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Show STANDARD-EXAMINER WEDNESDAY,FEB. 12, 1992 CITY EDITOR:625-4220 LOCAL/ METRO EDITION Hate crimes bill moves to House By LISA CARRICABURU Standard-Examiner staff SALT LAKE CITY — Although a compromise last week deleted all references to sexual orientation from twobills aimed at eliminating hate crimes in Utah, homosexuality again became the fucus of debate Tuesday as the measures moved to Ce UTAH Cit" LEGISLATURE TTT groups from the penalty enhancement bill. The second measure now ailows the House floor. enhanced penalties for crimes com- The bills, sponsored by Rep. Frank Pignanelli, D-Salt Lake City, originally were meant to require uniform reporting of hate crimes mitted with the intent to “intimidate or terrorize” an individual. The question of whether homosexuals should be protected under the measures resurfaced Tuesday and enhance penalties on crimes motivated by hatred based on race, religion or sexual orientation. After three days of heated committee debate, however, lawmakers removed references to sexual orientation from the reporting measure and deleted all mention of specific when Rep. Blaze Wharton, D-Salt Lake City, attempted to restore references to sexual orientation to the data collection bill. His unsuccessful attempt to restore the language met with an im- patient tirade from Rep. Merrill Train for tourists Nelson, R-Grantsville, who maintained that homosexuality is illegal in Utah and that the inclusion of homosexuals in the bill would validate their “immoral behavior.” Nelson told his colleagues that he thinks they need to recognize homosexuals’ political and social agenda. “They are latching on to the coattails of other minorities wholegitimately need protection because they know they'd never get support if they went for this alone,” he said, warning that including homo- sexuals in the bill could prompt them to demand more and more rights. “They have made a militant crusade out of these bills,” Nelson said, Rep. Allan Rushton, D-West Val- ley City, responded by saying he too believes homosexuality “is a sin against God and man.” However, “Sin is a totallydifferent entity than the person, and I have to rememberthat my belief is mine and I have no right to impose it on others,” he said. “We need to think seriously in our hearts whether we have a right to make this type of judgment. If state are even happening?” he said. “I think anygroup that is being attacked should be included. What are we afraid of?” Although Wharton had considerable support, his effort to restore references to sexual orientation failed on a 30-38 vote. The House then passed the measure by a vote of 60-9. of whetherits citizens approve of The second measure — which would enhance penalties for crimes that “intimidate or terrorize” — elicited less debate, although Rep. Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, criticized its vagueness and was behind an amendment to clarify its language. homosexuallifestyles. “What goodarestatistics if we're going to ignore that a substantial portion of the hate crimes in this House’s unanimous support and now movesto the Senate for consideration. we don’t have compassion and charity, nothing else matters,” Rushtonsaid. Wharton said Utah should gather statistics about crimes committed against homosexuals — regardless The bill, however, earned the Doggone Pharmaceutical costs are rising more rapidly than any other aspect of employers’ health care costs — up about 20 percent yearly — and will total 15 percent of average medical benefits this year, company officials said. Americans spent about $30 billion on prescription drugs in 1989, said Simons, and probably “at least $35 billion this year.” Premier and other managed care programs look at all elements of worker benefit programs in trying to curtail costs, and one growing area is prescription drugs. In Utah, said Simons, “there is a pattern of over-prescribing. It's not everybody doing it,” but some prescriptions apparently are inappropriate. ‘There is a pattern of over-prescribing.It’s not everybody doing it.’ — Lynn Simons Clinical Pharmacy Advantage, which works with Premier, said Utahns should be concerned. “These are drugs that are very easily abused,” said Larson. “They often have been prescribed for weight loss,” but there are many better ways to treat obesity. Approved amphetamineuses include treatment of depression among the medically ill elderly, for narcolepsy or uncontrolled drowsiness, and some forms of hyperactivity, he said. But those illnesses would account for “only a small portion” of Utah’s amphetamine use. Norrie Thomas, Clinical Pharmacy Advantage chief operating officer, said managed care companies are beginning to routinely refuse paying for amphetamine prescriptions, unless a doctor certifies the stimulant drug is being given for an illness, not weight loss. The companies’ monitoring network, covering about 1.5 million Americans, also looks at “drugdrug interaction,” said Thomas. Problems can develop when a patient sees more than one doctor and they prescribe medications without knowing what other drugs the person is receiving. In a recent case, she said, the companies learned two medications used to reduce cholesterol can cause kidney damage when taken together. In checking computerre- A recent Drug Enforcement Agency study ranked Utah No.