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Utah Senate advances fiscal analyst appointment, clears bills on electronic tax notices and special-district training
Summary
The Utah Senate unanimously approved a resolution confirming the legislative fiscal analyst appointment and advanced Senate Bills 77 and 78 to third reading; senators also authorized drafting a Passenger Ropeway Act amendment and received instructions on the chambers electronic bill system.
The Utah State Senate convened on Jan. 18, 1999, and unanimously approved a resolution confirming the appointment of the legislative fiscal analyst and advanced two bills to the third-reading calendar.
President Patey moved under suspension of the rules to consider SJR 2 for final passage; the resolution, which formalizes the appointment after a bipartisan selection process, passed on a roll-call vote announced by the presiding officer as 28 ayes with one senator absent. The sponsor described a statewide and national search that followed the retirement of Leo Memmott and said staff member John Massey had been recommended and appointed to the fiscal analyst post.
The Senate also took up Senate Bill 77, presented by Senator Steele. SB 77 would allow the Tax Commission to transmit written tax notices to counties by electronic communication in addition to first-class mail or private carrier, enabling electronic transfer of tax-notice information from the state to county offices. Senator Steele walked senators through how to access bill text on the chambers computer system and encouraged members to load the sessions bills onto personal hard drives. The measure was read for the second time and passed to the third-reading calendar on a roll-call vote of 28 ayes, no nays, one absent.
Senator Mont Evans introduced Senate Bill 78, a committee bill prompted by a legislative audit of the Copperton Improvement District. SB 78 would create an optional training program for special-district board members developed by the state auditor in conjunction with the Utah Association of Special Districts, allow a local per diem for attendance, and limit compensation for training to once in any consecutive two-year period. The Senate moved SB 78 for second reading and passed it to the third-reading calendar by roll-call, 28 ayes, no nays, one absent.
On a separate procedural motion, a senator asked the body to authorize staff to draft legislation amending the Passenger Ropeway Act, which governs passenger ropeways including ski-resort operations; the Senate approved the request, allowing staff to prepare and print the bill draft. Senators discussed whether the proposal originated with a constituent or a state department during that exchange.
The presiding officer and Senator Steele provided administrative announcements, including committee scheduling, caucus-lunch logistics, and step-by-step instructions for using the chambers calendar and bill system and for downloading bills to legislators computers. With no further business, the Senate adjourned until the next scheduled session.
Next steps: SJR 2 will be transmitted to the House for consideration; SB 77 and SB 78 were placed on the Senates third-reading calendar for later floor consideration.
