Libertas Legislator Profiles

Libertas Legislator Index Rankings

This legislator does not currently have any ranked votes.

Sponsored Ranked Bills

This legislator was the sponsor of the following bills, which were ranked by Libertas Institute in their respective year's Legislator Index.

• HB461: Abortion Waiting Period (2012)
  This bill, signed into law by Governor Herbert, requires that those seeking an abortion wait 72 hours after a face-to-face consultation in which they are described the gestation of the fetus and provided with information about alternatives, including adoption. Elective abortion is infanticide —murder—and although the federal government has opened the door for legalized infanticide, Libertas supports the state of Utah pushing back against such policies to protect the life of the unborn.
  
  This bill passed the House 59-11, passed the Senate 22-6, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB140: Vehicle Checkpoint Amendments (DUI Checkpoint Ban) (2012)
  This bill would have, with limited exceptions, repealed the authority to conduct DUI checkpoints. Libertas supported this bill because both the United States and Utah Constitutions guarantee "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizure." Checkpoints violate that protection, and thus are illegitimate uses of the police power.
  
  This bill passed the House 41-33 and died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• SCR11: Concurrent Resolution on the National Defense Authorization Act (2012)
  This resolution affirms the individual rights of all citizens under both the United States and Utah Constitutions, objects to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012's apparent violation of those rights, and urges the federal government to either clarify or repeal conflicting provisions.
  
  This resolution passed the Senate 26-0, passed the House 71-0, and was signed by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB424: Museum Appropriation Amendments (2012)
  This bill would have given $250,000 in taxpayer dollars to the Department of Community and Culture to create an education and economic development support program. Taking property from people (via taxes) to create and fund cultural and art-related activities is immoral and an illegitimate role of government.
  
  This bill died in the House on a 36-27 vote. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB194: Involuntary Feeding and Hydration of Inmates (2012)
  This bill creates a process to allow the government to forcibly feed or hydrate a prisoner who is attempting to starve himself to death. The government has no legitimate authority to compel a person to stay alive if he instead wishes to die.
  
  This bill passed the House 63-10, passed the Senate 27-1, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB254: Controlled Substances Amendments (2012)
  This bill adds new drugs to the list of "controlled substances," a lengthy list of drugs and chemicals that the state government prohibits. Individuals should certainly be encouraged to stay away from harmful drugs, but criminalizing the ingestion of a certain substance is not a legitimate power of government.
  
  This bill passed the House 72-1, passed the Senate 24-2, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB290: Divorce Orientation Class (2012)
  This bill would have required that married couples with children take a "divorce orientation" class, paid for by the state, before filing for divorce. It also would have required a 90-day period between when somebody files for divorce and when it may be finalized. Libertas supports efforts to strengthen marriages and keep families intact, but disagrees that the government has a legitimate role in the process.
  
  This bill died in the House on a 14-56 vote. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB325: Motor Fuel Marketing Act Reauthorization (2012)
  This bill extends a law by five years that was due to sunset, which prohibits fuel companies from lowering gas prices below cost. Proponents of the bill claimed that large petroleum retailers were undercutting the competition and putting small gas stations out of business. Property owners (including gas companies) have the right to sell their goods at whatever price they please, for whatever reasons they wish. Government has no legitimate authority in interfering with lawful commerce between two parties.
  
  This bill passed the House 41-31 and died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB101: Tax Credits for Employing a Homeless Person (2012)
  This bill would have given corporate and individual income tax credits to employers who hired homeless people. While Libertas is fully supportive of employers who assist homeless people and provide economic opportunities to those in need, we reject the idea that government should use taxes as a method of social engineering, even if the stated goals are praiseworthy.
  
  This bill passed the House 42-28 and died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HJR4: Joint Resolution on Breastfeeding (2012)
  This resolution encourages employers to provide unpaid break time and appropriate space for employees who need to breastfeed or express their milk for their infant children. While Libertas is very supportive of breastfeeding and sensitive to the needs of working mothers, resolutions such as these often later turn into mandates when the encouragement fails to have the desired effect. Government's role is not to encourage property owners to use their property a certain way. Initiatives such as these should be left to the private sector exclusively.
  
  This resolution passed the House 69-1, passed the Senate 24-0, and therefore became an official joint resolution.
• HB125: Access to Dental Health Care (2012)
  This bill establishes a dental health care delivery system and payment pilot program for dental benefits within Medicaid. It gives financial incentives to dentists who take in Medicaid patients, hoping to entice more of them to offer their services to those using Medicaid. Government money, obtained through taxation, should not be used to subsidize medical services and alter the doctor/patient relationship through financial incentives and other kickbacks.
  
