Show Page 2 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday Februaiy 16 2000 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gov Mike Leavitt could send his own lawyers to court if he didn't like the way Attorney General Jan Graham represents the state in civil matters For Republican Leavitt that was the key part of a political compro- mise that restores the civil powers of Graham Utah’s only elected Democ-- rat Legislative Republicans began to make good on the political accord when the House Judiciary Committee voted to amend the law passed last year that stripped Graham of her civil authority The hew measure restores Gra- ham's mandate to “take charge” Of civil litigation ' But it also allows Leavitt to hire and said his own lawyers to court if he disagrees with Graham on legal strategy or principle meaning the state could be represented by two teams of lawyers at odds with each qjher Lake Rep Patrice Arent City said the governor’s ability to intervene in court leaves confusion D-S-alt about “who really represents the ' maintain the independence of her Leavitt argues he would hold sway office as the state's chief executive officer " ' The accord railed for Republican “We worked it out and it’s a good lawmakers to amend the Public compromise” Leavitt said at his Attorneys Act the law signed by weekly news conference Tuesday “It Leavitt last Manfo “There is a large element of poli- provides the means for the governor to maintain controfof legal policy in tics involved” acknowledged Rep the executive branch and it allows Greg Curtis Jordan who car the attorney general to (act) as the ried Leavitt’s biU last year “This was a difficult compromise” guardian of the public interest” The power dispute was resolved by Curtis warned the House Judiciary intensive backroom negotiations last Committee that the carefully worded summer when Graham threatened to political accord could not be amend-sue die governor and Legislature to ed state” The compromise requires Graham to keep the governor infonwri on all civil suits she files on behalf of Utah whether the governor agrees with the action or not and he often has not But Graham doesn’t have to take orders from die governor Leavitt counsel Gary Doxey said : the compromise still provides a R-W- “long-needclarification’’ for the role of an attorney general Some Republicans still argue ham should not act independently in civil matters But they voted for the compromise anyway ed Gra-Tuesd- ay ’ Lobbyist laws get House OK SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A House committee approved a bill Tuesday that would lower the threshold at which lobbyists are required to disclose their gifts to legislators Under existing law lobbyists have to report any gifts greater than $50 to the state elections clerk The bill sponsored by Rep Perry Buckner Jordan would cut that standard in half D-W- “(It makes sense that) if we’re going to allow lobbyists to buy us gifts and meals and intangibles that we at least have that information” said Buckner He said that last year $166000 did not have to be reported Cassie Dippo issues director for Common Cause said dosing the loophole would mean 75 percent of all spending would be disclosed “There is still a huge amount of money that is still unaccounted for and that is the reason to bring it back down to $25” said Dippo “By bringing it down to $25 we bring it out into the sunshine" - Lowering - Vfith the standard would also make it harder for lobbyists to share the price of gifts another way around the erftoihg reporting laws:- - 'r& I Wf think it should beknown’ that there are honest lobby-'- "' ists” said Rep Rebecca Lockhart whose husband Stan Lockhart is a lobbyist for Micron In 1999 he spent $14125 entertaining legislators including taking lawmakers to 86 Utah Jazz basketball I a Castrol GTX Oil Change 95 REG $2195 't ia FULL SERVICE 1 ‘MAlL-lt-f 1 Lrjj RE OFFER : rr i'-- : i vj tuii i Hi jiij ‘ji’'I iwin v ! trfi FULL SERVICE games Rep Jordan Tanner who chairs the House Government Operations Committee and has sponsored the legislation for the last several years said the bill is not meant to impugn lobbyists The committee - also approved a bill that would require lobbyists to be licensed by the lieutenant governor and declare their activities under oath That bill sponsored by Rep John Swallow allows the lieutenant governor to impose penalties to enforce the rules ranging from y in fines for failure to license susrepot to a pension for any felony violation of lobbyist laws Amy Naccarato the state elections clerk said the lieutenant governor’s office sup( ported foe bill WPS : $50-a-da- Ice cream bill dies in committee - MOUSE rout cuts HOKStPOm casmms 10W-3-0 10W-3-0 Castrolftimt 5W-3-0 95 5W-3-0 ore5 V With Any Castrol Oil Change SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Senate committee rejected a bill that would have let ice cream makers install their own ice cream displays in grocery stores The Senate Energy Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee defeated the bill Monday on a 2 vote It is the second consecutive year the bill has been rejected in committee The bill sponsored by Sen Gene Davis Lake City sought to repeal a decades-ol- d law that barred dairy' products from being displayed in freezers owned by ice cream conn panics The law was meant to pre- vent national companies from providing those freezers and taking up all the display space in markets and edging aside dairies d smaller 3-- D-S-alt Utah-owne- i |