Briefly at the Utah Legislature

» View our Utah politics blog, with live updates and analysis of the 2012 legislative sessions.

Internet gambling bills advance out of House

State lawmakers took aim at Internet gambling in two separate bills Tuesday.

Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, said he introduced HB108 as a pre-emptive strike against federal legislation that would legalize online gaming and gambling with handheld devices. The federal bill would legalize Internet gambling unless the state specifically opts out, he said.

"This is just a safety measure to make sure Utah stays gambling free," said Sandstrom, who is running for Congress.

Utah prohibits any form of gambling.

HB108 has not had a committee hearing.

Also Tuesday, the House passed HB40 to eliminate vague wording in state law that some Internet cafes have claimed allows them to run games of chance.

Bill sponsor Rep. Don Ipson, R-St. George, said those cafes have become "havens for criminal activity." The bill, he said, tightens up the language so cops can police them more effectively.

The bill now moves to the Senate.

— Dennis Romboy

Mammogram bill would provide more information for women

Radiologists would be encouraged to provide patients more extensive breast cancer screening results under a bill passed Tuesday by the Utah Senate.

SB32 would encourage radiologists to include information about a woman's breast density on the report they receive following a mammogram. Right now, the results only tell women if cancer was detected during the test.

Mammograms detect dense tissue but they aren't as effective in detecting cancers in women who have dense tissue. In those case, women would be made aware to consult with their physicians on whether they require followup tests.

Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, said while his mother and mother-in-law are both breast cancer survivors and women need this information to make better decisions about managing their health care, he questioned whether a recommendation to health care providers belonged in the Utah Code.

The code should be filled with matters of law, not recommendations.