bar. Kids shouldn’t be in bars. Blurring the lines. Most states, minors cannot enter a bar (Editorial Note: Most states also do not consider Chili’s a bar…) Texas has a separate preparation area.

6:23 – Ethics bill question from off screen regarding lobbying. Can lobbyists organize around an issue rather than a client to exploit a loophole? (Sen. Stevens) Waddoups: Difference between this and “contract” lobbyists. Hillyard: Always loopholes. The message of the bill is clear though. Waddoups: Incremental changes are positive, rather than being over-reactive.

6:19 – Waddoups asks Knudson to address Health and Human Services area. Sen. Knudson: Downturn quicker than what upturn will be. Positive signs already though. Good management in past years allow resources to prepare for future. Able to back fill to offset cuts. Meals on Wheels program modified but still intact.

6:13 – Tyler get’s the first comment in (Go Tyler!), thanking the Senators for the press conference. Question for Sen. Hillyard on the “cliff notes” of the session/budget review. Sen. Hillyard: Wrapped it up last Friday. Stimulus money had to be used for repairs to roads. Raised registration fees on vehicles to fund new projects. (I-15, Mtn View Corridor, 10th west in Logan to take traffic off of 4th north) Funding for health and human services: $400 million from stimulus money. Rainy day fund untouched if revenue continues to slide. Follow up question: Higher education? Furlough can be made more discretionary with each agency. Engineering initiative will be helpful to USU. (Editorial Note: Notice how quickly we’ve gone from a hesitant “we’re reviewing strings attached” to a “oh this money is already spent!” theme on this evil stimulus money? Keep that in mind as the Flat Tax debate begins next year.)

6:06 – Late start. I’m seeing empty chairs and very serious looking faces in the live stream. Going live now. Knudson, Hillyard, and Waddoups are in the house.