The 2013 Legislative Session Update

My favorite bills that passed are HB 338, Alimony Revisions, HB 36 Storm Water Capture Amendments, HB 262 Unaffiliated Voter Amendments, and HB 215 Water Quality Amendments, all of which I originally pulled the bill requests last year as a Representative, transferred to others and they passed both houses. [update: the Governor signed all 4 bills]

I have to thank the new House sponsors and Senate sponsors  and others for their hard work in my place. HB 338 Alimony was originally SB11, but it didn't pass the Senate Committee. The final version of HB 338, Alimony, received 27 yea votes and no, no votes in the Senate and passed the House by over 2/3. I also need to thank Stan Rasmussen and Sen. Valentine and several interested voters that wrote the legislature with personal stories and reasons for the bill.

I actively fought and spoke to have HB 338 Alimony and HB 36 Storm Water pass and HB 36 was one of the last bills voted on the last night of the session passing both houses with all yea votes. I need to thank Soren Simonsen for helping solve an impasse that blocked passage for over a year.

I also want to point out HB 88, Land Use Amendments, Rep. M. Brown, passed and was signed. It was very similar to, and solved the precise concerns raised in the bill that I had drafted for the 2013 Session that was later abandoned by Rep. S. Cox, partly because of HB 88 being drafted, and Rep. S. Cox deciding he didn't support the bill.

HB 253, Employment Verification Amendments, which I had drafted was heard in committee, but I was not able to get my proposed amendments to the bill drafted after Sen. Bramble pulled his SB 225, Immigration Trigger Dates which extended the 2011 HB 116 guest worker start date.

I am also very glad that HB 310, HB 202 and HB 217 passed keeping our Building, Energy and Fire codes. I worked hard on those as an interested and vocal citizen.

I actively fought the SB 267 New Convention Hotel Development Incentive Act,  which failed by 2 votes. I actively worked to fix SB 120, which defines when the state forester can ban target practicing, which the sponsor agreed to run anyway after putting it on hold. The decision to restart the bill was partly because of my proposed amendments.

I am amazed the HB 268, Rep. Ray's gun bill didn't get voted on in the Senate. I didn't see that coming. I believe that will cause HB 76 Open Carry to be vetoed, and be the reason it won't get the upcoming veto overridden. I had concerns with even the final version of the bill HB 76, but they are greatly increased because HB 268 didn't pass.

I would have tried to kill the smoking in cars with kids bill and the teenager cell phone use bill as I believe the bills, as drafted, overstep private property rights.

I actively fought raising the sales tax on food and a recall election bill.

I congratulate Rep. Fisher for running HB 240, Alcohol Service in Restaurants which passed both houses. It will help solve a problem with enforcement run amok.

Overall, I am happy with the session and thankful for all the hard work that was done.

Disclaimer, I was not paid for any work on any of these bills in 2013, complying with State Law.