Lawmakers want special session on vote, veto

Utah GOP legislative leaders want a May special session to correct a flawed vote that puts at risk $100 million in education funding and to adopt a compromise on a farmland subdivision bill vetoed by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

"It is likely" that a special session will be called, said Huntsman spokesperson Lisa Roskelley, "although we are still working on the specifics" of what really does need to be fixed now and what can wait until the 2010 Legislature.

"We would just hold the special session during our (May 20) interim study day at lunch, so as to not disturb our regular committee meetings," said House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton.

A poll of House and Senate members lacked two-thirds support to call an override session on the other bill Huntsman vetoed — a controversial video-game truth-in-advertising measure.

Huntsman's veto of that bill angered some conservatives. "But we'll just let (sponsor Rep.) Mike Morley handle that issue in the 2010 session," said Garn.

Around $100 million in public education funding is at risk, state officials say, because HB2 — a school funding bill — did not pass by two-thirds votes in both the House and Senate.

A debate on limiting the number of new charter schools pushed some legislators to vote against HB2, and it was not noticed at the time by sponsors that the measure needed two-thirds votes for the 2009 spending portion of the $2 billion bill.

It takes two-thirds votes for a bill to become law upon signature of the governor. And HB2 contained some federal stimulus money for fiscal 2009, which ends June 30.

That money needs to be allocated in the current fiscal year, not in the next budget, leaders said, so they believe it is best to act in May.

In the governor's veto letter on the farmland bill, he said it could endanger good sewer and drinking-water regulations.

But Garn said a compromise has been worked out with Huntsman's office, "and if we have a May special session, we hope (the bill sponsored by Rep. Curt Webb, R-Logan) will be on the call."

Under the Utah Constitution, only the governor may call special legislative sessions, and he alone sets the agenda.

Said Garn: "There are some things we need to clean up" from the 400-plus bills passed by the 2009 session, which adjourned March 12, "and we hope we can take care of them quickly in a noontime session."

E-MAIL: bbjr@desnews.com