Some state employees will now be able to again park in an underground state Capitol parking lot.

The Legislative Management Committee, which is made up of legislative leaders from both parties, voted unanimously Tuesday to relinquish more than 60 parking spaces previously reserved for legislators in the parking lot beneath the new Capitol plaza, at least most of the time. The sites will now be given to legislative staffers and higher-ranking employees of the state agencies located at the Capitol.

As it was in years past, the spaces will still be reserved for legislators during the 45-day general session, any special sessions and interim committee days. Until now, however, the spaces have been reserved — and practically never occupied — every day, much to the chagrin of state employees forced to park in the outdoor lots or on city streets.

Until this year, 12 spaces were held for legislators throughout the year, primarily to accommodate legislators attending task force meetings, Executive Appropriations or other meetings not scheduled on days when the full Legislature was expected. Under the new rules approved Tuesday, there will now be 26 spaces, although the number can be adjusted.

"This is a better balance," Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said. With the new parking that will be created when the Capitol construction is finished, "it gives enough stalls to our members without taking away stalls from our staff."

Also on Tuesday, the committee assigned almost 200 study items to the interim committees, most of which were the result of bills that either failed or did not get drafted in time. They also added almost a dozen new items, including a review of parental visitation rights and water rights laws.

Along with adding items, legislators removed an item studying an alternative voting system, primarily because they did not understand what was being studied. They also debated two other items, one looking at membership rules for credit unions and another considering whether the state should attempt to ban advertising.

"I'm not an attorney, but this could have some real implications," Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, said about the advertising ban. "We've got some serious problems if we start getting into interstate advertising."

The committee also discussed having an additional day for April's special session, primarily because "there are at least a dozen requests" to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. for issues to be included in the session call, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said. There was no formal action taken, however, because it is the governor's decision to schedule the session.

---

E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com