A bill to expand the welfare safety net for domestic violence sufferers fell victim to some political gamesmanship Friday in a Senate standing committee meeting.
Sen. Robert Muhlestein, R-Spanish Fork, Senate Human Services Committee chairman, successfully stalled a vote on HB29 until his intern could round up fellow Republican Sen. Steve Poulton, Holladay, to join him to down the measure in a 2-2 tie. The fifth committee member, Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, didn't attend.
Democratic Sens. Ed Allen, Ogden, and Gene Davis, Salt Lake, twice made motions to end discussion and vote, but Muhlestein ignored them and kept talking until Poulton arrived. Poulton didn't hear any of the debate and practically voted as he entered the room. An abrupt motion to adjourn ended the meeting before he sat down.
Proponents of GOP Rep. Lloyd Frandsen's bill walked away scratching their heads and questioning Muhlestein's seemingly out-of-order tactics. One called it "ridiculous."
Muhlestein doesn't like a section of the bill that would exclude domestic violence victims from the state's allotment of welfare extensions. Federal law allows states to extend benefits to 20 percent of the welfare caseload beyond the lifetime limit, which in Utah is 36 months. Families in which a person has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty could continue to receive pub-
lic assistance but not count against the 20 percent, according to the bill.
"In my mind, this is what the 20 percent is for," Muhlestein said.
The issue drew considerable attention last fall when two state senators suggested women would take intentional beatings to hold on to their welfare benefits. Women's groups and Utah Attorney General Jan Graham publicly chastised the legislators after reading their comments in the newspaper.
Helen Thatcher, DWS manager, said the federal government allows states to separate abuse victims out from others who are eligible for hardship extensions when the family is endangered and welfare time limits would make it more difficult for them to escape a violent situation. The move also saves slots in the extension pool.
"We don't know how fast the extensions will fill up. We consider this bill insurance for us and a way to prepare for any eventuality in the future," she said.
Muhlestein finds the definition of extreme cruelty too broad.
"I could say as legislators we get a lot of mental abuse up here and that may qualify under this act," he said.
Frandsen intends to resurrect the bill, possibly with an amendment, for another hearing.