Fred C. Cox for Utah: March 2015

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Church Lobbyists

While I didn't follow former Representative Carl Wimmer around in 2011, and in fact voted differently than him on several bills, his blogged experiences differ widely to mine re: Church Lobbyists, etc. in 2011.

I posted this several years ago.
http://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2012/03/clarification-regarding-contacting-lds.html

This year, Mr. Wimmer was not involved in the legislature, and his assumptions, as far as I am concerned with 2015 SB 296 and SB 297 are nothing more than that, assumptions, and are also rubbish as far as I am aware.

I have made Facebook comments last week re: this subject. My comments from this thread are below:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/210732079060530/permalink/611492808984453/

Fred C. Cox, March 22, 2015

In 3 general sessions and several special sessions I would say my experience would not match what Carl described. No one from the Church has told me how to vote. For starters I haven't talked to the two he mentioned. I was there in 2011. I loudly complained about a newsroom press release in April 2011 re immigration which was revised in June. Nothing during the session. This year, I started reading SB 100 again for the 3rd year. I have posted major amendments on my blog for over 2 years. I was surprised my complaints were fixed. That was prior to any announcement from the church in January.

I have contacted reps from the church to verify what I was hearing was crap, which it typically was. For example some claiming Healthy Utah was backed by them. I was referred to a pretty generic statement. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-encourages-principled-approach-health-care-coverage-needy-utahns

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/official-statement/political-neutrality

"Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent."

The two he named are no longer lobbyists.

I copied it not because of some lobbyist, but because of some local member of the church giving a representative or senator grief for voting against SB 296.

I voted for SB 296 because of changes that were made to a bill I had been reading for years. The protection of rights on page 23 are huge. The idea that we need a law so people would respect others that believe differently is sad. There is a reason a few activists are concerned it might be replicated. They are so used to calling anyone that disagrees with their view a bigot that the idea we should love others that believe differently is scary to them.

If there was anyone that could have been targeted, would have it been the House Judiciary Committee? I am not aware of any report of anyone on that committee or another in the #utleg that complained about backroom arm twisting on SB 296 coming from the church.

And since I am on the house judiciary committee that vetted SB 296, I would likely have seen something.

Someone asked if there was a LDS caucus. Not that I have ever seen.

I was not following Carl around. I don't know what he saw and didn't. All anyone can report on is what they know. My experience doesn't match. I will not call him a liar. I do not agree with some of his conclusions. People have the right to disagree.

Try reading lines 687 to 691. And while you are there, continue to lines 706. http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/SB0296.html

Lines 182 and 183, along with 790 to 791.

You are trying to put words in my mouth. You conclusion based on what I did say wasn't even close. Assumptions made re: this year, are just that.

So why in 2011, when I voted against HB116 and also spoke against it did I get no contact during the session? Speculation is all that is found here.

The amount of crap being shoveled on this thread would make a lot of fertilizer.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

That seven percent public education increase

The Governor started about $200 Million off, the $116 Million and the $93 Million requiring a law change he hadn't been able to get for years, and the Utah Legislature gets tossed under the buss?

The last minute attempt by the Some Democratic House Members to add $30 Million to a $4 Billion dollar public Ed budget one night and figure how to fund it the next day was drama.

So, they didn't get the $30 Million, and $60 Million was needed to go from 4% increase in WPU, the 2nd largest in 17 years, to 6.25%, a number the Governor came up with but had no real way to get there.

So instead of providing $60 Million more for the WPU, A GOP Senator ran a bill adding $75 Million via a property tax increase.

Public Ed went from $4 Billion to $4.3 Billion. A 7% increase overall.

PS, the $116 Million bump adjustment came from the non partisan Fiscal Analyst, not the GOP members of the Executive Appropriations.

Oh, and many industries in Utah are not back to 2008 pre-recession highs.
Some are not back to 2001 levels

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Rep Fred Cox voting ratings for 2015

Rep Fred Cox voting ratings for 2015 (being updated from 2012 when available)

Note: In several rating systems, one or two votes out of several hundred makes a huge difference.

Due to a House Judicial Committee scheduled and approved during floor time in Room 445 on the next to the last night of the session for 2nd Sub. SB 297, I missed 12 floor votes this year. I would not have otherwise.

