Utah Moms Care

S.B. 151 Student Opportunity Scholarships

2012-01-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Bill: S.B. 151 Student Opportunity Scholarships

This billprovides for nonrefundable tax credits for donations made to a scholarshiporganization to be used for scholarships for a qualifying student to attend aprivate school.

Because the bill creates an entirely new program, I have simple outlined the bill and its provisions below. I hope in this way to make it completely understandable. Let me know if you have any questions.

Student Eligibility

To Qualifyfor a Scholarship

The student’s parents/guardians mustreside in Utah

The Student shall be between the ages of 5 and 19

The Student shall meet ONE or moreof the following criteria

· TheStudent’s parents had an annual income of less than 200% of income eligibilityguidelines to qualify for reduced price meals

(http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/notices/iegs/IEGs11-12.pdf

USDAFree & Reduced Lunch eligibility for a family of 5 is $48,415)

· TheStudent while in grades 1-2 must score below expected reading level on areading assessment administered at the end of the year

· TheStudent while in grades 3-11 must score below the proficient level on astatewide assessment of language arts, math, science OR writing

· TheStudent’s school of residence has received an F grade for 2 consecutive years

· TheStudent received a scholarship the previous year

The Student may not be receiving theCarson Smith Scholarship for Students with Special Needs

Parents submit an application for their student toa scholarship organization

Scholarship Organizations

Must beorganized & managed under the Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act.

Scholarshipsmust be monetary.

Scholarshiporganization shall award scholarships to students who meet the requirements topay for tuition & fees for an eligible private school.

Scholarshipsshall be awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

Scholarshipsorganizations shall give priority to a student who received a scholarship theprevious year.

Studentsmay attend ANY eligible private school & transfer scholarship money duringthe year to other eligible schools – organization may not restrict or reservescholarships for a particular school or provide scholarships to schools withpaid staff or board members related or in common with organization.

Mustexpend at least 90% of the revenue from state for the scholarship (10% may goto administration).

75% ofstate revenue must be spent in the same year; only 25% can carry over to nextyear then MUST be spent or will be returned to the state Education Fund.

Shallprovide the State Tax Commission an annual audit conducted by an independentCPA.

Compilefor the State Tax Commission a yearly report on scholarship awards.

Scholarships

Themaximum amount organization may award in 2012-2013 school year must be thelesser of: $5,500 or the amount of the private school’s tuition and fees.

After2012-13 school year the amount will be adjusted the same percentage as the WPU.

Scholarships may be forfull or partial amounts.

A studentmay receive partial scholarships from 2 or more organizations provided thetotal does not exceed the maximum allowed.

Scholarshipmoney will be mailed from the organization to the school in the parent’s name; parentsmust endorse the checks before they can be deposited.

Eligible Donation

A personmakes to a scholarship organization a monetary donation.

Thatperson does not designate for the benefit of a particular student.

Withrespect to which the person does not claim an exemption or tax credit or make adeduction or subtraction on the person’s state or federal income tax return orreceive property or a service in turn for the donation.

Donor receives a nonrefundable tax credit for donation.

State Tax Commission

In 2012,the amount allocated for this program may not exceed $5,000,000 in tax credit.

Everyyear, the allocation will increase by 20%.

Private Schools

To beeligible to enroll scholarship students must:

Have an independent audit performedto ensure working capital

Comply with antidiscrimination provisions

Meet state & local health andsafety laws & codes

Disclose to parents special needservices provided to students, and the costs of those services

Annually assess the achievement ofeach student by administering a norm-referenced test scored by an independentparty & report the results to the parents

Teachers must hold baccalaureate orhigher degrees OR have specials skills, knowledge or expertise that qualifiesthem to instruct subjects taught

Conduct criminal background checkson school personnel

Thefollowing schools are NOT eligible to enroll scholarship students:

Those having fewer than 40 students

Those that operate in residence

Those that encourage illegal conduct

Or a residential treatment facilitylicensed by the state

The StateBoard of Education shall approve a private school’s application to enrollscholarship students if they meet the eligibility requirements & shall makepublic a list of eligible private schools.

Whew! You made it to the end! There will be significant discussion to this bill, it is one that if passed will have a great impact on the future of public education in Utah. Pay attention - and I'll try and keep you updated as the bill moves through the process.

**Note: This post is in no way an endorsement of S.B. 151, it is simply an outline of the provisions. Before any meaningful dialogue can take place on this bill, it must first be understood. Look for continuing conversation and concerns in upcoming posts.

H.B. 69 Insurance Coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorders by Rep. Menlove

2012-01-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Rep. Menlove

Bill: H.B. 69 Insurance Coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Sponsor: Rep. Menlove

Post written by Brandy, a Utah Mom of 3

We have a beautiful, sweet boy named Dax who is 21 months old. We have been worried about his development over the last nine months and recently our pediatrician confirmed our fears that he probably has autism.

We were devastated, but thankful that we had purchased health insurance, because we knew that it would be a long and expensive road. So we started trying to research the therapies that would be best to help our son. Shockingly, we discovered that most of the effective treatments for autism would not be covered by our insurance, or any insurance policy in Utah. We would be forced to ruin ourselves financially to get the most effective therapies, or choose not to get the help our son needs.

We thought of a third option, which was to have my husband abandon his career and move to another state for treatment. The majority of states have laws that prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against patients with autism, but not Utah.

Here are some important facts about autism that you might not know. We didn’t know, until now…

1. Autism is a treatable developmental disorder whose symptoms can be significantly improved, possibly eliminated.

2. Statistically, if you have 3 kids, you have around a 1 in 35 chance of one of them having an autism spectrum disorder.

3. Intense Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy (25-40 hours per week) is one of the most scientifically supported and effective treatments of Autism available.

4. ABA therapy usually costs around $30,000-50,000 per year. On average, 50% of young children who receive 2 years of intensive ABA therapy do not need special education in school by first grade and are mostly indistinguishable from their peers afterwards. Most of the other 50% make great strides in achieving more normal communication and emotional responses.

The Autism Alliance of Michigan, which is also pursuing autism anti-discrimination legislation this year has prepared a summary of extensive research done regarding Autism’s costto society and has prepared a very helpful document to illustrate the problem:

http://www.midmichiganautism.org/images/Michigan's%20Autism%20Reform%20Legislation%20August%202011.pdf

Those who do not support thelegislation generally make the following arguments:

1. “I can’t support mandates” or “this is socialism” The estimated cost of an untreated autistic patient in terms of future welfare payments, special education, and other social costs is close to $3,700,000. So, treating the problem,rather than ignoring the problem, will save the taxpayers millions of dollars. When the insurance companies don’t cover therapies, the parents are usually unable to pay for the therapies themselves. Many are not adequately treated, so the taxpayers end up paying for a lot of special education and welfare that could have been avoided.

2. “Insurance costs will skyrocket” Actuarial studies do not support this statement. Most studies show that initial premium increases for similar legislation are below 1%.

3. “Therapies are experimental” This is not true. Therapies are effective, and are supported by science, the Surgeon General, the National Research Council and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

4. “The schools already provide these services” Schools try to accommodate disabilities in the course of educating children with autism. Schools do not, cannot, and, in my opinion, should not be tasked with treating the disabling condition, particularly when a person has already paid to have their medical costs covered by a health insurance company. The schools simply do not have the resources or expertise.

Statistically, someone in your family is going to need treatment for autism. When that happens, it will likely be the most stressful and devastating situation you have ever faced.

Our son is such a wonderful,happy little boy, and we know that he is in there, somewhere. But without support, this bill will fail and we may not ever be able to know what our son could have become. Please support this bill, not just for our sake, but also for the sake of all the children not getting the treatment they need, for the sake of your family, and for the sake of the Utah taxpayers.

**Note - There is concern that if S.B. 138 Health Insurance Mandate Accountability Amendments from Sen. Weiler passes, it will make H.B. 69 very difficult. To learn more follow Autism Votes, link found here.
Sen. Weiler has outlined what S.B. 138 does, and its relationship to H.B. 69 here.

S.B. 30 Administrative Rules Reauthorization by Sen. Stephenson

2012-01-26T16:51:00.002-07:00

Sen. Stephenson

Bill: S.B. 30 Administrative Rules Reauthorization
Sponsor: Sen. Stephenson

This bill appears harmless. S.B. 30 Administrative Rules Reauthorization only has a few lines, here they are:

All rules of Utah state agencies are reauthorized except for the following:
(1) R477-6-5, Human Resource Management, Administration, Compensation,
Incentive Awards; and
(2) R277-419-5 (E-Exceptions), Education, Administration, Pupil Accounting, Student Membership
Effective Date: If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect on May 1, 2012

With this bill Sen. Stephenson has dealt a potentially devastating blow to secondary education in Utah. As many Utahns are aware, high schools are able to count students who are attending religious instruction (seminary), concurrent enrollment, applied technology classes, and other individual learning activities consistent with the student's SEOP toward their school's membership. This bill will deauthorize that funding, it is less money for schools. It is fair for the Legislature to have the discussion on how these students who are receiving instruction outside of the school should be funded, but there was no discussion. This bill was heard in the Administrative Rules Review Committee prior to the session, and because it passed that committee was place straight on to the Senate's calendar. It is already through the Senate!

According to the State Office of Education: LEAs [an LEA is a school district or charter school] having many students participating in affected varieties of release-time will see both an increase and a decrease in funding, with the decrease being larger in value so as to create an overall fall in funding among these LEAs, with no associated change in costs (from USOE Bill Impact statement).

If you are concerned about the ramifications of this bill, or even simply feel that this bill deserves to be vetted and discussed, please contact both your Senator - the Senate it able to recall a bill - and your Representative in the House. The link to learn who your Senator/Representatives are can be found on the right.

H.B. 59 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act - Liquor Revenues for Public Education by Rep. Bird

2012-01-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Rep. Bird

Bill: H.B. 59 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act - Liquor Revenues for Public Education
Sponsor: Rep. Bird

Rep. Bird has an idea on how to get more money to schools, without raising taxes. He is simply changing the way current state revenue is distributed. H.B. 59 would change the distribution of alcohol revenue, by earmarking 10% of the total gross revenue the state earns from the sell of alcohol for public education. This bill would put $31 million dollars more a year into our public schools. The money, currently deposited in the general fund, would instead be sent directly to local school districts and charter schools. Unlike some monies currently received by districts/charter schools, it would not have to be used for only specific expenses, this money would be available for: programs, raises for teachers, reducing class sizes, building expenses, whatever the district/charter school deemed most important. The $31 million would be divided, the first 10% would be distributed equally among districts/charter schools, and the remaining 90% would be distributed per-pupil. Some very rough calculations:

There are about 110 districts/charter schools in Utah.
That would mean each entity would receive $28,000.
Additionally there are about 500,000 students attending public school in Utah, so per pupil, it would be about $55.
Davis School District would then receive an estimated: $3.3 million dollars.
American Preparatory Academy with 570 students would receive: $59,350.
(All numbers are rough estimates, figures taken from USOE's school profiles)

This past year the Utah Legislature earmarked millions of dollars to roads and infrastructure. Rep. Bird is asking for a similar (actually a lesser) commitment to be made to public education. Moving money from the general fund does mean somewhere else something will have to be cut. The general fund pays for all state government with the exception of education. With all the scandal the DABC (Dept of Alcoholic Beverage Control) has seen this past year, it is doubtful that it will exist in its current state by the end of the session. By passing the bill to earmark revenue from alcohol sales THIS YEAR, the precedent will be in place for alcohol revenues generated by the state to be put toward education. After this year, the window of opportunity to earmark those funds may have passed.

How to Contact Your Legislator

2012-01-23T14:11:00.002-07:00

The session is underway; here are a few hints to keep in mind when contacting your Senator or Representative.

Email Tips
The subject line of your email is vital. Make it specific. Include the bill you are writing about, how you would like your legislator to vote, your address, and if you are a delegate (do not say you are a delegate if you are not one). For example:

Support HB 69 Autism Bill - Republican/Democratic Delegate - Constituent from District #__ - Address

In the body of your email be straight to the point. Bullet points are effective. Hit key reasons the legislator should support/oppose the bill. Fact based reasons are most influential; include links to more information if possible. State how the legislation will impact their constituents. Conclude your email with a statement of appreciation. Always sign your emails with your name, street address, email and phone number.

Telephone Tips
It may seem intimidating to call your legislator on the phone, but if you feel passionate about a bill, it is a lot more effective than an email. Legislators receive hundreds and hundreds of emails. They receive a lot less phone calls from their constituents. Plan on a brief conversation, and have your notes on the points you would like to make in front of you. Nothing is more annoying than getting off the phone and realizing you forgot to bring up your most effective argument. A phone conversation is two way, listen as much as you talk. Often times I have not agreed with my legislators, but it has still been a good discussion on an issue that benefited both of us.

Up at the Capitol Tips
It shows you really care if you show up. If you feel strongly about a bill, drive up to the Capitol and address your legislator in person. This is easily done. If legislators are on the floor, the Sargent in Arms (the guys in the green coats) sitting outside the chambers can help you fill out a note to be taken in to your legislator. You may have to wait a minute, just munch on some taffy while you wait and marvel at the number of lobbyists hanging out near you. Most legislators will come out to talk as soon as they are available if they know a constituent is waiting to meet with them. Again, be brief and hit your strongest points. Have your points typed up and give them a copy. Include on your talking points sheet your name, address and phone number. Remember, facts usually outweigh emotional argument - is the law factually sound, common sense, and how will it affect constituents in your district. If legislators are in committee, you will probably need to wait until the meeting is through. All legislators also have offices, check their offices if you are trying to hunt them down. To find out where your legislator's office is, ask either the House or Senate secretaries located near the respective chambers.

Remember, legislators are there to represent YOU, and they can do that best when they understand how YOU feel.

To find your legislator, check here.

S.B. 117 Publication of Education Fund Revenue Reductions - Sen. McAdams

2012-01-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Sen. McAdams

Bill: S.B. 117

Sponsor: Sen. McAdams

S.B. 117 is a simple concept, but one that could have a profound effect. Sen. McAdams has envisioned a prominent link on the home page of the Utah Legislature which would take viewers to a report of all proposed legislation which will reduce the revenue deposited into the state's education fund. The published report would be updated at least weekly during the session as bills are introduced and amended, and daily the last week of the session as budget bills are passed. In an email, Sen. McAdams explained:

I'm concerned thatlegislators too quickly spend education fund dollars without regard to whether it is an appropriate use of education funds. I think both parties are equally guilty of this practice and I want the legislature to pause before expending education dollars for purposes that do not advance education goals. For example, take a bill that would create a renewable energy tax credit to encourage the development of solar energy. I support that goal. However, such a tax credit would reduce corporate income tax collections and therefore reducethe amount of revenue going to the education fund. I believe renewable energy incentives are good policy. But, are they good education policy? I think these tax incentives are irrelevant to education policy and should probably be funded out of the state general fund and not out of the education fund. In this example, we could propose an amendment to the bill that would create the renewable energy tax credit and then specify that revenue reductions due to the tax credit from the education fund will be replaced by the general fund. Renewable energy development is good general policy, but has nothing to do with education policy. I don't think the education system should pay for it, but the general fund should.

That's the most innocent example. There are numerous other instances each session where bills are passed that take revenue out of the education fund to pay for somebody's pet issue. Remember last year when the legislature passed a bill to make gold coins a form of legal currency? Well, that bill also amounted to an income tax cut of about $500,000 per year (H.B. 317). I voted against that bill, but for those who felt that was a good bill then it should have been paid for from the state general fund and not from the state education fund.

I'd like to find a way in the future to enact some more rigorous protections for the state education fund, but for now I'm starting with public notice of how our education funds are being spent and I hope the public and the education community will cry foul if bills spend education dollars for purposes that are not related to education.

Simple concept, profound effect.

H.B. 62 Provisions Regarding School Supplies by Rep. Powell

2012-01-17T12:34:00.001-07:00

Rep. Powell

Bill: H.B. 62 Provisions Regarding School Supplies
Sponsor: Rep. Powell

For years Rep. Powell has been pushing for a way for elementary schools to be allowed to ask parents, if they are able, to donate school supplies (2011 bill). The Utah Constitution states: Public elementary and secondary schools shall be free, except the Legislature may authorize the imposition of fees in the secondary schools (Art X, Sec 2). Due to this statement, Powell had been attempting to amend to the Utah Constitution, which has proven unpopular. This year he seems to have found a way to accomplish his means without amending the Constitution. H.B. 62 will allow local schools to decide if they would like to create a list of supplies used during a regular day for parents to donate. The list MUST contain the following language:

Notice: The items on this list are optional. No elementary school student may be required to bring any of these supplies to school. This list is compiled solely to provide information to parents or guardians who wish to voluntarily furnish supplies for student use. Equivalent supplies will be furnished by the school to all students free of charge as necessary.

H.B. 62 should be able to garner more support this year than in sessions past now that it will not require a constitutional change; the question this year will be if it can be done with a simple school board rule or if there must be language in statute.

H.B. 199 Elimination of Daylight Saving Time - Rep. Nielson

2012-01-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Rep. Nielson

Bill: H.B. 199 Elimination of Daylight Saving Time
Sponsor: Rep. Nielson

The idea for Utah to not participate in Daylight Savings Time is far from new. Last session Rep. Wilcox ran H.B. 114, the Utah Time Standardization Act, which would have placed Utah on Mountain Standard Time the entire year. Rep. Wilcox's bill was never given a committee hearing. The year before that it was Rep. Sumsion who carried the charge to rid Utah of Daylight Savings Time, his bill failed in committee. Rep. Nielson is carrying basically the same bill this session, proposing Utahns never spring forward or fall back and instead stay firmly in Mountain Standard Time. We'll see if he fares better than his predecessors.

This bill has received quite a bit of media attention, read coverage from: Deseret News, The Herald Journal, and The Salt Lake Tribune.

H.J.R. 10 Joint Resolution on Legislator Eligibiligy by Rep. Dougall

2012-01-10T14:03:00.000-07:00


Rep. Dougall

Bill: H.J.R. 10 Joint Resolution on Legislator Eligibility
Sponsor: Rep. Dougall

There has been a trend in Utah these past few years started by Congressman Chaffetz: candidates are lining up to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in districts where they DO NOT LIVE. According to the The Salt Lake Tribune, there are SIX candidates running for Utah's U.S. Congressional seats from outside of the district where they currently live. Three of those candidates plan on moving into the district where they are running, but the other three have no such plans. Rep. Dougall would like to extend the opportunity to state legislators to run in the district of their choice. H.J.R. 10 would amend the Utah Constitution to eliminate the requirement that a legislator must run in the district where they reside. As always, amendments to the Utah Constitution must pass both bodies of the Legislature, be signed by the Governor and then approved by a majority of Utah voters.

A few questions to ask:
Are we comfortable with politicians choosing their constituents?
Are we comfortable with an urban legislator representing a rural district? Or vice versa?
Are we comfortable with special interest groups, both inside and outside the state, with financial resources researching Utah demographics and then running their candidate in the district where they feel they can win so they have representation in the Utah Legislature?
Is there an advantage to having your elected official live within your district?

In Utah, a member of the House of Representatives has about 36,500 constituents in their district. The districts are small enough many people know their Representative; they have met them at their school or had their kids on the same soccer team, they work with their family members or worship at the same church. There is value for both the constituent and the elected official in living within the district they represent. Rep. Dougall is asking if there is greater value in having a candidate select the constituents who they feel they represent best.

This is one I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on.

H.B. 33 Fireworks Amendments - Rep. Dunnigan

2012-01-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Bill: H.B. 33 Fireworks Amendments
Sponsor: Rep. Dunnigan

Fireworks display courtesy my backyard neighbors, taken last July

Last year firework laws changed in Utah. Rep. Dunnigan sponsored the bill which allowed the 'cake' fireworks that were popular this past year, as well as extended the dates which fireworks could be discharged. But it became readily apparent that having it legal to use fireworks from June 26th-July 26th was a little long. The bill Rep. Dunnigan is sponsoring this year will NOT change which fireworks are legal in Utah (the 'cakes' will still be okay) but it WILL change the dates for legally discharging them to: July 1st-7th, July 21st-July 27th, December 31st and Chinese New Year.

H.B. 13 Offender Registry Review by Rep. Draxler

2012-01-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Bill: H.B. 13 Offender Registry Review
Sponsor: Rep. Draxler

Post written by Rep. Jeremy Peterson
This post was originally published at: http://mrpetersonsperspectives.blogspot.com/
and is used here by permission.

Scarlet Letters: Reforming Exile to the Sex Offender Registry

Utah's Sex Offender Registry has been seen as a tool to help encourage public safety. Individuals who have been convicted of sex offenses are placed on the registry along with their current address, photograph, and conviction record.

Placement on the registry typically means a life of hardship. Felons are difficult to employ and the stigma associated with being on the registry carries heavy social consequences. Those on the registry often face isolation and are ostracized from the community.

Due to the severity of the consequences, a review has taken place of the offenses that qualify a person to be placed on the registry. The questions have been asked:

1. Does the registry adequately serve the purpose of public safety when those that are on the registry do not pose a risk to the public?

2. Is it equitable to maintain registered status for those who do not pose a public safety risk?

3. By what means and method would the public safety risk be assessed for a registered individual?

To understand these questions, it is important to know which offenses qualify someone to be placed on the registry. Rather than enumerate the offenses, many of which are unspeakable, let us suffice to say that the list is long and disturbing.

Obviously, many of these crimes are so unfathomable they warrant registration...even for a lifetime. However, not all of these offenses are of equal gravity. Three offenses are of the least severity on the list (click for a legal definition):

Unlawful Sexual Activity With A Minor

Unlawful Sexual Conduct With A 16 Or 17 Year Old

Class A Misdemeanor Violation of Voyeurism

Two of them are what we would consider "statutory rape" crimes and the third would be a "peeping Tom" offense. However, when placed on the registry, these offenders are treated the same as violent rapists and pedophiles.

