Buzz Blog

The Legislative off-season is winding down and soon the 2012 sessions will be upon us. Get caught up on issues ranging from conflicts of interest at the Utah Transit Authority to congressional redistricting.---

Tuesday, Sept. 20, Utah State Capitol, 350 N. State:

Get a look at the state’s money situation with the Executive Appropriations Committee, which will be meeting to discuss federal grants, fiscal year 2011 surplus reports and other issues. State Capitol Room 445, 1 p.m.

Later, the Water Issues Task Force will discuss alternative financing options for a Lake Powell pipeline project that has been in development since 2006. State Capitol Room 450, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 21, Utah State Capitol, 350 N. State:

Early risers on the hill can check out the Retirement and Independent Entities Committee to hear an overview of the sweeping retirement reforms passed in the last session and how they’ve played out so far. Analysts will also give a presentation on Utah’s new retirement rates. State Capitol, Room 445, 7:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, over at the Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee discussion will be given to Rep. Wayne Harper, R-West Jordan, in discussing the idea of merging state agencies. This, after Harper last session failed to pass a bill out of committee that would have merged the Department of Environmental Quality with the Department of Natural Resources. Critics at the time worried it would subvert the mission of the DEQ in protecting Utah’s environment. Room 30 House Building, 9 a.m.

Later on, you won’t want to miss a review of recent audits of the Utah Transportation Authority at the Transportation Interim Committee. The committee will hear a presentation on conflicts of interest allegations with the UTA board. One such conflict reviewed involved developer Terry Diehl, who served on the board the same time he worked for a company looking to develop property adjacent a future Frontrunner stop. Room 25 House Building, 2 p.m.

Over at the Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development Interim Committee, Matt Minkevitch, Director of the Road Home nonprofit service agency and homeless shelter, will join Department of Workforce Services Director Kristen Cox and others in discussing what the state can do to help Utahns break the generational cycle of welfare and poverty. Room 20 House Building, 2 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 22 Utah State Capitol, 250 N. State:

The Legislature's months-long redistricting process is winding down, and this meeting may be the one that get’s the committee closer to finalizing a map for Utah’s congressional districts. The new map will either be the favored pizza formation that slices Utah’s urban and liberal center and mixes it with large, rural conservative districts, or the other long-shot option of a donut approach that leaves the liberal enclave of Salt Lake County as its own district. We hope you like pizza. Room 30 House Building, 9 a.m.

For more info on the committee or to listen to live audio of the meetings, visit the Legislature’s main page here.