VIDEO- Sen Jenkins (R) Refuses to Spend $1 Per Year to Help Our Troops

Posted on Feb 15, 2012

scott jenkins, jenkins, senator, sen, utah, republican, gop

Sen. Jenkins (R) Says Soldiers Don't Need Our Help

Utah Democratic candidate for Governor Major General (ret.) Peter S. Cooke called today on Governor Gary Herbert, commander-in-chief of the Utah National Guard, to denounce Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins’ shocking diatribe today on the floor of the State Senate against Utah’s soldiers.
Sen. Jenkins (R-Weber) was speaking today in opposition to a bill that would suspend property taxes for active duty soldiers from Utah during their deployment abroad.“I was horrified to see such a diatribe on the floor of our State Senate today,” said General Cooke.  “Hill Air Force Base is adjacent to Jenkins’ district!  These men and women are his constituents.  Senator Jenkins talked about our soldiers like they’re gaming the system.  It was an attack on our American heroes, who protect our freedoms, day in and day out, on battlefields around the world. The fact that they volunteered for this makes them that much more heroic.  The hardships that their families experience during deployment are real, and more than many of the families are able to survive.  We should be doing everything we can to support those families during deployment.  It’s time for Governor Herbert and all in state government to stand tall for our troops and denounce Sen. Jenkins’ attack on our soldiers.”
Video here
Transcript here
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Chairman Dabakis blasts Dayton and Governor Herbert for Weak Air Quality Protections

Posted on Feb 9, 2012

Jim Dabakis calls on the Republican-led Legislature to stop putting special interests over the needs of Utah’s children and elderly, and vote down Senator Margaret Dayton’s (R-Orem) SB21. The Utah State Democratic Party also urges Governor Herbert to veto any bills that would make it easier for industrial polluters to foul Utah’s air.   Senator Dayton has two bills, SB11 and SB21, which we’re calling “The “Making It Easier for Utah’s Serial Polluters” initiative, shift air, water, and nuclear waste permit review decisions to a new super-oversight committee, stacked in favor of polluters. The bills were written in consultation with industry lobbyists and special interests. The bills emphasize industrial input and slam the door on Utahns’s representation on these critical issues.

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Chairman Dabakis: Rep. Powell Should Serve Utah, and Leave the Jokes to Stephen Colbert

Posted on Feb 2, 2012

HB266 Press ConferenceLast week, Rep. Kraig Powell (R-Heber City) submitted HB 89, a bill that “requires a political caucus to be open to the public” so that Utahns can be informed on what legislative ideas both parties are working on.

Two days later, that very same Rep. Powell submitted HB 226, deciding that he would amend his own bill to close caucuses to the public if the caucuses felt it “preferable” to do so.

Confused yet?

Well, after some high profile double-takes, Rep. Powell admitted that HB 226 was a “joke,” intended as a stunt to draw attention to his opposition to his own party’s reluctance at holding open caucus meetings.

While we here at the party do appreciate Rep. Powell’s decision to go against his own party on this important issue (at least, we think that’s what he’s decided, you’ll forgive us for being a little uncertain), the fact remains that there are better uses of the short time the Utah Legislature has to pass laws that can help Utahns and their families than processing prank bills.

Rep. Powell claims that HB 226 only took about “10 minutes” to write, but as someone now entering their 3rd term as a state representative, he should know that the filling and hearing of bills takes up other people’s time, as well. This is the political equivalent of “52 Card Pick-Up” — quick for you to play, but longer for others to clean up — and Rep. Powell should know better.

If Rep. Powell really wanted to make an satirical statement on HB 89 and buck his own party, he could have filed a resolution, made a statement on the floor, or even given a press conference at the Capitol (what an original idea!). The Utah Democrats would even be glad to donate their official podium for just such a purpose if he thought it could get the GOP’s attention. But filing a phoney bill is simply not appropriate.

Further, for a GOP-led government that claims it has its hands too tied to honor a GRAMA request promptly, they’ve sure found the time to delve into amateur satire.

Rep. Powell should leave the jokes to professionals like Stephen Colbert, and the GOP party in Utah at large should embrace transparency, and stop wasting everyone’s time.  Oh, and can we have the documents we’ve requested and paid for yet?  Or is everyone too busy drafting fake legislation to make copies?

 

-Chairman Jim Dabakis

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