Do these offenders pose an equal threat to public safety and therefore warrant the same treatment as their violent and deviant counterparts? If a 23 year old dates and has a consensual sexual relationship with a 17 year old, when convicted, he or she will be placed on the registry until they are 33. There is an ironic real life case of a man in Cache Valley who was 19 and had relations with his 15 year old girlfriend. He was convicted, fined, and the two married upon his release. He is on the registry to this day and has restrictions placed on where he can live and what places he can go with his four children.

Was this the intent of the sex offender registry? Is this individual being treated equitably under our current law? A reasonable observer could conclude that this individual does not pose a threat to the public. So what can be done?

HB 13 has been proposed by my colleague in Cache Valley to help navigate this sensitive subject. Rather than create a blanket solution, the law allows for elected judges to decide with the help of input from victims. Here are the key provision of the bill:

1. It allows for a person who has been convicted of the following crimes to petition the court for removal from the Sex Offender and Kidnap Offender Registry after five years:

                         .    unlawful sexual conduct with a 16 or 17 year old;
                         .    unlawful sexual activity with a minor; or
                         .    a misdemeanor violation of voyeurism

2. Requires that the person have successfully completed any court-ordered treatment and not have any subsequent convictions.

3. Requires that a copy of the petition be delivered to the prosecutor and victim, or if the victim is still a minor, the victim's parents.

4. Gives the court discretion to order the person removed if it determines that the person is no longer a risk to society.

As someone who knows many victims and offenders of the more egregious crimes, I believe that this legislation will still preserve justice in our execution of the law and continue to provide for public safety. Yet, I believe it will also provide civic redemption for those who are deemed worthy of it by our courts. I understand that many of those affected by more egregious crimes will have strong feelings about this legislation. I sympathize and ask that the legislation be reviewed on its merits. As the father of four young daughters, I support this bill.

Many Utah media outlets have highlighted H.B. 13, you can read more about the bill from: KSL, the Deseret News & The Salt Lake Tribune.

H.B. 202 Child Protection Amendments by Rep. Watkins

2012-01-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Bill: H.B. 202 Child Protection Amendments
Sponsor: Rep. Watkins

H.B. 202 Child Protection Amendments will prohibit both the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and the Juvenile Courts from taking action against a parent or guardian solely on the basis of positive drug test, if the drug being used is determined to be a prescription medication being taken properly. The parent or guardian would have to prove both that they are under a physician's care and that they are taking their medication as directed. If any action is taken wrongly against the parent/guardian due to a correctly used prescription drug, the DCFS employee responsible is subject to discipline, even up to termination.

Rep. Watkins sent the following explanation of the importance of this bill:

I would love to tell you why this bill is so important. I was with one mom when DCFS said they would remove her children if she did not bring the medications her doctor had her taking for anxiety. The mom complied, gave DCFS the medicine and was in the hospital two days later because she should not have gone "cold turkey". Another young single mom had gone back to drug use after many years of being clean, her child was taken away, she got a job, an apartment, and was doing well, she got her child back. After a few days of intense pain it was discovered that she had a tubal pregnancy, emergency surgery was required. She told the doctor she was a recovering drug addict and could not have any drugs. Well, we all know you have drugs during and aftersurgery, she failed her UA (urine analysis) and her child was taken away again. She does have him back again but the whole surgery drug failure was unnecessary. I have another man who DCFS is trying to take away his children (his wife's too) because he takes pain medications prescribed by his doctor- to take as needed, but DCFS does not like the meds and the fact that his levels fluctuate. Neither DCFS nor anyone in the Juvenile Courts are trained in medicine and especially the need for and use of drugs. I feel very strong about this issue and hope to get it passed. I have worked with the state DCFS Director and he is okay with this bill, he is a bit unsure about the discipline part, but I want that to stay in.

Severance Tax - HB 210 & HJR 6 by Rep. Jim Nielson

2012-01-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Bills: H.B. 210 Severance Tax Amendments & H.J.R. 6 Joint Resolution on Severance Tax
Sponsor: Rep. Jim Nielson

I know when you read the title to these bills, you yawned. It's okay, I'll try and keep it as simple as possible. It is important to understand proposed amendments to the Constitution, because historically Constitutional amendments easily pass the general voters. If there are concerns about an amendment, it is best to address them early, rather than when they appear on the ballot.

In the late 1990s, Utah received a settlement from the tobacco companies. This one-time payment led to the creation of the permanent state trust fund in 1998. The fund is invested by the State Treasurer, and the interest generated from the fund is placed in the General Fund. The General Fund is what pays for almost all state expenses other than education. In 2008, Utah voters amended the Utah Constitution to that require severance taxes above a certain amount be placed in the permanent fund. Severance taxes are the taxes paid to the state when non-renewable resources such as oil, gas and minerals are extracted from the land. But that amendment still allowed the Legislature to spend as much of the severance tax revenue from that year as they could approve by majority vote and then deposit the remaining amount into the permanent fund. Last session the Legislature raised the limit of whatautomatically goes straight into the General Fund to $77 million for FY 2012 - more than the state will likely collect in severance taxes this year (S.B. 320).

Rep. Nielson's bills will require ALL money collected from severance taxes to be placed in the permanent fund. The argument for such a proposition is severance taxes can only be collected once. One day the natural resources that yield severance taxes will be gone. If one-time severance tax payments continue to be be used to pay for on-going programs, there will be no funding left for future generations when this revenue stream dries up.

Instead of spending it all now, the money paid in severance taxes should be invested for the future. As the permanent fund principal grows, it will create more interest revenue for the state. With Representative Nielson's amendment, the Constitution still will allow the state to withdraw money from the permanent fund in an emergency with a 3/4 majority of both houses of the Legislature and the governor's signature.

Think of this as you would your own finances. If you decide to not invest your earnings in a 401K, you won't have a retirement fund. The more you invest, the more interest you earn, the better off you are in your later years. Money you spend on immediate needs never has a chance to grow in an investment. If you ever borrow against your 401K, you do so with heavy consideration. You are borrowing against your future. The reality is, without investing severance tax revenue which is generated from a limited resource, we are never giving the money a chance to increase through investment. And we're not leaving anything behind for our grandchildren. It is simply short-term thinking.

**Rep. Nielson contributed to this post.

The End to Teacher Tenure

2011-10-23T22:10:00.000-06:00

Public Education Employment Reform Act Proposal by Sen. Osmond

The Idea: For quite some time there has been a movement in Utah to end 'tenure' for K-12 teachers. This year the State Board of Education voted to support the removal of the Orderly School Termination Procedures Act. This Act found in Utah Code outlines dismissal procedures for teachers (Utah Code 53A-08). Sen. Osmond's bill proposal removes this section completely from code, as the Board recommended, but it goes on to do more. In the absence of statewide termination procedures, the bill would require policies to be set at the local level for the hiring, firing and evaluation of teachers. Educators would also be put on contracts, 1 year contracts for new teachers, up to 5 year contracts for experienced teachers, and up to 3 year contracts for administrators. At the end of the contract, districts could either renew a contract or not renew the contract without giving cause. Teachers currently 'tenured' would be allowed to opt out of the new contract system, but would then be ineligible for performance pay increases. In addition to addressing employment, Sen. Osmond's bill also asks for the State Board of Education to establish salary ranges for teachers based on a market model. The new model would take into consideration: market value, years of experience, location and difficulty of role in deciding salary range. It would also require at least 5% of teacher pay to be based on performance.

A Few of My Thoughts: Everyone has had an experience with a bad teacher. No one wants a bad teacher protected, not students, not parents, not principals, not districts, and especially not other teachers. This proposal seems to assume teachers begin great. There is a learning curve for teachers as much as for students. They need time to learn their craft and be mentored by effective educators. I am concerned new teachers will not be given a fair chance at succeeding. It also seems a bit unsettling to have such little confidence in teachers as a whole. Great teachers deserve job security. I support and understand the removal of the Orderly School Termination Procedures, because even without this act teachers would have rights as employees. But Sen. Osmond's proposal goes beyond the removal of this act, in a way that seems to place the value of teachers below other state employees. On the flip side, I spoke with a teacher this past weekend about this proposal and asked her thoughts. She was not at all concerned with the idea of being contracted for a set period of time, but was leery of teacher evaluations being performed fairly, and not being solely based on students' test scores. I know Sen. Osmond is planning on meeting with the UEA, and will hear many of the concerns of teachers on this act from them. Any teachers out there wish to share their thoughts? Any parents?

Now what are your thoughts/concerns? Love it? Hate it? Any ideas on how to improve it?
Sen. Osmond has been very open to input on his bill proposals. Please visit his website for more information on the bill: http://www.aaronosmond.com/ and email him thoughts/suggestions at: avosmond@gmail.com.

Education Idea: And The Survey Says.....Sound Off On Your School/Teacher

2011-09-19T14:17:00.000-06:00

This session expect A LOT of bills related to education. As those proposals begin to come forward, I will highlight some of them here. These bills are all still in creation form and cannot be seen on the Legislature's web site yet. Feedback on these ideas, before they become official bills, is critical. Share your thoughts on these proposals here, and influence legislation BEFORE the session. If you would like the site to highlight a specific proposal, please feel free to contact me.

Online Education Surveys by Rep. Steve Eliason (Sandy)

The Idea:

What if at the end of each school year, elementary and secondary students and their parents were asked to fill out an evaluation on their teacher(s) and their school? Rep. Eliason envisions an online survey system which would ask questions on the quality of the education experience the student received that year. The survey would be standard statewide, but individual schools or districts could add additional questions. The results would be posted online for public viewing, and could be used by administrators to better determine how to meet the needs of their students, to monitor school improvement, to be used in determining professional development and to be part of an educator evaluation system. A survey would also be created for teachers to have the opportunity to evaluate their school.

A Few of My Thoughts:
I really like the idea of parents and students evaluating teachers and schools at the end of the year. Currently there is little, if any, parent or student input on teacher evaluations. This bill would add that element.

One logistical concern is not all students can read. Kindergartners and even many 1st graders may have a difficult time completing a survey. If the surveys had to be read to the students, it would either be costly or could make the results invalid. It may not be feasible to survey students before the third grade.

Not all parents have access to a computer or are able to complete a survey online. During the scheduling of SEP conferences, my school allows parents to utilize their computers to set up a time if they do not have access at home. This would need to happen for these evaluations as well. Surveys would also need to be translated into multiple languages to ensure all parents the opportunity to understand and complete the evaluations.

When I originally heard Rep. Eliason present this bill, he said he envisioned questions not just related to teacher performance but also parental involvement. For example, how many hours did you volunteer at your child's school this year? I think that would be valuable information to collect. With the school grading bill passed last session every school will be receiving an A-F grade, this survey information could give a more complete picture on what is happening at a school than the simple grade will.

The Utah State Office of Education will soon have a Public School Data (PSD) Gateway where parents can see a report card for schools as well as compare schools on line. The information gathered in these parent and student evaluations would seem to logically fit to PSD Gateway. To view the PSD Gateway visit: http://schools.utah.gov/main/

Now what are your thoughts/concerns? Love it? Hate it? Any ideas on how to improve it?

An Open Letter to Sen. Osmond

2011-05-24T21:49:00.001-06:00

Sen. Osmond,

Welcome to the Utah Senate!

I recently read in the Salt Lake Tribune of your appointment as the Chair of the Senate Education Standing Committee. I look forward to a new voice in the Senate on education. The past few years I have been perplexed and often disturbed by the open animosity shown to traditional public education in Senate committee meetings. I write to you in your new role simply to make you aware of the concerns of one parent as she has observed the Legislature and the effects of policy on her children’s school.

The continued expansion of charter schools could hurt neighborhood schools, which are assets to their communities. It is difficult to keep the balance between traditional and charter public schools. Charter schools can offer different opportunities, which are a good fit for some students, but charter schools are not the answer for all students. After last session, I spoke with Sen. J. Stevenson, who pointed out he’s learned the biggest difference between charter schools and traditional public schools is the level of parental involvement. Wouldn't it be wonderful if every parent would take responsibility for the education their child was receiving! Unfortunately, we can never force parents to care; in the meantime, we need to remember that though the voices at the Capitol can be loud from parents who want specific educational resources for their child, we can't give to one child at the expense of other children.

I wish we could stop Utahns from saying we do a great job educating our kids with the limited amount of money we budget for education. This is like congratulating a parent whose children are subsisting on a vitamin every day instead of being fed a well balanced diet. Utah faces a difficult situation as we must raise revenue with a large percentage of our land in federal ownership, but that does not preclude the Legislature's ability to raise funds in other ways. Please be open to revenue enhancing proposals, and realize those arguing for increased education funding do not think money is the solution to every problem; they only are keenly aware of the consequences of underfunding Utah’s future.

Please remember the role of technology in education. Our teachers and students deserve current technology. But technology can be a poor substitute for personal contact and successful programs. Often times the Legislature considers proposals which eliminate proven programs in exchange for unproven software. New technology must be weighed against guaranteed benefit.

Finally, do not forget teachers, locally elected boards, and involved parents are not the enemy. They are highly invested in the education of Utah children; these students are their children - both figuratively and literally, and they care intensely about results and outcomes. They have spent their lives in the trenches, and have seen the whims of the Legislature affect their classrooms. Innovation is necessary, but they are cautious in their support of unproven methods because they have seen pet projects fail at the expense of their students.

I thank you for your willingness to serve in the Utah Senate. I look forward to the coming year and the opportunity it will bring to work together to make Utah schools the best they can be.

Tomorrow's Veto Override Session Is About Defining Priorities

2011-05-05T13:47:00.003-06:00

Background: During the 2011 session of the Utah Legislature SB 229 was carried by Sen. Adams. The bill sets aside 30% of growth of sales tax revenue for road building beginning in fiscal year 2013. Transportation is funded through the General Fund - which funds pretty much everything except for K-12 education. The bill was heard in a Senate committee (5-0), on the Senate floor (18-8) and on the House floor on the final day of the session (60-10). Governor Herbert vetoed the legislation arguing it is bad policy and could deprive other programs, particularly education (source). Legislative leaders think they have enough votes (they need 2/3rds in both bodies) to override the Governor. The Legislature will meet tomorrow, May 6th, with the intent to override the Governor's veto. Read the bill here.

The Rationale: Sen. Adams and others argue the importance of infrastructure. Quality roads and usable transportation are vital to making Utah business friendly. By setting aside the money now, supporters argue the resources will be there to meet the needs of the future. Sen. Jenkins, Utah Senate Majority Leader, wrote a post in support of the override here.

The Opposition: The following groups have taken a position against the override of SB 229 (in simpler terms: they are against the earmarking of a portion of sales tax to transportation)

The United Way of Salt Lake City - link
Voices for Utah Children - link
The League of Women Voters of Utah - link
Utah State Board of Education - link
Utah Board of Regents (Higher Education) - link
The Salt Lake Tribune - link
The Deseret News - link

The question really boils down to this: What are our priorities? Should we earmark funds for infrastructure, which by consequence means not being able to spend that money on higher education, human services or public safety? Share your thoughts on these questions with your Representative and Senator. They will be voting tomorrow.

The Utah Senate and HB 477, Put It On The List

2011-03-23T21:35:00.005-06:00

The Governor has called a special session of the Legislature for Friday to repeal HB 477. The House is ready and willing, but the Utah Senate? Majority leadership in the Senate isn't so sure. They are arguing they would like a slower, more deliberate process - funny, that is what the people wanted when HB 477 was originally presented.

People are furious over HB 477, a group has already begun gathering signatures to put a repeal of the law on the ballot. The group, Save GRAMA, is publishing locations where you can sign the petition on their website here. But frankly, HB 477 is simply one of the bills passed by the Utah Senate this year that should anger you. Here are a few other bills which should raise your hackles:

SB 165 - A bill sponsored by Sen. Bramble, prohibits the use of electronic signatures to qualify a candidate for the ballot or to put a proposition on the ballot. This will make it increasingly difficult for the referendum and initiative processes. The bill has become law, after passing the Senate with a 26-1 vote.

SB 44 - Sen. Dayton sponsored this bill, which only allows the Constitutional Review Committee to meet if a review is requested by the governor or in a joint resolution by the Legislature. This committee played a vital role in reviewing bills which affected the Constitution before they became law. The bill passed the Senate with a 21-5 vote, and is awaiting the Governor's signature.

SB 244 - This bill sponsored by Sen. Stephenson would have made State School Board elections partisan, something 78% of Utahns did NOT want. The bill passed the Senate 17-12, but was never heard in the House. This bill came after an attempt by another Senator to eliminate the State School Board and Board of Regents all together and place full control of education in Utah with the Governor - this idea passed the Senate but was never heard in the House.

Has the Utah Senate become unresponsive to the people? As of now, many Republican Senators are not planning on supporting the repeal of HB 477 on Friday. If you have not yet, it is time to write your Senator and urge the repeal of HB 477. Senators' emails can be found here. And remember this - remember this session, remember not only HB 477 but all of the bills listed above, remember to ask your legislators at town hall meetings and future meet the candidate nights how responsive they are to their constituents and if their votes validate their claims.

78% of Utahns Favor of Non-Partisan State School Board Elections, But Is The Legislature Listening?

2011-03-09T17:14:00.007-07:00

Senator Howard Stephenson unveiled a bill to make the State School Board an extension of the political parties. Yes, if this bill passes, school decision makers will be forced to run through a political party, be elected in a partisan election, and become embroiled with all the politics that comes with it. So much for making decisions based solely on what’s good for school children!

We can only hope that others in the Legislature consider the following survey information:

• The poll shows 78% favor keeping the process non-partisan rather than getting nominations through political parties. (Feb. 2011 Utah Policy Daily, Opinionology Poll)

• 66% oppose forcing candidates for the Utah State Board of Education to run through a political party which would require going through primaries and conventions in order to get nominated. (Nov. 2011 Dan Jones Survey)

• 67% of those who took the survey indicated that their public schools “probably are not” or “definitely are not” adequately funded in order to provide a quality education. (Nov. 2011 Dan Jones Survey)

• Respondents identified themselves by party: 51% Republican, 15% Democrat, and 22% Independent. (Nov. 2011 Dan Jones Survey)

There has been much debate and publicity on the idea of partisan vs. non-partisan school boards in the past couple of months. As you can see, the more citizens have become educated on the issue, the more sure they are that partisan school boards do not serve the children of the state.

There are many, many reasons not to pass a partisan school board bill. No one political party captures all of the issues in public education nor has all the remedies for its many challenges. Public education should not be restricted by operating inside of the parameters of a political party or of its party leader(s). Partisan politics, even well-intended, tends to be uneven and subject to the whims of lawmakers. Schools should not have to brace for new administrations or new majorities or new representatives each election cycle. Children and teachers need continuity and stability, even as they work to innovate and improve. Local leadership provides local accessibility to all of Utah’s citizens. Let’s not have school board members become “beholden” to politicians; let’s keep them accountable to their neighbors and local communities.

The bill is currently in Utah’s House of Representatives. Contact your Representative today, and tell them to vote NO on SB224 Partisan School Board Elections. Find out who your Representative is here, and tell them to vote NO on SB224 – a bill 78% of Utahns have already spoken against.

It's the last day of the session, to reach your Representative call 801-538-1029, and leave a message at the House switchboard for your Representative; simply state your name, the city where you live, and ask your Representative to please vote NO on SB 224 Partisan School Board Elections.

HB 477 Government Record Amendments by Rep. Dougall

2011-03-07T07:58:00.002-07:00

Post written by Linda, a Utah Mom of 6 from Salt Lake County

Bill: HB477 Government Records Amendments
Sponsor: Rep. Dougall

Many years ago, as a young mom, I wanted a new swimming pool in my community for my kids. I worked hard on a committee going door to door to get support. After we won the bond election, we waited 4 years for construction to begin and nothing happened. I went to the Board of Trustees and complained, and they put me off. I left the meeting very discouraged. A newspaper reporter stopped me on the way out and told me about GRAMA. I got the records and he did the coverage. The community was outraged when they found out what was happening. Eventually we replaced the Board of Trustees and the Director and the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center in Kearns was built - as it should have been 4 years earlier. We couldn't have done this without GRAMA.

Because of GRAMA every person can investigate what is happening in their community and make a difference. It makes government more accountable to the people.

HB477 changes GRAMA to disallow certain types of electronic communication. Anytime we allow a loophole in the law, in my experience, that loophole will be used by those who are dishonest to try to hide what they are doing. The government entity that I was investigating did anything they could to get out of filling my GRAMA request. With HB477, it will be easy to send information in a way that will keep it from being discovered.

It also allows government entities to charge overhead and administration fees in addition to the other fees they are currently charging. I was told that I needed to pay $12 a page for a document that a secretary took out of a filing cabinet and started to copy. That day, the government entity was told they were out of line, but with the passage of this bill, they would not be. The cost increase makes records much less accessible to the average person.

It’s important to me that Utah stay as open and transparent as it can be. Sadly, HB477 gives us less access and more secrecy in our government.

A short note from Karen - HB 477 whipped through the process - being made public, having 2 hearings, and passing both houses in less than 48 hours - an almost unheard of speed record. Since both the Senate and the House have passed the bill, concerned citizens should contact Gov. Herbert and urge him to veto the legislation. To contact Gov. Herbert either call or email his office, his contact information can be found here. The group Utah Foundation for Open Government posted a document online outlining the changes HB 477 will have, and their organizations concerns, they can be read here. Rep. Becky Edwards wrote explaining her vote in favor of the bill in a thorough blog post here. In a session where transparency, accountability and openness have been then mantra, it is disconcerting to see this type of legislation pushed through so quickly.

The Dismantling of Public Education

2011-03-03T21:00:00.003-07:00

By Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, President of the Utah Education Association

Some Utah policymakers only view public education from the 30,000-foot level. The advantage to this perspective is that “bombs” can be dropped on our children and teachers without regard to the consequences to those on the ground.

Let me take you down to ground level. There are about 110 bills before our legislature this year that deal directly or indirectly with public education. I cannot think of another profession that faces so many policy changes year in and year out.

However, I am not necessarily as concerned about the quantity of proposals to change public education as I am about the quality. You see, the vast majority of these bills are conceived, drafted and proposed by individuals who, despite what may well be good intentions, are not experts in education. Many of the proposed laws are based on hearsay, anecdotes and political posturing, rather than research or proven practice.

