Jan. 23, 2001--
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ Saying it was a good bill at the wrong time, an emotional Rep. David Ure urged his colleagues on Tuesday to repeal a bill he sponsored last year to streamline the public utility regulatory process.
Utah lawmakers followed suit with surprising speed as both the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved killing the bill. Typically this process takes weeks.
Ure, R-Kamas, said his decision was based on the volatile utility market and widespread misinformation about House Bill 320. The bill had come under attack from consumer advocates who said it would make it easier to pass utility price hikes.
The bill, meant to go into effect July 1, would have weakened the Committee of Consumer Services, an agency created to give ratepayers a voice in setting utility rates. Ure amended the bill last week to restore the committee, but advocates said the new version disabled other parts of the process.
After a brief closed-door caucus Tuesday, the House waived its procedural rules and put it to an immediate vote.
It passed 73-1, with Rep. Scott Daniels, D-Salt Lake, casting the opposing vote to protest the way the bill was pushed through the legislature.
During the hearing, fellow Republicans jumped to Ure's defense.
They blamed Utah news outlets for convincing the public that bill _ which had never taken effect _ was responsible for recent increases in utility rates. They also said there was a campaign against Ure's character.
But House Minority Leader Ralph Becker's request to speak was ignored, as were requests by House Minority Whip Patrice Arent and Rep. Judy Ann Buffmire, D-Millcreek.
"There were some legitimate differences of opinion as it related to House Bill 320," Becker said afterward. "Those legitimate policy differences deserved a good airing."
Democrats have called for the repeal of the bill since its passage.
Then in the afternoon, the Senate voted 28-1 to repeal the bill, with Sen. Terry Spencer, R-Layton, casting the lone vote against it.
"We're taking a giant step backward. The system is broken and it needs to be fixed," he said.
The bill was one of the most controversial measures of the last session. It was primarily authored by lobbyists for Questar, the state's chief natural gas supplier. Ure has said that was a mistake.
Gov. Mike Leavitt allowed it to become law without his signature, but asked the Legislature to re-examine the issue before the law took effect.
Claire Geddes, of the Utah Legislative Watch, declared a victory for consumers.
"I think everybody thought we would lose, but I have faith in the public," she said. "I guess I have faith that you can't sell bad policy."
(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
