'Are we there yet?' Lawmakers gripe about journey to Fillmore

It's not that they don't like a good time. Rather, a number of Utah legislators didn't attend Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s State of the State address in Fillmore last night because they had more important things to do — like take care of sick kids or conduct legislative work.

And besides, the speech was broadcast live on four local TV networks and a number of radio stations, so they could hear it if they wanted.

A few lawmakers also didn't like the fact that the Legislature had to recess its work at noon Tuesday to get on buses (after a quick lunch) to make the six-hour round trip to central Utah.

A rough count of legislators attending the Fillmore event placed the number around 70 out of the 104 legislators.

"I won't be going," Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake, said Tuesday morning. "I was elected to represent my constituents when the Legislature meets. And that is up here (in Salt Lake City.)"

Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan, said he was boarding the bus. "But I'm not crazy about it."

Losing half a day's work out of the 33 days the legislators meet is an imposition, Mascaro said. (While convened and paid for 45 consecutive calendar days, legislators don't meet on Saturdays and Sundays.)

"It's a concern — I have some Medicaid bills (restoring funding for some programs) that are very important to a lot of people," Mascaro said. "And I hate to lose half a day of work where they could be moving forward" in the legislative process.

But other legislators said Huntsman's unprecedented move of holding a constitutionally required speech outside of Salt Lake City didn't bother them at all.

"I think it's a good idea. I'm going," said House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake. "We're not losing that much time on considering bills."

Huntsman's address in Fillmore, "may be nice for Fillmore, but it is certainly inconvenient for us," said Rep. Dave Hogue, R-Riverton. Hogue said he was going south but didn't seem too pleased about it.

Before the House recessed Tuesday, Hogue rose to ask House Speaker Greg Curtis whether legislators who drove their own cars would get legislative mileage reimbursement for the trip.

No, said Curtis, R-Sandy.

The trip is not an official function "and we as a Legislature will not be in session" in Fillmore, Curtis said. He planned to drive his own car part of the way and he'll just eat that mileage, he said.

Normally, the House and Senate convene in a "joint conference" to hear the governor's State of the State address. But the Constitution says the Legislature can meet officially only in Salt Lake City.