  This bill passed the House 68-2, passed the Senate 23-4, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB272: Pilot Program for Coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorders (2012)
  This bill creates a pilot program in the state of Utah to provide health insurance and related services for children ages two to six who have autism. Estimated to cost $7.5 million in its first year alone, the bill offers up to $30,000 per year per child. While Libertas sympathizes with the cost of care for those who suffer from this developmental disorder, confiscating others' property through taxation to finance a new welfare system is not the proper role of government.
  
  This bill passed the House 70-5, passed the Senate 19-8, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert.
• HB198: Growing of Food (2012)
  This bill, signed into law by Governor Herbert, rejects federal jurisdiction regarding food grown and consumed by an individual and his/her family. The federal government's long-standing abuse of the commerce clause must be challenged, as that clause was never meant by the founders to empower the federal government to micro-manage the most minute of commercially-related actions.
  
  This bill passed the House 53-16, passed the Senate 21-6, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB49: Firearms Revisions (Challenging Disorderly Conduct Claims) (2012)
  This bill would have prevented municipalities around the state from citing individuals with disorderly conduct charges for simply carrying a weapon openly in the public. Police departments often impose stricter gun controls than what state law allows for by harassing law-abiding citizens with such charges, when their peaceable conduct is in no way disorderly.
  
  This bill passed the House 50-21, passed the Senate 22-4 on a preliminary vote, and then died in the Senate before the final vote. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB148: Transfer of Public Lands Act and Related Study (2012)
  This bill, signed into law by Governor Herbert, requires that the federal government turn over most of the public lands within Utah to the state's control. The federal government currently manages over 2/3 of the land within Utah, a number that is highly disproportionate to other states. No such constitutional authority exists for these land management policies, and therefore the federal government must relinquish control.
  
  This bill passed the House 59-14, passed the Senate 21-6, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB87: Billboard Revisions (Electronic Billboards in SLC) (2012)
  This bill would have stripped cities and counties of their ability to prohibit billboard companies from replacing static signs with electronic ones, also making it more difficult for cities to use eminent domain to take property with billboards on them. Property rights should not be violated without just cause, and billboard companies have the right to put any form of sign on their property that they wish.
  
  This bill passed the House 55-16 and then died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• SB107: Possession of Graffiti Paraphernalia (2012)
  This bill would have allowed police to arrest individuals who carry spray-paint cans with the intent to tag property with graffiti, making such possession a Class C misdemeanor. This bill allows for a "Minority Report" type of pre-crime in which police would somehow be required to determine one's intent before any action has been committed. Simply carrying spray paint is not a crime, and police cannot know a person's intent without probable cause.
  
  The bill failed in the Senate on a 11-17 vote. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• SB208: Healthcare compact (2012)
  This bill was designed to replace Medicare and Medicaid with a block grant to the states, having Utah join an interstate compact to opt out of federal health care laws without forgoing billions of dollars in federal funding. Libertas supports efforts which challenge the federal government's unconstitutional usurpations of power, such as with health care, despite believing that a compact such as this is a flawed idea because it must be approved by Congress. Thus, the state legislature is opposing the theft of power by Congress and asking that same legislative body to surrender its power. Rights and powers should not be requested politely from the thief which stole and abuses them—they should be affirmed and defended boldly. Libertas supports this effort only to the extent that it will in the near future hopefully lead to stronger efforts to check the federal government's arrogation of undelegated authority.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 21-8, passed the House 45-23, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• SB314: Alcoholic Beverage Amendments (2011)
  This bill eliminates alcoholic drink specials and contains other alcohol-related micromanagement policies that violate the proper role of government. Property owners and consenting consumers should be free to engage in commerce, including alcohol, provided that no harm is caused to a third party.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 28-1, passed the House 69-4, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert.
• HB47: Government Records Amendments (2011)
  This bill exempts instant messages, voicemails, video chats, and texts from records requests available to the public, in addition to making other changes related to citizens' ability to determine what their representatives in government are up to. While Libertas recognizes the need for confidentiality at times between a government official and a constituent, we feel that this bill goes too far.
  
  This bill passed the House 42-29, passed the Senate 23-6, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB116: Utah Immigration Accountability and Enforcement Amendments (2011)
  This bill creates a guest worker program in Utah for non-citizen aliens residing in Utah without the federal government's permission. Libertas recognizes the inherent and individual right of all persons to reside, travel, and work where they wish, and affirms that the federal government has no constitutional authority to manage immigration. We therefore support Utah taking immigration-related matters into its own hands. However, this bill contains significant flaws and while it should be praised for getting Utah legislators thinking about immigration solutions, it does not gain our support.
  
  This bill passed the House 41-32, passed the Senate 19-5, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB70: Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act (2011)
  This bill would have required police officers to investigate and enforce federal immigration laws. The federal government has nowhere been delegated the constitutional authority over immigration, and Utah should therefore not help enforce it.
  
