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Show DAILY Wednesday, February 15, 2006 HERALD LEGISLATURE ~ MORNING BRIEFING Bill to move primary election edges closer Compiled from Daily Herald wire services The NATION DalyHERALD The Utah Senate has endorsed the idea of a Western presidential primary aimed at bri morenational attention andinfluence to Western Ohio school board eliminates disputed language on evolution COLUMBUS,Ohio — The states. State senators voted 26-1 in favorofa bill by Sen. Pete Knudson,R-Brigham City, that would movethe state’s presidential primary votes to the first Tuesday in February — after New Hampshire's famous first-in-the-nation vote but before balloting in otherstates. It still has one vote to goin the Senate before moving to the House. “Webelieve by doing this we'll becomea lot morerelevant,” said Knudson. The ideais for several Westernstates to.movetheir primaries to the same day. So Ohio school board voted Tuesday to eliminate a passage in thestate's science standards thatcritics said opened the doorto the teachingofintelligent design. The Ohio Board of Education decided 114 to delete material encouraging students to seek evidencefor and against evoluton. The 2002 science standards said students should be able to “describe how scientists continuie to investigate andcritically analyze aspects of evolutionarytheory.” The standards included adisclaimer that they donot require theteaching of intelligent design. far New Mexico and Arizona already are on board, and Nevada is interested. “A unified date will draw attention to Western issues,” said Knudson. The sole ene vote came from Sen. Michael W: R-WestJordan, who objected to iesaof having two primary ore's bill changes only the date of the presidential primaries. Candidate selectionfoe for all other races would still take placein June. The cost of an extra election has already prompted Idaho to balk, noted Waddoups, something Utah should do as well. “It seems like we could fed eee uses for the money,” he rey's bill would appropriate $850,000 for the costs of the primary. Theboard vote represents the latest setback for the intelligent design movement, which holdsthatlife is so complexit must have been created by a higherauthority. Guardsays he helped with jailbreak CHICAGO — A Cook CountyJail guardtold investigators he helpedsix inmates escape over the weekend in an attemptto influence the election for sheriff, newspapers reported Tuesday. The guard said he was trying to embarrass outgoing county Sheriff Michael Sheahan and his chiefof staff, Tom Dart, whois running for sheriff, The ChicagoSun-Times and Chicago Tribune reported,citing unidentified law enforcementsources. Representatives for the sheriff's office, which controls the jail, did not immediately return calls Tuesday from The Associ- ated Press No charges had beenfiled in thejailbreak as of midday Tuesday. All six inmates have beencaptured. Also Tuesday, the Police Departmentsaidits officers received a tip about an escape plotat thejail hours before the breakout. First Episcopal openly gay bishopan alcoholic CONCORD,N.H. — The Episcopal Church'sfirst openly gaybishop, V. Gene Robinson, is being treated for alcoholism, a step that surprised friends and colleagues but seemed un- likelyto threatenhis position in the church. A keyadministrative com- Going for best in show A cockerspanielis presented for competition byits handlers in the ring during the 130th ' Westminster Kennel Club Dog Showon Tuesdayin New York’s Madison Square Garden. mittee said it stood by Robinson, whose 2003election as bishop of New Hampshire causeda furor in worldwide Anglicanism because helives with a same-sex partner. “I am writing to you from an alcohol treatment center where onFeb.1, with the encouragement and support of my partner, daughters andcolleagues, I checked myself in to deal with myincreasing dependence on alcohol,” Robinson wrotein an e-mail to clergy Monday. Board: Wal-Mart must stock morning-afterpill BOSTON — Thestate pharmacyboard ordered Wal-Mart on Tuesdayto stock emergencycontraceptionpills at its stores in Massachusetts. Massachusetts becomes the secondstate to require the world'slargestretailer to carry the morning-afterpill. A Wal-Mart spokesmansaid the company would comply with the directive by the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy andis g its policy on the drug. “Clearly women's health is a high priority for Wal-Mart,” spokesman Dan Fogleman said. “Weare actively thinking throughthe issue.” Wal-Mart nowcarries the pill only in Illinois, whereit is “chooses not to carry many whatthey called unfair subsi- Congressman:9/11 leader ID'd many times dies from Canada’s provincial governments. Canada accountsfor about one-third of the U.S. market for softwood, whichis easily Pre-Sept.11 intelligence conducted bya secret military unit identified terrorist ringleader MohamedAtta13 different times, a congressman said Tuesday. During a Capitol Hill news conference, Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., said the unit — codenamed “Able Danger” — also identified “a problem”in Yemen two weeksbeforetheattack on