Set in Concrete?
The public hearing in the Education Committee meeting this afternoon, the House floor debate on Thursday and the public vote to follow are all formalities. The decision to pass the tuition tax credit bill that reportedly will cost Utah taxpayers more than $14 million over the next two years was made behind closed doors by House leadership Monday.
The only thing different from Tammany Hall was there were no cigars.
After heavy arm-twisting and confronting about a half dozen fence-sitting legislators with survey results in their districts indicating their constituents want vouchers, House leaders conducted their head count and determined they have the votes to pass the bill.
The Senate has passed voucher legislation before, so once it passes the House, it is expected to land on Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s desk.
Despite the fact the public has consistently rejected vouchers in opinion polls, and a recent Salt Lake Tribune poll had vouchers going down by a 57 percent to 33 percent margin, and despite the fact that pro-voucher groups failed to get their candidates elected after spending more than a half million dollars on the effort, legislative manipulation will get it done.
This is how leadership made the decision behind closed doors on Monday: The bill came out of the Rules Committee chaired by Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, who is the sponsor of the bill. It immediately was assigned for a hearing this afternoon in the House Education Committee, which was stacked by House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, with pro-voucher representatives.
Of the 15 members of the committee, nine are definite yes votes, say legislative head counters.
A time-certain vote on the House floor will then be set for Thursday morning and the bill will pass, legislative insiders say.
Members of the Republican caucus say Curtis has said in the caucus he intends to get the bill passed this year. He was angry about almost losing his race last fall. He won by a scant 20 votes, and reportedly blames, among others, public education advocates, for his near defeat.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
The only thing different from Tammany Hall was there were no cigars.
After heavy arm-twisting and confronting about a half dozen fence-sitting legislators with survey results in their districts indicating their constituents want vouchers, House leaders conducted their head count and determined they have the votes to pass the bill.
The Senate has passed voucher legislation before, so once it passes the House, it is expected to land on Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s desk.
Despite the fact the public has consistently rejected vouchers in opinion polls, and a recent Salt Lake Tribune poll had vouchers going down by a 57 percent to 33 percent margin, and despite the fact that pro-voucher groups failed to get their candidates elected after spending more than a half million dollars on the effort, legislative manipulation will get it done.
This is how leadership made the decision behind closed doors on Monday: The bill came out of the Rules Committee chaired by Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, who is the sponsor of the bill. It immediately was assigned for a hearing this afternoon in the House Education Committee, which was stacked by House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, with pro-voucher representatives.
Of the 15 members of the committee, nine are definite yes votes, say legislative head counters.
A time-certain vote on the House floor will then be set for Thursday morning and the bill will pass, legislative insiders say.
Members of the Republican caucus say Curtis has said in the caucus he intends to get the bill passed this year. He was angry about almost losing his race last fall. He won by a scant 20 votes, and reportedly blames, among others, public education advocates, for his near defeat.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
11:50 AM
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