This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utahns would get a tax rebate on their December gas bill under a proposal that passed the House unanimously Tuesday.
HB309, sponsored by Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, aims to limit the new tax revenue cities collect because of the rising costs of natural gas prices.
Since gas prices have gone up 40 percent, cities are collecting an unexpected "windfall," Hughes said. The cities can keep 10 percent of tax collections that exceed the collections of the previous year. The remaining 90 percent would be given back to the customers.
The bill would provide a rebate for 2006 and 2007. HB309 will now go before the Senate.
- Matt Canham
Senators signed off on legislation Tuesday that would allow home-schooled children to receive a new kind of high school diploma if they pass two tests: the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test and the ACT college entrance exam.
Sponsoring Sen. Mark Madsen, a Lehi Republican, said those students should be able to apply for financial aid and other student benefits that are not available without a high school diploma. But he doesn't expect SB204 to be used to let home-schooled children into college too early.
"I'm not trying to sell this as an exact equivalent of going through the full 12 years of public schools," Madsen said. He calls it a "new alternative for students who are very academically able."
The bill now goes to the House.
-Rebecca Walsh
A bill that would allow parents to create a school uniform or dress code policy in their schools by holding a majority vote passed out of the House Monday on a 46-25 vote.
HB167 also would require schools to provide free or low-cost uniforms for students who couldn't afford them.
"There are often times when school becomes a fashion show, and one that I don't want my 12-year-old and 11-year-old sons to be a part of," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Craig Frank, R-Pleasant Grove.
The bill moves to the Senate for debate.
-Sheena McFarland
A bill that would shift oversight of projects involving archaeological assessments from the state's Antiquities section to the Governor's Public Lands Policy Coordination Office - and eliminate the position of state archaeologist - was passed by the House on Tuesday and now moves on to the Senate.
HB139, sponsored by Rep. Brad Johnson, R-Aurora, has been touted as a way to expedite energy, wildlife and other projects that proponents say are currently being slowed by state archaeological reviews. The bill doesn't end archaeological work on projects, they say; it merely puts their approval in the hands of another office.
Opponents of the bill, however, argue that such a switch will result in officials with no archeological expertise making decisions on projects with antiquities issues, potentially putting the state's archaeological assets, and the heritage they represent, at risk.
The bill, amended to include a provision for the Public Lands Policy Office to "consult" the state's historic preservation officer on antiquities-related projects, passed on a 61-13 vote.
- Joe Baird
Teens caught street racing could be charged with a class B misdemeanor and have their cars impounded and their licenses suspended under legislation approved Tuesday by the Utah Senate.
Sponsoring Sen. Karen Hale, D-Salt Lake City, believes Utah teenagers need to be held accountable for the risk they pose to themselves and others. SB193 would allow prosecutors and police to go beyond a traffic ticket and take street racers to court.
"This is something that creates significant danger on our public roadways," Hale said.
But some senators worried about heavy-handed enforcement.
"I'm cautious of over-legislating because of a few," said St. George Republican Sen. Bill Hickman, who voted against the bill along with two other lawmakers.
The bill now goes to the House for debate.
-Rebecca Walsh
The House approved a bill Tuesday that would increase the court fee for filing for a divorce by $60.
Rep. Peggy Wallace, R-West Jordan, believes the people involved in a divorce should shoulder more of the costs. The current $95 filing fee covers about 20 percent of the court costs for a divorce. The bill would increase that fee to $155.
HB322 passed on a vote of 48 to 24 and will now go before the Senate.
- Matt Canham