Legislative Updates - 29 January 2024

HB78 passed the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee 7-2 on Jan 23rd, and awaits consideration by the full House.

Picking winners and losers in the marketplace through subsidies, unequal tax treatment, and other “incentives” is not a proper role of government. GrassRoots favors a “no” vote on HB78.

*HB164, “Digital Currency Modifications”, sponsored by Representative Clancy and Senator Kennedy, would:

• define "central bank digital currency" (CBDC) to mean “a digital currency, a digital medium of exchange, or a digital monetary unit of account issued by the United States Federal Reserve System, a federal agency, a foreign government, a foreign central bank, or a foreign reserve system, that is: (i) made directly available to a consumer by such entities; or (ii) processed or validated directly by such entities”; and
• specify that “A central bank digital currency . . . is not specie legal tender and is not legal tender in the state.”

HB164 passed the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee 9-0 on Jan 23rd, and awaits consideration by the full House.

Many of our current economic problems, including our recent episode of inflation and growing inequality of wealth, are at least partially traceable to the monopoly known as the Federal Reserve. With plans in the Biden Administration to implement a central bank digital currency, there is reason for concern that: a) the existing Federal Reserve monopoly will be strengthened; and b) with the phasing out of relatively-private cash transactions, unprecedented tools will be in place for the establishment of a total Surveillance State.

It is necessary and proper for our state to resist measures to eliminate privacy in our monetary transactions. GrassRoots favors a “yes” vote on HB164.

*HB285Sub2, “Labor Union Amendments”, sponsored by Representative Teuscher and Senator Bramble, would, according to the bill’s long title:

• require public employee labor organizations to conduct a recertification election every five years;
• prohibit a public employer from deducting union dues from a public employee's wages, except in certain circumstances;
• prohibit using public money or public property to assist, promote, or deter union organizing or administration;
• prohibit a public employer from compensating a public employee for union activity, with certain exceptions;
• require certain labor organizations to provide the number of members in the labor organization to a public employer upon request;
• define terms; and
• make technical and conforming changes.

SB285Sub2 passed the House Business and Labor Committee 8-4 on Jan 26th, and awaits consideration by the full House.

Tax dollars and government resources should not be appropriated or used for the collection of labor union dues, or otherwise promoting or deterring labor union goals. HB285Sub2 appears to be a step in the right direction. GrassRoots tentatively favors a “yes” vote on HB285Sub2.

Updated status on bills covered in our last weekly update:

*SB56, “Home School Amendments”, sponsored by Senator Grover, would remove the notary requirement on a home school affidavit. Additional coverage of SB56 may be found in our update of January 22nd.

SB56 passed the Senate 2nd reading 24-0 on Jan 26th, and awaits consideration on the Senate 3rd reading calendar.

GrassRoots still favors a “yes” vote on SB56.

*SCR3, “Concurrent Resolution Supporting Major League Baseball in Utah”, sponsored by Senator Fillmore and Representative Wilcox, would express “the strong support from the Legislature and the Governor to bring Major League Baseball to the great state of Utah.” Additional coverage of SCR3 may be found in our update of January 22nd.

SCR3 passed the Senate 26-3 on January 23rd, and the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee 9-0 on Jan 26th, and awaits consideration by the full House.

We have received feedback that SCR3 is not explicitly calling for government subsidies. That is a fair point. There is certainly some subjectivity in how one might interpret what the resolution is implying. This is one reason we earlier specified that we “tentatively” favor a “no” vote on SCR3.

Still, we would make a couple points here. First, local governments have often subsidized sports franchises in various ways. Here in Utah, tax-dollars went to the local baseball park in Salt Lake Valley in the 1990s. We consider this to be improper use of government force.

Second, the resolution is already showing some government favoritism. Why are we favoring Major League Baseball (MLB) coming to Utah, but we have not seen any resolutions favoring gun manufacturers, Uranium prospectors and processors, or missionaries from one or another religious denomination coming to Utah? In all of these cases, we believe that these decisions should be left totally to the marketplace without government intervention and-or propaganda assistance.

GrassRoots still tentativey favors a “no” vote on SCR3.

If you have any questions about these bills, GrassRoots’ position on these bills, or related matters, please contact either of us or any other member of the Board of Utah GrassRoots.

Sincerely,

Steve Stromness
Vice-Chairman, Bill Review Coordinator, Utah GrassRoots
steven.stromness@gmail.com
435-637-5248

Don Guymon
Chairman, Utah GrassRoots
donguymon@gmail.com
801-574-9461

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