TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Senator To Vote No On HB 191

Keep In-State Tuition For All Utah Residents

Contact Your Senator And Tell Them To Oppose
H.B. 191, "Nonresident Tuition Waiver Amendments" 

HB 191, would amend Utah's current law allowing for students to pay instate tuition if they attend and graduate from a Utah high school. The amended bill would require students to provide proof of filing state income tax, even though many families might not earn enough to be required to file taxes. Please contact your Senator and encourage them to oppose this bill.

Read the ACLU of Utah testimony before the House Revenue and Taxation Committee (PDF) >>
Read a Deseret News Article >>
Read a Tribune Article >>

Talking Points:

Utah's current law is critical to promoting fundamental fairness in access to public higher education for talented, high achieving young people who are able to gain admission to our public colleges and universities, regardless of their immigration status.

• There is no need to change existing law, which has been in place since 2002, and works well to provide students who have attended and graduated from high school in our state the opportunity to attend university at a reduced rate. Erecting additional barriers to obtaining instate tuition means that many students may no longer be able to attend college at all.
  
  
• Denying these students access to affordable college education is short-sighted because they are likely to remain in the United States and may well regularize their immigration status under current or future federal laws.
  
  
• Providing in-state tuition to Utah high school graduates at public colleges and universities promotes economic growth and increases opportunities. College graduates who are likely to remain in Utah earn higher wages, and therefore generate significantly more in income, sales, and property taxes. Their increased earning power and disposable income stimulate growth in our state's economy. A better educated population also increases competitiveness in the global economy.
  
• Denying higher education access to undocumented students means failing to capitalize on Utah's investment in their K-12 education. Many of the undocumented students already educated in the K-12 public school system come from impoverished backgrounds and would not otherwise be able to attend college or university without in-state tuition.

  Find your Senator >>

  Utah State Senators
  Stuart Adams - jsadams@utahsenate.org
  Curtis Bramble - cbramble@utahsenate.org
  Chris Buttars - dcbuttars@utahsenate.org
  Allen Christensen - allen_christensen@hotmail.com
  Gene Davis - gdavis@utahsenate.org
  Margaret Dayton - mdayton@utahsenate.org
  Lyle Hillyard- lhillyard@utahsenate.org
  David Hinkins - dhinkins@utahsenate.org
  Scott Jenkins - sjenkins@utahsenate.org
  Pat Jones - pjones@utahsenate.org
  Peter Knudson - pknudson@utahsenate.org
  Dan Liljenquist - dliljenquist@utahsenate.org
  Mark Madsen - mmadsen@utahsenate.org
  Karen Mayne - kmayne@utahsenate.org
  Ben McAdams - bmcadams@utahsenate.org
  Karen Morgan - kmorgan@utahsenate.org
  Wayne Niederhauser - wniederhauser@utahsenate.org
  Ralph Okerlund - rokerlund@utahsenate.org
  Luz Robles - lrobles@utahsenate.org
  Stuart Reid - screid@utahsenate.org
  Ross Romero - rromero@utahsenate.org
  Howard Stephenson - hstephenson@utahsenate.org
  Dennis Stowell - dstowell@utahsenate.org
  Daniel Thatcher - dthatcher@utahsenate.org
  Stephen Urquhart - surquhart@utahsenate.org
  John Valentine - jvalentine@utahsenate.org
  Kevin Van Tassell - kvantassell@utahsenate.org
  Mike Waddoups - mwaddoups@utahsenate.org

Governor Herbert Urged to Veto Immigration Bills

The ACLU of Utah issued a statement calling on Governor Herbert to veto HB 497 (Immigration Enforcement) and HB 116 (Guest Worker Program), which recently passed the Utah State Legislature.  These bills are contrary both to federal immigration laws and to the principles set forth in the Utah Compact.

Read the ACLU of Utah press release (PDF) >>

Transparency in government

This session of the state legislature was supposed to be about greater transparency in government. From the election of the new Speaker, to the process of letting bills come to the House and Senate floors for debate. But on Friday the idea of a transparent government was ignored with the passage of H.B. 477, Government Records Amendment, which greatly narrows the path of citizens to gain access to public records, through GRAMA, Government Records Access Management Act. The irony is that this bill was not released until the very end of the session, leaving very little opportunity for the public to weigh in. It only took 48 hours to get H.B. 477 introduced, passed out of committee with a favorable recommendation, heard in both houses, and prepared for the signature of the Governor. This just goes to show that if our lawmakers really want to get something done, they can. It’s sad to see our legislators ignore democracy and reverse years of progress toward a more reliable, honest, transparent government. Let hope our Governor is willing to take a stand and veto this undemocratic legislation. 

TAKE ACTION: Tell Governor Herbert to Keep Government Transparent and Accountable

Keep Government Transparent and Accountable
Governor Herbert Please Veto H.B. 477

Email or Call Governor Herbert's Office Today!

This bill passed through the legislature rapidly last week and has been sent to Governor Herbert. We must ask him to veto this bill and keep Utah government transparent and accountable. Find the contact information for Gov. Herbert >>

Read the ACLU of Utah's letter >>
Read a Salt Lake Tribune article >>
Watch a KSL news story >>

General description of bill:

This bill attempts to erect serious roadblocks to the public’s access to governmental records. Among other provisions, H.B. 477, "Government Records Amendments" would raise costs for the public to access records, create new exceptions to when governmental records have to be released to the public, and exempt a variety of electronic communications from the definition of a “record” under GRAMA, including: (i) voice mails and recordings and transcripts of voicemails; (ii) instant messages, video chat recordings, and text messages, and would generally reduce transparency in government.