I realize our elected lawmakers have a difficult and, at times, thankless job. However, I am struck by the lack of understanding about what we do in public education. I am amazed by the audacity of non-educators presuming to know more about educating children than the teachers and administrators who have dedicated their entire careers to the profession. And, I’m disheartened by the misrepresentations, half-truths and outright lies told about what happens in our neighborhood schools and about our teachers.

It’s clear there are a few powerful, well-connected individuals who would much rather dismantle our neighborhood schools than improve them—with the end goal of creating more private and charter schools that serve (and benefit) only a few.

Recent polls show the citizens of Utah overwhelmingly support their traditional neighborhood public schools. Yet just this year, legislation has been proposed that will:
- Ensure a certain percentage of public schools cannot attain a superior grade rating;
- Label schools as failing, but not provide any resources to help them improve;
- Guarantee a certain percentage of public school students are instructed by teachers deemed “non-proficient;”
- Eliminate requirements to assist teachers who need help improving performance;
- Politicize public education by making school board elections partisan or diverting control and supervision of public schools from the state school board to the legislature; and
- Divert funds from our already over-burdened traditional public schools to charter schools.

Each of these proposals individually may not seem too onerous, but together they underlie a much bigger movement to erode and discredit our traditional public schools—schools that currently serve more than 92 percent of Utah’s student population. The proposed laws would also inhibit the state’s ability to provide a quality education for EVERY Utah student.

There’s no question our public schools can be improved. The Utah Education Association has continuously offered to sit down and work with lawmakers to help craft the changes necessary to create a great public school for every child. Alas, our offers have mostly fallen on deaf ears—deaf at least to classroom teachers who teach in neighborhood schools, not, apparently, to non-educator special interests. I can only surmise that blaming teachers for all public education’s woes creates a diversion that will allow the destruction of our traditional public schools.

What is it going to take for some of our elected officials to set aside the self-interests of a few and represent their entire constituency? I hope it does not mean losing the neighborhood schools that educate all children regardless of their circumstance.

I urge our lawmakers to ask themselves just one question as they consider public education laws: “Does this help us reach the goal of a great education for EVERY student?”

Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, known to her second-grade students at Salt Lake City’s Dilworth Elementary as “Mrs. G.,” left the classroom in 2010 to serve a two-year term as president of the 18,000-member Utah Education Association. She was elected to the office by her fellow educators in a statewide vote.
The Utah State Office of Education named Gallagher-Fishbaugh the 2009 Utah Teacher of the Year. In April 2010, the National Education Association Foundation awarded her its top honor, the $25,000 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence.
Gallagher-Fishbaugh is a National Board Certified Teacher, a distinction earned by just 82,000 teachers nationwide who meet rigorous teaching criteria set by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She has more than 31 years experience in Utah public schools.

HB 89 Protection of Children Riding in a Motor Vehicle by Rep. Arent

2011-03-03T11:02:00.004-07:00

Post written by: Liz Zentner, Utah PTA Health Commissioner

Bill: 1SHB89 Protection of Children Riding in a Motor Vehicle
Sponsor: Rep. Arent

HB 89 Protection of Children Riding in a Motor Vehicle, though it was once dead, was revived by the Health & Humans Services Committee (thank goodness they all know CPR). Now we need help to get the Rules committee to let it out onto the House floor, and we need everyone to contact their Representative to ask them to vote for it. It needs to happen quickly, since we only have a week left of the session.

HB 89 was substituted and amended, so that there is still up to a $45 fine which can be waived if the person commits to enter a smoking cessation program. The new amendment added that if the peace officer issues a warning or citation for a violation, the peace officer shall provide the individual with an information pamphlet that informs the individual of the dangers of secondhand smoke. This amendment was Gayle Ruzicka's idea in return for a neutral position on the bill from the Eagle Forum. Also this bill now has a sunset clause, that the bill will be repealed in July 1, 2016. At that time, we hope the legislature will find that this has been a good thing and will just remove the sunset clause, if not we start over again. The personal rights legislators keep telling us that if this passes, next we'll go after banning smoking in the home. While it would be great if parents voluntarily banned smoking in the home, we have no intention of going there with a law, I'm sure PTA would never vote to support a bill like that. This bill is only about cars because of the small enclosed space. The message I gave the Health & Human Services committee yesterday, and challenged them to share with their fellow legislators, is this: This bill does not affect non-smokers, it doesn't affect responsible smokers who refrain from smoking in cars with children. It only takes away the rights of people who put their addiction before their children's health, who turn their cars into a gas chambers on wheels and commit chemical abuse. Those are the people that are having their rights protected by the people who try to defeat this bill.

To find contact information for your Representative, look here.

Is Curriculum the Duty of the Legislature?

2011-02-25T14:24:00.005-07:00

Article X, Section 3 of the Utah Constitution reads: The general control and supervision of the public education system shall be vested in a State Board of Education.

The Legislature's role in education, according to the Utah Constitution: The Legislature shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of the state's education systems (Article X, Section 1).

Is it the role of the Legislature then to propose curriculum? This year a whole gamut of curriculum bills have been brought forward. The merits of the curriculum are not what it is in question, the fundamental question is if it is the role of the Legislature to be pushing specific curriculum.

Curriculum Bills The Legislature Has Proposed Thus Far:

HB 220 Civic Education Amendments by Rep. Morley - This bill requires: "Instruction in American history and government shall include a study of: (i) forms of government, such as a democracy, a monarchy, an oligarchy and socialism; and the United States' form of government, a constitutional republic."

HB 269 Commission on Civic and Character Education by Rep. Christensen - This bill requires: "school districts to submit a summary report to the lieutenant governor and Commission on Civic and Character Education on how civic and character education is integrated in school curriculum."

HB 322 Restoration of American Heritage Curriculum Act by Rep. Sandstrom - This bill requires the creation of a seven-member advisory board to prepare constitutional studies curriculum, and outlines required topics to be included in the curriculum. The bill even outlines HOW the curriculum should be taught and that each student be issued a copy of the Constitution. The fiscal note is not yet available, though one must exist because a committee amendment has been prepared specifying members of the advisory board are not to be paid.

SB 179 Math Education Initiative by Sen. Stephenson - This bill asks for appropriation of monies for the implementation of a specific math program: Singapore Math. The bill is estimated to cost $1.8 million dollars.

HB 25 Mineral and Petroleum Literacy by Rep. Draxler - This bill requires the creation of "public educational programs designed to increase knowledge of mineral and petroleum resources and industries." The use of the curriculum will be optional. This bill will become law.

All these ideas for curriculum can be implemented by the State Board and local boards if they are found to meet the needs of students, without a specific law legislating their requirement. Some of these bills, specifically the Math Education Initiative by Sen. Stephenson, propose a curriculum that does not align with Utah Common Core Standards - meaning students would be taught principles at different times than the Utah Common Core Standards require them to be taught. The bills often require additional professional development on specific programs, rather than professional development that teaches skills which can be used with any curriculum. Finally, there is a cost; real dollars are needed to create, purchase, oversee, and train teachers.

Is the Legislature usurping the role of the State Board of Education and local school boards by crafting laws which dictate curriculum? The simple answer: yes.

SB 65: Innovative Bill or Redundant, Complicated Legislation?

2011-02-21T21:37:00.009-07:00

Post written by: Jennifer Mortensen, a Utah Mom of 3 and an educator of 14 years with degrees in English Secondary Education & Special Education.

We all know technology is here to stay and plays an intricate part in our educational system now and in the future. Senator Howard Stephenson (Draper) is sponsoring a bill (SB 65) in an effort to promote the use and broaden options of the online resources in our Utah schools. After studying the new, proposed, program and comparing it to our current educational system’s online options the following contradictions are abundantly clear. These cause one to wonder if the proposed online program is necessary.

SB65 Statewide Online Education Program (Proposal)	Current Utah State Online Programs
Allows for private and public online education providers to compete in the public school arena, statewide, per individual student choice.	Allows for private online education providers to compete in the public school arena through Charters or district programs.
Will require additional ongoing, legislative funds to be allocated into the state education system.	No additional legislative allocations needed.
Limits the number of online courses a student can take unless the student works through the petition process with their local or state education board as outlined in the bill.	Any student can take as many courses as they need, online, to suit their SEOP, without a petition process to their local or state education board.
No specific plan for special education students, home schoolers, private schoolers, students on early graduation track, post graduate credit recovery students, students that are on medical leave, or any other non-traditional Utah high school student, to take advantage of the program's state or approved private online resources without a formal petitioning process.	Currently, any student that is a resident of Utah can use the online services, provided by the state, regardless of their attachment, or lack thereof, to a brick and mortar school without petitioning for classes or requiring any monetary or program drain from their local school districts.
All online schools, public or private, will acquire funding through the district or charter of the students they service.	Currently the state funded or approved online schools do not acquire any additional funds from local school districts or charter schools that use their services.
The bill requires online course providers/schools to be certified but not accredited. There is no provision for curriculum standards.	All current online programs/schools are required to be fully accredited, not just certified, and follow the Utah State Core Curriculum.
There is no specific stipulation on teacher certification/qualifications, or back ground checks.	All current online programs through the state of Utah require all teachers to be certified in their teaching area, according to current state and national standards. All teachers are required to undergo and maintain clean background checks. All interactions are monitored and archived to enhance the safety of the involved students.
Online course providers will be paid based on student course completion.	Online course providers are currently evaluated on many levels, student mastery of course work, completion rates, convenience, accessibility, and the maintenance of honor codes, being a few. Proctored final exams are required to ensure the mastery of content and to guard against cheating.

Feel free to read the bill, along with its amendments and current fiscal note.
SB 65 can be read here.
Also included are two other resources that shed light on the overall potential affect of this bill on our current school system. One is the financial analysis of this bill found here under Fiscal Note, as well as talking points created by Dr. Patti Harrington (Executive Director Utah School Superintendents Association), which can be read here.
Commonly used online providers in the state of Utah are found here.

The following acronyms will help you decipher the bill’s meaning and implications as your read it and the included fiscal analysis and talking points.
1. LEA = School district or charter
2. WPU = (Weighted Pupil Unit) The money a district or charter receive per student per program
3. OCP = Outside Course Provider (private or public)
4. USOE = Utah State Office of Education
5. FTE = Full Time Educator
6. NCAA = National Collegiate Athletic Association (college sports association)
7. IDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
8. SEOP = Student Education Occupation Plan

If you feel you would like to voice your feelings about this bill and its implications, please contact your Senator first and then your Representative. The bill is on the last part of the Senate process and will have its final vote this week before moving on to the House, if it passes.

You can contact your legislators using the following links.
Here is the Utah Senate site. The top tool bar on this site has a map to locate your Senator along with a list of contacts http://www.utahsenate.org/#
Here is the Utah House site. The link for Representative listing is on the top tool bar and the map search is found on the right hand side of the home screen. http://www.utah.gov/house/index.html

The Session is Half Over - Update on Legislation

2011-02-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Session of the Utah Legislature has passed the halfway point. Here is a quick run-down on some of the most talked about proposals on the Hill.

Education Bills

SB59 School Grading by Sen. Neiderhauser

SB 59 would create an A-F grading system of public schools. The school's grade would be based upon Math, Language Arts and Science CRT scores as well as the improvement made by students, and high school graduation rates. The bill, as currently written, only allows 80% of schools to receive A's and B's. Critics of the bill have blasted it for its attempt to simplify all the complex factors involved in student success. Proponents argue parents could better understand what is happening at their pubic school with a simple letter grade. The bill passed through the Senate Education Committee and has been circled on the Senate calendar. The sponsor is considering some amendments to the bill, and when they are ready the bill will be amended and debated.

SB65 Online Education Amendments by Sen. Stephenson

Sen. Stephenson's bill would expand online education opportunities for students. The Electronic High School, which already exists, would compete with private providers for students. Proponents of the proposal like the expansion in opportunities for students, critics fear the amount of money the already strapped public education budget would lose to private providers. The bill is on the Senate 3rd Reading calendar.

HB264 State Board of Education Member Election Process Amendments by Rep. Moss

HB 264 attempted to restore direct non-partisan elections of State School Board Members. The current process allows candidates to submit their names, then a committee appointed by the Governor narrows the field to three or more candidates per office. The governor selects the two names which appear on the ballot. Rep. Moss' bill was defeated on the House floor, but there will be other bills this session on this topic, including whether the elections should be partisan or whether the Governor should simply appoint State School Board Members.

HB199 Advertisements on School Buses by Rep. Bird

It looked as though HB 199 was dead, but a bill is never completely dead until the session is over. The bill was resurrected on the House floor this week, amended and passed on to the Senate. Local school districts would decide if they would like to raise transportation revenue by placing advertisements no larger than 35% of the area of the size of the bus and that are age appropriate on their district's buses. The Senate sponsor is President Waddoups, which means it has the support of Senate leadership. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Committee.

HB218 Clubs in Public Schools by Rep. Sandstrom

Rep. Sandstrom's highly popular bill which would allow club teams the opportunity to use all school facilities, including fields, sailed through the process. The Hill was filled with club lacrosse players and their parents in support of the bill. The bill will now go to the Governor's desk for his signature.

HJR8 Resolution Regarding School Supplies by Rep. Powell

This resolution would have allowed elementary schools to request students voluntarily provide some school supplies. Changing this policy requires a constitutional amendment. Powell originally proposed this idea last year, it was more successful this year. The bill was circled by Powell on the House floor, with his intention being to run it again in the future.

HB191 Nonresident Tuition Waiver Amendments by Rep. Wimmer

Rep. Wimmer follows a long line of Representatives in carrying a bill that would disallow illegal immigrants who attended at least three years of high school in Utah before graduating from qualifying for in-state tuition at Utah's universities. The bill had passionate debate on both sides in committee, and eventually was passed through on 10-5 vote. The bill will now be heard on the House floor.

Health and Safety Bills

HB64 Human Blood Procurement and Use by Rep. Handy

HB 64 makes available the opportunity for teens at least 16 years old to be able to donate blood with their parent or guardian's consent. The bill hopes to increase the blood supply available. Both bodies of the Legislature have signed off on the bill, it will now head to the Governor's desk for his signature.

HB258 Child Restraint Device Amendments by Rep. Herrod

HB 258 would have allowed children between the ages of 5-8 to ride in a vehicle without a booster seat, if the vehicle was traveling on roads with speed limits less than 45 mph. Convenient - yes, Safe - no. The bill failed in committee 5-6, but with 3 members of the committee absent the day of the hearing. The sponsor may attempt to bring it back when more of his supporters are present.

SB45 Wireless Telephone Use Restrictions for Minors in Vehicles by Sen. Romero

SB 45 prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while driving. The law would provide exceptions for emergency calls and when speaking with a parent. If a teen is caught on their phone while driving, they will face a $50 fine, but no points will be placed on their driving record. The bill has been cleared through the Senate, and now heads to the House

Immigration Bills

The majority of immigration bills are not yet moving through the system. Rep. Sandstrom's much anticipated enforcement bill has been amended to be less potent each time it has been heard. On Friday, the latest version of the bill passed through the House. The biggest news this week on Sen. Robles' guest worker bill, is she has found a Republican to sponsor the bill if it reaches the House. Rep. Wright has also written a guest worker bill that passed through a House committee and is awaiting a debate on the floor. There will still be many immigration bills heard this session.

If you have been hearing about a bill this session, and would like to know more, please email me at utahmomscare@gmail.com.

Don't Touch My Children's Money!!

2011-02-15T09:52:00.003-07:00

If you have ever served on a school's community council you are familiar with School LAND Trust funds. The state of Utah owns lands, put in trust, which are set apart for the children of Utah. Any monies earned from these lands are either re-invested or distributed across the state to schools. Last year, my children's elementary school received around $22,000 which paid for additional reading and math aides, and technology for teachers' classrooms. Each community council appropriates their school's funds, within the parameters outlined by the law, in a way they feel will best benefit their school.

The trust has been well managed. It has grown to have an estimated worth of around one billion dollars. When times get tough - as they are now - that money starts to look tempting to fill holes or fund pet projects. But should trust fund monies be used for those purposes?

This year, Rep. Christensen has written a bill taking 1% of the School LAND Trust funds for the Commission on Civic and Character Education, a group tasked with providing leadership to the state on character and civic education in the schools (HB269). Do we want the Legislature specifying where trust lands money should be spent, or do we want local control (very local because it takes place at our own school)?

I was also disturbed by the State School Board suggesting filling holes in this year's education budget by taking money from the Trust fund. One Board member compared taking money from the trust to eating our own babies, while that is disturbing imagery, it makes a good point. Any money taken from the Trust and not re-invested, is not allowing growth in the fund for future generations of Utah children.

The thing most alarming is the precedent both of these ideas suggest: Trust fund monies can be raided if the cause is right. Do we really want to allow Legislators to take our children's money for their pet projects? Do we want the State Board telling the Legislature they don't have to look for more solutions in the funding crisis in public education, they can just use trust lands money until times get better? Will they ever stop taking money out of the trust fund once they start?

Don't touch my children's money. Don't touch my grandchildren's money. We have to hold a hard line on trust lands money, and keep it where it belongs - locally controlled by community councils and well managed by financial professionals for future generations.

Optional Extended Day Kindergarten vs HB 111 Full Day Kindergarten

2011-02-09T21:31:00.001-07:00

Bill: HB111
Sponsor: Rep. Anderson

This year funding for Optional Extended Day Kindergarten (OEK) is set to expire. OEK is a program which currently enrolls over 8,000 students in Utah. OEK costs the state roughly $7.5 million each year. Students are chosen for an OEK program by their pre-Kindergarten test scores. Classrooms are filled first with at-risk students (those scoring low on the exams). Parents of at risk students must consent to their child participating. If the school does not have enough students to fill an OEK classroom, the remaining spots in the class are given to other students, again with their parent's consent. Not all schools have OEK. Schools with the highest percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch are selected for OEK classrooms. (source)

Rep. Anderson is concerned with the amount of students in OEK classrooms who are not at risk. As explained before, extra slots in an OEK classroom are given to students considered not at risk. HB 111 Full Day Kindergarten would essentially end OEK. Instead, Anderson suggests just the at risk students be allowed to take both sessions of Kindergarten (to attend in both the morning and afternoon). The students would receive the exact same lessons twice a day. In committee, Anderson touted the merits of repetition in learning. Claiming students would probably achieve the same gains with both sessions of Kindergarten as they have been with the extended day format. Anderson hopes to save a few million dollars by eliminating allowing extra children to participate in OEK.

This year both the Governor's Education Excellence Commission and the Utah State Board of Education recommended Optional Extended Day Kindergarten be a priority. Both boards found compelling the evidence presented on the gains of OEK students. Many students who were considered at risk at the beginning of the school year had closed the achievement gap by the conclusion of the year. To see the gains made by OEK classrooms, a full report can be found here.

In a time when accountability is being stressed, OEK has proven successful. Anderson's idea is untested. It would also create some logistical problems, for example where would students attending both sessions of kindergarten go during the time between morning and afternoon, and would it require some schools to have more students per class? Local districts and charter schools should be able to decide what would be the best fit for their at risk Kindergartners. This bill disallows funding to be used for OEK, a program which is closing the achievement gap in Utah.

BYOP (Bring Your Own Pencil) - HJR 8 Resolution Regarding School Supplies

2011-02-07T12:55:00.003-07:00

Bill: HJR8
Sponsor: Rep. Powell

When I first moved back to Utah, I went to my local elementary school to ask a few questions. My first question: Where do I get the supply list from? The secretary gave me a blank look. So I followed up with: Is the list mailed to me before school starts, or can I find it at Walmart? More silence. One more try: Does my son need to bring crayons, a pencil box, Kleenex? Finally the secretary tentatively answered all he needed was probably a backpack, but his individual teacher may have some items she would need for her classroom. I should have realized then, that education in Utah is very different than in other parts of the country, but nope I followed up with one more question: Where do I get fingerprinted so I can volunteer in the classroom? I think by the time I left there she thought I was mentally unbalanced.

Bringing school supplies is routine in other states. The list is sent out before the beginning of the school year with the usual items: pencils, crayons, rulers, Kleenex, folders, etc. Every Walmart has the suggested supply list posted for each elementary school in the area on their shelves near the back to school items. The items on the list are never required. It is more an invitation to help the school and teacher by providing a few items for the classroom.

In Utah, I have had elementary school teachers ask parents to donate nonessential items to the classroom: snacks, stickers, items for the class store, or water bottles. The Utah Constitution states: Public elementary and secondary schools shall be free, except the Legislature may authorize the imposition of fees in the secondary schools. To allow elementary schools to ask for essential supplies requires a Constitutional Amendment - hence Rep. Powell's HJR 8. Powell seeks to add the clarification: Nothing in this article may be construed to prohibit a school or teacher within the public education system from inviting a student to furnish, on a voluntary
basis, school supplies for the student's own use. (Languages comes from Powell's amendment)

For our family, sending a few supplies to school would not be a financial burden. I recognize though, every family does not have the same financial resources as we do. Every school would have to decide on their own policy based on their student population. What would be appropriate to ask for, and how those supplies would be distributed would have to be determined locally.

As with any Constitutional amendment, the bill would require support of two-thirds of both the House and the Senate, then be ratified by voters in the 2012 election. The bill is just beginning the process. Today it was approved by the Constitutional Revision Committee and is on the House Education Committee's agenda this afternoon.

Kids in the Car - 3 New Bills

2011-01-31T12:41:00.006-07:00

Three bills have been introduced in the Utah House dealing with the safety of children in the car. One a perennial favorite, one a repeat from last year, and finally a newcomer to the field.

The first bill, HB 89 Protection of Children Riding in Motor Vehicles from Rep. Arent, is the same bill that was carried in previous years by Rep. Seegmiller and Sen. McCoy. This bill would ban smoking in the car with children younger than 15 present. As with past bills, this would be a secondary offense resulting in a $45 fine, unless the person enrolls in a smoking cessation program. Last year this bill made it the furthest I have ever seen it go, passing through the House, and a Senate committee before languishing on the Senate calendar. Rep. Arent will be facing a tough battle this year to be successful. To read or track the bill go here.

