SALT LAKE CITY — One Utah lawmaker is trying to put an end to the death penalty and a popular air quality program was axed in the early budget process.

Here's a roundup of what's happening on the hill:

Lawmaker proposes doing away with death penalty

A Utah lawmaker is hoping to put an end to the death penalty.

Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, is sponsoring HB189, which would prohibit the death penalty for trials held after May 10, 2016.

It would not change any current cases.

Urquhart said the bill was inspired by conversations with a friend.

"Government doesn't do a lot of things tremendously well. I don't think it does anything perfectly. So it's odd that we arrogate to ourselves the godlike power of life and death," he said.

"I get that people can be for a theoretically functional death penalty. We don't have that," Urquhart said, noting that it "takes decades to carry out a sentence" and costs $1.6 million more than incarceration.

Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, said he believes the issue is worth discussing.

Popular air quality program axed in early budget process

Two critical funding requests to cut pollution and improve air quality monitoring received zero dollars from Utah lawmakers in one instance and was cut by more than half in the other.

There is still a little more than two weeks left in the 2016 Utah Legislature, so there is a chance funding might be restored to the Clean Air Retrofit, Replacement and Off-Road Technology Program, or CARROT, and the Division of Air Quality may receive more money to replace an aging fleet of monitors.

Both efforts did not make the cut in a list of spending recommendations made by the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday, but the co-chairwoman of the Legislature's Clean Air Caucus said the fight isn't over.

"There are many of us working to get funding put into that program," said Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Milcreek, referencing CARROT. "It has been used to take some of the most polluting equipment out of use in our state."

Arent sponsored the original bill establishing the program, which was enacted in the 2014 legislative session to provide incentives to reduce emissions from vehicles, equipment or small engines.

In its first year, it had $200,000 in one-time money, followed by a 2015 appropriation of $700,000. This year's request in the governor's budget was for $500,000.

Student immunizations bill stalled in committee for second time

Lawmakers sparred Thursday over the details of a bill that would require parents to watch an educational video to receive an exemption for their children's vaccinations.

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, the sponsor of HB221, emphasized that the bill does not take away parents' rights to exempt their children from immunizations.

The 15- to 20-minute video is meant to teach parents what to do in the case of an outbreak and standardize education across local health departments, according to Moss. She said many of the local health departments do not have the time or resources to educate parents on how to protect their unvaccinated children.

"Preparedness is a core Utah value," Moss said. "It's really invaluable when it comes to our children."

Moss also proposed amendments to the bill, including one that would reduce the video requirement.

Instead of having to renew their exemptions once a year, parents would only have to do so every time their child enrolls in a different school.

Moss said that ideally, parents would see the video three times throughout the course of a student's school career.

Rep. Michael Kennedy, R-Alpine, motioned to hold the bill until next year, calling the concept "not ready for prime time."

Legislature OKs bill lowering age to apply for specialty hunting permits

A bill that would allow 12-year-olds to apply for special hunting permits has passed the Legislature and is now on its way to the governor's desk.

Currently, 12-year-olds can hunt big game. This bill would simply allow them to apply for once-in-a-lifetime or limited-entry permits.

It would also allow them to begin accruing bonus points each time they enter a drawing and are not selected. The points could be used as extra entries in future drawings.

History at risk? Lawmakers advance bill to stiffen historic neighborhood application process

Tim and Megan Gibbons have always adored the colonial charm of the homes lining Harvard Avenue in Yalecrest, but they thought they'd never be able to afford to live there.

"We thought only when pigs fly," Tim Gibbons said.

Yet three years ago, the couple's dream came true. Now, a flying pig weather vane sits atop the roof of their historic home.

But Thursday, Gibbons worried for the future of his neighborhood and other historic areas of Salt Lake City.

That morning, a House committee gave unanimous, preliminary approval to HB223, a bill that would tighten the requirements for citizen-driven historic districts, or areas where architectural characteristics are preserved by law.

And the bill seems to target Salt Lake City, as the only city in the state that has a citizen-initiated historic district process.

Currently, Salt Lake City residents applying to make their neighborhoods a historic district must first collect signatures from 15 percent of people who live in the proposed boundaries to initiate the process. Then, 51 percent of respondents to a neighborhood poll must approve the district.

Cancer society advocates share personal stories with Utah lawmakers

About 150 cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and other volunteers gathered in the Capitol rotunda Thursday to lobby legislators to assist in the fight against cancer.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has been holding such events for at least five years, according to Brook Carlisle, the society's Utah government relations director. This year's gathering was their biggest yet, she said.

The citizen lobbyists were told to focus on advocating for Medicaid expansion, the abolishment of smoking rooms at the Salt Lake City International Airport, and raising the legal tobacco age to 21.

The society's top priority is full Medicaid expansion, Carlisle said. The organization has been lobbying for the expansion for four years and haven't seen much progress, she said.

"We're hopeful one day we'll get there," Carlisle said. "I think there's some power in 100-plus cancer patients and caregivers and survivors keeping the conversation going. We just want make sure our legislators know that we still care about the issue, even though we're not quite at a win yet."

Partial expansion plans, she said, "just don't do a lot for cancer patients."

Contributing: Daphne Chen, Emily Larson, Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Katie McKellar

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