In an effort to look out for Utah's poor, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is trying to change the vernacular of tax reform.

A task force of legislators and state officials is debating the merits of a flat tax tied to eliminating the property tax exemption for homes and ending the income tax deduction for charitable donations. Huntsman says he prefers a "flatter" income tax than the current state rate, but balks at some task force members' suggestion of a 4 percent rate for every taxpayer.

At his monthly televised KUED news conference Thursday, Huntsman said he is worried a single income tax for all Utahns would end up hurting low-income workers and benefiting the wealthy. Instead, he supports a "variable" tax rate for different income levels - a "fairer, simpler, flatter tax."

ONE TRY LEFT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday denied Utah's latest bid to block a license for a nuclear waste storage area on the Skull Valley Indian reservation, rejecting the argument that the waste could be stuck at the site permanently.

The unanimous ruling leaves the state just one remaining avenue to challenge - over the risk of a fighter jet crash - and moves the commission a step closer to a decision on granting a license to Private Fuel Storage, a group of electric utilities seeking to store 44,000 tons of waste on the Skull Valley reservation until a permanent dump is opened.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s general counsel, Mike Lee, said he expects the NRC's final determination by the end of the summer.

SOCIAL SECURITY

A Salt Lake City man has been cited for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and could face charges of automobile homicide for his role in an accident June 18 that sparked a chain of events that killed five people and injured several more.

The citation is not the first for Andrew Eugene Hooper, who has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol at least two other times, court records show.

He was charged with DUI and reckless driving in 1986. He was charged again with DUI 10 years later.

He was ordered to take Antabuse - an anti-drinking medication - for the 1996 charge, though a doctor argued the drugs were harmful to his system and the order was removed.

Hooper, 62, has also been cited three times for driving on a denied or suspended license.

In addition to the traffic violations, he has a history of assault and domestic violence, according to court records.