That's a Utah law, passed by your ever-so-diligent Utah Legislature, and could be a good way to keep taxes down.

But Jodi Monaco, spokeswoman for the Utah State Tax Commission, says the law was put in place to prevent abuses, such as someone wanting a refund after totalling his or her car, or after selling the car to someone else.

Jen Wilkinson, a college student in Phoenix, Ariz., discovered this legislative distrust of the public when she mailed a $136.50 check to the DMV, along with an application for vehicle registration because she was contemplating moving to Utah.

When the DMV notified her that she needed to get an emissions test and inspection before she could get the registration, she decided to register her car in Arizona because her permit had already expired. She then got the bad news about the no-refund law.

She appealed to DMV officials whose initial response was, "tough luck."

She appealed to the governor's office, which passed her concerns onto the DMV.

The latest news for Wilkinson, though, is good. Because she was able to prove she had been an Arizona resident since May of 2004, she gets the refund.

"The key is residency," said Monaco. "If she had been a Utah resident, we could not have given her a refund."

Good call: Sen. Mike Dmitrich's decision to appease one of his constituents arguably saved his life.

Dmitrich, D-Price, initially told Wendell Gibby, a physician who lives in Mapleton and operates a clinic in Provo, that he didn't need to hear Gibby's argument for a bill requiring Intermountain Health Care to cover the services of IHC doctors who use clinical facilities outside IHC network. Dmitrich already planned to vote for the so-called any willing provider bill because he believed in its concept.

But Gibby was adamant. He wanted Dmitrich to see what a fine facility he had in Provo. Dmitrich finally relented and drove to Provo to make the constituent happy. While Dmitrich was there, Gibby persuaded him to get a body scan from Gibby's state-of-the-art MRI machine.

Again, Dmitrich reluctantly agreed. The scan revealed a cancerous tumor in Dmitrich's lung, which likely would have been fatal if gone untreated. Dmitrich had the tumor removed, and now his health is excellent.

Just a coincidence?

Gibby, as one of the most vocal agitators for the "any willing provider" bill, was a constant thorn in the side of IHC. Although the bill failed to pass in the 2005 session, Gibby continues his crusade against the alleged IHC monopoly.

That's why the latest IHC television ad featuring testimonials by the parents of a cancer-stricken child about the heroics of IHC medical providers seems ironic.

Those praising IHC were identified in the ad as the "Gibby" family.

prolly@sltrib.com