HB 258 is a bill that first appeared last year. Rep. Herrod's bill looks similar to last year's bill after it was amended in committee. Herrod's bill would allow drivers to allow children ages 5-8 to not be in a child restraint device (booster/car seat) if the car is only traveling on roads with speed limits below 45 mph. Last year in committee, Rep. Ray threw out the 45 mph limit arbitrarily and the bill was amended to reflect that. With that amendment it passed committee but failed with a vote of 24-47 on the floor of the House. While this would provide a convenience for parents, especially those who carpool to and from events, it is doubtful that it is safe. To read or track the bill go here.

The final bill involving children in vehicles, SB 124 by Sen. McAdams, makes it a Class C Misdemeanor for an adult to knowingly, intentionally, recklessly or with criminal negligence leave a child under the age of 9 unattended in a vehicle. The law stipulates an exception if the child is left with anyone over the age of 12. The law highlights the dangers of leaving a child in the car with the car running or with the keys available inside the vehicle. A Class C Misdemeanor is punishable by up to 90 days in jail or up to a $750 fine. To read or track the bill go here.

Public Schools - What is Your Experience?

2011-01-28T10:09:00.002-07:00

This week as I have listened in to committee hearings on public education at the Capitol I have had a strange feeling of disconnect. Those testifying seem to have had vastly different experiences with the public school system than I have. They share stories that seem extreme in nature. If decisions were based solely on the testimony I have heard it would make perfect sense to institute radical changes in public education - because they would be warranted. But I don't feel radical change is necessary. I am happy with my child's public school. It is not perfect, but his and my experience there has been overall positive. I think the Legislature needs to hear from more Moms and Dads like me. The ones that are on the ground - volunteering in their children's classrooms, serving on community councils, helping out at field day or graduation. So that emotion has led to this call for your experiences. I do not think I am in the minority. The Legislature needs to hear from us.

What I am asking:
Please either write in the comments here, or send an email you would be comfortable with me posting in support of public schools (this includes charter schools). Write about the good and the bad. Write about great teachers, principals or administrators. Write about your PTA/PTO experiences or other volunteer experiences. Write about any special programs your school offers, for example tutoring, extended day Kindergarten, or arts that have benefited your child. It is a simple thing each of us can do, writing a few word, but those words will reinforce the importance of public schools in our community. Your words NEED to be heard.

School Boards - the Latest People to Blame for the State of Utah's Education System

2011-01-26T21:04:00.005-07:00

I have been involved up at the Utah State Legislature for a little while now. There has ALWAYS been a battle each year between local control and the Legislature becoming a Super School Board. The pendulum swings from one side to the other. But this year I have been surprised by the level of disdain being openly shown toward the administrators of public education in Utah. Finger pointing is nothing new - everyone involved in the public education arena has taken a turn being the scapegoat. This year the target has landed on state and local boards.

Today the Senate Education Committee heard two bills that would completely alter the State Board of Education. The first bill, SJR1 by Sen. Buttars, would change the Utah Constitution to read: The general control and supervision of the public education system shall be vested in a State Board of Education, as provided by statute. That simple phrase added to the end of the existing line was deemed necessary by Buttars who argued today that the State School Board is not accountable to anyone. He wants to make sure that they understand their place, which is under the Legislatures. Sen. Buttars brought with him to testify those that sat on the Eagle Forum's panel with him when he referred to socialism creeping into the state’s curriculum (source). Many of those that testified shared anecdotal stories of how their concerns had not been remedied by their local school boards. The second bill would also alter the same Article in the Utah Constitution. Sen. Reid's SJR9 would eliminate the State Board of Education, and place both public education and higher education under the supervision of the Governor. Reid argued for simpler management and streamlining the authority to reside in one place, with one person.

A few thoughts on the arguments given:
1. Are any publicly elected officials unaccountable? At the end of every elected officials’ term they are required to face the voters if they wish to retain their seat, I would call that accountability to the electorate.
2. Last week officials from the State School Board sat in front of Buttars’ Public Education Appropriations Committee and outlined and explained every line item on the budget. Numerous times I heard the statements explaining the School Board had acted in a certain way because they were directed to by statute. A specific example is K-3 Reading monies, the Legislature appropriated a specific amount and how it was to be spent. The State School Board spent the money the way it was told to. Then they had to sit in front of Buttars’ committee and be criticized for spending that amount of money on K-3 Reading. The entire tone of the meeting was adversarial, the only time the committee commended the Board was when it discussed Dual Immersion programs.
3. How will eliminating the State School Board make education decisions more accessible to parents? If you have a concern with curriculum, would you rather take that concern to your local board, or to the Legislature? The Legislature only meets for 45 days each year, the State School Board and local boards meet regularly throughout the year to address concerns and make decisions.
4. Those that spoke in favor of Sen. Buttars’ bill never addressed how reaffirming that the State School Board is accountable to and acts under statute created by the Legislature would have resolved their issues with their local boards. Their comments were irrelevant to the bill.
5. I do not know of other states who have eliminated their Board of Education and placed control over public and higher education in the sole hands of their governor (there could be some who have). I know the District of Columbia as well as New York City have placed their school systems under their Mayors, and they have seen mixed results. The logistics of this plan were not well thought out. For it to even be feasible to discuss, the Governor would have to be a strong supporter of the plan. At this stage, the bill to put the Governor over education seems like a shot in the dark, with unknown results.

You can listen to the meeting yourself here.

I do not agree with every decision my local school board makes. I do not agree with every decision the State School Board makes. I never will. But placing more control of the schools with the Legislature, or placing the sole responsibility with Governor, are not solutions I am comfortable with.

Both resolutions will now be debated on the floor of the Senate. They must pass that body with 2/3rds of their support, then make their way through the House. If the resolutions do make it through the Legislature, voters will have the final say.

HB 218 Clubs at Public Schools - Rep. Sandstrom

2011-01-25T14:40:00.003-07:00

Bill: HB218
Sponsor: Rep. Sandstrom

HB 218 Clubs at Public Schools expands the ability of public school club teams, such as lacrosse, to be able to use the school's fields. The club must be school sponsored, and must schedule events and meetings to not conflict with school athletics or curricular clubs. The bill passed the House Education Committee unanimously, and will now be heard on the floor of the House.

SB 38 K-3 Reading Amendments - Sen. Morgan

2011-01-25T10:24:00.003-07:00

Bill: SB38
Sponsor: Sen. Morgan

Last year Sen. Morgan passed a bill through the Legislature which required parents be notified by the midpoint in the school year if their K-3 student was behind grade level in reading. This year Sen. Morgan wishes to clarify parents must be notified on or before February 15th. Yesterday the bill passed unanimously through the Senate Education Committee. The bill will now be heard on the floor of the Senate. Sen. Morgan is carrying an additional bill on K-3 Reading, which is yet to be numbered and made public.

Happy John Browning Day

2011-01-24T13:46:00.003-07:00

The first day of the Utah Legislature Session is filled with pomp and symbolism, and this year it also falls on John M. Browning Day - as declared by Gov. Herbert. So appropriately (to some) Rep. Wimmer will present his bill to name an official state firearm: the Browning model 10 M1911 automatic pistol, replacing the Super Soaker 3000 (I'm kidding). The whole thing just makes me sigh. If you want some quirky reading, below are the other official symbols of Utah:

Utah's state animal is the elk.
Utah's state bird is the sea gull.
Utah's state centennial astronomical symbol is the Beehive Cluster located in the constellation of Cancer the Crab.
Utah's state centennial star is Dubhe, one of the seven bright stars composing the Big Dipper in the constellation Ursa Major.
Utah's state centennial tartan, which honors the first Scots known to have been in Utah and those Utahns of Scottish heritage, shall have a pattern or repeating-half-sett of white-2, blue-6, red-6, blue-4, red-6, green-18, red-6, and white-4 to represent the tartan worn anciently by the Logan and Skene clans, with the addition of a white stripe.
Utah's state cooking pot is the dutch oven.
Utah's state emblem is the beehive.
Utah's state fish is the Bonneville cutthroat trout.
Utah's state flower is the sego lily.
Utah's state folk dance is the square dance, the folk dance that is called, cued, or prompted to the dancers and includes squares, rounds, clogging, contra, line, and heritage dances.
Utah's state fossil is the Allosaurus.
Utah's state fruit is the cherry.
Utah's state vegetable is the Spanish sweet onion.
Utah's historic state vegetable is the sugar beet.
Utah's state gem is topaz, as is prominently found in the Thomas Mountain Range in Juab County, Utah.
Utah's state grass is Indian rice grass.
Utah's state hymn is "Utah We Love Thee" by Evan Stephens.
Utah's state insect is the honeybee.
Utah's state mineral is copper.
Utah's state motto is "Industry."
Utah's state railroad museum is Ogden Union Station.
Utah's state rock is coal.
Utah's state song is "Utah This is the Place" by Sam and Gary Francis.
Utah's state tree is the blue spruce.

Back in 2001, Utah declared Jell-o its unofficial snack food, the biggest perk was a visit to the Legislature from Bill Cosby (and I was there - lucky me).

Should School Board Elections Be Partisan?

2011-01-23T18:36:00.003-07:00

This year there is (and already has been) a lot of debate over whether school board elections, both state and local, should become partisan. Much of this stems from the need to change the way State School Board candidates are chosen. If you recall, this process has been a mess for years, I wrote about it here. The one thing many agree on is that the system must change, but should Utah opt for partisan elections, where candidates are put through the convention process; or should candidates remain non-partisan and be chosen by direct election? Here are some of the facts:

The Utah Constitution reads:

Article X, Section 1. [Free nonsectarian schools.] The Legislature shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of the state's education systems including: (a) a public education system, which shall be open to all children of the state; and (b) a higher education system. Both systems shall be free from sectarian control.

The definition of sectarian, according to the dictionary: Adhering or confined to the dogmatic limits of a sect or denomination; partisan.

Knowing this, should state and local school boards be partisan? To me, this says no.

The move to make state school boards elections direct and non-partisan is not new. For the past couple of years bills have been written pushing the idea, but have never been given a committee hearing. This year, Rep. Nielson (R-Bountiful) is planning on running a bill that will not only make state school board elections direct and non-partisan, but also move them to odd number years. The reasoning behind moving the elections to odd number years is to ensure they coincide with other non-partisan races, for example mayor and city council. You can read more about his proposal on his blog: http://jim4utah.com/blog.php. Rep. Nielson's bill is logical, but will face strong opposition. There is no doubt an amendment will be presented to alter the bill to partisan elections.

Direct, non-partisan elections put the responsibility back in the hands of the voters. My personal experience has been that voters want to be informed. The last two election cycles where state school board candidates have appeared on the ballot, I have had the candidates post here on their credentials. The response has been astounding. Thousands of people read those posts, gleaning more information on the candidates in their districts. Voters want to be informed, yes, some put a lot more effort into it than others, but instead of taking away voters choices either through the Governor's Nominating Committee as it stands now, or partisan elections where the candidates are chosen through the convention system, lets educate voters on their choices through the free and available means we have.

Kim Burningham, State School Board Member and former Republican lawmaker, is gathering signatures of those opposed to partisan school board elections at both the state and local level. To have your name added to the list, email krb84010@aol.com and give both your full name and your city of residence. His full notice can be read in the comments.

The Utah Legislature: The Basics

2011-01-19T10:33:00.003-07:00

Next week the Utah Legislature will begin its 45 day session. Here is a quick overview on how the process works, and how you can be involved and influential.

How an idea becomes a law

For an idea to become a law it is a lengthy process. A member of the House or Senate submits their idea to be written out as a bill to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel. This department takes the idea and crafts it into legislation, finding where it would be written into the existing Utah Code and what legal language it needs to be viable. After the bill is created it is numbered, a bill from a member of the House will be numbered HB, a Senate bill SB. If the bill has a monetary impact, it also receives a fiscal note - a note stating estimated cost or revenue to the state, if the law is implemented. Sometimes there are concerns over whether the law would be legal, for example if the law would end up in court because it is unconstitutional or goes against a federal law. If there are concerns as to the laws constitutionality, it will also contain a constitutional note. Just because a bill has that type of note on it, does not preclude the Legislature from passing it. (An example would be Sen. Dayton's bill on Utah made firearms, that passed through the Legislature in 2010, but contained a constitutional note - it can be seen here)

A numbered bill is assigned to the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee assigns the bill to a standing committee, for example the Health and Human Services Committee. The bill is heard by those committees, and can be passed, held, tabled (essentially a motion which kills the bill), amended, or voted against. If the bill passes the committee, it is then put on the bodies calendar to be voted on by all the members. If the bill passes after open debate on the floor, it is sent to complete the process again either in the Senate or House, whichever body it has not already passed through.

If a bill is agreed upon by both the House and the Senate in the same form (without any changes) it goes to the Governor for his action. The Governor may sign a bill into law, veto a bill, or let a bill become law without his signature (a symbolic move). Following their passage and signature by the Governor, bills take effect sixty days after the last day of the session, unless a different enactment date is specified in the bill.

How you can be informed on the process

The Utah Legislature has a user friendly website. The site can be found at: http://le.utah.gov/. If you click on the General Session Page at the top, you can search bills by Sponsor or Topic. On the left of the screen there is a link to Bills - then Tracking Service. At this site you can simply type in the bills you are interested in and it will monitor the status of all your bills. All committee agendas will be posted on the Legislature's website as well. Since I have three small children, I often listen to the committee meetings at home. All meetings are broadcast live. There are a number of tweeters down at the Capitol that sit in different meetings and can keep you informed on the latest happenings. @RicCantrell has a listing of many of the Utah Capitol tweeters you can follow.

How you can influence the process

During the session you can testify in committee hearings following the guidelines here. Remember if you plan on testifying, keep your comments brief, fact based, and come prepared. Realize as well that there may be limited time for testimony, and not everyone may have a chance to speak.

If you are not able to be at the Capitol you can write an email or call your representative. An email should include in the subject line: the bill you are concerned about as well as that you are a constituent from the Legislator's district. Keep the body of your email concise, factual and polite. Sign emails with your full name, address and phone number. Legislators receive hundreds of emails, this ensures your representative knows you are from their district. To find your Legislator visit here. If a bill you are concerned about has been assigned to a committee, it is often advisable to email committee members your thoughts on the bill before it is heard. You can find who serves on which committee here.

An informed and engaged public will result in better policy. As always, I am happy to receive emails with questions regarding the process or specific legislation. I look forward to the upcoming debate, and hope this site will add to the conversation.

The Common Core Standards Initiative - What has Utah adopted?

2011-01-13T11:19:00.002-07:00

Last year, the Utah State Board of Education adopted the Common Core Standards, then Tuesday the Senate Majority Caucus passed a motion requesting the House Majority Caucus join them in sending a letter to the State Board of Education asking the board to reconsider their adoption. (source)

What is the Common Core?
First, what the Common Core is NOT. The Common Core IS NOT A FEDERAL PROGRAM. It IS NOT A FEDERAL MANDATE. It has NOTHING to do with No Child Left Behind.
Instead, the Common Core is a state driven initiative developed through the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA). Basically, all fifty states met together and developed a set of standards, for example concepts that ever 10th grader should understand. Those standards became the Common Core. Every state can decide for themselves if they would like to adopt the Common Core Standards and how and when they it be implemented. If states choose to not adopt the Common Core, there are no reprecussion. States can supplement the standards with their own as well.

The Advantages of Adopting the Common Core
The U.S. Constitution gives each state control over their own public education system. This has resulted in 50 different education standards. What a child is learning in 1st grade in Arkansas can be different than what a 1st grader is learning in Washington. By setting a standard that states can chose to adopt, all students nationwide can learn the same things at the same time. The standard does not dictate curriculum, it simply focuses on concepts. Military families or others that are transient will highly benefit from the Common Core. It will also better prepare all students for college - students in every state will be exposed to the same concepts, instead of students from some states taught more than others. The Common Core addresses the disparity currently found geographically.

Dispelling Misunderstandings Surrounding the Common Core
- By adopting the Common Core Standards, Utah does not give up any local control of its education - the Common Core does not dictate how concepts are taught or in any way how education in Utah functions. At any time Utah can opt out of using the Common Core Standards.
- Common Core Standards are only concepts, not specific moral or ethical teachings. For example, the social studies standard for high schoolers contains requirements such as understand primary and secondary sources and point of view. Simply critical thinking skills.
- These are in no way federal standards - this did not come from the top down. Instead it was state-driven. Forty states have adopted these Standards by their own will because they believe they will better the quality of the education provided in their state.

Please learn about the Common Core for yourself. All the standards can be found online at http://www.corestandards.org. These Standards are a good step toward preparing Utah's students for college and sucessful careers anywhere in the nation.

Grading Schools

2011-01-07T09:49:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, Senator Niederhauser met with the Utah State Board of Education to present his proposal of creating an A through F grading system for individual public schools. This idea comes from a slate of education reforms adopted by Florida. Sen. Niederhauser is proposing each school be given a score out of 800 points, the amount of points that would constitute each letter grade is still being discussed. Schools points would be earned though their students' results on the CRT and DWA (two standardized tests already given in elementary schools). A sample grade calculation can be found here.

Last month the State Board discussed a rule of their own creating a grading system for schools, knowing that this legislation was on the horizon. Board Members discussed a grading system that would take into account more than test scores, one which academic progress and proficiency, as well as parent satisfaction and instructional quality were part of the grade. source

If your child brought home from school one grade - a C for example, would that help you as a parent? It could mean they are getting an A in reading, and an F in math. That grade would not reflect how they were doing socially or if they were excelling in athletics or music. It would label your child a C student, even though they really were an A student in many areas. Progress would be difficult to ascertain from a single grade. As a resource it would be useless.

What constitutes a good school? Is it simply that students at the school achieve high scores on standardized tests? Do we want teachers forced to teach to a test?

A good school is well rounded. Good schools are focused on the needs of their community. If a student population is highly transient or has a significant percentage of English Language Learners, they will always appear to be an F school with this type of grading. A simple grade will not take into account the amount of parental involvement going on in a school, or any special program adopted by the school to address their specific needs. A good school provides quality instruction, a sense of community, help for the struggling student, a feeling of openness and transparency, and a safe environment. The letter grading system proposed takes none of these factors into account.

Florida HAS had educational success, but they have done more than grade their schools. They have a constitutional amendment limiting class size, they have a limited voucher program, and they spend A LOT more per pupil than Utah - in 2007 Florida spent more than $2,500 per student than Utah, funded in part from their state lottery. Utah needs to do a lot more than attach a letter grade to a school to improve education.

HB 191 Non Resident Tuition Waiver Amendments - Rep. Wimmer

2011-01-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Bill: HB191
Sponsor: Rep. Wimmer

In 2002, Republican Rep. David Ure ran a bill which granted students without lawful immigration status the ability to qualify for instate tuition at Utah's universities. These students had to have attended at least three years of high school and graduated in Utah schools, as well as were required to file an affidavit with the university they were wishing to attend stating they had filed an application to legalize their immigration status or would file an application as soon as they were eligible to do so. (bill) The bill passed both bodies of the Legislature and was signed by then Governor Leavitt to become law.

Almost every year since 2002 that law has been challenged. This year Rep. Wimmer is carrying the bill to repeal the tuition waiver for students without legal immigration status. He argues if a student from Wyoming has to pay out of state tuition, an illegal immigrant should not be entitled to the instate tuition rates either. The difference between instate and out of state tuition at the University of Utah is $5,668 per semester. (source) In the 2004-2005 school year it is estimated that 169 undocumented students took advantage of the in state tuition rates in Utah (source).

I have always been a strong supporter of the original bill, feeling that I would rather have these students, who were brought to Utah as children, given the opportunity to increase their learning. This year something has changed though.

In November, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of a state law similar to Utah's law - the difference between the two state's laws though is key. In California, the law applies to anyone who attended three years of high school and graduated from a California high school, and the majority of students taking advantage of the tuition waiver there are U.S. citizens. The federal statute which brought about the challenge prohibits giving illegal immigrants educational benefits based on residency. Utah's law is specifically targeted at undocumented students, which could pose a problem. (source)

There are two solutions. First, Utah could scrap the law completely. That is Rep. Wimmer's bill. Second, they could expand the law to include any student who attended at least three years of high school and graduated here eligible for the non resident tuition waiver. As a supporter of the concept, I find this alternative more favorable.

The irony is this: Rep. Wimmer is the loudest advocate for state's rights in the Legislature, and his best argument on this bill has become that a federal statute trumps state law.

HB 199 Advertisements on School Buses - Rep. Bird

2010-12-28T10:47:00.007-07:00

Bill: HB199 Advertisements on School Buses
Sponsor: Rep. Bird

HB 199 is a bill that first appeared last year. Rep. Bird presented the bill to the House Education Committee during the 2010 session, but due to some concerns the bill failed to progress. This year Rep. Bird has sought to address those concerns, in an email to me he wrote:

"We tried to get this bill passed out last year. However we ran into some concerns about safety issues. I have taken care of that with some changes to the bill. With the new and improved bill, you can't put anything on the back of the buses by the flashing lights. You also can't have anything that looks like a stop or yield sign. Nothing inside the bus either. We have tried to make safety a high priority.
According to the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) this bill could bring in $500,000. That money could help offset some of the cuts in the transportation budgets. I am very excited to get this bill passed."

Last year the state cut school transportation budgets; this has been especially hard on rural districts. Paid advertisements on school buses could help districts raise some of the money they require to meet the transportation needs of their students. Each district would set its own policies and acquire their own contracts. This state law would simply allow districts to create contracts with advertisers and set parameters on what may be advertised. All ads must be age appropriate and the law would prohibit advertisements for substances illegal for minors (for example cigarettes, alcohol, or gambling).

The 2011 Session of the Utah Legislature & Bill Tracking

2010-12-27T15:26:00.003-07:00

The Utah Legislature's 2011 Session will begin on Monday, January 24th. As the session approaches, I will begin highlighting bill to watch. I have added an additional page, which can be accessed at the top of this site, to track legislation important to Utah Moms. As always, if there is a bill you are interested in I have not covered here, please send me an email at utahmomscare@gmail.com.

The coming session will be one to watch: there will be more cuts to the budget, the House has a new Speaker, and the makeup of the body has shifted to the right. Stay informed and participate in the government 'we the people' elected!

