The Daily Spectrum from Saint George, Utah • 2

LOCAL STATE THE SPECTRUM DAILY NEWS A2 Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Gun-rights advocates rally at the Utah Capitol during the National Gun Appreciation Day Rally earlier this year, Utah senate gives preliminary OK to gun bill STATE NEWS IN DIUEF House OKs bill to ban consulting by appointees SALT LAKE CITY The Utah House approved a measure to ban the kind of outside consulting work Utah Attorney General John Swallow did while serving as chief deputy under former Attorney General Mark Shurtlef f. The House approved the bill 70-1 on Tuesday. It now heads to the governor's desk. Swallow collected $23,000 for providing consulting services on a Nevada cement plant project. He says the moonlighting was allowed because he was a political appointee, not a career state lawyer.

Republican Sen. Todd Weiler of Woods Cross says the legislation would close the loophole and restrict outside employment for top aides and state elected officials. Swallow's undisclosed consulting work surfaced recently when he was accused of taking part in a failed bribery scheme to derail a federal investigation. Move to tax e-cigarettes like regular smokes dies SALT LAKE CITY A proposal to tax electronic cigarettes at the same rate as regular cigarettes has died in the Utah legislature. The House voted down the measure 44-29 on Monday evening.

Utah would have been the first known state to enact that type of measure. Often called "e-cigarettes," the battery-powered devices heat a liquid nicotine solution and create vapor that users inhale. Their popularity has spiked in recent years. Manufacturers and users tout them as a way to break an addiction to traditional cigarettes. But the bill's sponsor, Republican Rep.

Paul Ray of Clearfield, said they are similar to other tobacco products and should be taxed the same. The Food and Drug Administration's stance is that health impact of electronic cigarettes is unknown because it has not been properly studied. Bill to ban minors from driving, using phone dies SALT LAKE city The Utah Senate killed a proposal to impose a $50 fine and ticket on teens who talk on the phone while driving. The Senate voted against the measure on an 11-13 vote on Tuesday afternoon. The measure would have made it a misdemeanor for 16 and 17-year-olds to talk and drive.

It would not have applied to someone using a phone to reach out to parents or guardians in an emergency situation. Opponents of the legislation said it was unnecessary and didn't address other concerns about distracted driving. Pilot mostly OK after Spanish Fork crash landing Spanish FORK A pilot whose plane crash-landed south of the Spanish Fork airport has escaped with just scrapes, bruises and a coat of white paint. The Daily Herald reported that Joel Skousen lost fuel pressure and power as he was descending into the airport and landed in a field about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

His single-engine plane flipped and tore in half, and the newspaper reported a paint can inside the aircraft exploded and covered him in paint, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer says Skousen was the only person on board. Utah lawmakers keep 'Zion Curtain' in place SALT LAKE CITY Utah lawmakers are planning to keep in place a mandate, for restaurants to mix and pour alcoholic drinks behind a barrier. Orem Republican Sen. John Valentine said Tuesday the decision stems from fear that the proposed takedown would encourage a culture of drinking in Utah. The barriers, known as "Zion curtains" went up in 2010 as a compromise when lawmakers relaxed regulations on Utah bars.

Ogden Republican Rep. Ryan Wilcox sponsored an earlier bill to take down the barricades. He says the barrier rule treats restaurants unfairly and harms tourism. But lawmakers swapped out the curtain take-down bill. They replaced it with a measure to create a master liquor license for chain restaurants, allowing them to hold one permit for multiple restaurants.

The Senate continues to debate the bill Bill studying Utah public records site advances SALT lake CITY The Utah House advanced a bill that would task a state transparency board with studying ways to create a one-stop shop for open records in Utah. West Valley City Republican Rep. Craig Hall says the bill asks the Utah Transparency Advisory Board to look for solutions for records that are already public. Critics of the legislation said they feared it did not have protections for private information and gave the board too much authority. Hall says it does not expand the amount of information that is public record.

The House vote 46-25 to advance the bill Tuesday. It now heads to the governor. Spanish Fork Republican Sen. Deidre Henderson is one of the bill's authors and says centralizing the data makes it easier for the public to find information. 16 Utah students honored for top ACT scores SANDY Sixteen Utah students are being honored for earning the highest possible score on the ACT college readiness test.

The high school students will be recognized at a luncheon Tuesday at Salt Lake Community College's Miller campus in Sandy, during the annual conference of the Utah ACT State Organization. They'll receive a plaque to mark their achievements. The ACT exam consists of English, math, reading, and science tests that are scored on a scale of 1 to 36. A student's composite score is the average of all four subtests. Students honored Tuesday have an average composite score of 36.

The honorees include five students from Salt Lake City; two students each from Provo, Riverton, Midvale and Woods Cross; and one each from Orem, Murray and Kaysville. Bill requiring coverage for chemo drug advances SALT LAKE CITY The Utah House advanced a measure that aims to cut the cost of expensive cancer treatment pills for patients. The bill would require insurance companies pick up a greater share of the tab for oral chemotherapy drugs. Nationally, cancer-fighting pills are on the rise. They are replacing chemo delivered through the patient's vein.

That means less debilitating side effects and fewer trips to the clinic. But the drugs also carry co-payments that can total up to a few thousand dollars. Right now, insurers reimburse patients for IV chemotherapy, but not for the drugs, which have become much more available in the past few years. The House approved the bill on a 72-1 vote Tuesday. It now heads to the governor for a signature or veto.