  This bill passed the House 58-15 and died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB23: Controlled Substance Modifications (2011)
  This bill expands the war on drugs within Utah by criminalizing the use of "spice" (synthetic marijuana) and bath salts. The government has no legitimate authority in dictating to a person what he may or may not ingest when that action causes no demonstrable harm to others.
  
  This bill passed the House 65-3, passed the Senate 25-0, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB14: Catastrophic Mental Health Coverage - Sunset Act (2011)
  This bill removes the sunset clause on a law which fixes a maximum amount that insurance companies can charge their customers for mental health care coverage, thereby making the law permanent. The government has no authority to dictate to private insurance companies what services they can offer and for what prices they may offer them.
  
  This bill passed the House 66-0, passed the Senate 26-0, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• SB270: Modifications to Sales and Use Tax (2011)
  This bill would have raised the state sales and use tax rate on food and food ingredients and lowered the general state sales and use tax rate. Libertas supports the reduction and/or elimination of taxes but opposes the use of taxation policy to encourage or discourage economic behavior.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 19-9 and died in the House. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB89: Protection of Children Riding in Motor Vehicles (2011)
  This bill would have criminalized smoking in a car when children were present. This invasive penalty for a legal action (smoking) is problematic in and of itself, but would also set a dangerous precent for regulating the activity in other locations/areas as well.
  
  This bill passed the House 39-35 and died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB243: Occupations and Professions Amendments (2011)
  This bill empowers the government with the ability to issue citations and fines against those who offer massage services without being licensed by the state as well as those who receive the services. Business licensure is illegitimate; government has no authority to dictate to consenting adults what forms of commerce they may or may not engage in.
  
  This bill passed the House 71-0, passed the Senate 25-0, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB353: Abortion Freedom of Conscience (2011)
  This bill ensures that doctors who are not morally opposed to abortion will not face punishment or civil liability for refusing to perform an abortion, including in cases of rape or incest. No individual should be compelled to take the life of another human being.
  
  This bill passed the House 54-13, passed the Senate 23-6, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB75: Dangerous Weapons Amendments (2011)
  This bill eliminates "gun-free zones" around schools, removing the 1,000-foot perimeter that previously existed. Events such as the shooting at Columbine and Virginia Tech show the chaos that can occur when law-abiding citizens are prohibited from carrying guns in certain places. Individuals should remain free to protect themselves (including with a gun) on all public premises.
  
  This bill passed the House 58-15, passed the Senate 19-8, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB317: Currency Amendments (2011)
  This bill requires the state to recognize gold and silver as legal tender based on the value of the metal. It also orders the state to study whether Utah should establish an alternative form of legal tender. The government's fiat monopoly money must be challenged, and the Constitution requires states to only recognize gold and silver.
  
  This bill passed 47-26 in the House, passed 17-7 in the Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert.
• SB65: Statewide Online Education Program (2011)
  This bill allows students to earn credit for high school graduation through the completion of online courses. Tax funding follows the students, allowing parents to choose alternative education methods than standard public schools for their children. Those who are taxed for the education of their children should be able to dictate where and how that money is spent.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 27-0, passed the House 48-27, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert.
• HB76: Federal Law Evaluation and Response (2011)
  This bill creates a new federalism subcommittee to monitor all actions of the federal government against the express powers delegated to it under the U.S. Constitution, in order to better challenge federal overreach in a proactive manner together with other states and with Utah's congressional delegation. The federal government's long-standing usurpations of power must be checked by the states.
  
  This bill passed the House 58-11, passed the Senate 25-2, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB138: Federal Receipts Reporting Requirements (2011)
  This bill requires state agencies to report the percentage of their budget that comes from federal funds and put in place a contingency plan in the event federal funds are diminished. Utah's dependency upon the federal government must be eliminated and this bill is a good first step in beginning that process.
  
  This bill passed the House 59-9, passed the Senate 25-0, and was signed into law by Governor Herber. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB249: Growing of Food (2011)
  This bill would have rejected federal jurisdiction regarding food grown and consumed by an individual and his/her family. The federal government's long-standing abuse of the commerce clause must be challenged, as that clause was never meant by the founders to empower the federal government to micro-manage the most minute of commercially-related actions.
  
  This bill passed the House 49-15 and died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB150: Administrative Subpoena Amendments (2010)
  This bill expanded the authority for Utah law enforcement agencies to use so-called “administrative subpoenas” to obtain information from internet and other telecom service providers about individuals who are allegedly suspected of certain types of crime. The bill adds stalking and child kidnapping to the list of permitted uses—but also includes a blanket immunity clause letting complying service providers off the hook for divulging the requested private information. These subpoenas require no burden of proof and have no judicial oversight. This is a violation of the U.S. and Utah Constitutions and a threat to one's privacy.
  
