UTAH CONSERVATION COMMUNITY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 2020 General Legislative Session Issue #1 February 2, 2020 Welcome to the 2020 Legislative Update issue will prepare you to call, email or tweet your legislators This issue includes highlights of week one, what we can with your opinions and concerns! expect in the week ahead, and information for protecting wildlife and the environment. Please direct any questions or ACTION ALERT! comments to Steve Erickson: [email protected]. It’s an election year, and it appears that certain rural and About the Legislative Update trophy hunting interests and politics will attempt to wag The Legislative Update is made possible by the Utah the dog of the sixth most urbanized state yet again. HB Audubon Council and contributing organizations. Each 125 would require that the Director of the Division of Update provides bill and budget item descriptions and Wildlife Resources take immediate action to reduce predators if deer or elk herds dip below management status updates throughout the Session, as well as important objectives. Session dates and key committees. For the most up-to-date Also in the pipeline is HB 228, which would permit information and the names and contact information for all livestock owners to kill predators that harass, chase, legislators, check the Legislature’s website at disturb, harm, attack, or kill livestock on private lands or www.le.utah.gov. The Legislative Update focuses on public grazing allotments. Currently, livestock owners legislative information pertaining to wildlife, sensitive and are compensated for losses due to predation and request invasive species, public lands, state parks, SITLA land DWR remove or take offending predators. management, energy development, renewable energy and Call legislators to oppose these unnecessary, conservation, and water issues. The Update will be unscientific and ethically questionable approaches to predator management! distributed after each Friday of the Session. We may also send out additional Action Alerts during the Session as issues arise that need quick action. We hope each Update Page 1 of 13 with, among them the $300 m. that the legislature withheld News of Week One (Week # 1) last year (or spent as one-time money for on-going expenses). After those adjustments, the GF is left with a Strangely, this legislative session opened the way the shortfall of $16 m. in one-time money and $80 m. in new last one ended – with the collapse of tax reform efforts. growth for FY 21. So the budget is tight but not as dire as Each Session is different, and it’s early, but this could some would claim. wind up being the signature event of this Session. More on what it might mean below in Budget News. There seems to be some residual angst among some According to some observers, fewer bills than most legislators (and leaders) over the public outcry and override years were ready to move quickly in the first week due of the tax package passed in the December Special Session. to the intense focus on tax reform during the interim and Hopefully that will pass soon and not result in budgetary run-up to the opening bell. Still, we can expect another retaliation for critical programs. record number of bill files opened, if not considered. The Governor has requested another $100 m. investment in Notable, if not unusual, are the number of water bills air quality initiatives. It’s unlikely that this will get funded filed. Most have been vetted extensively during the to that level given the budget constraints. “off-season” by stakeholders, so they’re consensus bills that will pass, even if they’re amended. A bill to watch What’s Ahead out for is HB 233, which would fund worthy natural We may see action this week on the controversial wildlife resources programs – but by levying a fee on disposal of bills we oppose (HB 125, HB 228 – see Action Alert). Also depleted uranium – which we oppose. to be heard this week will be SB 88, the big DEQ recod- Budget News ification bill. Appropriations Subcommittees will continue to meet in the The repeal of the tax reform legislation has upended plans mornings next week to meet the noon Wednesday, February for the FY 2021 Budget and for adjustments to the current 5 deadline to approve base budgets for all state agencies. FY 2020 Budget. This has led to a chorus of exclamations Thursday noon is the deadline for new appropriations or bill that “there is no money” available to fund new or expanded requests. Here are the calendars for next week: programs and services. While we hear versions of this dirge every year, it does ring rather hollow this year given pro- https://le.utah.gov/~2020/schedule/h2.pdf jections that the Education Fund revenue is up by $440 https://le.utah.gov/~2020/schedule/s2.pdf million and General Fund revenue