House Bill 74 would broaden eligibility for tuition loans under the Terrel H. Bell Teaching Incentive Loans program. The program is designed to offer forgivable loans to teachers in high-need areas, but the eligibility requirements are so strict that only 7 percent of the funding actually goes to teachers in those areas, said bill sponsor Rep. Ronda Rudd Menlove, R-Garland.

HB74 would allow loans to part-time and other nontraditional students, as well as people who already have a bachelor's degree.

Each school year's worth of loans would be forgiven for every year taught.

The measure targets prospective special-education teachers, speech and language pathologists and teachers in other critical-shortage areas - such as upper-level math - as priority recipients for the loans.

HB74 earned unanimous support in the House last week and is expected to clear the Senate.

- Ronnie Lynn

TERM LIMITS

Senate signs off on

two-term maximum

Utah's governor would be limited to two terms under a resolution that passed the Senate on Monday.

The House and then voters would have to agree to the constitutional change, but the move is supported by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who has already vowed not to seek more than two terms.

The Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 11 by a vote of 22-6 with one senator absent. Senate Majority Leader Peter Knudson, R-Brigham City, voted against the bill, calling it an "arbitrary and ridiculous step" because voters already can decide whether a governor has served too many terms.

- Thomas Burr

AVOIDING ARREST

Fleeing on foot would

become misdemeanor

Running from the law on foot could soon land you in even more trouble.

The Senate on Monday passed Senate Bill 146, which would make it a class A misdemeanor for an offender to flee on foot from a police officer once the officer has given an oral or visual signal to stop. The offender must have fled to avoid arrest to be guilty of the crime.

It is already a crime in Utah for someone to flee in a vehicle from police officers to avoid arrest; SB146, sponsored by Sen. Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, would extend that to someone fleeing on foot.

The bill passed 24-3 with three senators absent.

-Thomas Burr

TAXES

Reform bill gets sent

from House to Senate

House members sent a bill that once was the foundation of Gov. Jon Huntsman's tax reform plans for the 2005 Legislature to the Utah Senate on Monday.

West Jordan Republican Rep. Wayne Harper gave up on changing House Bill 78 back to its original version. Worried about the impact on Utah schools, House members last week stripped the legislation of a provision that would have phased out the corporate franchise tax. The bill still allows for a double-weighted sales tax.

Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, has prepared legislation to replace Harper's.

"Last week, I had a near-perfect bill. But we adopted an inferior substitute," Harper said, smiling. "Let's pass this out to the Senate and see what happens over there."

-Rebecca Walsh