Can We At Least Stop the Bleeding?

2010-12-06T14:46:00.004-07:00

On Friday, the Utah State Board of Education met to discuss their budget priorities for fiscal year 2012. The recommendations made by this board are passed to the Legislature, and a relevant part of the budgeting process. The Board is asking for $2.9 billion in base funding and also $76 million in additional funding to cover: the increased number of students, optional extended day kindergarten, the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program, and the restoration of one time funding for school transportation. (source)

All of these recommendations are great, but with the current make up of the Legislature and leadership teams in the Legislature they are going to be hard fought to achieve. Kim Burningham, State School Board Member, presented a motion at the Friday meeting which read in part:

"Funding for education in Utah must increase if we are to meet the demands
of a growing number of students...We must find new revenue without eliminating
existing sources.
Hence, in addition to the board strategy of "seeking a portion of new money
this year," I move that the State School Board recommends new revenue for
funding education in the future to be found." motion

The motion reminds readers of the Board's support of the basic rate for local taxation being frozen and for the creation of a statewide levy to support charter schools. The motion goes on to suggest looking into sales tax exemptions as well as severance taxes on natural resources. Burningham's motion passed the Board.

I am encouraged by this action. Last year the State Board did not ask the Legislature to fund growth, which in reality was then a cut in education spending. This set a precedent I was uncomfortable with. This year's recommendations ask the Legislature to fund growth PLUS support restoration of some previously cut funding AND to continue funding optional extended day kindergarten and the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program.

Reality is Utah has to spend more on education. I know the cry for no new taxes is LOUD, but the cry should be equally loud that our kids deserve reasonable class sizes, current technology, and fairly paid teachers. Freezing the basic levy keeps the tax rate the same instead of letting it decrease every year. If we could simply stop the bleeding out, in the next few years a substantial amount of money would be raised. Now is the time - BEFORE the session starts, to express this opinion to your legislator. You elected them, they represent you, and they will do a much better job representing you if you let them know what you care about.

Additional Requirements to be Taught in Schools?!

2010-11-18T18:55:00.002-07:00

We all know that our teachers are trying to do a lot, with less every year. Class sizes have increased and funding has decreased. With that said, even more may be required of teachers after the next session of the Legislature.

The Utah State Board of Education recently passed a rule allowing age appropriate firearms safety instruction in the classroom. Sen. Stowell presented this idea to an interim committee in June. With the State Board creating a rule, it allows local districts to make their own decision on what will be taught in their area. A preferable route than a state-wide mandate. The Salt Lake Tribune endorsed the idea here.

During the Special Session of the Legislature this past Wednesday, the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee recommended the development of curriculum teaching the importance of mining and petroleum. This new curriculum, envisioned by Rep. Draxler, would be paid for through the state's oil, gas and mining reclamation fund.

I understand the need for our children to learn about firearms safety, there are a lot of guns in Utah - but do they need to learn about it in school? I understand that there is a lot of negative press about mining and mineral extraction - but how much of that is taught in school? Should schools really be required to balance out what is said in the media? Is it worth our students time, or would that time be better spent on reading, math, language arts, or science? I cringe at the idea of more being asked of our already strapped teachers. The fundamental purpose of school is not to teach kids everything that is 'good to know'. It instead is to teach them the fundamentals they need to think critically for themselves. These proposals seem as though they will bog teachers down, taking time away from the fundamentals.

The Utah Compact - Will it Change the Immigration Debate in Utah?

2010-11-12T09:53:00.003-07:00

Immigration will be one of the biggest issues discussed this year at the Utah Legislature. With that in mind, the Utah Compact was formed by groups and individuals concerned with the current tone of debate. The Utah Compact is a brief document highlighting how Utah values should affect immigration policy. Signers of the compact include: Former Governors Walker and Bangerter; Paul Mero, the conservative leader of The Sutherland Institute; Attorney General Mark Shurtleff; Mayors Becker, Corroon, and Godfrey; Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce President Lane Beattie; and many former and currently elected lawmakers (The complete list can be found here). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints also released a statement in support of The Utah Compact, which is available here. The Compact reads (emphasis has been added):

THE UTAH COMPACT
A declaration of five principles to guide Utah’s immigration discussion
FEDERAL SOLUTIONS Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries—not Utah and other countries. We urge Utah’s congressional delegation, and others, to lead efforts to strengthen federal laws and protect our national borders. We urge state leaders to adopt reasonable policies addressing immigrants in Utah.
LAW ENFORCEMENT We respect the rule of law and support law enforcement’s professional judgment and discretion. Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code.
FAMILIES Strong families are the foundation of successful communities. We oppose policies that unnecessarily separate families. We champion policies that support families and improve the health, education and well-being of all Utah children.
ECONOMY Utah is best served by a free-market philosophy that maximizes individual freedom and opportunity. We acknowledge the economic role immigrants play as workers and taxpayers. Utah’s immigration policies must reaffirm our global reputation as a welcoming and business-friendly state.
A FREE SOCIETY Immigrants are integrated into communities across Utah. We must adopt a humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion. The way we treat immigrants will say more about us as a free society and less about our immigrant neighbors. Utah should always be a place that welcomes people of goodwill.

The big question is this: Will this change the course the immigration debate has taken thus far?

Rep. Sandstrom, author of the Utah version of the Arizona bill, has been put in a difficult position. The Utah Compact states: Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code. This runs directly contrary to his proposal. He emphasized in his comments yesterday that he has many supporters, but also expressed disappointment on the LDS Church taking a stronger position than they had earlier (source). Utah's conservative Legislators are also overwhelming LDS. Paul Mero is quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune as saying Sandstrom's bill will be DOA (Dead on Arrival) at the upcoming Legislative session (source).

Another factor will be if those involved in the compact continue to lobby for the principles entailed. If those organizations involved keep the conversation going, and educate their members on their efforts, they will be a stronger force. Will the groups and individuals involved stay on message, or will they become distracted and emotional? The key to their success remains in their ability to advocate the principles they espouse while being willing to work with every side of the debate. They also have to be careful to not alienate groups within the coalition, by pushing them or criticizing them for not taking stronger or more hard line positions.

I hope the Utah Compact will soften the tone of the debate, while also keeping the conversation going. If you are interested in signing the compact it can be found here.

A Few Thoughts on the Election

2010-11-03T20:54:00.002-06:00

There will be plenty of analysis out there about how this election has changed the political game on the national level, here a few thoughts on Utah's state results:

Utah Democrats took a hard hit last night. Prior to the election the Utah Senate was made up of 21 Republicans, 8 Democrats; the Utah House of Representatives was split 53-22. After results came in last night, the Democrats had lost 5 seats in the House (Gowan, Seegmiller, Beck, Hansen, & Black were all defeated). Senator Goodfellow also lost his seat to a Republican.
With a majority of 58-17 in the House and a 22-7 make up in the Senate, Republicans can override any veto by the governor. In addition to that, if a bill passes through both bodies in the Legislature by a 2/3rds majority - the people lose their right to challenge that law with a petition (Utah Code 20A-7-102). Remember vouchers?
On Thursday members of the Legislature will meet to elect their leadership. Senate President Michael Waddoups is being challenged by freshman Senator Dan Lijenquist. Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins will face Senator Curt Bramble. The House Leadership will face a challenge from a slate of mostly Utah County candidates, including Rep. Becky Lockhart who is running for Speaker of the House. Rep. Lockhart is a smart politician, she would not attempt the challenge if she did not feel she had the votes to win. The elections will play out behind closed doors, but if all the challengers win - it push the already conservative Legislature further to the right.
According to the Deseret News only 33 % of eligible voters in Utah bothered to go to the polls. I saw a pathetic piece during the election coverage where college students were asked if they had voted. Most said no. One even said he thought it would have been irresponsible for him to vote because he was not educated on the issues and candidates. What needs to happen to engage Utah voters, especially those college aged?

The next two years should be interesting, keep tabs on those you voted for, and remember an informed constituency results in a more representative government.

For Tomorrow

2010-11-01T12:26:00.002-06:00

After tomorrow all the ads will cease to air, the mailers will stop, and the debates will be over - Hallelujah!

The polls will be open tomorrow, November 2nd, from 7 am to 8 pm. Remember to bring your driver license or other forms of id. To find your voting location go here.

If you are still undecided on any issues or candidates, a few more resources you may find interesting are listed below:

The Deseret News' election recommendations can be found here.
The Salt Lake Tribune's endorsements are found here.

For a little unbiased information, did you know you can see who donated and how much to each candidate running? Candidate's financial disclosures can be helpful in deciding who you would like to support. (Sometimes all they tell you is that the guy running in your area buys a lot of fast food, as was the case with one of the candidates in my area) To look at a candidates disclosure go here and then search by last name.

Happy Voting!

Kim Burningham - Utah State School Board, District 5

2010-10-30T08:40:00.001-06:00

Joel Coleman - Utah State School Board, District 9

2010-10-29T16:16:00.003-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. State School Board candidates were asked to simply introduce themselves and answer two questions: What things do you think are crucial to create a quality education system in Utah that serves all children? and What obstacles do we face in improving education, and what solutions do you propose to overcoming those obstacles that are within the realm of your authority on the school board?

Name: Joel Coleman
Office Seeking: State School Board
District: 9
Website: www.JoelColeman.com

In addition to your questions, there are a few other things your readers should know about our race as well, so I'll just mention them here briefly. First, my opponent and I are friends and we think similarly on most education issues. The main difference between us is in our experience and leadership ability. Being a member of the State Board of Education isn't just about voting the right way-we would both probably do that well. More importantly, it is about being able to articulate the correct principles of proper governance and educational values so that others will come around to thinking the way mainstream Utah citizens think. At the risk of sounding arrogant, we have an uphill battle to bring real-world common sense and traditional values into the governance of our education system-and in our race I am the best qualified to do just that. I was twice elected as a city councilman, I founded a public charter school (both of us candidates are charter school proponents), I am intimately familiar with state education rules and laws, I have chaired various education improvement committees, and I have over 18 years of professional experience in the classroom and administration-although not with the mindset of the public education establishment. So when I challenge something, they can't tell me I'm an outsider who doesn't know what he is talking about.

My wife and I are the parents of of 5 school aged children, I have a BS degree in Communications (pre-law) and a Master's Degree in Public Administration (MPA). I served for 8 years on the West Valley City council, chaired and founded various education improvement committees to try and rally the public. Eventually, I founded Monticello Academy, and academically rigorous public charter school for 775 students in grades K-8. In the first two years our innovative practices closed the achievement gap with our minority and economically disadvantaged students. Professionally I am a teacher and administrator for the LDS Church Educational System in Seminaries & Institute.

I decided to run because the Governor recruited me and because I believe there is a disconnect between some of the current State Board members and the people they represent. My observation is that our incumbent representative considers himself a valiant defender of the way things are in public ed and has consistently been opposed to efforts to change. Together with a few other hopeful candidates, I hope to bring a different dialogue to the decisions that are made, including an honest assessment of how to improve the things that aren't working (some curricular and funding issues) and how to continue the things that are working. I think it is ludicrous to continue the State Board's tradition of asking for more money each year if we aren't willing to target the key areas that need improvement and show results. Philosophically, I am very committed to evaluating success through measurable outcomes instead of the system's demands and input, if that makes sense.

The greatest obstacle we have to improving education is the resistance to even discuss improvement without offending education professionals. I firmly believe innovation and flexibility can be applied to the benefit of school children if we can move past adult agendas that lose sight of the outcomes we desire for our children. Too often, politics have replaced principles in the heated halls of the legislature, in school administrative offices, and even in our neighborhoods.

My proposals, within the influence of the State School Board, are simple: 1) encourage more local control of funding and programming decisions because the schools will have more accountability to the families in the communities they serve; 2) fight for flexibility in funding - since we're probably never going to have a windfall that satisfies the insatiable demands of funding for public schools, we can remove some of the restrictions set at the state level and give local educators the ability to determine what is best (currently about 50% of funding is earmarked before it reaches the district); and 3) encourage innovation like charter schools, robust technology solutions where it is appropriate for the course work, and providing world class curricula.

Vote Today

2010-10-25T10:40:00.002-06:00

While the kids are at school this week, I plan on voting early at the local library. You can too. If you have your mind made up, avoid the lines on election day by voting early. It is rarely busy. Early voting locations and times can be found here: http://www.vote.utah.gov/early-voting.

Happy Voting!

Randy Miller - Davis County Surveyor

2010-10-23T18:58:00.002-06:00

Randy Miller contacted me last week and asked to guest post. I was happy to comply, while Utah Moms Care does not endorse candidates, it does seek to educate voters to all their options on the ballot. All candidates are welcome to share information on this site about their campaign, and the issues they feel are important in the office they seek. If you are running for office, feel free to send a guest post to utahmomscare@gmail.com.

I am Randy Miller, a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in Utah and also a Certified Federal Surveyor. I am running for Davis County Surveyor as an unaffiliated candidate because I feel the race for County Surveyor should be a non-partisan race. The office of Davis County Surveyor needs to be filled by a candidate who is keeping up with modern technical trends in the surveying and geospatial fields.

A vision for how to improve the office of County Surveyor may not be glamorous or make for great reading, but I do have one. My aim is to be of valuable assistance to the private sector of surveyors and the property owners they represent. To achieve an elevated level of service, I have a number of projects I would like to tackle:
1) Make survey records and data accessible online
2) Protect public assets by setting up blue stakes notifications for jeopardized survey markers
3) Publish modernized geodetic control for critical survey markers

The work and value of surveyors is often not seen until it is needed so I frequently get the question “What does a County Surveyor do?” A county surveyor maintains records, data and survey markers that are used by surveyors in private practice to mark the location of boundaries for private land owners.

The next question you may be asking yourself is how is Randy Miller a better or more qualified candidate for the position of County Surveyor. The minimum requirements to hold this office are that one must be a resident of Davis County and hold a Utah Professional Land Surveyor’s license. Check and check. Additionally, I have studied diligently on my own time to become licensed in Wyoming which is a much more difficult and thorough examination process than the Utah requirements. I also spent the evenings and weekends for 4 months to complete the course work and 8 hour examination required to become a Certified Federal Surveyor (CFedS). The CFedS program (see http://www.cfeds.org) is a rigorous program of understanding thoroughly how to apply and perpetuate the Public Land Survey System. The CFedS program includes substantial training on how to gather evidence and special considerations for standard parallels, military reservations and meander corners; conditions that all exist in Davis County.

What does all this mean? It means Davis County needs a County Surveyor that really leans into it. It means we need a County Surveyor who strives to uphold the highest levels of competence and who is committed to publishing information in the easiest formats available and referenced to the most current and accurate GPS positions. I have prepared myself to meet these demands and feel I am the most qualified to serve as the next Davis County Surveyor.

It is important to me to run as an unaffiliated independent candidate. I have declared my independence from the two parties as a matter of conscience and principle. Public service is as simple as understanding the wishes of the people and acting upon their needs and desires. For more information about my candidacy and the growing independent movement of unaffiliated voters, please contact me by email: public@uliv.org. Please take time to also visit our collective website www.uliv.org.

Ronda Rudd Menlove - District 1, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-10-16T13:23:00.004-06:00

Candidate Endorsements, Rankings and Guides

2010-10-13T16:46:00.007-06:00

There are a lot of websites that endorse and rate candidates in relation to the causes they support. These ratings can give you a good idea of the values held by candidates. I even like to see who organizations I don't always agree with are supporting. The list below, while in no way comprehensive, gives you a little more information to peruse this voting season:

Endorsements
Jordan Education Association Candidate Recommendations here
Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah Endorsements here
Equality Utah Candidate Endorsements here
Sierra Club Candidate Endorsement here
Planned Parenthood Action Council Endorsements here
National Rifle Association Endorsements here

Rankings
Salt Lake Tribune ranks current legislators liberal/conservativeness here
Utah Taxpayers Association 2010 Legislative scorecard here
Parents for Choice in Education 2010 Legislative scorecard here

Guides/Questionnaires
Utahns for Ethical Government Survey Responses here
Utahns for Public Schools Candidate Selection Guide here
Davis Education Association Candidate Responses here
Abigail Adams Project Voter Information here
The League of Women Voter's Guide here
Utah Moms Care 2010 Candidate Information here

David Hough - District 11, Utah State Senate

2010-10-11T08:09:00.003-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: David Hough
Offic Seeking: Utah State Senate
District: 11 (Alpine, Bluffdale, Draper, Highland, Lehi, Riverton, and South Jordan)
Website: http://www.senate11.com/

As a former Representative (UTAH HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES 1997-2006) I have always made families my priority and I CARE! Rather than address every issue, the best reference would be go to my web site @ senate11.com where I have included a lot of info. For me, when elected, I intend to passionately focus on education in Utah. Education is touted as the number one priority in Utah, but we are still dead last in per pupil expenditure in the US, slipping in student performance when compared to similar states, largest class sizes in the US, and our teachers salaries are $10,000 per year below the national average. There are resources in Utah to address our education funding challenges, but current incumbent legislators will not change the way we do business. When elected I will look for creative solutions within the system such as: the almost $1 billion balance in our education trust lands account, $100's of thousands of dollars in restricted accounts, mineral lease monies, outdated corporate tax exemptions, reallocation of funds used for nice to have projects, but not need to have. If education is a priority, I will make it a priority not just pay lip service like we continue to get from our incumbant senators.

Vincent Marcus - District 21, Utah State Senate

2010-10-11T07:13:00.002-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: Vincent Marcus
Office Seeking: State Senate
District: 21

Introduce yourself:
My name is Vincent Marcus and I am running as the Libertarian candidate for Utah State Senate, District 21. I am seeking elected office because I think that protecting individual freedom is the single most important issue facing the state and I want to do my part to help protect it.
My beautiful wife and I are doing our best to raise two wonderfulkids. I make my living working with computers and, for fun, I co-host a podcast about Science Fiction and geek topics.

Please pick one or more of the topics below to respond to, be specific

Illegal Immigration
I do not support efforts to pass an initiative similar to SB 1070 will end up hurting Utahns. It could end up infringing upon civil liberties and would likely result in a boycott that would reduce tourist revenue.

The Initiative Process:
If elected, I would propose legislation to change the Election Code to allow for electronic petitions. The State Elections Office would host a website that contained registered voter information. Voters could visit their county clerks, or the State Elections Office, and after having their ID validated they would receive a login to the website. This login would provide them access to sign petitions online, to review any petitions that they had signed, and to remove their signatures from petitions that they had signed. The website would be updated as county clerks reviewed paper petitions and verified signatures. Voters would also have the opportunity to submit an email address so that they can receive alerts when the system is updated to indicate whether or not they had signed an electronic or paper petition.
Such a system would lower the costs for the county clerks that have to review the signatures on petitions, decrease the potential for fraud,and improve the petitioning process for everyone involved.

The Budget:
The state shouldn't be in the business of selling liquor, and privatizing the retail operations would save the state about $20 million a year in operating costs. The state would net additional revenues by auctioning off the licenses to operate the liquor stores. The property that the state owns for the liquor stores is worth about$50 million. Selling or leasing that property to the new liquor stores would mean additional revenue. If elected, whether there is a budget shortfall or not, I intend to carry a bill to privatize the state liquor stores.

Then answer the following two questions:
What cause will you champion?
Efforts to increase the transparency of state government and improve representation. The majority of Utah's voters are unaffiliated with the Democratic or Republican parties. I would like to make it easierfor them to get involved politically by changing our election system from plurality voting to an instant-runoff system. I also want to make it easier to get initiatives, third parties, and independent candidates onto the ballot with reforms to the initiative system.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service?
Doing my best to serve as a good example for my two wonderful children. I want to do everything I can to raise them to be actively engaged and contribute to the community.

2010 Constitutional Amendment D

2010-10-08T13:50:00.003-06:00

Constitutional Amendment D would amend Article VI Section 10 of the Utah Constitution. The amendment would create a legislative ethics commission. This 5 member body would conduct reviews of ethics complaints against members of the Legislature, and make recommendations to the appropriate body (Senate or House) for further action. Legislators currently in office and registered lobbyists are ineligible to be committee members.

This amendment was heard during the 2010 session and passed the House with a 70-3 vote and the Senate with a 25-4 vote.

Those supporting this amendment argue the creation of an independent body to hear ethics complaints will increase trust in the Legislature. This body would be able to filter complaints, deciding between legitimate and frivolous, and make recommendations. By placing the commission in the Constitution rather than simply creating it with a bill it demonstrates the value citizens and office holders place on ethical government.

Those opposing the amendment argue that the voters already are an ethics commission. Voters having the power to elect those with integrity to office should be the ultimate judge on who represents them. A commission would not be able to enforce ethical behavior.

My own personal opinion (for what its worth): Utah needs an independent ethics commission. An independent commission has credibility, something that has felt lacking in the ethics system currently in place. Many felt this legislation came to fruition because of the pressure brought about by the citizens' ethics initiative, the legislature argues otherwise. I don't care what caused this amendment, I am just glad it is available for us to vote on. It is idealistic to say that voters are always informed and will take care of corrupt politicians by voting them out. How I wish that were the case! It's not. That argument also fails to address that ethics violations can occur in the middle of a term. If a State Senator commits a wrongdoing a year into their term, they still have YEARS before the voters can address that. I love the Legislature: the pomp, the pageantry, the majority of those there representing us who are honest (they really are). I hate to see what has become of it in years past. The reputation has, at times, been rightly tarnished. This amendment is one small step towards the government we want, one that is accountable and forthright in it's doings. The big step we need to take to achieving this type of government is to be involved and educated - and that can never be legislated.

**One point of clarification** This is NOT the Utahns for Ethical Government petition you signed at the supermarket or library, this is a completely separate bill. Within the framework this amendment sets up, the concepts supported in the UEG petition could still exist.

