Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- When the Utah Legislature begins its 2011 general session Monday, legislators will aim to fix what some see as a broken immigration system and to cut an already tight budget.
During their 45-day session, they also may decide whether to loosen the state's permissive gun laws, protect gays and lesbians from discrimination and challenge federal authority over land use.
For state leaders, the $11.9 billion budget is the primary concern. Although Utah has a surplus of more than $200 million, many programs have been funded with one-time infusions of money during the economic downturn.
Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said the resulting "structural imbalance" means budget cuts are necessary again this year.
"We will look at what's important, and prioritize." House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo
Initially, state agencies are being told to submit budgets with 7 percent cuts. Waddoups said the goal is to find savings and force directors to justify programs.
Instead of across-the-board cuts, he would prefer to shore up necessary programs -- such as education -- by slashing funding in areas deemed less important.
House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, said that the proposed cuts have "caused a lot of angst and concern" but they are only a starting point.
"We will look at what's important, and prioritize," Lockhart said.
Republican Gov. Gary Herbert, however, said budgets already have been cut enough in recent years. His budget proposal includes few cuts and provides additional funding for education and health and human services.
Immigration may be the most hotly debated topic during the session. One proposed bill is modeled on Arizona's controversial law, which sought to crack down on illegal immigration by strictly enforcing laws, including having local police who are enforcing other laws question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. The federal government has won an injunction blocking the provisions and Arizona is awaiting a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on its appeal.
An alternative proposal before Utah lawmakers would allow illegal immigrants to register with the state so they can live and work in Utah without fear of deportation.
Comment on Facebook
Waddoups said the enforcement bill is a start, but any legislation should recognize the economic impacts of immigrants and reinforce that Utah welcomes legal immigrants.
"You can't just say we're going to punish them," Waddoups said. "That not Utah. Compassion is an overused term, but we want people to succeed. That needs to be part of it -- we want to be welcoming."
Immigration is part of a larger frustration with federal policies that Utah lawmakers believe hurt the state or trample on state sovereignty.
Generally, legislative anger has been expressed through resolutions that had little effect beyond fueling national debate.
Now Waddoups said there needs to be substantive action on issues such as use of public lands, which make up more than half of the state.
"We have to find a way to get access to those lands and develop them," Waddoups said.
That may require expensive litigation, which Waddoups and Lockhart both think legislators would support.
"We need to find an issue we can take to the courts," Waddoups said. "We want to exert our rights."
While legislators will be flexing their muscle with the federal government, Waddoups and Lockhart don't think they should impose their will on local governments over gay rights.
Again this year, a statewide measure prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation is being proposed. A similar law already has been passed by about a dozen cities, and in Salt Lake City the ordinance received the endorsement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Comment on Facebook
What that proves, Waddoups said, is local governments know best. Not every city supports the proposal, and Waddoups doesn't think the Legislature should force it on them.
Legislators can expect debates about Utah's gun laws. One proposal would allow Utah residents to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, while another would create a state gun.
There is also a question of whether people can openly carry a gun -- which is permitted in state law -- on a university campus. The University of Utah and Utah Valley University prohibit guns on campus unless they are concealed and the person has a permit, which some legislators argue violates state law.
Lockhart's role as Speaker of the House may change the debate.
The first female House Speaker in Utah history was elected by a coalition of conservative and moderate Republicans in a very tight leadership race despite her conservative credentials.
She said that she pulled the diverse group together, in part, by promising to include everyone in the process. That includes Democrats, who hold only 17 seats in the 75-member House.
"Each member of the minority was still elected to represent a district," Lockhart said. "The right of those constituents to have a voice doesn't go away just because their representative is in that minority."
That could lead to a slower legislative process. But efficiency is less of a concern to Lockhart than giving everyone a chance to argue their point.
"When you see divisions, it because people feel like they haven't had a shot," she said.
The Legislature runs through March 10.
--------
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
