Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tobacco Settlement And Federal Transport topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sen. Hatch urges bipartisan action on tobacco settlement funding and federal transportation for Utah
Summary
Visiting U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch told the Utah Senate he supports a national tobacco settlement approach that funds cessation, farmer assistance and state block grants, and he urged bipartisan work to secure federal transportation funding ahead of the 2002 Olympics.
SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch met with the Utah Senate Feb. 13 for a wide-ranging question-and-answer session, urging bipartisan cooperation to pass tobacco legislation and discussing federal transportation funding tied to the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Hatch said his plan would direct substantial funds toward smoking-prevention programs, farmer transition assistance and biomedical research, and would send block grants to states to spend on tobacco-related issues. "I think that that money should be used, every bit of it, for tobacco-related purposes," he said, describing priorities that include youth prevention, cessation programs and research. He framed the proposal as an opportunity to reduce teenage smoking and associated downstream drug-use risks.
On transportation, Hatch discussed ongoing negotiations over intermodal funding and the impact on Utah's Olympic-related infrastructure, noting competing House and Senate proposals and urging delegation coordination to secure maximum funds for the state. He said success will depend on working across party lines in Washington and pushing the delegation's case together.
Senators asked Hatch about the size of expected settlement or taxation arrangements, the relationship of settlement funds to other federal priorities, and whether high national settlement figures could prompt a black market for cigarettes; Hatch said the policy needs a middle ground to avoid creating illicit markets while delivering meaningful public-health funding.
Hatchalso thanked senators for their work and took questions on a range of federal issues during his visit. The exchange underscored the state's interest in shaping national policy to meet Utahneeds for public-health programs and Olympic infrastructure.