| in per capita legal consumption of atophetamine and methamphetamine. And William Larson of cords, Thomas said, they found a man who had been given both medications and immediately informed his doctors of the potential problem NASA funding cuts aren't halting WSU plans for space-related workshops. 4B AT A GLANCE Morgan discusses 1992-93 calendar MORGAN — The Morgan school board Tuesday tentatively approved the school calendar for next year. The calendar calls for classes to begin Aug. 27 and end June 3. Students will have the chairman, said a proposal to charge user fees wasrejected by the commission Tuesday night. “We have not had an opportunity to meet with all the groups presently using our facilities. We also need additional data on comparable fees charged by other cities,” Covieo said. The commission plans to study the issue over the summer and present a new fee proposal or other funding optionsin the fall, he said. Club wants books for reservations OGDEN — The WeberState University Anthropology Club is accepting donations of books to be distributed to Indian reservations. Theclub is looking for reference books, children’s books, light reading, encyclopedias and textbooks for all age ranges. The Native American Council is helping the club with distribution of the materiais. Donations can be dropped off in designated containers at various locations on the WSU campusincluding the Union Building lobby, the Stewart Library west entrance and rooms 114 and 24 in the Social Science Building. Materiais will be accepted through March 6. For more information, contact the anthropologyoffice at 626-6241. Managed care plans help pharmacies track conflicts, drug abuse SALT LAKE CITY — Managed prescription drug programs, aimed at containing skyrocketing costs, produce two additional benefits — catching abuse of legal drugs and identifying people who may be headed for a serious medication reaction problem. “It raises a red flag,” Lynn Simons, executive director of Premier Medical Network, said Tuesday during a business seminar on how managed health care systems work to control costs in benefit programs. Simonssaid that by working with .a few drug chains, including Smith’s, Management in Utah, companies such as Premier “can catch excessive drug utilization problems,” spotting cases where a person obtains prescription drugs through a benefit program. Abuse, when tracked by computer records, might include making copies of prescriptions orrefilling prescriptions early to obtain more drugs. 28 i OGDEN — Citizens will be able to use city parks and recreation facilities in 1992 without paying any userfees. Wynn Covieo, parks and recreation commission ry Summit where the nation’s first transcontinental railroad was com- SALT LAKE CITY — An Ogden pleted. lawmaker says he and other North“I think this is something that ern Utahns would like one day to could be a great tourist asset to be able to catch a tourist train at Northern Utah, but it also could Union Station serve as a valuable commuter rein Ogden and source for our area,” Richards said. ride it all the way to PromonA Senate committee has aptory Summit. proved the measure, and Richards A resolution said he doesn’t anticipate any trouhe is sponsoring ble with getting the non-binding would advance resolution passed by the Legislathe idea to a ture. planning phase by urging ConHe may have moretrouble, howgress to allocate ever, with a second measure that the $300,000 Richards would provide $85,000 in state necessary for the funds to renovate an Ogden Union U.S. Department of the Interior Station building. and the National Park Service to complete a feasibility study. Richards said Union Station has .Sen. Winn Richards, D-Ogden, a considerable number of railroad said he envisions a plan that would cars and other equipment that eventually restore existing rail lines could be repaired and restored by to the Thiokol Corp. plant in Box volunteers if the building were reElder County so that passengers paired to offer them someshelter. could be transported that far on a modern passengertrain. “Constituents have indicated to From Thiokol, new lines would methat this is something that is rebe built that would allow passen- ally needed,” he said, adding that gers to board a historic train that the matter will probably be debated would take them all the way to the by a legislative committee somenationalhistoric site at Promonto- time this week. By RALPH WAKLEY his attorney says. F . ; No user fees for Ogden parks Legislator seeks funds to study idea Standard-Examiner staff A convicted murderer wishes the state would execute him, 15-16, Oct. 19, Nov. 25-27, Jan. 18, Jan. 21, Feb. 15, March 8, March 12, April 8-9, and May 31. Christmas vacation will be Dec. 23-Jan. 3. Board memberssaid they intend to formally adopt the 1992-93 calendarat next month’s meeting. for Northern Utah Standard-Examiner staff BEAT following days off: Sept. 7, Oct. being considered By LISA CARRICABURU NEWS ROB CLARK JR./Standard-Examiner An unidentified supervisor from