Governor signs school-district bills

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on Monday signed the four special-session bills related to creating smaller school districts, including legislation allowing a vote this November to split the Jordan School District.

Lawmakers voted during the one-day special session last Wednesday to take that decision out of Salt Lake County's hands. HB1002 allows a public vote if municipalities representing 80 percent of a new district agree.

But the Legislature couldn't decide on what to do about equalizing school property taxes for new buildings. Instead, HB1003 sets up a task force to examine the issue. The two other bills signed deal with issues related to possible splits in Jordan and Granite districts.

There was no action in the special session on animal cruelty, despite Huntsman's push to get "Henry's Law" passed. The bill, named for the small, mixed-breed dog that survived being baked in an oven and beaten with a leaf blower, was instead sent to a legislative committee.