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HB34 • The House passed unanimously Friday a bill to require the state's transportation agency to get permission from the Transportation Commission to make settlements in excess of $100,000.
The bill, HB34, cruised through with virtually no deliberation from lawmakers.
Authored by Rep. Julie Fisher, R-Fruit Heights, the bill would force the Utah Department of Transportation to get the green light from the Transportation Commission for settlements exceeding $100,000 and permission from the commission and the governor for settlements in excess of $500,000. If a settlement is more than $1 million, those two entities and legislative leaders must sign off on it, according to the bill.
Carlos Braceras, administration deputy director for UDOT, was present for the vote and said he was pleased to see the bill pass the house 64-0 and called it "good legislation."
Braceras said the Senate will be different, however, as the bill currently doesn't have a co-sponsor there.
"They are thoughtful over there in the Senate," Braceras said. "But we think it's a good piece of legislation."
UDOT was exempted from getting approval for settlements under 1995 legislation. The loophole came into question when, during last year's gubernatorial campaign, it came to light that UDOT quietly paid contractor Flatiron/Skanska/Zachry $13 million to settle a highway contract bid protest without notifying the Legislature or Gov. Gary Herbert. That deal was scrutinized even more closely when it was revealed Provo River Constructors, the eventual winner of the $1.1 billion 1-15 contract, gave $87,500 to Herbert's re-election campaign.