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Show A4 TheSalt Lake Tribune UTAH/WORLDThursday Utah Senators Hold Secret Anti-Gay Meet Stephenson and Stewart re- fused comment, though Stewart said, “It is common knowledge that there is an elementin oursociety who would form a homosexual sensitivities or lifestyles club recorded, nor was a vote taken in public on whether the meeting dents. Myconcern is thatit is not helping them, as muchasit is promoting a homosexuallifestyle.” ShawnaSteward,instructionalmaterials specialist for the state Office of Education, which han- should be closed, though both are dies Meetings Act. No minutes were required bystate law Few are talking about the event. Blackham said he could not discuss the meeting, as did others in attendance, including Foxley. Gov. Mike Leavitt's attorney Rob- in Riggs and representatives of Utah Atty. Gen Jan Graham. Bean could not be reached for comment Wednesday Senate President Lane Beattie, R-West Bountiful, confirmed the subject of the closed-door discussion, saying only that he had organized the gathering in responseto “concernsthat have been raised. “It was to educate membersof the caucus and possibly prevent somelegalsituations from occurring that we don’t want to occur,” he said Beattie would not elaborate, but apologized, as the meeting's presiding officer, for breaking open-meetings laws by not keeping minutes of the meeting and not voting to close it. He and Senate Majority Leader Craig Peterson, R-Orem, steadfastly defended their reasons for excludingthe public, claiming the meeting dealt with “potentially pendinglitigation” and therefore was allowed to be closed under state law. Moments before the meeting began, Peterson said in an announcement on the Senate floor that the .opic would be state handling of the state's Uniform School Fund, a fund devoted to public education. That changed once doors swung shut “There were no votes, straws polls or caucus positions taken, nor representations of any such positions,’’ Peterson said Wednesday. He describedit as “a verysensitive discussion.” After it was over, the 20 or so meeting participants, including membersof both political parties, were sworn to secrecy. Informa- tion on the discussionhastrickled out privately from Democrats and moderate Republicans upset about whattranspired. “It was the worst experience I've ever had in mytime with the Legislature,” said a Capitol Hill veteran and meeting participant, who requested anonymity, fearing retaliation from Senate lead- ers. | ‘We werg fooled into it,” said another. Peterson said he was disapHointed with members who have spoken out about the meeting: “If they hadfelt uncomfortable, they could have expressed that at the time.” By Tony Semerad at East High School, under the guise of helping homosexual stu- & Continued from A-t Bill: Alcohol-Industry Member On Liquor Board Makes Sense textbooks, says the book Heather Has Two Mommies neverhas been submitted for use in Utah schools. And before the book can be made available in schoollibraries, she said, it would haveto be cleared by each of the state’s 40 schooldistricts. Under state open-meetings laws, official bipartisan caucuses of Senate members cannot be closed except under narrow conditions, including when the topic of discussion is pendinglitigation. In that case, there must be “strong indications” that a court actionis imminent, according to a top media-lawattorney “These laws are not on the booksso they can talk about these issues behind closed doors, but to give them an opportunity to discuss strategy with their attorneys,”’ said Jeff Hunt, a Salt-Lake based lawyer for the Utah chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. “Too often,” Hunt said, ‘it’ used to close discussion ofpolitical hot potatoes that officials don’t want to talk about in public.” Stewart acknowledged he knew of no such pendinglitigation. Others, again, declined comment. Even if suchlitigation is imminent, by law the meeting closure required a vote conducted in public and support from two-thirds of thosein attendance. Detailed minutes or a tape recording then should have been taken of the proceedings. Noneofthese actions occurred, Peterson said “We just made a mistake,” he said. “There was no grandcollusion. You have to remember, we'relaylegislators.” Stephenson and Stewart were key players in a meeting in October between several Utah County legislators and University of Utah President Arthur K. Smith. The subject of that closed-door session: Alleged anti-Mormenism on campus. Some legislators claimed that several U. activities and instruction conflict with the beliefs of Utah's predominantreligion, particularly, they said, in the Graduate School of Social Work andthe department ofphilosophy. And two weeks ago, Stewart told fellow senators he was concerned someofthestate's highereducation institutions were teaching “counterculture values.” He singled out the U.'s sociology de- THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The powerful board overseeing all liquor sales and licensing in Utah needs the perspective of someone from the alcohol industry, a Democratic state senator says Sen. Bob Steiner, D-Salt Lake City, wants to makeit state law that the state Aleohoi Beverage Control Commission hasat least one person with business interests in a liquor