Sen. Howard Stephenson, known for his tempter tantrums when state agencies don't give contracts to his favorite vendors, has a bill this year that would allow the Administrative Rules Review Committee to examine how the agencies spend money appropriated to them.
If an agency does not obey the intent of the Legislature, according to Stephenson's SB64, it will be reported to the Legislature's Executive Appropriations Committee.
The bill has passed the Senate and has been pending in the House since Thursday. Word is that some House members, as well as the governor's office, are concerned about the potential intimidation factors in the bill.
If an agency doesn't find a favored company to be the best fit for a contract that the Legislature funds, for example, will it be punished financially for its impudence?
Stephenson, R-Draper, who is co-chair of the Administrative Rules Review Committee, was scheduled to meet with the State School Board last Friday to explain the bill, since the Office of Education has most often borne the brunt of his wrath. But he didn't show.
Stephenson has gone apoplectic in the past when his favorite bidder, ProCert, was not awarded the contract for textbook review; when his designated vendor did not get the nod for a pilot gifted and talented program; and when the State Procurement Office didn't steer the bidding process the way he wanted on a student database system.
Ready, fire, aim » Rep. Ron Bigelow agreed to sponsor a bill to cut out $4 million in tobacco settlement money meant for smoking education and cessation programs without even knowing that's what the bill does.
That's what the West Valley City Republican said in an e-mail to Patricia Nelson after she wrote him to complain after I wrote about HB444 on Monday.
"Actually the decision was made by the Health and Human Services Committee at the start of the session. I am running the bill to show the revised language and accounting for their actions," Bigelow wrote to Nelson on Tuesday.
"However, I find that the messengers are the ones being shot on this bill. I have gotten hundreds of e-mail on this bill. I didn't even know what it was until they assigned it to me as part of the budget package," he added. "I am meeting with a number of other legislators tomorrow to discuss possible ways to return some funding to the tobacco cessation programs."
Gee, wouldn't it be nice if legislators knew what their bills did before they sponsored them?
Sleeping with the enemy? » So while legislators are cutting funds for smoking cessation programs, the industry is busy promoting "keep on smoking" programs.
Lobbyist Dave Spatafore found in his mail last week a "Find Your Frontier" sweepstakes and cigarette coupon packet from Marlboro. It encouraged him to go to their Web site and choose his gift -- including a free pack of cigarettes, plus more. He could sign up to their weekly sweepstakes, and get additional money-saving coupons for Marlboro cigarettes.
Spatafore is a registered lobbyist for the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network and has been working to pass HB219 (Tobacco Tax Increase), SB228 (Prohibition on Internet or Mail Order Sales of Tobacco Products) and HB456 (Tobacco Access Restrictions).
