Further, Ure said, someone in the legislative branch of government should be familiar with the state's homeland security operations, so that in the event of an emergency, lawmakers have some idea of how state law enforcement, health and other agencies will respond.

"I know it's a very sensitive, high-security thing we are talking about, especially at this time in the United States. I'm not necessarily trying to intrude," said Ure. "I feel like as a Legislature we ought to have information as to what is taking place in homeland security, not that it's advertised around the state."

In the absence of a quorum, Ure suggested he and co-chairman Howard Stephenson, R-Salt Lake, draft a letter to House and Senate leadership, asking for their thoughts on the matter in time for the committee's next meeting.

"It's a frightening issue for me. It's a black box," Stephenson said. "We don't want to have anyone who would threaten our country or state to know our plans. It's a really weird world we're living in."

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E-mail: jdobner@desnews.com