license amongits five members. ‘This is a heavily regulated industry,” said Steiner, an attorney and sponsor of Senate Bill 109. Someoneconnected with a tavern or restaurant holding liquorlicense, he said, ‘‘could tring some knowledge to the process.” Commission chairman Jerry Fenn says Steiner's proposal, SB109 is unnecessary, clashes with other portions of Utah law, and could pose serious conflicts ofinterest. “The commission ought to reflect the diversity in the state,” said Fenn, a Salt LakeCity attorney. “But there are five different viewpoints on the commission righ. now.” The quasi-judicial panel controls all alcoholsales, pricing, retail-outlet licensing and otherliquor-law enforcement in Utah. Fenn said if $B109 becomes law,a situation could easily arise where the license-holding commissioner might be asked to review the license status of a competitor. What's more, Utah’s criminal code expressly forbids liquor commissioners from having interests in any business dealing with alcoholic products. But one Utah wine enthusiast said he welcomes the change Steiner has proposed. Col. Jack E. Daniels, head of the Utah Wine Coalition, said it would bring the liquor industry on par with architects, doctors and accountants, which all have actual practitioners onthe state boards that regulate the professions. “I don’t think [Steiner] has a chance of getting it passed, but I'm all in favor ofit,” said Daniels. “I would assumethatthepillars of righteousness wouldrise up andstrike this down.” Critics of the five-memberliquor commission had long complained aboutthe lack of a drinker among its ranks — until July 1994, when Gov. Mike Leavitt appointed Ogdenreal-estate executive and self-described “social drinker” Vickie McCall to the commission, making her the sole imbiber, female and non-Mormon on the board. Leavitt has no position on SB109, his press secretary Vicki Varela said Wednesday. LOS ANGELES TIMES SHANGHAI, China — Earlier century, American sailors starting shore leave in Shanghai received a helpful booklet containing “prices of rickshaws and two pages of prophylactic ad. vice,” recalls one U.S. official The sailors and Marines aboard the 7th Fleet's amphibiousassault ship, the USS Fort McHenry. which docked along Shanghai's historic Huangpu River on Wednesday, were advised to play it safe, too. But the concerns these days are a bit different, as much political as practical This generation’s servicemen — and for the first time in China, servicewomen — were told to keep their uniforms on, be back on board by midnight and remember that China maybe just one of 40 countries where they stop in Asia, but it’s the onethat matters. The U.S. military plays point in a tense triangle: it tries to keep relations warm as Washington M@The House voted 49-18 to changethe official state fish from the non-native rainbow trout to the native Bonneville cutthroat trout. Thebill will be discussed in the House Transportation and Public Safety Committee. Room 405. (HB16) now goes to the Senate. ™@ The House Education Committee endorsed a bill (HB135) which directs school and medicalofficials to determine how to meet the demand for schoo! nurses. 3 p.m. — bill (HB194) to create a Utah Educational Savings Plan Trust that allows parents to invest for their children’s higher-edu| cation costs will be reviewed by the House Reve- nue and Taxation Committee. Room 405. Quote of the Day: “1 would assume that the pillars of righteousness would rise up andstrike this down,” —Col. Jack E. Daniels, head of the Utah Wine Coalition, on a biil to include someone from theliquor or hospitality industry on the Aleo- holic Beverage Control Commission. ———) ——— (8——uwtah On Line=== The Salt Lake Tribune's World Wide Website, Utah On Line,offers complete access to the Legislature, including linkstothe full text ofbills. The address is www.sitrib.com = LEAR CHOICE! pil 40" m rie PrrLiLhaemFor A Limited Time We'll Waive igSe partment as espousing “the de- struction of the nuclear family.” U. officials have denied such claims. pundits predict the United States and China are heading for a new Cold War. Meanwhile, the United States must keep peace between China and what Beijing considers its prodigal province with designs on independence; Taiwan. The McHenry visit is in part an attempt to rebuild U.S.-Chinese relations damaged after Washington granted Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui permission for a “private” visit to his alma mater, Cornell University, last June. Thattrip drove the relationship to its lowest point in 16 years. Beijing cut off military and official exchangesin retaliation, and only resumed them in September. The stopover — only the second in Shanghai since 1949 — was the result of a heavypolitical undertow. Beijing agreed to the port call at the last minute in exchange for Washington’s withdrawalof a U.S. military attache accused of TODAY @8 am. — The Senate bill (SB21) that would allow the state to raise the speed limit to 75 mph onrural freeways YESTERDAY: avsrnrs] soe (WILE OND ATOWIRELESS SERTICS Ae Le U.S. Port Call in Shanghai Tries To Steer Steady Diplomatic Course this Utah Legislature at a Glance (M) MororoLa 99.9 Oz. Weight °10 Hour F ntroducing The New Sony Pocket Phone Miniaturixed Coli Phone Fits In Your Pocket! 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