My 2015 Votes for the General Session, including Committee Votes are at:
http://www.fredcox4utah.com/2015GenSessionVotes.pdf

Floor votes our of 699 votes. 620 yea, 67 nay, 12 N/V (see above meeting)
Committee Votes out of 127 votes, 119 yea, 8 nay.

http://adambrown.info/p/research/utah_legislature/absent?year=2015

For the 3 sessions, I have 17 votes missed out of 2001 votes or 6th place for 2007 to 2015 % of least missed votes.

For the previous years, Least missed Floor Votes - 2012 Tied for 1st place in both the House and Senate, (for 2011 AND 2012 together, best for both houses)

Utah Taxpayers Association 100% (2015)

http://www.utahtaxpayers.org/?p=3043

Sutherland Institute: 100% (2015)
http://t.co/QRZiE1v9nL

http://www.sutherlandinstitute.org

Utah Charter Network: 94% (2015)
http://utcharternetwork.com/2015-legislative-session-report/

The American Conservative Union: 78% (2015)
http://acuratings.conservative.org/acu-state-legislative-ratings/

Libertas Institute: 71% (2015) #17 (tied) of 75 House Members
http://libertasutah.org/resources/legislator-indexes/2015-index/
http://libertasutah.org/2015-bills/2015-legislative-report/

Grassroots 68% (2015)
http://www.utahgrassroots.org/annual/

Salt Lake Chamber 2015 Business Champion:
7-4-1 or 64% (2015)
http://slchambervote.com/priority-bills/
(4 Senate bills did not make it to the House)

CLI - Conservative - Liberal Index 75.5% (2015)
http://utleg.blogspot.com/2015/05/utah-house-scorecard-compiled-2015.html
http://utleg.blogspot.com/

Utah Education Association 42% (2015)
http://www.myuea.org/sites/utahedu/Uploads/files/Politics/2015-HouseVotingRecords.pdf
http://www.myuea.org/issues_action/uea_under_the_dome/legislative_voting_records.aspx

Utah Sierra Club 29% (2015)
https://utah.sierraclub.org/sites/utah.sierraclub.org/files/2015_Utah_House_Scorecard.pdf
https://utah.sierraclub.org/content/utah-legislative-scorecard

Number of No Votes on the Floor 67 votes or 9.6% #23 in the House (2015)
http://adambrown.info/p/research/utah_legislature/nay?year=2015

Party Line Voting 72.5% (2015)

http://adambrown.info/p/research/utah_legislature/party_support?year=2015

National Rifle Association - Political Victory Fund, (NRA) B+ and 2014 Endorsed Candidate

National Federation of Independent Business, NFIB/Utah SAFE Trust, 2014 Endorsed Candidate

Items to be updated:

Ideology scores for the Utah House of Representatives, 2012 (not yet for 2015)
http://adambrown.info/p/research/utah_legislature/ideology_house?year=2012

Salt Lake Tribune Red/Blue Rating 70% (2012)
http://local.sltrib.com/upload/2012/05/1337821918legratings.pdf

Planned Parenthood Action Council of Utah 0% (2012)
http://ppacutah.org/legislative-scorecards/

Complete voting record for 2012:
http://www.fredcox4utah.com/2012Cox.pdf

See also:
http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/128581/fred-cox

My 2012 Ratings/Rankings are at:
http://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2012/03/rep-fred-cox-voting-ratings-for-2012.html

2011 ratings or rankings are at:
http://www.fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2011/04/rep-fred-c-cox-voting-ratings-for-2011.html

Week 7 Update Final

Week 7 of the Legislative General Session. Final

Numbered bills for Rep. Fred C. Cox

http://le.utah.gov/asp/billsintro/RepResults.asp?Listbox3=COXFC

H.B. 29 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board Amendments
passed the House and the Senate, waiting for the Governor's signature

H.B. 126 Design Professionals - Amendments (See Sub. 3)
in House Business and Labor. A new Sub. 2 was written and failed to pass the committee.
A new bill, S.B. 298 was created and put on the Senate Business and Labor committee agenda, but was sent to Interim Study. This bill will be worked on this summer.