Brad Daw - District 60, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-10-08T07:21:00.004-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: Brad Daw
Office Seeking: Representative
District: 60 (Utah County)
Website: www.braddaw.com

Introduce yourself: My name is Brad Daw. I am one of only two computer engineers serving in the state legislature. I once drove a motorcycle from Shelley, Idaho to Provo, Utah in January.
Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific
Education: Education is at its best when the whole family is invested. This evening my wife and I helped one son craft a story for his class. I corrected another son's math and we discussed ideas with a third son for an upcoming science fair. I am constantly looking for ways to motivate parents and get them involved in their child's education. That is why I support charter schools, community councils, on-line learning and other methods that open the door to parents being more involved. I am in favor of a rigorous education and sponsored legislation to raise academic standards for high school graduation. I believe that property tax equalization needs to be studied and we need to find an approach that gets us closer to money following each student.

The Economy: I saw this question so I left the issue of school funding for here. The best way to increase school funding is through economic development. A highly paid worker can pay more income tax than an unskilled worker. I have worked to keep Utah's tax and regulatory burden low and entice businesses to come here. I also have served on the Higher Education Appropriations committee and have supported initiatives to improve the marketable skills of our college graduates which is further inducements to businesses looking at Utah. I've supported funding road construction and worked hard to get the I-15 rebuild in Utah County moving ahead.

Illegal Immigration: This is a complex issue and one that states have inherited due to inaction by the federal government. There are few solutions at the state level that will be fully effective. The simple fact is that I believe in enforcing the law, but acknowledge that until the federal government steps up and more fully controls the border, we won't get a handle on the problem.

The Initiative Process: I believe the initiative process is a useful check on the legislature and executive branch of government.

The Budget: We still have a few dollars in the rainy day funds. We will have to take a hard look at all state expenditures and I personally will only consider a tax increase as an absolute last option.

What cause will you champion?
In the past I have strongly championed curbing prescription drug abuse and I have been able to pass several bills dealing with this issue. This year I intend to strengthen the State's commitment to on-line education. This is a great resource and I believe it can be a very effective tool in delivering a high quality education to our children.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service?
Helping my constituents become more involved.

2010 Constitutional Amendment C

2010-10-07T13:20:00.003-06:00

Constitutional Amendment C would amend Article XIII Section 3 of the Utah Constitution. This section deals with the exemption of certain entities to property tax, for example public libraries or buildings owned by the state. This amendment would add to the exempted list nonprofit entities who provide water to those within the state. The resolution passed both the House and Senate unanimously in 2010.

My own personal opinion (for what its worth): Water rights issues make my head swim. They are incredibly complex. This amendment was put together by levelheaded individuals that understand water rights, and also understand taxation. I will be voting YES on Amendment C.

Linnea Barney - District 15, Utah State Senate

2010-10-07T08:07:00.004-06:00

2010 Constitutional Amendment B

2010-10-06T12:29:00.002-06:00

Constitutional Amendment B would amend Article V Section 6 of the Utah Constitution. It would simply make the requirements the same for both candidates running for the Utah Legislature, and those who are appointed to the Legislature. For example, to be eligible to attain a seat in the Legislature either by appointment or election the candidate is required to have lived in the district for at least 6 months, and in the state for at least 3 years. The law does not currently cover those appointed, this would remedy that. This resolution passed unanimously through every committee and body that voted on it during the 2009 session.

My own personal opinion (for what its worth): Amendment B is simplistic and fair, I'll be voting YES.

Carol Spackman Moss - District 37, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-10-06T07:46:00.004-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: Carol Spackman Moss, Assistant Minority Whip
Office Seeking: Utah House of Representatives
District: 37, Holladay, portions of Murray, Midvale, and Olympus Cove
Website: www.carolspackmanmoss.com

I have served as the representative for District 37 for the past 10 years. Before running for office, I taught English at Olympus High School for 33 years. Married to Bob Moss, I have three daughters, four stepsons, and six grandchildren. Besides the work I do in politics, my husband and I enjoy traveling, reading, biking, hiking, and most of all, spending time with our family. This summer we traveled to Shanghai and Beijing China for 12 days. Hiking the Great Wall of China has been one of our lifelong goals and it was indeed a thrill to achieve it. We also went to Peru two years ago with a humanitarian group, Youthlinc, and hiked around Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley and then spent a week teaching and working in an Amazon River village. Riding a camel in Turkey and an elephant in Thailand were also memorable events during our trips abroad.

Because of my teaching background and love of young people, I have while in public office championed the cause of public education and higher education, to create better opportunities for all children to have a quality education. The best hope for our future economic growth is to invest in public education, higher education, and technical training. Educated workers not only bolster the economy, but they also earn higher wages, have more job opportunities, have greater job satisfaction, and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Some of the legislation I have passed or sponsored include laws on bullying and hazing, clean air regulations, ethics, home owner associations, safe schools, child safety, i.e., booster seats and child safety seats, and mental health treatment and delivery systems.

In the legislature I serve on the following committees: Public Education, Revenue and Taxation, Ethics, Administrative Rules, Executive Appropriations, and Higher Education Appropriations. Additionally, I serve on the following non-profit boards: Prevent Child Abuse Utah, Youthlinc, Spy Hop Multi-media Education for Youth, Inclusion Center, and Salt Lake County Commission on Youth.

It has been a great honor to represent my constituents the past decade. I have met so many interesting and engaged citizens, wonderful people who are making a difference in our community and state. I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue that service.

Gary R. Van Horn - District 68, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-10-05T07:50:00.003-06:00

2010 Constitutional Amendment A

2010-10-04T13:41:00.002-06:00

Constitutional Amendment A would amend Article IV Section 8 of the Utah Constitution.
The section now reads: All elections shall be by secret ballot.
If amended it will read: All elections, including elections under state or federal law for public office, on an initiative or referendum, or to designate or authorize employee representation or individual representation, shall be by secret ballot.

The amendment passed both the House and Senate on strictly partisan votes (Republicans in favor and Democrats opposing). The resolution was prompted by the U.S. Congress considering a bill entitled the Employee Free Choice Act. This Act was originally proposed in 2007, but has never passed Congress. One section of the Act alters the way employees create a union.

Those who support this amendment argue the right of all voters to a secret ballot, to be free from coercion or intimidation. They wish to secure the right of a secret ballot even for elections which take place within a business.

Those opposing the amendment in the Legislature were offended by the way the resolution was rushed through the process. They also argue that it is unnecessary.

My own personal opinion (for what its worth): The Utah Constitution already reads: All elections shall be by secret ballot. Do we really need to list what elections we mean? I find that redundant as well as problematic. The Constitution is a document which should cover with a broad stroke, not spell out specifics. The amendment seems to feed on an unfounded fear. The Employee Free Choice Act is tied up in Congress, with many prominent Democrats opposing it. If the Act were to pass, this amendment could result in a costly lawsuit. I passionately support the right to vote by secret ballot, but I do not feel that right is currently threatened, nor do I believe if it were that the Constitution as it reads now would not protect that right.

Deon Turley - District 61, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-10-04T07:54:00.002-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: Deon Turley
Office Seeking: Utah State House of Representatives
District: District 61 (west Provo, west Orem)

Introduce yourself: I am a mom who was lucky enough to be "at home raising my seven children", which also means that I haven't really been home that much!
I have a weakness for volunteering and as a result have found myself serving in scouting, 4-H, the Civil Air Patrol Cadet program, PTA, in addition to church auxiliary assignments. These have lead to interesting experiences, such as the opportunity I had to fly in a glider airplane. There are life-lessons all around us and being launched in a glider gave me some insights into "launching" my children to become independent.
Politics captured my attention as a PTA volunteer and it became clear to me how much impact the state legislature had on our families and communities. Although I had been a Republican all my adult life, I am an independent thinker and at this time, in this place, I find myself more comfortable as a Democrat. Utah County is a conservative community and in my opinion, the Utah County Democratic Party is the more moderate option.

Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific

Education: The people of Utah have always put a high priority on education but the actions of the legislature in the past 15 years or so do not reflect that commitment. Most people I have talked to are embarrassed by the "dead last" position Utah holds in per-pupil-funding of education.
That said, the state of the economy will stand in the way of making headway right away. All areas of government will be asked to make sacrifices, including public education and higher education. The economy is forcing sacrifices in our household budgets too. I recognize this.
My biggest concern is for when the economy recovers. I worry that the legislators will adopt the attitude that: "If it was sufficient before, it should be sufficient now." I do not want a starvation budget to become the new normal. They talk about "trim the fat" but there is a line between "lean and mean" and "starvation" and I feel we are looking at that stage.

The Economy: One of the things I know about the economy is that it is cyclical. We have been in recessions before but eventually things get better. We had surpluses just a few years ago and now we are facing budget shortfalls. It shouldn't surprise anyone. But it should keep us from thinking that we are facing the end of the world. That said, there are things that will help or hurt us during this time. If we are wise we will set our priorities with a vision of what we want our state to look like at the end of this recession. If we cut education too much, we will cripple our future economy. We need to keep faith with our public employees so that they will be willing to put forth their best efforts. If they know we will keep promises, they will be willing to make temporary sacrifices.

Illegal Immigration: There are a few principles that guide my attitudes about the current problems with immigration.
One, Congress and the State Department within the federal government is responsible to establish the laws regarding immigration and enforce them. A patchwork of state laws would make a confusing process even more confusing.
Two, laws must be workable and enforceable AND enforced. As a mother, I know what happens when I make a rule and then fail to follow through with the consequences of breaking the rule. Lawmakers are faced with the same thing. Citizens deserve the security that comes from an environment of respect for law.
Three, undocumented immigrants are in many different circumstances. Legislation that treats them all in one broad stroke will be unjust. I hope that the solution to the problem recognizes choice and accountability. For example, those who came here too young to have a say, should be provided with a way to earn citizenship.
The best result of all the attention states are getting for their efforts to address immigration, would be for the federal government to step up and forge real immigration reform.

The Initiative Process: Legislators in Utah have made the initiative process so arduous that unless it is funded by a special interest group or business with deep pockets, it is doomed to failure. As Americans, we have a right to petition government and there are some areas of law where a citizens' initiative is the best way to proceed. I supported the petition for legislative ethics reform, as well as the redistricting initiative. These are examples of areas that are too closely tied to the power of the legislators and would have been best determined by the voters. Unfortunately, there was no special interest to bankroll the collection of signatures and we will continue to see abuses of power by legislators.

The Budget: The budgets this year will be a reflection on priorities. I do not pretend to have any "silver bullet" that will supply the remedy to budget shortfall but I want to be part of the discussion to identify our priorities.
I refer back to the statement given regarding the economy. We must prepare better during strong economic times and expect the inevitable weak seasons. Investors recognize the ups and downs and act to thrive in both situations. I believe there are similar strategies in public policy.

What cause will you champion? Ethics reform is essential, not only to prevent corruption but to give voters confidence in their elected officials.
I would also like to investigate opportunities for those receiving state assistance to contribute time and skill to their communities.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service? Service is a way of life, an attitude. Of course I can point to positions of leadership or participation in large scale projects, but the most fulfilling for me personally are the many small things that happen day to day. Visiting an elderly person who is lonely, sharing an idea that might solve a neighborhood problem, expressing gratitude to teachers or other public employees who may think their work goes unnoticed. The recipients of such service are lifted but I find that I am too.

Are You Registered to Vote?

2010-09-30T14:16:00.003-06:00

It is a complete pain to register to vote in person. Ugh. So instead register on-line. It's slick, you'll love it and it doesn't require loading up the troops and heading to the county clerk's office. The only thing is: YOU MUST DO IT RIGHT NOW! The deadline for online voter registration is October 4th. Click here to fill out the form: www.vote.utah.gov.

Who needs to register:

If you have never registered before
If you have moved
If you have had a name change

If you do not know if you are registered, you can check here: www.vote.utah.gov.

By the way, I was recently out registering voters and the most common excuse I heard was people did not want to register because then they would be on the list for jury duty. So here are the facts: While jury duty lists are taken in part from voter registrations, they are also taken from driver's licenses. If you have a license, you are already on the list. I don't want to hear your sorry whining, our civic responsibilities are really quite minimal for all the benefits we receive.

L.S. Brown - District 70, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-30T09:45:00.000-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: L. S. Brown, Constitution Party
Office Seeking: candidate for the Utah House of Representatives
District: 70 (Emery, Sanpete, Sevier Counties)

Introduce yourself: I am a state's rights, individual responsibility, return to traditional constitution values candidate.

Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific

EDUCATION: Eliminate the federal Department of Education. More authority for local school boards. Teach traditional moral, christian, political values. Utah take control of the land areas within itsborders as the resources would provide more school funds. Reduce the federal budget to a balanced budget reduced by 75% which would allow economic expansion and more resources for education.

ECONOMY: The federal government is the big problem with the economy. Reduce the federal budget. Repeal the 16th Amendment which would leave income tax in the hands of Utah citizens and the expanding economy would supply (percentage wise) more funds for education.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: I support illegal immigration bills to close theborders and return illegals to their homes. There is a heavy burden on education with so many illegal aliens in school and on the economy generally. This would improve class size. English would be the required language saving considerable funds now used in teaching other languages.

INITIATIVES: I favor initiatives when there is support for them among the people. The present system is good when the government will allow it to function. Legislators do not know everything.

ETHICS: We need improvement. When government handles so much money it creates a great temptation to steal the funds. Keeping ethics violations to a minimum will be a challenge.

BUDGET: I hope we have sense enough to demand and vote for severe reduction in federal spending, debt and taxes. The federal government should not be allowed to tax, spend or go into debt unless directly related to the Constitution. I think the situation in Utah will not improve until we the people gain control of the federal government and cease demand or accepting federal handouts. It is a bad expensive practice and up to the people to control. Be very careful of how you vote.

What cause will you champion?
I hope to champion good, reasonable, small government and believe that represents the desires of the people.

Craig Coleman - District 3, Utah State School Board

2010-09-30T07:55:00.003-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. State School Board candidates were asked to simply introduce themselves and answer two questions: What things do you think are crucial to create a quality education system in Utah that serves all children? and What obstacles do we face in improving education, and what solutions do you propose to overcoming those obstacles that are within the realm of your authority on the school board?

Name: Craig Coleman
Office Seeking: State School Board
District: 3 (Nebo, Tintic, and Tooele School Districts, and portions of Jordan and Granite)

Introduction: My name is Craig Coleman and I am a candidate for the Utah State Board of Education to represent District 3. District 3 includes all of Nebo School District, Tintic School District, Tooele County School District, and portions of Jordan and Granite School Districts. I was appointed by the governor in December 2009 to fill a vacancy on the board when the District 3 representative moved to another state. The appointment was for the final year of the four-year term and now I am seeking election for a full four-year term. I am an associate professor of plant sciences at Brigham Young University, where I have been employed on the faculty for 14 years. I have a B.S. in Botany and an M.S. in Genetics from BYU. I have a Ph.D in Molecular and Cell Biology from Penn State. I was employed at the University of Arizona for four years before coming to BYU. I teach classes in general biology, genetics, cell biology and biotechnology and run an active research laboratory employing graduate and undergraduate students. My wife's name is Beth and we have five children and one grandchild. Our children have all attended schools in the Nebo School District including Goshen Elementary, Payson Jr. High School and Payson High School Our family lives in the town of Genola in southern Utah County where I also serve on the town council. I have been active in Boy Scouting: I have served as Scoutmaster twice, Venturer Crew adviser once and I am currently serving on the Mt. Nebo District Advancement Committee assisting young men to fulfill requirements for their Eagle award. I am a family man who loves nothing more than being with my wife and children but I also recognize the importance of community service.

What prompted me to run: I was asked by people I respect to apply for the vacant position last fall. I was fortunate to obtain the appointment from the governor and have enjoyed the 9 months I have served thus far. I am passionate about education. I love teaching and admire so many who give so much to educating young people. I can think of no greater responsibility that parents have toward their children then to teach them and make sure they have opportunities for education. I believe I can make a positive contribution to education in the state of Utah and so I am seeking election to the board.

Quality education system in Utah: The State Board of Education has adopted a mission statement called "Promises to Keep" which outlines our vision for public education in the state. I am fully committed to continue working to achieve that vision. Our vision includes four objectives to meeting our constitutional mandate of providing the opportunity for a high quality education for all Utah children: (1) Ensuring numeracy and literacy for all Utah children, (2) providing high quality instruction for all Utah children, (3) establishing curriculum with high standards and relevance for all Utah children and (4) requiring effective assessment to inform high quality instruction and accountability.

What obstacles do we face and how do we overcome them: When you talk to most people about education, one of the first things they will want to discuss is funding. We do have challenges in this area because we have a lot of children we need to be educating and we have limited funding sources. While a good portion of the funding for public education comes from property taxes, much of the state is owned by the federal government and, frankly, they are not good neighbors when it comes to paying taxes on the land they occupy. Because it would be imprudent for the state to raise taxes during bad economic times such as we are in, It is extremely important that we use every penny that we raise for public education in the most efficient way possible. Our challenge is to identify the best ways to spend our money which will bring the greatest return in terms of student learning and achievement. In this regard, the State Board of Education and the State Legislature must work closely together to set funding priorities in order to achieve our goals and realize our vision. Utah is already a model of efficiency in the nation. With limited resources, our students are achieving at levels which are higher, and sometimes much higher than the national average in many areas. That does not mean that we can't do better, because we can. Another obstacle we face is retaining local control over education. While the state board has control over curriculum and professional educator standards, we must ensure that local schools and school districts have as much autonomy as possible. Maximizing local control of education increases creativity and innovation leading to the development of the best practices which can be adopted by our schools and school districts. The state board must periodically review its rules to make sure that we are not stifling innovation or recklessly trampling on the autonomy of local school districts. Another obstacle we face is the intrusion of the federal government into the state educational system. Utah has a constitutional mandate to provide the opportunity for a public education to all Utah children. The federal constitution includes no such mandate. This has not stopped them from extending their influence into Utah classrooms. Their influence is bought with the money they provide which is often hard to resist. Yet, there are many cases where the cost of implementing the programs the federal government mandates exceeds the revenue that is provided, resulting in a net loss to the state and marginal returns on the investment of revenue. I only need to mention No Child Left Behind as support for this argument. The state board must exercise prudence and care in accepting any money from the federal government. The last obstacle I want to mention is high quality instruction. This is the single most important factor influencing the quality of education. We must recruit and retain high quality teachers. We must encourage our institutions of higher learning to set high standards in their teacher education programs. We need to find ways to reward those teachers who excel in the classroom.

Richard Watson - District 19, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-29T07:45:00.002-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: Richard Watson; 801-540-3146
Office Seeking: State House of Representatives
District: 19 (Sheryl Allen’s Replacement)

Introduce yourself: While at Utah State, I served on the Convocations board that brought in speakers for the University. As a student board member, I was lucky to have dinner with two well known celebrities, Dr. Ruth Westheimer and actor Mike Farrell. Both were very friendly and we discussed other subjects that had nothing to do with their respective professions. It was very enjoyable to see the human side of these famous personalities who were always in the spotlight or in front of a camera.

Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific

Education: First of all, I want everyone to know that I will fight against private school vouchers. Remember in 2007, we voted against having private schools funded by tax dollars. Unfortunately, the fight is going to continue in the next couple of years. This is not a campaign scare tactic, this is real and voucher proponents are now planning to bring back the issue, even though the Utahns voted it down.
Other issues important for Utah’s Public Schools:
State testing should be addressed and we need to make the necessary adjustments. In addition, we need to adjust school curriculum that fits the school and the student needs. In turn, that would give the teachers more opportunity to teach rather than be a “test prep coach”.
Funding for our public schools has to be our number one priority. It is inexcusable that Utah has one of the lowest funded public schools in the nation. Yes, we have great kids and they do well in school, but for how long? Rather than have “ok” schools, we should strive in making our schools the best in the country. As a result, Utah’s economy would benefit from our great public schools.
Teachers are an important part of public education. Unless we compensate teachers better (currently, Utah is below the national level in teacher salaries), we will face a severe teacher shortage in the coming years.
Community Council is great place for parents to become involved. As past Chair for the Millcreek Jr. High Council, parents and teachers budget their allotted Trust Land dollars to worthy programs that are needed for that particular school. After school remediation is an example of how MJH uses Trust Land money. But as Legislator, I would propose that every Legislator attend at least one Community Council in their area before the Legislative session begins. Such attendance might give the Legislators a better perspective of how local schools are funded and how parents interact with the faculty/administration.

The Economy: Through research, it is interesting to find that a good public education system does have a direct influence on the economy of the state. In addition to public schools, good roads and a good infrastructure also attracts new businesses into our great state. I believe if Utah makes public schools their number one priority, the economy will become stable and will benefit every Utahn. Furthermore, we as a stat,e should look at bringing in companies that add to the state’s economy rather provide another minimum wage job.

Illegal Immigration: Immigration has been a hot issue this past year, but unfortunately we are limited in what we can do. First of all, with our limited resources and budget cutting, we would mandate programs that cannot be fully funded. Second, this is a federal issue and we should be communicating with our congressmen on this as we should in all federal issues.

The Initiative Process: There has been talk in the legislature about an upcoming bill that would tighten the petition process for Utah citizens to speak their voice. The Initiative Process is already difficult and as a representative, I would fight for changing the process. The government and lawmakers are not perfect and the citizens of this state should have the ability to voice change within our government. We should make it easier, not harder, for the average citizen to speak up. After all, government is still “We The People”.

The Budget: The Legislature should take a hard look at the Rainy Day Fund to help minimize more cuts. In addition, the Legislature should disclose all contingency funds that our state government has. If there is a fund that was able to award a bidder $13 million, then the public deserves a full disclosure of these types of funds before we make more cuts in the budget.
Also, it should be noted that the recent changes made in our state income taxes resulted in tax cuts for very few while raising taxes for most of middle class Utahns. As a result, public schools have lost close to $1 billion in revenue marked for public education.

