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Lobbyists beware: the Utah Highway Patrol will soon start issuing real tickets — not just warnings — for non-journalists who park in areas reserved for the news media at the state Capitol.

The Capitol Preservation Board adopted Monday new rules needed to allow that, following up on changes permitted by the recent passage of SB221.

Many lobbyists discovered this year that the Highway Patrol would issue only warning tickets to non-journalists who parked in spots reserved for the news media because of a loophole in law that did not technically make that a crime, just a violation of Capitol rules.

So on many days, media parking was full of non-journalists' vehicles. Journalists suspected lobbyists were using their spots when they were filled with expensive luxury and sports cars, not the sort of vehicles that reporters can afford.

Television trucks were cut off from outside power sources built for them.

The Capitol offered to allow reporters parking in some gated areas used by the Highway Patrol, but that was time-consuming for the patrol and journalists.

So Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, sponsored SB221 to make it a criminal infraction to park without the proper decals in areas that the preservation board deems as reserved. It made some other changes, including clearly allowing the Capitol to ban alcohol on its campus.

"We did hear from the lobbyists who were parking in the media spots," Madsen, who is also a member of the Capitol Preservation Board, told its members on Monday.

He said in an interview, "They didn't even try to excuse it. They just said, 'I found myself this sweet little deal. Why are you taking it away?'"

He said he responded that the parking was reserved for a reason. "I don't think they seriously expected that we weren't going to change policy" for their benefit, but they gave it a shot anyway.

Perhaps because of hassles this year, the board — made up of some legislators and statewide elected officials — also voted Monday to eliminate old rules that had required warnings in some instances before issuing real tickets. It made clear that officers are free to issue tickets now with no prior warnings.

The new rules take effect May 10.