2010 Utah Legislation of Interest to Slow Food Utah (Updated)

Contents

There are a few pieces of legislation in the 2010 Utah Legislative session that relate to issues of concern to Slow Food Utah.

Slow Food Utah encourages responsible citizen input in the legislative process.

Below is a brief summary of each bill.

Agriculture Sustainability Act

H.B. 102 "Agriculture Sustainability Act" (Full text available at this link.)
Summary Page
Sponsor: Rep. Jack Draxler, North Logan, Cache County.
Final Status: H.B. 102 Second Substitute - Defeated in committee, so was not heard on the floor of the House.

This bill:
1) defines terms;
2) requires a county to establish an Agriculture Sustainability Investment Fund (fund);
3) requires a county to deposit a rollback tax collected by the county into the fund;
4) authorizes the county to appropriate money in the fund as directed by an appropriation plan;
5) in certain circumstances, directs the county to transfer money from the fund to the Leray McAllister Critical Land Conservation Program;
6) creates the Agricultural Preservation Selection and Funding Committee(committee);
7) authorizes the committee to:
    a) appoint nonvoting members;
    b) adopt an appropriation plan;
    c) adopt land evaluation and site assessment criteria;
    d) approve or reject an application for an agriculture conservation easement; and
    e) approve an instrument to be recorded to secure an agriculture conservation 27 easement;
8) authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Food to hold an agriculture conservation easement approved by the committee;
9) authorizes the department to annually review a property subject to an agriculture conservation easement;
10) prohibits an owner of property subject to an agriculture conservation easement from using the property for nonagriculture production;
11) establishes certain protections for an agriculture conservation easement, including:
    a) prohibiting a political subdivison from enacting a law, ordinance, or regulation that would unreasonably restrict agricultural production;
    b) requiring that a political subdivision prohibit, in certain circumstances, activities on property subject to an agriculture conservation easement; and
   c) prohibiting a political subdivision from condemning property subject to an agriculture conservation easement without complying with certain requirements;
12) authorizes a one-time increase in the calculation of a taxing entity's certified tax rate;
13) amends related tax provisions; and
14) makes technical corrections.

According to a recent Salt Lake Tribune article, the Agriculture Sustainability Act would:

• Taxes collected when farmland is developed would be earmarked to buy development rights from other farmers who want their property to remain in agricultural production.
• Counties receiving these taxes would be required to place the money into a fund to pay farmers and ranchers who are willing to place a conservation easement on their property so the land cannot be developed.
• County boards would select properties to be placed in the ag-lands program, and only productive farmlands would be eligible.

Rainwater Harvesting

S.B 32 "Rainwater Harvesting" (Full text available at this link.)
Summary Page
Sponsor: Sen. Scott K. Jenkins, Plain City, Weber County.
Final Status: S.B. 32 Substitute - Passed in modified form.

This bill:
1) provides for the collection and use of precipitation without obtaining a water right under certain conditions; and
2) makes technical corrections.

See article: "Lawmakers want to legalize backyard rainwater use." Jan. 28, 2010.

Vending Machines in Public Schools

S.B 49 "Vending Machines in Public Schools" (Full text available at this link.)
Summary Page
Sponsor: Sen. Pat Jones, Holladay, Salt Lake County.
Final Status: S.B. 49 Fourth Substitute - Defeated. (The Senate Education Committee returned the bill to the Rules Committee, defeating the Bill.)

This bill:
1) provides a list of allowed beverages that may be sold in vending machines at elementary and secondary schools; and
2) establishes compliance dates.

See related Salt Lake Tribune editorial "Nutrition message: Schools shouldn't peddle junk food."

[Webmeister's Note: While the following is not legislative news, it does express some of the frustration and sentiment that can be found amongst various communities here in Utah.]

First, here's a photo of a float in the St. Patrick's Day Parade held in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 13, 2010, the weekend after the 2010 Legislative Session ended.  It was taken by the Webmeister.

"The Alliance of Dentisits, Diet & Dialysis Centers says
THANK YOU UTAH LEGISLATURE
for Keeping Junk Food in our schools!"

Second, this one speaks for itself...

Rolly: Tip o' the glass to lawmaking class
By Paul Rolly
Tribune Columnist
Salt Lake Tribune
Updated:03/16/2010

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, my favorite holiday because of the culture it celebrates, here are some Limerick odes to the recently completed – and somewhat bizarre – session of the Utah State Legislature:

To the feds we won't stop our yellin',
We will oust that ominous villain,
We'll not tolerate
Another's mandate,
Unless it's us doing the tellin'

 

We stand by a strong moral station,
And will tolerate no deviation,
But if it's one of our own
We'll throw not a stone,
We'll give 'em a standing ovation.

 

We'll stand for no favoritism,
Because that's evil socialism,
But we won't make a fuss,
At a privilege for us,
Cause the Lord favors some elitism.

 

We know the concerns on the budget,
But when the time comes we will fudge it,
We worry much more,
'Bout the wolves on our shore,
And care less about those who begrudge it.

 

We gladly will hold public meetings,
Our committees just love their own bleatings,
But if you try to talk,
And don't walk our walk,
We'll quickly remove all your seatings.

 

The Leg. needs more say on the Senate,
'Cause folks keep re-electing Bob Bennett,
Who won't properly bow
At state lawmakers' prow,
And instead flies the federal pennant.

 

You remember our Senator Buttars,
Of gays and monkeys he mutters,
Now he's afraid,
If you go to 12th grade,
You'll just end up in the gutters .

 

Some see a need for more sex ed
The knowledge will help teens avoid dread
But a woman named Gayle
Ensures that plan will fail
'Cause she doesn't give teachers the cred.

 

Where do we start with Rep. Wimmer?
Some say they can't get much dimmer.
As a former cop
He'll get the drop
On any liberal welfare-type skimmer.

 

Rep. Noel will protect our state lands
From despicable federal hands
As a sturdy cowboy
With his three-wheeler toy
He'll show who has the sturdiest glands.

 

Our lawmakers love the tea parties,
'Cause they seem to attract all the smarties
And, oh what the heck,
Some clones of Glenn Beck,
Who may have had too many Bacardis.

 

Paul Rolly is a political columnist. Contact him at prolly@sltrib.com