H.B. 162 Construction Trades Continuing Education Amendments
in House Business and Labor. It isn't moving as HB 193 removes the requirement instead of fixing it.
HB 193 has been modified to be similar to HB 162. It passed both houses waiting for the Governor's signature

H.B. 177 Absentee Ballot Amendments (See Sub 2)
passed the House and the Senate, waiting for the Governor's signature

H.B. 243 Vintage Vehicle Amendments
passed the House and the Senate, waiting for the Governor's signature

H.B. 281 Revisions to Elections Law
failed to pass the House Government Operations Committee
An identical bill passed a Senate Committee and failed on the 2nd reading for the Senate.

HB 286 Building Code Amendments
in House Business and Labor. A different bill, with the same amendments and others, HB 285 is moving, passed the House and a the Senate, but with only 2 minutes to midnight on the last night. There was a senate amendment of one word in committee. The bill needed to come back to the house to concur prior to midnight. It didn't. The critical changes that were in HB 285 will be debated this summer. The items in HB 286 may be considered for a special session, if one happens or could be included by rule until next year.

HB 448 Disabled Adult Child Guardianship
sent form the House Committee to be debated this summer during interim. Part of the bill was included in a different bill HB 380 that passed both houses and is waiting for the Governor's Signature.

HB 450 Licensing Modifications
sent form the House Committee to be debated this summer during interim.

See the above link for more information. Remember, any bill may change and that could change my support or opposition.

Committees

I have also been very involved in debating, amending and voting for and against many other bills, along with on going discussions on the budget and policy decisions.

Stay on top of posts from my blog:
http://www.fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/

CONTACT INFORMATION:

801-966-2636 (home)

Official Legislative Website and email
http://le.utah.gov/house2/detail.jsp?i=COXFC

The best way to get a hold of me is via email at:

fredcox@le.utah.gov

There have been 4 town hall meetings, well attended with one more. Hundreds of Surveys have been returned. I am still reading them. I have some general statistics from them which is always amazing.

2015 Town Hall Meetings at Hunter Library 4740 West 4100 South West Valley City, Utah
Thu. January 22, 2015, 7:00pm to 8:30pm (completed)
Sat. January 24, 2015, 1:00pm to 2:30pm (completed)
Sat. January 31, 2015, 4:00pm to 5:30pm (completed)

Sat. February 28, 2015, 10:30am to 11:45am (completed)

A 2015 survey is at:
http://www.fredcox4utah.com/Survey2015.pdf

Friday, March 6, 2015

Week Six Update

Week six of the Legislative General Session.

Numbered bills for Rep. Fred C. Cox

http://le.utah.gov/asp/billsintro/RepResults.asp?Listbox3=COXFC

H.B. 29 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board Amendments
passed the House and the Senate, waiting for the Governor's signature

H.B. 126 Design Professionals - Amendments (See Sub. 3)
in House Business and Labor. A new Sub. 2 was written and failed to pass the committee.
A new bill, S.B. 298 was created and put on the Senate Business and Labor committee agenda, but was sent to Interim Study. This bill will be worked on this summer.

H.B. 162 Construction Trades Continuing Education Amendments
in House Business and Labor. It isn't moving as HB 193 removes the requirement instead of fixing it.
HB 193 has been modified to be similar to HB 162. It is in the Senate and is likely to pass. We will see what the House does when it comes back changed.

H.B. 177 Absentee Ballot Amendments (See Sub 2)
passed the House and the Senate, waiting for the Governor's signature

H.B. 243 Vintage Vehicle Amendments
Passed the House and is in the Senate 2nd Reading

H.B. 281 Revisions to Elections Law
failed to pass the House Government Operations Committee
An identical bill passed a Senate Committee and failed on the 2nd reading for the Senate.

HB 286 Building Code Amendments
in House Business and Labor. A different bill, with the same amendments and others, HB 285 is moving passed the House and a Senate Committee.

HB 448 Disabled Adult Child Guardianship
in House Health and Human Services Committee and on the agenda

HB 450 Licensing Modifications
in House Rules waiting for a fiscal note.

See the above link for more information. Several bills may not be required if the situation is solved in another bill.

Remember, any bill may change and that could change my support or opposition.

Committees