increased by 6.7% over FY 19. To be fair, there are “offsets” that must be dealt Page 2 of 13 Rules Committees Senate Rules Committee: House Rules Committee: Sen. Greg Buxton, Chair [email protected] Rep. Tim Hawkes, Chair [email protected] Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, Vice-Chair [email protected] Rep. Robert Spendlove, Vice-Chair [email protected] Sen. Dan Hemmert [email protected] Rep. Joel Briscoe [email protected] Sen. Wayne Harper [email protected] Rep. Jake Anderegg [email protected] Sen. Karen Mayne [email protected] Rep. Sandra Hollins [email protected] Sen. Jani Iwamoto [email protected] Rep. John Knotwell [email protected] Sen. Don Ipson [email protected] Rep. Mike McKell [email protected] Sen. Dan McCay [email protected] Rep. Logan Wilde [email protected] Rep. Casey Snider [email protected] Page 3 of 13 BILL TRACKING LIST Priority Code: 1=High; 2=Medium; 3=Low Bill Sponsor Description/Status Priority Position HB 5 Natural Rep. Barlow Supplements or reduces appropriations for the operation of 1 Support Resources, the Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Agriculture, and Environmental Quality for fiscal years 2020 (July1, 2019 Environmental Quality to June 30, 2020) and 2021 (July 1, 2020 to June 30, Base Budget 2021). In NRAE Appropriations Subcommittee. HB 26 Jordan River Rep. Winder Clarifies that the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State 3 Support Recreation Area Lands manages the money appropriated to programs Funding related to the Jordan River Recreation Area; provides that Management the money appropriated to programs related to the Jordan River Recreation Area are non-lapsing; and makes technical changes. Passed House 74-0-1 on 1/27. In Senate NRAE Standing Committee. HB 27 Waste Tire Rep. Chew Modifies definitions related to waste tire piles; increases 3 Support Recycling the number of whole waste tires a person may transfer at Amendments one time to a landfill or any other location in the state authorized by the director to receive waste tires; addresses storage of whole waste tires; and extends the relevant sunset date. Passed House 74-0-1 on 1/27. In Senate NRAE Standing Committee. HB 28 Legislative Rep. Stratton Extends the sunset date of the Legislative Water 3 Neutral Water Development Development Commission to January 1, 2031. In House Commission Sunset NRAE Standing Committee. Amendments Page 4 of 13 HB 39 Agricultural Rep. Snider Expands the membership of the task force. Passed House 3 Support Water Optimization 72-1-1 on 1/27. In Senate NRAE Standing Committee. Task Force Amendments HB 40 Water Loss Rep. Ballard Enacts the Water Loss Accounting Act, providing for a 2 Support Accountability Act technical advisory committee; requiring water loss accounting reports, providing for technical assistance; and appropriating $1.8 m. one-time and $300,000 on-going. In House NRAE Standing Committee. HB 41 State Water Rep. Stratton Outlines the water policies of the state. In House NRAE 1 Amend, Policy Amendments Standing Committee. likely oppose HB 59 Tax Credit for Rep. Stoddard Extends the availability of the income tax credit related to 3 Support Alternate Fuel Heavy certain alternative fuel heavy duty vehicles. In House Duty Vehicles Rules Committee. HB 62 Enterprise Rep. Sagers Authorizes enterprise zone income tax credits for certain 3 Support Zone Tax Credit investments in and creation of certain full-time jobs in a Amendments business that produces, processes, distributes, or dispenses hydrogen fuel. In House Rules Committee. HB 66 Wildland Fire Rep. Albrect Enacts and modifies provisions relating to wildland fire Studying Planning and Cost planning and cost recovery. In House NRAE Standing Recovery Committee. Amendments HB 85 Federal Rep. Albrect Amends the definitions related to federal designations, 2 Neutral Designations removing the Governor’s Office agencies from the list of Amendments governmental entities required to report to intent to advocate for federal land designations. Passed House NRAE 9-0-4 on 1/30. On House 3rd Reading Calendar. Page 5 of 13 HB 92 Fire Rep. Snider Prohibits a governmental agency from prohibiting pile 3 Support Amendments burns or prescribed fires being started when the United States National Weather Service clearing index for the area where the fire is to occur is above a certain level. In House Rules Committee. HB 94 Water Rep. Hawkes Allows the state engineer to issue a certificate meeting 3 Support Applications certain requirements before evaluating a claim in a general Amendments adjudication for small amounts of water. Passed House NRAE 9-0-4 on 1/30. On House 3rd Reading Calendar. HB 95 General Water Rep. Snider Addresses objections to state engineer determinations of 3 Support Adjudication claims to water. Passed House NRAE 9-0-4 on 1/30.