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Richard Piatt Reporting"I'm absolutly convinced that it's not a pipe dream..."
Businessman Larry H. Miller may be convinced, but is the Legislature sold on the Governor's USTAR initiative? The Utah Science, Technology and Research initiative is one of Governor Huntsman's top priorities, but funding for it is caught up in a flurry of last minute wheeling and dealing at the Capitol.
USTAR is still alive, but another bill teaching divine design in public schools is dead.
The list of unresolved issues is big and the tension is thick with just more than two days left in the 2006 session. The fight is over both principals and money.
Legislators in the House started early and will end late. They're trying to whittle away more of the 700-plus bills in front of them. This afternoon, not even half of them had passed both Houses.
In the hallways, Larry H. Miller and Zions Bank President Scott Anderson braved the chaos to push USTAR, basically the 2006 version of the U's Research park.
Scott Anderson, President, Zions Bank: "If we don't, we're sending a message to the research community that we're not serious about this. It would set us back at least a couple of years."
Larry H. Miller, Utah Businessman: "I am absolutely convinced that it's not a pipe dream, that if the legislature is wise enough to fund this, that over the next two decades it's going to bring marvelousness."
Chris Roybal: "The most significant way to get wages up. We're 18 percent below the national average, and this will help us get closer."
The catch, of course, is the investment -- 65 million dollars this year. And competition for money is fierce right now.
Getting Legislators' attention is also difficult this week. Everyone is pushing their pet projects. With Eagle Forum president Gayle Ruzicka by his side, Senator Chris Buttars watched one of his die on the House floor. The bill would have allowed public schools to teach 'Intelligent Design' alongside Darwin's Theory of Evolution in science classes.
Rep. Laurie Fowlke, (R) Orem: "As you know, many other states have tried to enact similar legislation and they were all sued. And you have to consider that impact."
Rep. Greg Hughes, (R) Draper: "If our students were hanging on every word and it would throw our students into mass confusion. I seriously doubt it. It is not a threatening bill."
Gayle Ruzicka, Utah Eagle Forum: "This year they owed Senator Buttars more than that. Those who know what was going on know that he practically gave his life for this bill."
There are many more bills still unresolved right now, too. Among them: The issue of student clubs in schools--many feel that bill is an effort to ban gay-straight alliances; the 'No-smoking in private clubs' bill is generating a lot of heat, but is stuck in the House right now; the Senate gave initial approval to a bill requiring parents be notified if their underage daughter is seeking an abortion; Hate Crimes is unresolved in the Senate; and there are still negotiations on the budget.
There is still a lot going on, and only two days left.
