Posted by
Utah Rattler on Thursday, March 01, 2007 3:43:12 PM
- Several bills dealing with illegal immigration
didn’t make it through. HB105 would’ve given law enforcement the option
to allow their officers to train as immigration enforcement officers.
Sundry bills also would have denied illegal immigrants special benefits
and certain public services which they shouldn’t be entitled to in the
first place (ie legal immigrants don’t get them, illegals certainly
shouldn’t).
- The positive side - significant progress has been
made - more bills dealing with the issue, more legislator support, and
they made it much further in the process than in the past (despite
heavy lobbying by business who want the subsidized labor on your tax
dollar).
- Education - School vouchers finally passed. This
will, finally give parents significantly greater control over their
children’s eduction and help cut the ultra liberal NEA-linked teacher
union’s (UEA) monopoly on education. Public ed received a huge boost in
funding ($500 Million) and teachers were given bonuses and sweat deals
for them to buy a home ($15k towards the home). Nevertheless, count on
the UEA griping about not enough money, anyway(it’s their perpetual
line).
- Identity Theft - the legislature decided it was fine for ID thieves and fugitive pedophiles to fee safe working here (see ID Thieves and Fugitives: Utah Welcomes You!).
I think there were three bills which would’ve had the State and/or
businesses verify their prospective employees SSN (you know, make sure
it didn’t belong to you or your children). Manufacturers and
restauranteurs lobbied hard against the bills (evidently, they like
thier fugitive/id theif employees working off your kid’s back). In the
past, I’ve heard Zions Bank and Wells Fargo, among others, have also
lobbied against these types of bills, but since they are big spenders
they get to do so behind closed doors to avoid the public exposure.
- Positive side: there were more of these bills with greater support and making it further in the process
- Tip: Arctic Circle
restaurants supposedly have an excellent training program for spotting
fake id’s used for employment. Consider them next time you feel hungry.
- Second Amendment - The UofU failed to get it’s gun
ban but dorm residents can ask not to room with a concealed permit
holder (I can’t wait until a quick witted young male states he has a
phobia of everyone but female cheerleaders and, therefore, requests to
room with a cheerleader or a single room at not additional cost based
on the standard established by SB251).
- BCI was allowed to retain funding from concealed carry permit fees
rather than seeing them sucked into the general fund. High demand for
the permits had strained their budget into the red. The trend won’t
change after the Trolley Square shooting - an instructor I talked to
noted they don’t have time to do very much training and isn’t well know
but had four calls in less than a week after the shooting. Local gun
stores have also stated they’ve seen a marked jump in business
(particularly handguns).
- A bill that would’ve prevented the government from confiscating
law-abiding citizens’ guns in an emergency (ala NOLA) and a bill
allowing you to leave a firearm (in your vehicle) in an employer’s
parking lot made it to the House floor (passed the senate) but time ran
out before they could be debated. The latter was due to AOL firing two
employees who had the nerve to go hunting after work (they didn’t
realize AOL’s no gun policy extended to the parking lot).
That’s all for now, unless I think of something else and update this but I doubt it.