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Richard Piatt ReportingA bill to give tax credit to people who pay private school tuition is dead at the Utah Legislature. For the fourth year in a row, a Tuition Tax credits bill has not progressed, in spite of heavy pressure to pass it.
The end of that bill came amid a flurry of politics last week. This week, Utah Democrats honed in on the overall atmosphere at the Capitol as---literally--a circus.
Orem Representative Jim Ferrin got an unpleasant dose of politics last week when his Tuition Tax credit bill died without a floor debate. That was in spite of the fact it overwhelmingly passed a House committee. Republican supporters of that bill have unlikely sympathy from Democrats--some of whom claim their bills regularly get assigned to hostile committees with the aim of dismissing them.
The Democrat party Chair calls it a 'circus', run by Stephens and Curtis, the House Speaker and Majority Leader. Complete with music, a Shetland pony and a few canines---the dog and pony--the stilt-bound Donald Dunn offered this dramatization.
Donald Dunn, Democratic Party Chair: "We're spinning to see which committee it will go to. Education, education, education. Public utilities is a good committee for education, because we have the votes to kill it."
House leadership did not find the display funny.
Rep. Marty Stephens, House Speaker: "Apparently Mr. Dunn doesn't understand the process up here."
House Speaker Marty Stephens says committee assignments matter only so much. Democrat bills and Tuition Tax Credits still have to pass with a majority of votes in both chambers. And he says he would rather concentrate on other business.
Rep. Marty Stephens, House Speaker: "It's an election year and the business of the legislature is going on. We're going to have a significant increase in public education for the first time in three years, for higher education, and for our health and human services area."
A lot of people's ears will probably perk up at that semi-promise. Which may go to prove: It may not matter to people if it's a circus, as long as they go home with a prize.