Utah House votes to bar Medicaid expansion SALT LAKE CITY The Utah House voted Monday to block the expansion of Medicaid. The move was a message to Gov. Gary Herbert, who is weighing whether to accept the federal government's offer to expand Medicaid. Herbert said he won't make that decision until summer, after an outside consulting group finishes reviewing the pros and cons of expansion. The House voted 46-27 to oppose such a move.

Rep. Jacob Anderegg, R-Lehi, sponsored the bill and spoke emotionally Monday in the House. The choked-up Anderegg said it would be "dictatorial" if the governor accepted the expansion. Republican lawmakers said expansion offers a false promise of federal support that could drain the state budget down the line. Critics of Anderegg's measure said the bill was hurried, and lawmakers should wait to see the results of the pending study.

Associated Press Associated Brea salt lake CITY Utah lawmakers have advanced a measure eliminating the need for a permit to carry a concealed gun in Utah, as long as it's unloaded. The Senate voted 19-6 Tuesday to preliminarily approve the bill introduced by Rep. John Mathis, R-Ver-nal. It would allow anyone 21 or over to carry a hidden gun, as long as that person hasn't been convicted of a crime that bars a person from legally owning a firearm. Gun owners would still need a permit to carry a loaded, hidden weapon.

They would also still need a permit to carry a hidden weapon on a school campus or to carry in another state that honors Utah's concealed weapon permits. The Senate must give its final approval before the measure goes to the governor. Another gun bill that attracted a lot of attention this session is still awaiting debate in the Senate. That proposal, from Rep. Brian Greene, R-Pleas-ant Grove, would declare Utah's authority to regulate firearms in the state trumps federal gun laws.

The bill states that if a judge declares a state gun law conflicts with a federal law, the state law will be supreme and federal and state officers cannot enforce the federal law. Legislative attorneys have said it's very likely a court will find the legislation unconstitutional if it passes. Greene said the measure is an assertion of state's rights and individual liberty, and he doesn't believe it's unconstitutional. Another bill pending in the Senate bars police from citing someone for disorderly conduct for carrying a gun. The proposal from Republican Rep.

Paul Ray, of Clearfield, allows law enforcement to cite someone carrying a gun for disorderly conduct only if the person disregards police orders or behaves in a way that causes a "reasonable person" to fear for the safety of anyone. Ray said there have been cases in recent years where police cited gun owners for disorderly conduct without a just cause. IF YOU DON'T LOVE YOUR ACCOUNTANT, GIVE US A CALL! Superior Expertise Service Licensed CPAs EAs Affordably Priced $50 Off (New Client Discount) Spring Ftne Jewelry CLEARANCE tgF Save Up To ARRESTS The Spectrum reports arrests for felony crimes and compound misdemeanors and warrants carrying a bail of at least $750. All arrest information is taken from the jail booking log and police reports. The Spectrum reserves the right to report on other incidents at the editors' discretion.

Santa Clara-lvins Police Department Lonnie Dean Brazel, 63, 3417 Adobe Drive, Santa Clara, was arrested Monday on two domestic violence counts of simple assault. Brazel was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on $2,024 bail. St George Police Department Mendy Sue Phillips, 35, 810 N. 700 West, St. George, was arrested Monday on domestic violence charges of simple assault and in the presence of a child.

Phillips was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on $2,952 bail. Jeremy Jay Slade, 31, 94 E. 3930 South, St. George, was arrested Monday on charges of felony drug possession and criminal mischief. Slade was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on $5,623 bail.

Astin Shawn Herd, 18, 1840 W. 1100 North No. 2, St. George, was arrested Monday on charges of amphetamine possession, marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Herd was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on $13,700 bail.

INCIDENTS At the discretion of the editorial department The Spectrum reports police or rescue incidents of general interest where no arrest is made. These incidents were responded to Sunday. Mesquite Police Department Open container of alcohol on East Pioneer Boulevard. Threatening on Riverside Road. Domestic trouble on Daybreak Lane.

Driving under the Influence on West Mesquite Boulevard. These incidents were responded to Monday. St George Fire Department Structure fire near the intersection of St. George Boulevard and 1000 East. St George Police Department Harassment on the 2200 East block of 160 South.

Fraud leading to arrest on the 1800 West block of 1100 North. Nuisance on the 100 South block of 300 West. Ungovernable juvenile on the 1100 East block of Oxford Place. Misdemeanor theft on the 1400 West bjock of 1370 North. Retail theft on the 2600 Soiith block of Pioneer Road.

Ungovernable juverjile on the 700 North block of 1700 East. Storage shed burglary on the 900 North block of Dixie Downs Road. Abandoned vehicle on the 100 North block of Donlee Drive. Intoxicated person on the 300 West block of St. George Boulevard.

Citizen dispute on the 2300 East block of Red Cliffs Drive. Traffic violation on the 700 West block of Telegraph Street. These incidents were responded to Tuesday. Fugitive on the 400 East block of Tabernacle Street. Fugitive on the 600 East block of St.

George Boulevard. SINCE IM St. George Boulevard at Bluff Street 1 All patients seen by ttv Board Certified Dermatologist 33 .7 i. I oTht.ui rrrrn 1 3D ACCIDENTS At the discretion of the editorial department The Spectrum reports accidents of general interest where no arrest is made. These accidents were responded to Monday.

St George Police Department Traffic accident with damage on the 1900 West block of Sunset Boulevard. Traffic accident with injuries on the 1600 East block of Red Cliffs Drive. Traffic accident with damage at the Intersection of Tonaquint Drive and Dixie Drive. Swving So. Utah With Quality Fmomliztd Con Sinn 1005 NEW PATIENTS WELCOME 435-674-3552 1-877-574-3552 Bloomington Executive Suites St.

George www.dixiedermatology.com 1 I tffil'.