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Updates > Alert for 3/25/2013: Is HB 76 S1 a Real
Effort or a Shell Game?
Is HB 76 S1 a Real Effort or a
Shell Game?
(Alert for
3/25/13): With governor Gary Herbert's
veto of HB 76 S1, all eyes are now on the bill's sponsor,
representative John Mathis. Only Mathis can make public
the legislature's upcoming vote on whether to hold a veto
override session for his bill. Does Mathis serve you?
Or has his bill been part of an ongoing, manipulative
shell
game?
During the session
Mathis felt compelled to meet with an antagonistic Herbert,
and shortly thereafter, withdrew the original HB 76; replacing
it with the
watered-down substitute bill. Only then did the
house monarchess Rebecca Lockhart and senate monarch Wayne
Niederhauser allow the weakened bill to move forward through
the legislature to the governor's desk; whereupon Herbert
promptly vetoed it.
Now the ball is back in the
monarchs' court. According to the
house and senate joint rules (JR 2-2-201), each monarch is
now required to "poll their respective members by mail or
other means" prior to announcing their decision whether their
legislature will hold a veto override session for HB 76 S1.
So can't you just imagine that the
polling occurs and you're told that it was very close BUT
there were insufficient votes to authorize the override
session?
To avoid this scenario,
here's the one mechanism you have to hold the legislature
politically accountable: The bill sponsor, John Mathis,
uniquely may request the results of the poll.
According to
JR
2-2-201(2)(b),
"The sponsor of a bill being
considered for the veto override shall be provided,
UPON REQUEST,
the itemized list of how each legislator responded to the
poll." [bold capital letters added]
HB 76 S1 already passed the house
and senate with a two-thirds majority. But if they do
not choose to override Herbert's veto, and that vote is held
in secrecy, then how will you know whether your legislator's
claims match reality?
All eyes
are on HB 76 S1 sponsor, rep. John Mathis. |
It is
Mathis, and only Mathis, who can request the poll results and
thereafter reveal to the public where each legislator REALLY
stands on HB 76 S1.
Will he do so? Or will he confirm growing suspicions
that legislators merely serve the triumvirate gun control
agenda of house monarchess Lockhart, senate monarch
Niederhauser, and governor Herbert?
As we
have attempted to describe,
HB 76 S1 provides an excellent introduction into this ongoing
political theater by which your rights are sacrificed. This legislature and governor,
displaying their actual priorities, have advanced
multiple gun control bills this
session.
Meanwhile, they have delayed, weakened, vetoed, and now may be
smugly confident in hiding their actions regarding the one
watered-down bill that could still reduce governmental
subversion of your ability to protect yourself and others, HB
76 S1.
Utah
currently has no effective recall provision
for voters to remove errant state elected officials.
Therefore Herbert is secure in his position until 2016, and
may be counting on gun owners to forget his actions by then.
Most legislators, however, are up for re-election sooner, and
are more vulnerable to constituent pressure.
They will be significantly
more vulnerable if their gun control
complicity is revealed.
Appropriate Action
All eyes should be on HB 76 S1
sponsor, representative John Mathis. Invite Mathis to make
the legislature's veto override vote regarding HB 76 S1 public
so that you can better determine whether this is a real
effort, or just another diversionary shell game. Call Mathis
at 435-789-7316 and email him at
jmathis@le.utah.gov
Other views & opinions to compare and
contrast on HB 76 S1: Alliance for a Better Utah; Deseret News; GoUtah!;
Libertas Institute; Salt Lake Tribune; St
George News;
Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah; Utah Gun Owners video; Utah Shooting Sports Council.
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