Enable In- dustries Inc. shovels dog biscuits that spilled from a truck at the intersection of 24th and Grant on Tuesday afternoon. Enable indus- tries, a sheltered workshop that sub-con- tracts with biscuit-maker American Nutrition, wastransferring the biscuits for repackaging. The driver of the van forgot to close the door. Spanking ban OK’d by House By CHARLES F. TRENTELMAN How they voted Standard-Examinerstaff Worthera Utah House members’ votes on a bill te generally prohibit corporal punishment ef schoolchildren, but allow it with parental consent: Yes He Lee Allen, R-Tremonton O®8 Byron Anderson, D-Riverdale [x] [) John Arrington, D-Ogden Oo W. Bain, R-Farmington (ONV) [] (] Rob Bishop, R-Brigham City 0 V. Borgeson, D-Clearfield. {&) [) Glen Brown, R-Coalville BO Haynes Fuller, D-Eden 0& Kevin Garn, R-Layton Joseph Hull, D-Hooper oO x O Pat Larson, D-S. Ogden Cj Grant Protzman, D-N. Ogden &] [1] Marty Stephens, R-Farr West () & Gale Voigt, D-Syracuse RO V. DeMont Wiberg, D-Roy oO SALT LAKE CITY — bill to generally prohibit corporal punishment of children in all Utah schools was passed by the House Tuesday, but only after it was amended tolet parents allow their children to be punished. Thebill sponsor, Rep. Christine Fox, R-Lehi, said the amendments were bad, but she’d live with them. “I hope you realize what a bind you have put teachers in bysaying, “You can hit one child but not the next,’ ” she told the House in her closing argument. HouseBill 209 was approved on a 54-19 vote and nowgoes to the Senate. The measure prohibits physical discipline of students in all schools, child care centers or other agencies or businesses where children are cared for. The amendments, by Reps. Rob Bishop, R-Brigham City, and Kelly Atkinson, D-Salt Lake City, changed the bill to allow parents of children in private and public schools to exempt their children from the law. Bishop also criticized some of the supporters lobbying for the bill, saying they had personallyassailed him because of his opposition to a similar bill last year. Fox said the bill wasn’t supposed to be a matter of parental rights to discipline their own children, or have them disciplined, but rather one of protecting children from violence. She also said the bill will protect teachers, by guarding them from civil lawsuit if they do physically discipline a student. The bill sets Judge inspects Utah prison POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN — A federal judge has toured the Utah State Prison in preparation for his upcoming decision on whether to allow double-bunking at the facility. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas J. Greene on Tuesday inspected areas of the prison that have been remodeledin anticipation of housing two inmates per cell. If Greene decides the facilities are adequate, the 7-year-old double-bunking dispute may be finally resolved. Warden Tamara Holden said Greene asked many questions, but gave noindication of his feelings. Teen father told to return to jail SALT LAKE CITY — A judge has ordered a Murray man accused of starving his infant son to death returned to jail after hearing a tape recording of alleged threats to a potential witness. Third District Judge Frank See PUNISH on 2B Noel on Tuesday revoked the Landscaping may sprout this spring near RoyI-15 offramp pretrial release of Richard Burns, 18 Burns and his wife, Beckie, Standard-Examuner staff ROY — Landscaping work may begin as early as this spring in the area surrounding the Interstate 155600 South offramp in Roy, pending approval from the Utah Department of Transportation, Randy Sant, Roy's director of community and economic development,told the city council Tuesday that he expects it will take four to six months for UDOT to approve the plan, It must also be approved by the federal highway commission becausethe land next to the interstate is federally owned If the plan is approved, grass and wild flowers will be planted on the four pockets of land bordering the 1-15 off- and onramps at 5600 South. The land to the northeast side of the junction surrounding the Hill Air Force Base Heritage Museum and the Roy Water Conservancy Sub-District building, 5440 S. 1700 West, will receive a major facelift. A picnic area and be constructed, planted, and a foot Weber Davis canal parking lot will tees will be bridge over the will be built, as well as a fence skirting a canal there. The land between an I-15 frontage road there and the canal is owned by Riverdale City, so the development of that area will probably be a joint project between the two cities, Sant said. Thelast phase before sending the also 18, pleaded innocent to a criminal homicide charge Friday. Beckie Burns remains free until trial, scheduled for May 11, Their son, 6-month-old Shawn Burns, died Aug. 4. He suffered from Down syndrome and other health problems. hire Leonard Grassli, a North Ogden landscape architect, to deter- At the couple's arraignment, Beckie Burns’ brother-in-law alleged that Richard Burns threatened to hurt him if he mine the costs of the project. testified proposal to UDOT will be to again Grassli was contracted to draw the original plan. — Standard-Examiner staff and wire services |
