From Deseret News archives:

Special session set May 24

Lawmakers to hear from Mexico chief; agenda is growing

Published: Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:12 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. made it official Thursday that he's calling lawmakers into special session on May 24 to hear from Mexican President Vicente Fox during an expected visit to Utah — and already, requests for a spot on the agenda are piling up.

The list got even longer Thursday with a request to spend $15 million to build a new, two-level underground parking structure at the state Capitol and make changes to another lot at the northeast corner of the complex.

Members of the Capitol Preservation Board voted unanimously to ask the governor to add the project to the agenda for the special session. Huntsman has not yet said what items he wants the Legislature to consider.

The board could have gone ahead and authorized the expenditure from the $50 million already allocated to the Capitol-renovation project, set for completion late next year. But House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, objected.

Curtis, who serves on the board, said he was "very uncomfortable" authorizing the project because lawmakers would be forced to supplement the budget next session without having had a say in whether the parking was needed.

"That shows a great lack of respect to my colleagues to say we just changed our minds" about what the renovation project should include, Curtis said, noting the parking project was being added at the end of a four year, $200 million-plus effort.

Story continues below
Part of the concern, the speaker said, was that lawmakers always compete fiercely for building projects. Taking $15 million off the table now without legislative input would make "one of the most political processes" even more difficult next session.

The project would add about 270 new underground parking spaces for state employees next to the east side of the Capitol building, at a cost of about $10 million. The rest of the funds would revamp an existing employee lot to create 300 parking stalls for public use.

David Hart, the board's executive director, said work needs to begin on the project by June 1 in order for the parking to be in place when the Capitol is scheduled to reopen in November 2007. Even then, the landscaping atop the underground lot won't be in place, he said.

Mike Mower, the governor's deputy chief of staff and spokesman, said the project will be considered for the special-session agenda, along with several dozen other items that have also been requested.

"We recognize the importance of this project and the timeliness of this request, and we'll review this along with the other requests," Mower said. "We're looking at this (special session) as mainly dealing with technical items from this previous general session."

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

no style points. A win is a win and they needed it.

who can shoot. Tonight AK shot well from the wing. That was crucial as NY...

The Utes have reason to be optimistic... except that it's THIS YEAR'S TEAM...

Away in a manger

I dislike a theocracy as much as the next guy but the constitution says...

House passes health care bill

@Anonymous 10:04 p.m.: "Someone remind me why congress is exempt from...

TCU gets first sellout in 3 years

and big purple Horned Frogs! Both have it in for uties,

I'm sure everyone would have been more comfortable if the police had done a...

Letters: Immigrants need aid

The letter says that immigrants need aid. Yep, they do. However, so do...

U. hopes to keep clicking

Ute butt kicking coming this week! OUCH, and then out of the polls for good...

In my opinion, prison sentences are way too long. Prison sentences should be...

Advertisements
Advertisement