the USS Cole. It knew wood used in homebuilding. The Commerce Department, responding to a complaint under the North American Free Trade Agreement,latelast year reduced punitive duties from an averageof16 percent to less than 9 percent. Separate antidumpingtariffs averaging about 4 percent were not affected. US.officials took the action underprotest and havenot said thebill wouldhelp eliminate the public perception that legislators are unduly influenced bygifts. “Name meonegood reason whyelected officials should receive gifts,” she said. “This bill would makeit easier for us and for lobbyists.” Underthe bill, campaign con- port of Aden and involved a US.platform, but the ship commander was not made aware ofit, Weldon said. The suicide bombing of the Cole killed 17 sailors on Oct.12, 2000. Tuled out an appeal before a tributions, unsolicited plaques special NAFTA disputepanel. andtrophies under $50, and gifts from one lawmaker to another wouldstill be allowed. Events to whichall legislators are invited are also OK. U.S.officials seek Hamas organization running products for business reasons,” but has refused to elaborate. the problem was tied into the settlement of lumber dispute with Canada P' The Bush adminis defended continued tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber imports Tuesday,but said the United States remains committed to a negotiated settlementto end the decades-longdi At a hearing before a Senate subcommittee,U.S.officials required to do so under state said tariffs are necessary to law. The companyhas saidit protect U.S. businesses hurt by Lebanese mark anniversary of Hundreds of thousands paid tribute to Rafik Hariri sassination Tuesday, shouting anti-Syrian slogans in a show of strength aimed at reviving the “people power”spirit that helped break Damascus’s domination over Lebanon. —_the Palestinian government seem sure to dominate the questioning when Secretary of | State Ce Rice next appears before Congress. Rice’s appearance Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, however, was postponed because of the press | of business on the Senatefloor. She had been scheduled to appear on behalf of President Bush's proposal to give the State Department$33 billion. TEHRAN,Iran — Iran has resumed small-scale enrichment of uranium,a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator said Tuesday — a defiant declaration in the face of global Anti-Syrian groups — buoyed bya turnout thatpolice put at about 800,000 and organizers said was more than a program. The resumptionstill leaves Iran a long way from reaching the stage the world fears most: large-scale enrichmentof uranium — a process that can produce fuel for an atomic bomb. Javad Vaeidi, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in announcing the small-scale enrichment, also told reporters that Iran would resume negotiations with Moscow on Feb. 20 overits plan to enrich Iranian uranium on Russian soil — a pre designed to allay ee that Iran will build nuclear weapons. for the resignation of Lebanon’s pro-Syrian president. Politicians opposed to Syria are a majority in government and Parliament, but have been unable toforce out President Emile Lahoudorcatch those behind a series of deadly bombingsthat claimed dozens oflives, including Hariri and three other prominent anti-Syrjan figures. Haitian candidate calls for nonviolence PORT-AU-PRINCE,Haiti — streets of the capital Tuesday, and most wereclear by mid-afternoon. Businesses remained shuttered, but street markets bustled with s} Preval, a formerprotege of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide who enjoys wide support among the poor,called on followers to removeall roadblocksso people can get to work. against it. But this time, even Alexander voted for Jones's modified bill and the measurepassed with only six in opposition. Three of the six who voted against the bill— Rep. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem; Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem; and Rep. David Cox, R-Lehi— are from Utah County. Daytonsaid she voted no on Jones's bill because she said it wouldn't change anything, and she disagreed that wrongdoing has occurred.“I do notlike the perception that lobbyists and ptukers are dishonest,” she said. | Quibbles aside, Senate approvestoll rcads bill HERALD DAILY A measurethat would expandthe state’s options for buildingtoll roads moved out of the Utah Senate on Tuesday, but not before lawmakers had a little bit of fun. Sen. SheldonKillpack’sbill would allow the state to form partnerships with private entities to build toll roads. The state already has the ability to build toll roads. This legislation is seen as a way to attract morefinancing so that roadprojects aren't delayed by lack of funds. Senators approved it 19-7. The measure nowgoesto the state House of Representatives. Sen. Ed Mayne, D-WestValley City, did his best to turn senatorsagainst the legislation. “My penal opinionis that toll roads are almost as regressive as thesales tax on food,” Maynesaid, adding that the legislation would “put a ‘for sale’ sign in front of the Capitol building.” Responded