Expect a substitute to House Majority Leader Dave Clark's HB133 to emerge in the near future that will put practically all the reform proposals into a task force charged with studying all the issues and reporting back to the Legislative Interim Business and Labor Committee in November.

The original plan was to insure all Utahns through a clearinghouse based in the Governor's Office of Economic Development. By the time Clark introduced his bill, that had deteriorated into a baby-step measure to help more Utahns get private insurance through tax credits and/or subsidies.

But now even those proposals will be delayed.

The kibosh came after a joint leadership meeting last week when Senate leaders indicated that the House plan might not fly in their chamber.

The sweet smell of success: Folks living on the west side of South Jordan who are planning to sell their homes might want to give special instructions to their real estate agents to check the wind direction before showing the house.

If the wind is blowing from the west, it could be tougher to close the deal because there's a good chance it will bring the pungent odor of human waste from the sewage being converted into mulch at the Trans-Jordan landfill.

But if the wind is blowing from the east, show the house. It'll be OK.

Making a fashion statement: If you watch President Bush's final State of the Union address on television tonight, it might be fun when the cameras scan the distinguished audience in the House chambers to see if members of Utah's Republican delegation are sporting shiny new lapel pins proclaiming, "I am a Bush Republican."

The limited-edition commemorative pins were sent to all Republican members of Congress for the special occasion.

"It would be a shame to let this event pass without a show of solidarity among those who have stood by him and enabled his legacy to be established on so many issues," a liberal organization's letter said, methinks somewhat tongue in cheek.

The Utah way: Wasatch Beers has just unleashed its new brew, "The Devastator," an 8 percent "Double Bock" beer "that will make Utah proud," according to the brewery.

But before Wasatch can sell the beer to its brew-pub customers, it must first sell the brew to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, haul the beer over to the state warehouse, where it will be stored at warmer temperatures, and then buy it back from the state at an 85 percent markup.

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