What cause will you champion?
Education is my main concern and I will fight for a better funded public school system. Utah families deserve more for our children and for the future of our state.
Ethics will be another issue I will fight for. Transparency is an issue that seems to be ignored on Capitol Hill and I will question the necessity of having the numerous amounts of closed-door meetings.
As a father of an autistic child, I will be the voice of those families who have children with autism. As an advocate for the Autism Council of Utah, I have fought to preserve those programs that parents have fought for. One bill in particular that I will fight for is Autism Insurance Reform. Utah is one of few states in the country that lacks insurance reform to help families with autistic children and I would like to change that.
Also, I recently met a mother who was concerned about the air quality in Davis County. Her son has weak lungs and is very sensitive to the days with high levels of particulates in the air. Clean air is worth fighting for.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service?
I have many, but this past year, as Chair of the Bountiful Community Service Council, we had a great summer with our Concerts In The Park series. This year, we were able to book great talent and still provide free concerts for the concert attendees and their families.
As a part of the Govt. Relations team and with Rep. Becky Edward’s sponsorship, we were able to pass the Autism Awareness License Plate bill. Before the year ends, Utahns will be able to purchase an Autism Awareness License Plate. All proceeds from the sale of these license plates will go to the Autism Council of Utah. Those funds will provide needed services for families with autistic children.
My favorite civic duty, however, has to be from the past five years I have coached youth basketball and youth baseball. It is very rewarding to see such young talent develop, watch the high level of sportsmanship these boys posses and watch friendships evolve among these wonderful young men.

Debra Roberts - District 15, Utah State School Board

2010-09-28T07:42:00.002-06:00

David Armstrong - District 17, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-27T09:35:00.003-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: David Armstrong
Office Seeking: Utah House of Representatives
District: 17 (Davis County)

Introduce yourself:
Residence: Kaysville since 1995
Family: Married for 35 years, three married children and three grandchildren
Education: B.A., Elementary Education, BYU; M.S., Instructional Technology, USCProfessional experience: Software Project Manager, Business Analyst, Software Developer, College Instructor, Elementary School Teacher
What I do for fun: I love to hike, play guitar and piano, write, and spend time with my grandchildren.

Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific

Education: Education is critical to maintain the liberties of Americans. I have two degrees in education and I have taught in public school and in private college. I love education and I love children, but I am not a proponent of mandatory public education. I believe parents should have choice and control. I would be less concerned about public schools if they were run by the local people. A state board of education is too large and bureaucratic to effectively manage the curricula of all public schools. A federal department of education is even worse. I am conceptually in favor of charter schools, vouchers, and home schooling. We just need to learn how to manage these options correctly for the best benefit of our children and families.

The Economy: This is obviously a giant topic on which books can be, and have been, written. In a nutshell, I believe in free enterprise. The role of government is to protect my rights as a citizen, so that I have the freedom to own and control my property. It is not the role of government at any level to create jobs, set wages, manage my health, or invest in one business or company over another through subsidies and tax advantages. Where a community binds together to provide services, those services should be managed at the lowest possible level in the government hierarchy. The best things that Utah can do are to demand the federal government to abide by the Constitution and to reduce the state budget so that taxes can be reduced, so that the citizens can keep and control more of their own property.

Illegal Immigration: As everyone knows, this is a complicated situation today because the federal and state governments have not performed their duties for many years. There are multiple generations of illegal immigrants who have come to, and grown up in, America and know no other country as home. Shame on us! Nevertheless, we are a republic of laws, and everyone who lives within the republic must abide by those laws. Illegal immigrants commit felonies when they steal identities, forge documents, and perjure themselves to obtain jobs. If we grant amnesty and invite felons to become citizens, ought we also to grant amnesty for other felonies, such as grand theft, larceny, fraud, racketeering, robbery or murder? I have friends who went through the proper channels to obtain a visa, enter the country legally, wait a long time, fight through a mountain of red tape, and go through great challenges and expense to become citizens of the United States. Should I tell them that they would have been better off sneaking illegally across the border and waiting for the government to pardon them? Steve Sandstrom and a contingent of co-sponsors in the state legislature are proposing a bill on immigration control that is similar too Arizona's law, but contains improvements from the lessons learned in Arizona. I would support Mr. Sandstrom's bill. Let us uncover those who are illegally in our state and turn them over to the federal agency whose responsibility it is, by law, to deal with immigration issues and demand that they do their jobs.

The Initiative Process: I am, by principle, not in favor of initiatives. The United States and the state of Utah are constitutional republics. As such, we elect representatives to legislatures and invest in them the power to make laws. We are not a democracy. The citizenry at large is not a legislative body. If we do not like the laws that our representatives give us, we should exercise our ultimate power as citizens to bring them home and send other representatives who will repeal bad laws and create better laws. Specifically regarding ethics, we do not we need a law to dictate ethics or a commission to regulate ethics. We need to elect more ethical epresentatives and stop electing corrupt politicians.

The Budget: Another complicated issue with a simple but painful solution. This state does not need higher taxes and more revenue. It needs to spend less - much less. Over the past ten years that I have been watching, the state budget has grown faster than the rate of population increase. For the past several years the state has run in the red and has depended on the Rainy Day fund to meet the constitutional mandate to balance the budget. Financial planners and economists will say that when an individual or a family starts dipping into the principle of their nest egg, they are in serious trouble. The same is true for our state. There is no secret to reducing the budget. We first must find waste and fraud and eliminate it. In the multi-billion dollar budget the size of Utah's, there is bound to be waste. Once we do our best to remove waste, the next target has to be services and programs that are unconstitutional or are otherwise inappropriate as government roles. This will be painful because it will result in a loss of public-sector jobs. However, if we can get free enterprise working again by removing heavy tax burdens and suffocating regulations on our businesses, I believe many more private-sector jobs will be created than were lost in the public sector. More people will become wealth producers instead of wealth consumers.

What cause will you champion? Until we elect a majority of people in Washington who understand and abide by the oath they take to sustain and defend the US Constitution, the individual sovereign states must exercise their responsibilities in the balance-of-power model to resist the encroachment of the general government on the states and the citizens. We have begun that process in Utah with such legislation as the Fire Arms Freedom Act, the No Child Left Behind Opt-out bill, the nullification of Obama-care, and the Eminent Domain and Utah's Land bill. I would champion these efforts and support other efforts to work within the state and with other states to restore and reinstitute the Constitution as the law of the land.
Further, I believe it is essential to a republic for the people to have regular communications with their representatives. I will use all means at my disposal to keep the people in my district informed of what is happening at the state and federal levels that impact them. I want them to know what I am thinking, and I want to know what they are thinking. I cannot represent people whom I do not know and with whom I do not communicate.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service? I served for two years on the Kaysville Safety Committee, which acted as a citizen advisory board to the Kaysville police and fire departments. Through the committee, I became aware of, and was able to participate in, such programs as Neighborhood Watch, Mobile Watch, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Dixie Lee Allen - District 14, Utah State School Board

2010-09-24T09:59:00.004-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. State School Board candidates were asked to simply introduce themselves and answer two questions: What things do you think are crucial to create a quality education system in Utah that serves all children? and What obstacles do we face in improving education, and what solutions do you propose to overcoming those obstacles that are within the realm of your authority on the school board?

Name: Dixie Lee Allen
Office Seeking: State School Board
District: 14

Introduction:
My name is Dixie Lee Allen. I reside in Vernal, Utah which is part of the State School Board Boundaries of Region 14. This Region encompasses fourteen counties and fourteen school districts which are mostly rural in nature. It is my desire to run for the position of State School Board Representative for this area.
I have had the great pleasure over the past seven plus years to serve this region of the state on the State School Board. I found after my first four years on the State School Board that I needed to devote more time to my duties on the Board, so retired at the beginning of my second term on the Board and have greatly valued the time and energy I have been able to provide the districts, communities, students, teachers and parents that I have been privileged to serve.
My desire to continue to serve on the State School Board involves several very important areas of change and improvement the Board has been working on the past few years. I want to continue to serve on the State Board of Education for another four years to finish a job that we have just begun. I believe I can add the necessary time, effort, support and experience to help the State Board continue to move forward to better serve the educational community of the state.

What things do you think are crucial to create a quality education system in Utah that serves all children?

One of the most important improvements for the districts I serve, as well as the rest of the One of the most important improvements for the districts I serve, as well as the rest of the state, is a move to a recommended assessment program that grew out of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Assessment, of which I was privileged to be a member. This assessment recommendation has five pilot districts, with two pilots in my area. The emphasis of this assessment program, which now has the permission of the legislature to expand, is to move to assessment for learning, rather than assessment of learning. However, to continue to address the Federal Guidelines, we are now working on providing the necessary valid data for both purposes.
Another area, which we have been working to address, is the need for high quality instruction in every classroom, in every school in our state. The State Board developed a committee, (on which I served), spent a year with major stakeholders, including business leaders, members of the legislature, teacher and parent organizations. The committee’s purpose was to develop quality indicators of successful classrooms and the instructional process. Now with five pilot schools working on a state funded “differentiated compensation” program of development, we hope to roll out state wide recommendations on how to identify, support and evaluate quality instruction; including administrative, teacher and classroom identifiers.
One of the final “Promises to Keep” that we finalized last year encompasses the promise of establishing curriculum with high standards and relevance for all the children of Utah. Our State Board has recently adopted the “Common Core”, which was created out of research based curriculum, compared to national and international bench marks. In relationship to these student expected exit standards, we need to work to be sure the curriculum supports the exit standards and that we continue to ensure that students leave ours system with both career and college ready skills. As a member of the K-16 Alliance, we have worked diligently to develop a seamless system of expectations for our students as they move from the K-12 programs to post-secondary education, including the trade and technical students served by the Utah College of Applied Technology. Our hope is that having all students ready for post-secondary education, will assure that they will also be ready for entry level jobs in job markets that do not require a post-secondary degree.

What obstacles do we face in improving education, and what solutions do you propose to overcoming those obstacles that are within the realm of your authority on the school board?

Obstacles that we hope to overcome revolves around our ability to work to continue to develop the leadership roll of the State Board of Education. While the Legislature works to provide funding and specific programs, the State Board of Education works to fulfill their constitutional role of “general control and supervision“. Over the past few years, under the current leadership of the Board, on which I am proud to serve, we have developed a quality working relationship with both the Legislature and the Governor and look forward to encompassing all the other educational entities in a common direction.
Other issues that are critical at this point and time is improving some targeted funding for programs that research and practice identify as most helping improve the quality of instruction and student outcomes. Optional all day kindergarten is one such program that shows great improvement, especially for low income and minority students. Other programs that we believe have shown great promise to improve the quality of instruction in classrooms are those programs that provide targeted teacher training, as well as the possibility of increased teacher compensation.
Finally, the State Board has to continue to work with all the stake holders to insure that we are dealing with the issues that are of most importance to students, parents, teachers and communities where they receive their education services.

Paul Recanzone, District 51, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-23T12:47:00.003-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: Paul Recanzone
Office Seeking: Utah House
District: 51 (Draper/Sandy)
Web Site: www.recanzone.org

Introduce yourself: My name is Paul Recanzone, candidate for the Utah House of Representatives in the Draper/Sandy area. I was born in Nevada and raised in Nevada, California, Illinois, Utah and Washington. I attended Washington State University and Brigham Young University before graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno. I later completed a Master's in Public Administration at the University of Utah. Interestingly, I paid for my time at BYU in part by dealing blackjack at Lake Tahoe.
After graduating, I enlisted in the Army where I served for seven years - spending time in Germany, Hawaii, and Washington DC. I then worked in several technology jobs and now own and operate a municipal telecommunications consulting company named OHIvey (after my grandfather).
I am married to Steffanie and we have three children - Erin (a Freshman at UVU), Ryan (a Junior at Alta High School), and Sera (a 7th grader at Midvale Middle School).

Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific

Education: Public education is a critical commitment we have made to ensure opportunity for our rising generation. I will work to strengthen public education in every way I can. I will fight against untested privatization and private sector compensation schemes, work to strengthen parental choice within the public education system, and support legislation to improve home schooling and charter school accountability.
Some specific measures I will work for include:
· Reaffirmation of Local Control. We elect local school boards who hire trained and experienced administrators. It is not the state legislature's responsibility to dictate how these professionals and locally elected officials run their schools. The state should generally defer to the local knowledge and professionalism.
· Charter School Accountability. I am happy with most of the work done by charter schools. However, I am concerned that while charter schools spend state tax money, they are not accountable to local elected officials.
· Higher Education. We need to ensure all Utahns who would like to pursue higher education have avenues to do so. We have a great university system. We need to ensure two year programs and career and technical programs are available throughout the state.
· To support education funding, the state may need to consider migrating back to a progressive tax that asks those who can best afford to pay the most to do so.

The Economy: The best way for Utah to grow stability in the economy is to support its small businesses. When a small company has extra funds available, it will almost always expand - hiring local people and treating them like family.
Some specific measure I will work for include:
· Tax incentives to small businesses that pay higher than average wages.
· Implementing entrepreneurial safety nets to help lower the risks associated with starting a new business.
· Establishment of state level small business loan guarantees to increase the capital available to small businesses in Utah.

Illegal Immigration: Illegal immigration is a Federal problem and there is very little that can be done at the state level. Because the Federal government is failing in its responsibility to control illegal immigration, the state will probably need to address the problems associated with illegal immigration for a long time. Utah cannot realistically pass any type of immigration laws without infringing on Federal authority. Therefore, the illegal immigration question at the state level becomes one of dealing with immigrants (most of whom are in the state simply hoping to make a better life for themselves and their families) with xenophobic retribution and cold hearted justice or with compassion.
I vote for compassion.
I will fight efforts to withhold education and health care from children - regardless of the child's citizenship status.
I will fight efforts to marginalize any group of people - regardless of the group's citizenship status.
I will work to ensure working families can have safe workplaces (physically and psychologically) - regardless of the worker's citizenship status.

The Initiative Process: As a general rule, I believe in the representative form of government established by America's founding fathers. An elected official is responsible for representing all of her or his constituents - even those holding a minority position in the population. This need helps protect against what the Federalist Papers call the "violence of majority faction." Initiatives are a way for the majority faction to impose their will on minority factions outside of the representation model. Having an initiative process that has too few hurdles encourages the violence of majority faction (called the tyranny of the majority by Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America).
That being said, there are times when certain rules and actions potentially work against the majority of representatives in government. Ethics reform, redistricting, and legislative compensation are three such issues .
This creates an environment where bifurcation of the standard is needed. I will work to create an initiative process model in Utah where initiatives that govern government (as determined by judicial review or executive branch determination in those cases where the proposed initiative effects the judicial branch) have very low barriers to entry onto the ballot. On the other hand, initiatives designed to govern citizens at large should have fairly high barriers to entry onto the ballot.
Utah currently has fairly high barriers to entry for initiatives on the ballot. The model of requiring a percentage of voters across a variety of geographic areas is a good model. We do need to enable electronic signatures and modify the name retraction processes.

The Budget: I favor a thorough re-examination of the flat tax and possible return to a progressive tax structure. Utah ranks 38th in the nation in tax burden per capita. Through the flat tax and high reliance on fees to support state and local government (Utah ranks 4th in fee reliance), the state has created a fairly regressive tax system that transfers more of the burden of running the government onto those least able to afford to pay.
Raising revenue is not the only way to close the deficit gap. Utah must also increase spending efficiencies and correct procurement practices that lead to $13m payouts to losing bidders.

What cause will you champion? I will focus most of my energy championing reasoned and reasonable government.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service? I spent seven years in the US Army. For a part of that time I was stationed in Hawaii where, as an extra volunteer duty, I served on the Joint Service Color Guard. As a member of the Color Guard I had the opportunity to carry our nation's flag to honor presidents, kings, and generals. I stood three steps behind the Emperor of Japan as he laid a peace wreath in the Punchbowl National cemetery - filled with heroes largely killed in action against Japan. I received letters of commendation from flag admirals, four star generals, governors and other civilian officials. But my most fulfilling civic service was standing on the tarmac at Hickam Air Force Base and calling a present arms as remains from Vietnam and Korea were repatriated. This was a quiet ceremony we performed about twice a month and attended by only a handful of people - but writing about it today still causes my heart to swell and tears to come to my eyes.

Barry Short, District 72, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-22T07:30:00.003-06:00

Alan Keele - District 60, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-21T11:38:00.002-06:00

George Hill - District 55, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-20T08:50:00.003-06:00

Clover Meaders - District 34, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-17T12:37:00.002-06:00

Jim Nielson - District 19, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-15T11:26:00.004-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: Jim Nielson
Office Seeking: Utah House of Representatives
District: 19 (Davis County)
Website: www.Jim4Utah.com

Introduce yourself: The little known fact is that I have a photograph of mine permanently displayed at Dick's Market in Bountiful. It was one of 12 winners in a photography contest they ran when they recently remodeled the store.
Or you could mention that I backpacked the entire length of the Uintas from east to west (Chepeta Lake to Mirror) when I was 18.
The rest of this is condensed from my website:
Family:
My wife Marilyn and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this February.We have five children.We have two daughters at home. One attends Valley View Elementary and one goes to Bountiful High. Two of our boys are in college. The youngest is serving an LDS mission.
Education:
Master of Architecture, University of Oregon, 1991.
Bachelor of Arts, BYU, 1981.
Career.
Owner, senior principal, architect, and Chief Financial Officer of CRSA, a 50-person architecture firm.Policy Analyst for six years with the Reagan administration in the U. S. Department of Education.Construction experience since high school.
Community service:
Republican Party activism.Local, and national public service in my profession.Board memberships:
Utah Architect Licensing Board.Utah Humanities Council Development Advisory Board.Volunteer church service, including 9 years singing with the Tabernacle Choir.Volunteer service for the Louis August Jonas Foundation, Utah Food Bank.
Salt Lake 2002 Olympics, Envision Utah, and Presidential Classroom for Young Americans.
Personal Interests
Photography, backpacking, skiing, woodworking, poetry, and songwriting with my wife.
Odds and Ends
I was listed in Outstanding Young Men of America in 1985 and am fluent in German. I have guest lectured or spoken professionally at the University of Oregon, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and the St. George and Idaho Falls Chambers of Commerce. I've even been featured on the Nightside Project.

Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific
Education
From my website:
Education is the state’s number one priority. It is where we spend most of our money and is the engine for economic growth. In our current economic situation, we cannot address class size and teacher pay; however, we should take advantage of lower construction costs and bond for needed facilities. Other things we can do right now include:
1. Eliminating narrow state mandates that siphon education dollars away from the classroom and into administration.
2. Reworking our school calendars to get teachers on 12-month contracts and use facilities year-round.
The website goes into great detail.

The Economy
From my website:
There is no controversy about the effect of further deterioration of our business climate. Locally established policies will impact our economic well being. The threat is immediate. Government cannot grow the economy. The economy will grow on its own if government gets out of the way. Four things the state can do to foster a climate in which private enterprise may thrive include:
Ensuring a business-friendly, predictable tax structure so businesses have the confidence to make long-range plans.
Working with financial institutions to allow tax-advantaged capital creation and secondary market development to free up more money to lend.
Making our education system the very best it can be by targeting our limited funds first and foremost on basic instruction in the classroom.
Fostering public/private partnerships to develop business incubation and resource centers that serve startup companies.
Again, I discuss these policies in more detail on my website.

Illegal Immigration
Once again from my website:
Immigrants have always played an important role in building our country. We should increase opportunities for legal immigration and work to eliminate illegal immigration. Common-sense immigration reforms are needed at both the Federal and State level. We must:
Secure our border.
Facilitate legal immigration for contributing members of society.
Increase enforcement of laws against employing undocumented workers. (See legislative update below for a good starting point.)
Provide illegals with emergency services only.
Stop considering amnesty by any name.
Prosecute falsified social security cards or other forms of identity theft vigorously.
See the site for an extended discussion.

The Initiative Process
I would not raise nor lower the current bar. I has been demonstrated empirically that it is possible to get issues about which there is strong public interest onto the ballot under the current rules. I do believe we should develop a workable way to accept electronic signatures, but it must eliminate the potential for fraud.
Finally, I support many of the goals of the ethics initiative, but I do not support that initiative as constituted. See my page on ethics (www.jim4utah.com/ethics) for an in-depth discussion on the subject.

The Budget
I do not support changing the tax system to raise revenue. We must foster the conditions that will allow the economy to grow (which it will do ultimately if we don't impede it). A rising economy will lead to increased revenues. I will work to minimize the impact of cuts on public education. Beyond that, we will likely need across the board and/or certain targeted cuts. We anticipate the same type of cooperation from the executive branch that was evident in the 2010 session, where administration policy analysts and agency heads translated cutback targets into meaningful specifics at the program level.

What cause will you champion?
I will stand up for the family, first and foremost.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service?
It has to be my service and state and/or county delegate almost continuously over the past 18 years. Getting to know candidates and helping elect our public officials is a great privilege.

William Ward - District 20, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-13T12:13:00.003-06:00

Shirene Fausett Saddler - District 29, Utah State House of Representatives

2010-09-09T15:59:00.002-06:00

Each election season Utah Moms Care seeks to educate its readers on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot. To that end, this survey, created by readers, is being sent to each candidate seeking office in the Utah State Legislature.

Name: SHIRENE FAUSETT SADDLER
Office Seeking: STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
District: 29 (Salt Lake County)

Introduce yourself: I am a 43 year old married mom of four children including one child with special needs. I grew up in the same district I am running in, in West Valley City. I am a graduate of Granger High, Ricks College and USU. I have worked the last 20 years in healthcare. My positions have ranged from the NICU Social Worker at Davis Hospital to Admissions and Discharge Planning with seniors. I currently work as a Patient Care Coordinator for a Non Profit Home Health and Hospice company. Hobbies include reading, writing, community theater, music, hunting, fishing, and watching movies with my family. Something unique about me? I used to be a Sports Writer for my college newspaper and I served a Welfare Services mission to Costa Rica.

Please share your thoughts on the following topics, be specific.

Education : One new proposal that I have recently heard that I think is very worth exploring is funding from the bottom up. You start your budget planning funding teachers and frontline workers first. Then if cuts have to be made they are made at a district or administrative level. I completely support parents right to choose the educational setting for their children. Whether they choose charter, private, online, public or home schooling. My son Weston qualifies for the Carson Smith voucher. We did explore all of the private school options for him, but we did not find a private school that met his needs as well as his public school. Another form of parent choice is requesting waivers to attend other public schools. Two of my four children attend a different public school than the one they would normally be assigned. My youngest attends the same school her brother attends so she can ride the bus with him and be his guardian and advocate. My oldest chose to attend a different high school. As far as testing and accountability I believe we completely missed the mark with NCLB. It seems we are now teaching to tests instead of focusing on good old fashioned creative education. I believe that we need to hold teachers accountable, we need to be able to reward good teachers and remove bad teachers. I think the charter schools seem to be able to do that more effectively than some of our other public schools.

