When Senate President Michael Waddoups joined the Legislature back in 1987, Ronald Reagan was president, gasoline cost 89 cents a gallon and Michael Jackson was topping the music charts.
"Things have really gone downhill, haven’t they?" he joked when reminded of that year as the Senate convened Monday. "It is Washington’s fault more than the state, though."
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As Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, gaveled the Senate into session Monday, he challenged Washington to take notice of how things are better in Utah — and follow its example. It came as he began the end of a 26-year era because he says he does not intend to seek re-election this year.
"The federal government needs to take note of what is going on in Utah," he said. "Sales and revenues are up, unemployment is down," Waddoups said, adding that Utah has been cited as the best-run state in America and the one with the best economic outlook.
That came as the Legislature opened its 2012 general session on Monday with prayers for civility and wisdom as lawmakers tackle burgeoning public schools, a budget still in recovery and a strong anti-federal sentiment among conservative members.
"We pray for civility among these legislators that they may cooperate and work together for what is good," Elder Donald Hallstrom, an LDS general authority, said in a prayer in the House.
In her opening comments, House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, reminded colleagues of the aspirations of Utah’s youths, the sacrifice of soldiers who died and the struggle of the state’s poor. She urged that they should be the focus of good policy, not making statements or "finagling ways to fund our pet projects."
In the Senate, Waddoups introduced a theme for the year: "to be," and outlined many things he hopes lawmakers will choose to be.
"We should be smart. We should be educated, as should our constituents. We should be professional. We should be prepared," Waddoups said. He added lawmakers should also be tolerant, courteous, trustworthy, of service, supportive, loyal and "we should all be productive."
He handed out bee pins to senators to remind them of his challenge. He said it is appropriate for "the Beehive State, where our motto is industry, and is exemplified by the honeybee."
Lockhart urged her colleagues: "Be bold, be brave, be able to say when this session is over that you did your very best."
Four new members — Reps. V. Lowry Snow of St. George, Craig Frank of Pleasant Grove, and Daniel McCay of Riverton, plus Sen. Todd Weiler of Woods Cross — were sworn in Monday after having been chosen in recent weeks to replace members resigning to run for Congress.
The Legislature enters the session with about $280 million in new money to spend but with demands from growing public schools and skyrocketing Medicaid costs.
There may also be efforts to change Utah’s first-of-its-kind immigration law, which seeks to grant state-level guest-worker permits to undocumented immigrants. And lawmakers will wrestle with a new model for overseeing liquor in a state that keeps tight control over alcohol sales.
The Senate started off on a patriotic note with music by the Osmond Brothers Second Generation, relatives of Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan. It included a song written by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
A high leader of the LDS Church also offered the opening prayer in the Senate — Elder Steven E. Snow of the faith’s Presidency of the Seventy.
Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
