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Senate moves a slate of house and senate measures; votes at a glance
Summary
On Feb. 1 the Utah Senate disposed of multiple House base budgets and other bills on consent and second‑reading calendars, passing numerous measures (notable tallies: SB109 29‑0; HB1 26‑2; HB4 28‑0; HB5 29‑0; HB6 28‑0; SB107 20‑6). Several bills were circled for further amendment, including first substitute SB21 (DEQ) which was recirculated.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 1 advanced a broad set of bills from the House and its own calendars. Below are the principal actions recorded on the floor that day and the vote tallies as read into the record.
- Senate Bill 109 (Assault amendments): Sponsor Senator Osman described the bill as increasing the penalty for serious bodily injury against a police officer or military personnel; senators clarified that statutory language protects undercover peace officers as well as uniformed military. Roll call: 29 yea, 0 nay. The bill will be forwarded to the House.
- House Bill 1 (Public education base budget): Passed 26 yea, 2 nay. Sets FY2013 education base at $3.5 billion ($2.4 billion state funds); exclusions and growth funding deferred to a later appropriations bill.
- House Bill 4 (Higher education base budget): Passed 28‑0; sponsor noted state support of about $727 million versus $600 million in tuition revenues.
- House Bill 5 (Natural resources/agriculture base budget): Passed 29‑0; appropriations of $329,523,000, with $55,964,000 of general fund.
- House Bill 6 (Retirement and independent entities base budget): Passed 28‑0 (one absent); baseline appropriations noted at about $3,100,000 in the floor presentation.
- House Bill 34 (Sales and Use Tax Act revisions): Technical clarification on when a tax repeal or rate decrease applies to a billing period; Senate recorded 27‑0 (2 absent) on the floor after uncircling and presentation by the sponsor.
- House Bill 21 (Driver license emergency contact database): Passed 27‑0 after adoption of Amendment 1 (Feb. 1, 2012) clarifying the database will not be used for criminal investigations.
- House Bill 23 (Special administrative expense account amendments): Passed 27‑0; requires the Department of Workforce Services to develop a cost allocation plan when restricted unemployment‑insurance‑related funds are used for other purposes.
- House Bill 31 (Taxes and fees on emergency medical aircraft): Passed 26‑0; restores a nonprofit exemption for Life Flight helicopters to align registration fees with prior property‑tax treatment.
- House Bill 35 (Extension of recycling market development tax credits): Passed (floor recorded 25 yea, 0 nay, 4 absent) and moved to third reading calendar.
- House Bill 42 (Permanent Community Impact Fund Board grants): Passed 24‑0 (5 absent) and placed on the third‑reading calendar; the bill authorizes grants up to $1,100,000 under specified circumstances to assist cities (discussion cited Wellington as an example).
- Senate Bill 107 (Possession of graffiti paraphernalia): Sponsor and supporters said the measure had national attention and law‑enforcement support; opponents raised liberty and intent concerns. The bill passed the floor vote 20 yea, 6 nay and was moved to the third reading calendar.
Several bills were 'circled' (held) or replaced with substitutes for further review, including first substitute SB21 (DEQ board revisions), which the sponsor said requires additional time for senators to review technical changes and transition language.