The Economy: Government spending puts no new money into the system. It is money pulled out of the economy through taxes. Improving the economy happens when people and businesses feel comfortable spending the money they have because they have faith in their future. We need to elect Republican or Conservative Senators and Representatives who can AND WILL decrease deficit spending and decrease the tax burden on businesses permanently so they have trust in their future revenues. We also need to repeal Obamacare because of the burdens that it places on the taxpayors and businesses. Some of the caveats within that bill will more than double the cost of providing healthcare benefits to employees. It requires that a business pay 80% of the premium for a family insurance policyif they chose to offer insurance as a benefit. That will kill our small businesses or they will chose to drop healthcare as a benefit and that will affect individual family finance. As far as locally here in Utah, we need to make it easy for businesses to come and stay here so they will bring jobs and capital into our economy. We need to encourage voters to get out and stay out of debt. I am a Dave Ramsey fan and I think families and governments should abide by his policies. If you don't have it don't spend it. If you can't buy it with cash,don't buy it. I would encourage Utah to fight any cap and tax legislation handed down from the federal gov't. It will push energy costs up and the poor and middle class will suffer.

Illegal Immigration: I have the unique perspective as one who lived for 19 months in another country. I was an attentive guest in Costa Rica. I had a visa and kept it current. It is only respectful as a guest of a foreign country to obey their laws and abide by the rules that allow you to be there. I have a brother in law who is an immigrant from Peru. He has been naturalized and is now a citizen. It was VERY expensive. (over 10K) to complete all the paperwork he needed to. I think that is insane. How many people in 3rd world countries have 10K to immigrate. I had a neighbor who worked for 4 years to get her sons here after she married a native Utahn. That is too long for preteen boys to live with another family member and WAIT to be able to go live with their mom. We need to honor those who respect our laws and make it easier for good people to immigrate legally. We need to make it harder to be in Utah illegally. Some say it is not compassionate to hold those who broke our laws accountable for those actions. They understood the risks and THEY made choices that put their family at risk. It is not a wise or responsible decision to break laws and put your own family at risk. If Utah takes any legislative action to give legal status to those who are here illegally, I would ONLY support creating our own worker permit or residency that does not include a path to citizenship. We should reserve citizenship for those who immigrate here legally and obey our laws. I would also make an exception for minors whose parents brought them here and this is the only country they really know. I would approve a path to citizenship after they reach the age of 18.

The Initiative Process: I have no problem with the current system.

The Budget: Again my experience gives me a unique perspective. I worked for the state during my college years and for SLCo Aging Services and I noticed a trend that concerned me. There is a Use it or Loose it mentallity the last couple months prior to the end of the budget year. If there is any money left IT HAS TO BE SPENT!!!!!!!!!! The thought process is if we don't use it we may not get the same budget next year. I believe that there are frivolous purchases made in those last two to three months just to ensure they get the same budget, instead of the thought process: Wow we saved 20K this year, do we really need 2Million next year? I do think increasing tax revenue by raising taxes is the answer (see my comments above in the economy section) Utah is one of the best managed states in the union. Everytime we have a short fall, we figure it out. We don't wait until crisis mode like California.

What cause will you champion? Eliminating serial DUI offenders and TRUE Healthcare reform by decreasing regulations that keep providers from being creative. One physician in NY wanted to charge people a monthly fee of $30 and then they could come in anytime they needed for that one monthly fee. He couldn't because NY considers that being the insurance and the provider. Providers cannot charge less than what they charge Medicaid to anyone. So no sliding scale fees based on income. WE should be able to buy insurance across state lines. The federal governement has already shown us that they can't run the VA healthcare system successfully they do not need to take over the rest of our healthcare.
I would also champion the fight against domestic violence especially when it comes to our seniors. The cause of Alzheimer's disease is near and dear to my heart as well.

What has been your most fulfilling civic service? I served on the board of the Alzheimers Association for two years and was an Alzheimers Family Support Group Facilitator for 15 years in WVC. My time at Aging Services was particularly rewarding because I had the chance to go out to businesses, churches and other groups and teach caregiver skills to individuals caring for an aging family member.

Thank you for the chance to complete this survey. I encourage all your members to vote, even if they choose not to vote for me. You can either be part of the problem or part of the solution and as Americans we have the opportunity and the duty to be involved in our communities.

Back to School, Back to Health

2010-09-08T13:48:00.002-06:00

A few months ago Voices for Utah Children contacted me about their efforts to increase the number of Utah's children with health insurance. I have installed a link to the right that will lead you to more information on qualifying for benefits for your children. We all want healthy kids, and quality medical care is essential to that.

Posted by Laura Belgique, Voices for Utah Children

While getting young children and teens ready to return to school, make your child has one of the most important back to school supplies: health insurance. Children need insurance before they get sick, and regular checkups are important for children to be mentally ready and physically healthy for school.

CHIP, our state’s children’s health insurance initiative, works with Medicaid to provide quality health coverage for kids at a price their parents can afford. With CHIP, kids can get the checkups and preventive care they need to stay healthy, and a child’s asthma attack or broken arm won’t drive the family deeper into debt. These initiatives help ensure academic success by helping your kids stay in school, keeping them healthy while in school, and providing extra support to our schools’ most vulnerable children.

Utah has been successful at increasing the number of children with who can get the care they need to grow and thrive, because they have health insurance. Utah has proven that that the problem of covering uninsured kids is one we can solve. Bipartisan support for CHIP and Medicaid have allowed our state to protect children’s health. Were it not for the commitment of our leaders in Utah, more than 40,000 additional Utah children would be uninsured.

Covering uninsured children through CHIP and Medicaid is a smart choice that delivers real returns for our state. Children win because they stay healthier, and that lets them focus on succeeding in school. Parents win because they can focus on meeting their children’s other needs. And our state’s economy wins, because focusing on prevention and keeping kids healthy helps us avoid wasting money on expensive emergency room care, and because covering uninsured children brings federal tax dollars back home to our economy.

Back-to-school time is the right time to protect what matters most to you as a parent: the health of your children. For more information and to apply, call 1-877-KIDS-NOW or visit http://health.utah.gov/chip.

Lazy Days of Summer...

2010-08-04T11:44:00.002-06:00

I hope you are enjoying all summer has to offer. We have been busy camping, swimming, and relishing the break from the school routine. Summer is usually a nice break from politics. Candidates appear in parades, but the campaign season is not really underway until September when things rev up. Despite the lull, there are a few things I wanted to bring to your attention.

School Districts across the state are considering tax increases. It is no surprise, as funding levels have been cut for the past couple of years. Most school budgets are made up primarily of state funds, but property tax is a key component of education funding as well. Districts considering increases include: Beaver, Daggett, Davis, Garfield, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake City and Weber. A hearing is required before a tax increase can be put in place. To find out when and where your district's hearing will be, check here.

The State School Board Candidates have been determined by the Governor. If you recall, the candidates interested file for office, then are whittled down by a nominating committee. The Governor then selects two candidates from the nominating committee's recommendation to place on the ballot. Long time board member Kim Burningham will appear on the ballot, but Denis Morrill, a ten year board member was not even a choice for the Governor, being eliminated by the nominating committee's vote. Morrill is suing. You can read more about the Governor's picks and the lawsuit here.

Utahns for Ethical Government (UEG) is continuing its signature drive until August 12th. To secure the initiative on the ballot they must have 95,000 signature state wide, as well as a set percentage gathered from 26 of the 29 State Senate Districts. This is a large enough hurdle for the group, but even if they are successful in gathering the signatures, the Lt. Governor has stated he is not sure they are valid. The initiative is sure to wind up in court. Despite all the legal challenges to the initiative procedure that will follow, I would encourage you to sign the Ethics Initiative. Even if it never appears on the ballot, the sheer fact that close to 100,000 voting Utahns have signed their name to the petition should be a wake up call to those that are dragging their feet on meaningful ethics reform.

In the coming month I plan to send a short questionnaire to candidates running for office. I plan to ask the same 5-7 questions to each. If you have something you would like asked, please email or leave the question in the comments section.

Enjoy your last few weeks of summer!

Today's the Day

2010-06-22T07:47:00.002-06:00

Today Utah will pick their new Senator (sorry Mr. Granato, but it's true). Primary elections are all about voter turnout. I have heard predictions that at most 12% of registered voters will bother casting a ballot today. Sad. Especially when many races will be decided today. So do your part, be part of the elite 12%, and vote.

Find your polling place and see a sample ballot here.

Follow the Money

2010-06-17T12:42:00.011-06:00

Primary Candidates are required to file a financial disclosure statement with the Lt. Governor 7 days prior to the Primary Election. These statements can be searched here. Every candidate must disclose all campaign donations and expenditures. Reading over these statements can give voters a good idea of a candidate's values. Campaigns cost money. Having enough cash on hand is imperative to running a successful campaign. Disclosure statements highlight supporters. Realize though, that just because a candidate took money from a corporation or special interest group, does not mean they have been purchased. Corporations and organizations contribute to candidates they feel have similar values, and to those whom they feel they have a good working relationship. Money buys access. It is unlikely that a candidate would support a bill they find unfavorable solely because they took $200 from a company during the election season. I'd like to think they value their own soul's a little bit higher than that. Does that mean that candidates are never bought? Absolutely not.

A note on the information below: I have included the largest donors for each campaign, as well as other notable contributions (for example contributions from other elected officials). If a candidate has no endorsements listed, it was because they did not have them available either on their website or facebook page. Please email if you find any inaccuracies in the following information, or if you would like to add any endorsements (please include documentation).

Hope you find this helpful.

Utah House Candidates
District 5
Chuck Bateman
Top Campaign Donors: Dear Elder - $2,000
Key Endorsements: Liberty Republican Caucus

R. Curt Webb
Top Campaign Donors: Utah Association of Realtors Political Action Fund - $1,500, David L. Clark Campaign Account - $2,500, First American Title Insurance - $1,000, Utah Home Builders Political Action Committee - $400
Key Endorsements:

District 15
Jory Francis
Top Campaign Donors: Snugz - $1,000, Brel, Inc. - $500, Sherilin Rowley - $500, Chums - $500, Industrial Container - $250
Key Endorsements: "I have not solicited, nor accepted any endorsement from another politician, political action committee, lobbyist, or special interest group." (website)

Brad Wilson
Top Campaign Donors: Bonneville Superior Title Company - $1,000,
J.C. and Sandra Hemmersmeier - $1,000, Mel Wilson - $1,000, Utah Hospac - $750,
Daniel R. Liljenquist - $500, Utah Property Rights Coalition - $500, Jerry Stevenson - $500,
J. Stewart Adams - $500
Key Endorsements: State Senators Dan Liljenquist, Stuart Adams and Jerry Stevenson; Steve Curtis, Layton City Mayor; Steve Hiatt, Kaysville City Mayor; Jamie Nagle, Syracuse City Mayor; Louenda Downs, Davis County Commissioner

District 19
Ben Horsley
Top Campaign Donors: Sheldon Killpack - $2,000, Leta Johnson - $200, Brad Dee - $500, Energy Solutions - $250, Roger Barrus - $250, Energy Solutions - $200, Rob Bishop - $150
Key Endorsements: Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Rep. Brad Dee, Rep. Roger Barrus, Rep. Julie Fisher, Rep. Brad Daw, Rep. Paul Ray, Rep. John Dougall, Rep. Doug Aagard, Rep. Brad Last, Sen. John Greiner

Jim Nielson
Top Campaign Donors: Howard Nielson, Jr. - $1,000, Dave and Melinda Harper - $550, Utah Bankers Assn. PAC - $500, Jacobsen Construction - $500, Rocky Mountain Power - $400, Energy Solutions - $200
Key Endorsements:

District 20
Becky Edwards
Top Campaign Donors: Utah House Republican Election Committee - $1,000, Utah Bankers Association PAC - $500, Randy Shumway - $500, Foxley & Pignanelli Attorneys at Law - $250, Parsons Behle & Latimer - $250, Utah Society Of Anesthesia PAC - $200
Key Endorsements: House Speaker David Clark, Majority Whip Brad Dee, NSL Mayor Len Arave, Bountiful Mayor Joe Johnson, Dan Liljenquist, Kim Burningham

DJ Schanz
Top Campaign Donors: Parents for Choice in Education - $2,018.17 (in-kind), Utah Realtors Association - $1,000, Doug Holmes - $400, Jeff Matsen - $300, Omar Beblawi - $300
Key Endorsements: Utah Taxpayers Association, Utah Republican Assembly, Morgan Philpot, Rep. John Dougall, Rep. Carl Wimmer, Republican Liberty Caucus

District 25
Joel Briscoe
Top Campaign Donors: John Netto, $1000, Reagan Outdoor Advertising - $500, Utah Medical PAC - $250, Salt Lake Teachers Association - $300
Key Endorsements: Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Salt Lake County Councilman Joe Hatch, Summit County Councilwomen Sally Elliot, State Senators Gene Davis and Brent H. Goodfellow, State Representatives Carol Spackman Moss, Laura Black, Trisha Beck, Christine F. Watkins

Anthony Kaye
Top Campaign Donors: Ballard Spahr LLP - $5,000, Wendy Morris - $1,000, John A. Gullo - $1,000, James T. Southwick abd Solace Kirkland Southwick - $1,000, Toria and James Magleby - $1,000, Lawyers Involved for Utah - $500, Eisenberg & Gilchrist, LLC - $500
Key Endorsements: Senator Scott McCoy, Rep. Brian King, Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, Summit County Councilwoman Claudia McMullins, Sim Gill

District 50
Merlynn Newbold
Top Campaign Donors: Quality Jobs Coalition - $2,500,
Don & Joann Ipson - $1,000, Utah House Republican PAC - $1,000, Utah Bankers Association - $500, Reagan Outdoor Sign - $500, IM Flash Technologies - $500,
Key Endorsements:

Steven Roberts
Top Campaign Donors: No campaign contributions over $30
Key Endorsements:

District 53
Melvin Brown
Top Campaign Donors: Utah House Republican Election Committee - $1,000, Utelite - $500, ATK - $500, Energy Solutions - $250, Terra Engineering - $250, Parsons Behle and Latimer - $250
Key Endorsements:

Jon Hellander
Top Campaign Donors:
Dan and Elizabeth Reeb - $1,000, Lyndon Jones Construction - $1,000, Scott Simmons - $600,
Cleve and Jacqueline Smith - $500, Friends of Carl Wimmer, PAC - $400, Utelite Corporation - $250
Key Endorsements: Rep. Sumsion, Rep. Wimmer

District 59
Val Peterson
Top Campaign Donors: Utah Community Credit Union - $2,000, Utah Bankers Association - $1,000, Utah Association of Realtors - $1,000, Canterbury Business Park, L.C. - $500, Jim Michaelis - $500, Utah Medical Association - $250
Key Endorsements: Neighbor endorsements can be read here.

Michael Thompson
Top Campaign Donors: Chuck Warren - $567 (in-kind), Reagan Outdoor Advertising - $500, Dr. Kenn Hansen - $500, Michelle Wolferts - $300
Key Endorsements: NRA, Utah County Republican Assembly, Rep. Wimmer, Rep. Frank, Marty Stephens

Vote June 22nd or Today

2010-06-15T08:31:00.004-06:00

Did you know the Primary Election is a week away, but you can vote today? If your mind is made up, look where you can vote locally this week here. Don't forget to bring your ID.

If you are still undecided in the U.S. Senate race between Mike Lee and Tim Bridgewater, you can read their survey answers to the Deseret News here.

To vote in the Republican Primary you must be registered as a Republican. To vote in the Democratic Primary you may be registered with any party or an unaffiliated voter.

Education Funding's New Buzz Words - Understanding "Backpack Funding" and the "65% Solution"

2010-06-04T14:17:00.000-06:00

Education in Utah is suffering - no one can argue otherwise. There is not enough funding getting to the classroom, and too many rules and regulations on the funding allocated to education. But what to do about this deficit is where lawmakers differ. As the election of school board officials and legislators approaches, two funding 'solutions' are gaining some traction. It is important to understand what Backpack Funding and the 65% Solution are, and who supports them.

Backpack Funding is also known as Weighted Student Funding. There are three principles to Backpack Funding:
1. Funding follows a student to the public school of their choice.
2. Student funding varies based on the child's educational needs (ex. special needs children would receive more)
3. Funding arrives at the school in real dollars, not in numbers of teaching positions or staff.
The goal is to decentralize funding, channeling more of the money directly to the principal, who hires his own staff and uses his school's budget money as he sees fit. It is the ultimate in local control. In Utah, this idea is being pushed by Parents for Choice in Education (the group that supported vouchers). Backpack Funding could mean the end to neighborhood schools. While most districts allow some variances, with total parent choice as some other states have, communities can stop buying in to their own local school. For this idea to be successful, a principal who valued honesty and transparency would also be essential. Remember though, this is not raising the funds available for public schools, just reorganizing the same inadequate pot of money.

The 65% Solution was introduced years ago by a D.C. organization called First Class Education (FCE), Utahns are familiar with one of the group's founders - Patrick Byrne, overstock.com CEO. The idea came from FCE looking into how much money was spent on "classroom instruction" in various states. They concluded that in many states with students were doing well on federal skills tests, about 65% of their budget was spent on "classroom instruction". There are problems with the 65% Solution. While it is good for more money to make it to the classroom, there are other elements that factor into successful schools, for example: quality libraries, a trained support staff of school nurses and counselors, nutritious food service, building maintenance, and adequate transportation. An across the board mandate that 65% of school budgets go to class room instruction fails to account for differences in needs.

This election season when candidates state their support for these measures, question them. Neither 'solution' touches the root of Utah's problem - lack of funding, instead they both just rearrange the existing inadequate budget. It is time to fully fund education, Utah kids deserve that.

Mike Thompson (Utah House, District 59)

2010-06-03T19:25:00.002-06:00

A Utah Mom for Brad Wilson (Utah House, District 15)

2010-05-27T20:59:00.004-06:00

A Utah Mom for Jory Francis (Utah House, District 15)

2010-05-24T08:43:00.003-06:00

THIS WEEKEND'S IMPORTANT TO-DO

2010-05-21T19:03:00.003-06:00

Are you registered to vote? If you are unsure, check here.

If you are NOT registered to vote, it is imperative that you register this weekend. You can find the form to mail-in here. It must be post marked by May 24th, that's Monday. If you miss this deadline you will have to go into your county clerk's office to register, which is frankly a pain.

This year both parties have important races in the Primary. Democrats living in the 2nd Congressional District will choose between Jim Matheson and Claudia Wright; Republicans across the state will pick the party's nominee for the U.S. Senate. Other races besides these two well publicized ones will be on the ballot too.

To vote in the June 22nd Primary as a Republican, you must be registered as a Republican. To change your party affiliation, simply fill out the mail-in form above with your new desired choice for party. Democrats have an open primary, meaning anyone can vote in their primary (including Republicans and unaffiliated voters).

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information. Keep watching for more Mom supporters in the next few weeks, all the candidates covered before the Primary will be on their local ballots.

A Utah Mom for Tim Bridgewater (U.S. Senate)

2010-05-21T09:19:00.002-06:00

During this election season, Utah Moms Care will invite Moms from around the state to guest post on candidates they are supporting. The opportunity is available and offered to all candidates seeking office. Utah Moms Care does not endorse candidates, but does seek to provide its readers with timely information on those running for public office. To find out more about how to guest post, please email utahmomscare at g mail dot com.

Guest post by Holly

I am a mom who lives in Utah county who follows Utah politics pretty closely. I watched the Republican Senate race, and as a delegate, went to meetings and debates, read literature and asked questions. There is no question in my mind that Tim Bridgewater is THE best choice for the US Senate. The majority of the GOP state delegates reached the same conclusion, as he left the state convention with 57% of the vote.

As I was researching, I was leaning heavily towards another candidate, but I took the time to investigate and make the best choice possible. I looked at how the candidates ran their races - who they surrounded themselves with, how the staff acted towards others, how the volunteer supporters treated others, including other campaigns. I watched how they interacted with people of all backgrounds and levels of experience and how they responded under pressure. I believe all of those questions are pertinent to asking how they will do in DC - and I saw some real differences.

Of course it was important to me to know their stand on the issues. I have a couple of caveats right up front, though. Number one, I do not feel that I need to agree with a candidate (or anyone else) 100% of the time on all the issues. Number two, let's just be honest - ALL 8 of the GOP Senate candidates loved the Constitution. All of them. There is not a single one who wants to toss it out, ignore it or have a re-do (although some want to amend it). I felt I needed to move past the campaign rhetoric and to some solid suggestions on what can be DONE back in DC, not just talked about.

Another important piece of the puzzle for me was looking at their level of experience in the real world. Do they have political experience? What kind? Management experience? What kind? What kind of life experiences are they bringing to the table? I am generally skeptical of folks without real world experience, be they the "career politician", the political neophyte or others without a broad base.

Looking at all of those factors (and more), I chose to endorse, support and campaign for Tim Bridgewater. To me, Tim has SHOWN that he is principled. He walks the walk of fiscal conservatism. He walks the walk of a 2nd Amendment rights supporter (and user, LOL). He understands trade issues - because he has dealt with them in several venues over the course of his career. He understands economic issues in a feet-on-the-ground way. He knows what it is to make a payroll. He knows how to work hard - he's done it all his life. He does not act "entitled" - he knuckles down and works for everything he has gotten - even my vote. He understands how to manage and how to lead. He has REAL solutions for the problems we face and talks about how to really go about making change, not just continue to tell us we have a problem. Without fanfare, he just goes to work if he sees a need. He is a doer, not just a talker - and he does not look for public accolades for the service he provides. He has not been content to sit on the political sidelines, only showing up every few years to run for office - or to vote. He has been active and involved for many years. He is also just a very nice, down-to-earth guy, who is not only patient and persistent, but he is kind and not at all arrogant. He "plays well with others" AND stands firm on principle - a combination of traits sorely needed in DC today. I invite you to join me in supporting Tim Bridgewater as THE best person for the job of US Senator.