Talking Points:

* The bill will would repeal GRAMA’s critical legislative intent section, which for nearly 20 years has provided valuable guidance to government officials, the State Records Committee, and the courts in interpreting and applying GRAMA’s many complex provisions consistent with the Legislature’s expressed intent and declaration of public policy.

* The bill greatly expands the ability of government entities to charge fees and costs for responding to GRAMA requests, and reduces the ability of the news media and public interest requesters to obtain fee waivers. This will seriously inhibit the ability of the public to access documents to which they are entitled.

* The bill broadens several existing GRAMA exceptions and adds others, making a substantial amount of government information that is now public off-limits to the public.

* The bill allows government entities to request an indefinite amount of time in which to respond to certain GRAMA requests, which would have the effect of limiting the public and news media’s access to relevant and timely governmental information.

* This bill would abolish a fundamental principle of GRAMA, which is that access to records should not depend on the physical form of the record, but rather on its content; if the content is related to the public’s business and not otherwise classified as nonpublic, then it should be freely accessible to the public, regardless of whether it is a voice mail, text message or traditional paper record.

* The bill would opt the Legislature out of several key provisions of GRAMA. Allowing the Legislature to opt out of significant portions of GRAMA would violate the very purpose of the law and would raise the prospect of inconsistent rules and public access.

Find the contact information for Gov. Herbert >>

Keep Government Transparent and Accountable - Vote No On H.B. 477

Senate Rules Committee Hearing Will Review
H.B. 477, "Government Records Amendments,"
That Would Reduce Transparency In Government

Show your support for open government that is accountable to the people by coming to the hearing this afternoon, Friday, March 4, at 3:00 p.m.
in Room 415 at the State Capitol!
Information about the Senate Rules Committee Hearing >>

Email Senate Rules Committee members listed below and your own Senator.
Ask them to vote no on H.B. 477!

General description of bill:

This bill attempts to erect serious roadblocks to the public’s access to governmental records. Among other provisions, H.B. 477, "Government Records Amendments" would raise costs for the public to access records, create new exceptions to when governmental records have to be released to the public, and exempt a variety of electronic communications from the definition of a “record” under GRAMA, including: (i) voice mails and recordings and transcripts of voicemails; (ii) instant messages, video chat recordings, and text messages, and would generally reduce transparency in government.

Talking Points:

* The bill will would repeal GRAMA’s critical legislative intent section, which for nearly 20 years has provided valuable guidance to government officials, the State Records Committee, and the courts in interpreting and applying GRAMA’s many complex provisions consistent with the Legislature’s expressed intent and declaration of public policy.

* The bill greatly expands the ability of government entities to charge fees and costs for responding to GRAMA requests, and reduces the ability of the news media and public interest requesters to obtain fee waivers. This will seriously inhibit the ability of the public to access documents to which they are entitled.

* The bill broadens several existing GRAMA exceptions and adds others, making a substantial amount of government information that is now public off-limits to the public.

* The bill allows government entities to request an indefinite amount of time in which to respond to certain GRAMA requests, which would have the effect of limiting the public and news media’s access to relevant and timely governmental information.

* This bill would abolish a fundamental principle of GRAMA, which is that access to records should not depend on the physical form of the record, but rather on its content; if the content is related to the public’s business and not otherwise classified as nonpublic, then it should be freely accessible to the public, regardless of whether it is a voice mail, text message or traditional paper record.

* The bill would opt the Legislature out of several key provisions of GRAMA. Allowing the Legislature to opt out of significant portions of GRAMA would violate the very purpose of the law and would raise the prospect of inconsistent rules and public access.

Information about the Senate Rules Committee Hearing >>

Find your Senator >>

Please email committee members and ask them to keep government transparent and accountable and vote no on H.B. 477!

Senate Rules Committee
Sen. Margaret Dayton, Chair - mdayton@utahsenate.org
Sen. D. Chris Buttars - dcbuttars@utahsenate.org
Sen. Patricia W. Jones - pjones@utahsenate.org
Sen. Peter C. Knudson - pknudson@utahsenate.org
Sen. Daniel R. Liljenquist - dliljenquist@utahsenate.org
Sen. Mark B. Madsen - mmadsen@utahsenate.org
Sen. Karen Mayne - kmayne@utahsenate.org
Sen. Kevin T. Van Tassell - kvantassell@utahsenate.org

End of Committee Hearings This Session

Wednesday at the Capitol was the last day of committee hearings. This means there will no longer be public testimony on any bills. Some of the bills that were voted out of committee on Tuesday are the three anti-choice bills.  H.B. 171, Abortion Clinic Licensing, H.B. 353, Abortion Freedom of Conscience, and H.B. 354, Insurance Amendment Related to Abortions, all passed out of committee with a favorable recommendation. These bills are now set for debate on the house floor and will likely be heard on Thursday. 

On the immigration front, new bills continue to appear, including H.B. 466, Migrant Workers and Related Commission Amendments and a new version of H.B. 70, set to be revealed later this week.

There are only 6 days left in this session, we are counting down the days!