The Utah Senate Committee on Authorities Operations Affirmation simply handed unanimously SB243, which out of the blue appeared over the weekend. It now goes to the Senate.
SB243 creates a tiny, hand-picked committee, with no public accountability or oversight, to supply $75 million in loans to personal companies prepared to construct infrastructure within the “controversial” Utah Inland Port.
Twenty-two residents needed to make public feedback, all in opposition; solely seven have been permitted. Chairman Daniel Thatcher restricted everybody to barely one minute and reduce off the dialogue as a result of “we now have loads of payments to cowl.” Assembly expediency over taxpayer coverage.
Sponsor Sen. Jerry Stephenson was requested questions — about transparency, about vetting of tasks, about course of. No point out of presidency usurping a personal sector pursuits of lenders.
His reply to all: We are able to work that out later, in subsequent payments, “like we all the time do.”
Is Utah headed down this path, as a technique to govern?
Nancy Alice McHugh
Salt Lake Metropolis
