While the vast majority of the legislation passed by the 2005 Legislature took effect last month, nearly three dozen bills, most of them budget-related, became law today.
Among the latest laws is a major restructuring of both the state's economic development efforts and its information technology management. Both changes were sought by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
Huntsman officially assumes direct responsibility for selling the state today as the Department of Community and Economic Development becomes the Department of Community and Culture.
All economic development functions are now under the governor's office, headed by Huntsman's senior adviser for economic development, Chris Roybal. It's a move that has not been without controversy.
The governor was criticized earlier this year for firing some 33 appointees involved in economic development and tourism promotion. And now, Huntsman is being questioned about hiring the father of his executive assistant for an international trade post.
Layne Palmer is the international hosting and diplomacy associate, a title the governor told reporters Thursday that he had changed to better reflect Palmer's duties. Palmer had been the state's director of international diplomacy and trade.
"It was not an accurate portrayal. Sometimes this happens," Huntsman said, describing Palmer's responsibilities as being "a facilitator to organize the schedule to make sure people are taken to places at the right time."
A search is under way to fill the top international job, the governor said. "Meantime, I'm the top international person," Huntsman said. "We're going to bring in another person or two to do a lot of that work ongoing so I don't have to spend as much time."
Both Palmer, and his daughter, Jami, worked for Huntsman's campaign. The governor said Palmer "did a great job for us. His organizing abilities are very, very good," and proof that he could do the job in economic development, which pays slightly less than $60,000 annually.
Huntsman's spokeswoman, Tammy Kikuchi, said the state is looking for two trade specialists, one over Asia and the other over Canada and Mexico. One of the two will be chosen to head international development, she said.
After the hires are made in the next week or so, Kikuchi said Layne Palmer is expected to continue in his job. "No change is anticipated, but there may be a little clarification," she said, which could mean another new job title.
Although economic development is attracting all the attention, Huntsman is also making dramatic changes in the state's information technology management. There's a new Department of Technology Services.
Over the next year, all of the state's information technology functions will be consolidated into the new department. The expectation is the department will operate more efficiently and save the state money.
Today marks the beginning of a new budget year. Utah's nearly $9 billion budget includes a 2.5 percent pay raise for state workers and significant increases in spending for both education and roads.
Other bills that become law today include one making it a misdemeanor for alcohol-restricted drivers — those who have been convicted of driving drunk in the past two years — to have any measurable or detectable amount of alcohol in their bodies.
Another requiring Internet providers to offer software filters for blocking pornographic Web sites is being challenged in court and so won't be enforced. The attorney general's office has put on hold efforts to compile a of list of sites considered pornographic
And as of today, there's a new driver's privilege card for undocumented aliens that cannot be used for identification purposes. The card was approved after a state audit found Utah was being used as "a portal for undocumented aliens living out of the state to obtain driver's licenses."
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