Action taken by the Utah Legislature this morning.
The House passed a bill that requires for reporting of lobbyists gifts to legislators. But, the measure would still exempt meals costing less than $50.
Under a bill that passed out of the Senate, state agencies would have to justify all their spending in the current fiscal year before receiving any funding for the next year. Sponsoring Sen. Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, says his SB63 is an attempt to make state agencies more accountable for their budget expenditures. One-fourth of the state's budget would be reviewed each summer. The state's fiscal year begins July 1.
Legislators want to make it clear that the United States is one nation under God. A resolution, HJR12, which reaffirms the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance unanimously passed the House Government Operations Committee Monday. The intent of sponsoring Rep. Kerry Gibson, R-Ogden, is to ensure that the pledge remains the same as it has been since 1954, when the phrase was added.