The board of governors of the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday voted its support or opposition to several bills pending before the Legislature on subjects ranging from sales tax, hazardous waste and air quality.
In presenting the bills for consideration, David Bird, chairman of the chamber's State Legislative Action Committee, said the issues were presented and approved or opposed by the board's executive committee earlier in the day. Here is what happened:- Supported substitute SB6, which would require certain sales tax exemptions to be studied by the State Tax Commission every five years and recommend to the Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee whether the exemption should be continued, modified or repealed.
- Supported SB25 providing for elimination of the Environmental Management Fund, that concerns over excessive filing fee increases be addressed and the solid- and hazardous-waste fees not be raised so that Utah businesses are harmed.
- Oppose substitute SB37, which would mandate that an employee may request and receive permission from an employer to leave the workplace for crisis intervention if the employee has been notified by the child's school or care provider. Bird said many companies already have such a policy, and businesses don't like the mandated part of the bill.
- Support HB38, which would broaden the definition of clean fuels such as propane, compressed natural gas or electricity and any fuel that can burn as cleanly, or any fuel that can meet the clean fuel standards of the Clean Air Amendments Act.
- Support HB39, in addition to existing requirements, that requires local governments to consider the protection and promotion of air quality when engaging in planning and zoning activities.
- Support HB40, which would require vehicles driven by university students requesting parking passes, vehicles owned or used by a school district or a political subdivision of the state or federal government to participate in the inspection and maintenance programs.
- Support HB41, which more clearly defines how much visible contaminants may be visible from a gasoline-powered vehicle and give law-enforcement officers better guidelines to know when to ticket vehicles that violate air quality standards.
- Support HB42, which amends the weight definitions of farm trucks eligible for the vehicle registration and emissions inspection exemptions to vehicles over 12,000 pounds.
- Support HB43, which would prohibit counties and municipalities from imposing a franchise tax on clean-burning vehicle fuels.
- Support HB44, which would provide a 20 percent income or corporate tax credit for new or converted vehicles that are fueled by propane, compressed natural gas or electricity.
- Support HB45, which would provide a 10 percent income or corporate tax credit for new or converted fireplaces or stove equipment that burns natural gas or propane, providing the equipment meets Environmental Protection Agency standards.
- Oppose HB62, which would repeal 15 sales and use tax exemptions and then reinsert than as refunds.
- Oppose HB64, which would mandate a universal health insurance plan, funded by taxpayers, on employers and employees.
- Support HB129, which would develop an operating permit program for certain stationary sources of air pollution as required by Title V of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments.
- Oppose a bill yet to be introduced that would require glass and plastic containers sold in Utah meet minimum content requirements of recycled materials. The chamber reaffirmed its position on supporting a comprehensive solid waste management plan and believes this bill is only a piecemeal approach.