Killpack, R-Syracuse: “Eddie, you are the king of rhetoric. I read through the bill and I'm tryingto find where the Capitol’s for sale, and I don’t findit.” Maynethen Offered an amendmentthat would have required anyprivate entity partnering with thestate to be based in the United States. “If you believe in’America,” Mayneproclaimed, “then support the amendment.” Killpuck made a show of being moved:“I'm looking for a tissue,”he qu Mayne's amendmentwent downona 17-10 vote. opposition to Iran’s atomic million — stepped up demands and other debris blocking the ment. Rep.Pat Jones, D-Holladay,- proposed gift ban as amendmenttoa jessrestrictive proposal from Rep.Jeff Alexander, R-Provo,on gift limits and disclosure. The House voted Concerns aboutU.S.policy towardIraq, Iran and the Iran confirms uranium enrichment resumed on the anniversaryofhis as- A bill to ban lobbyist gifts to legislators worth more¢han $5 found support Tuesday where it had oncefailed as an amend- Rice to be questioned aboutIran, Hamas,Iraq mission that had imprisoned him. Forty-three humanrights activists, student leaders and political activists were also released. assassination Earlier this session, Jones sawed pine, spruce andother The WORLD that “gross errors” andlikely fraud marred the vote that saw him fall just short ofa firstroundvictory, and he said he would contest the results. Healso urged supporters to protest peacefully, a day after at least one pro-Preval demonstrator waskilled and followers elsewhere occupied hotel. White U.N. armored vehicles shoved aside roadblocks of junked cars,old refrigerators House OKs ban onlobbyists gifts MARYALTAFFER/Associated Press Iran says 135 swans died of bird flu FILIP HORVAT/Associated Press Aswan dives in the Dravariver in Maribor, Slovenia, on Tuesday. Sloveneauthorities declared the country a bird flu “risk zone” as they awaitedtests to find outif a dead swan was carrying the deadly H5N1 strain. Nepal frees dozens ofpolitical prisoners KATMANDU,Nepal — primeminister ousted by Nepal's king and dozens of other political prisoners were freed Tuesday as the country's embattled monarchfaced a new challengeto his rule — this time from the country's courts. While the legal actions that freed the prisoners weren't as dramatic as the ition protests and rebel attacks that have undermined King Gyanendra, they could present as serious a challenge, courts’ moves are “a messageto the king that he must respect the rule of law,” said Binod one of the lawyers who filed suit to get “a risoners rel t Bahadur Deuba, the icine minister Gyanendra ousted before seizing power, was freed after 's Supreme Court abolished the powerful anti-corruption com- Iran on Tuesday said 135 wild swans died ofbird flu in marshlands near the Caspian Seain the country’sfirst case of the spreading virus, and officials in Germany andAustria said the virus had apparently reached there as well. The disease’s likely spread to three new couniries follows the recent deaths of humans from the H5NIstrain of bird flu in Turkey and Iraq, Iran's neighbors, and the march of the disease into European countries Greece and Italy. _ Olympic officials in Italy said bird flu no threatto the Turin Obepi but a Nigerian official warned that bird flu was fast spreading in that country, and a U.N,expert said the strain may have surfaced in a second African country. COMING TODAY Someofthe bills being discussed todayin the Legislature: D HB 181: Education Reform Contact the sponsor: Rep. ‘Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, home: 435-673-4424, e-mail: surquhart@utah.gov This bill would provide stipends for supplemental instruction to students who havenot passed the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test, bonuses for teachers based on the academic progress of their students and modifications to the Utah Orderly School Termination Procedures Act. What's ning: This bill will be heard in the House Education Committee at 8 a.m. today in Room 135 of the West Office Building at the State Capitol Complex. DSB 24: Weapons Amendments Contact the sponsor: Sen. Mark Madsen,REagle Mountain, home: 801-864-0766,e-mail: niteLiaraleorg This bill would removethe prohibition from carrying a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle. What'shappening:It will be heardin the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee at 8 a.m. today in Room 130 of the West Office Building at the State Capitol Complex. HB 187: Criminal Law Amendments Contact the sponsor: Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland, home: 801-492-1365,e-mail: jdougall@utah.gov This bill would make the following repeals and amendmentsto state law in response toa current lawsuit: repeal the establishment ofan online adult content registry, repeal the requirement of Internet service providers to provide consumersthe service of blocking material on the adult contentregistry, amend the provisions regarding charging the consumer for are that blocks material harmful to i's a more. A t's It wi beUtilities heardandin theHoue Public Technology Committee at 9:15 a.m. today in boli of the West Lelie at the State Complex. oe |