  This bill passed the House 48-20, passed the Senate 19-10, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HJR12: Climate Change Joint Resolution (2010)
  This resolution urges the federal government to cease its carbon dioxide reduction policies, programs, and regulations until climate data and global warming science are substantiated. Much of what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does lacks any constitutional authority and illegitimately infringes upon individual property rights. Libertas supports this resolution as a small step towards moving to bolder action in opposing the federal government's unjust actions.
  
  This joint resolution passed the House 56-17 and passed the Senate 15-8. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB196: Tobacco Tax Revisions (2010)
  This bill increased the tax rate on tobacco-related products. Taxes should not be used as a method of social engineering.
  
  This bill passed the House 39-35, passed the Senate 19-8, and became law without Governor Herbert's signature. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• SB251: Verification of Employment Eligibility (2010)
  This bill requires business owners to check a person's citizenship/immigration status before hiring them, imposing criminal penalties for failure to comply. Property owners should be able to contract with and hire whom they please; it is not a business owner's job to investigate or enforce matters relating to government immigration policy.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 24-4, passed the House 46-24, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HCR2: Concurrent Resolution on States Rights (2010)
  This concurrent resolution urges the federal government to repeal and prohibit regulations and laws that do or would infringe upon the powers reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Libertas supports the intent behind this resolution, though strongly favors more aggressive actions. Asking a thief nicely to return a stolen item is rarely a productive undertaking. Similarly, asking the federal government to relinquish the power it has illegitimately taken will likewise not bear fruit. Still, Libertas supports this as a very basic step in a longer process of opposing the federal government's deviation from the Constitution.
  
  This resolution passed 57-13 in the House, passed 24-3 in the Senate, and was signed by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB82: Protection of Children Riding in Motor Vehicles (2010)
  This bill would have criminalized smoking in a car when children were present. This invasive penalty for a legal action (smoking) is problematic in and of itself, but would also set a dangerous precent for regulating the activity in other locations/areas as well.
  
  This bill passed the House 40-31 and died in the Senate. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• SB273: Hospital Assessments (2010)
  This bill imposes a "sick tax" on hospitals to raise funds necessary to request more federal dollars for Medicaid patients. Taxes should not be used unfairly upon one sector of business or group of people, and the state should not be using policy as an attempt to solicit more federal dollars.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 25-3, passed the House 56-12, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert.
• SB272: Amendments to Transportation Provisions (2010)
  This bill enables the Utah Transit Authority to turn land it owns into mixed-use development. A quasi-governmental institution, backstopped by the taxpayer, should not be permitted to compete with the private sector in development and business.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 19-7, passed the House 47-22, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "nay" vote.
• HB324: Public Lands Litigation (2010)
  This bill appropriated money to the Attorney General's office and directed the AG to file eminent domain actions on federal land to initiate the challenge of the federal government's ownership and control of nearly 2/3 of the state of Utah. This land is unconstitutionally managed by the federal government, and Utah should therefore resist.
  
  This bill passed the House 48-19, passed the Senate 20-7, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB234: Opting Out of the Real Id Act (2010)
  This bill prohibited the state from participating in the implementation of the REAL ID Act of 2005 which imposed unfunded mandates upon the state and attempted to create a national ID system. No constitutional authority exists for this legislative act, and serious privacy concerns required it be defeated.
  
  This bill passed the House 70-0, passed the Senate 23-5, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB146: Law Enforcement by Federal Land Management Agency (2010)
  This bill puts a check on the police powers of federal agents within the state of Utah, stating that the state does not recognize federal law enforcement authority of the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service beyond what is necessary to manage, use, and protect federally managed lands.
  
  This bill passed the House 67-2, passed the Senate 23-5, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB143: Eminent Domain Authority (2010)
  This bill authorizes the state to exercise eminent domain authority on property possessed by the federal government unless the property was acquired by the federal government with the consent of the Legislature and in accordance with the U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 8, Clause 17. The federal government's ownership and control of roughly 2/3 of the land in Utah must be challenged.
  
  This bill passed the House 48-17, passed the Senate 21-6, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB67: Health System Amendments (2010)
  This bill prohibits a state agency or department from implementing federal health care laws passed by the U.S. Congress after March 1, 2010, unless a state agency first reports to the legislature regarding its costs and impact on state reform efforts. Congress has no constitutional authority over health care, and Utah should therefore oppose its attempts to usurp that authority.
  
  This bill passed the House 53-20, passed the Senate 22-7, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB200: Informed Consent Amendments (2010)
  This bill allows pregnant women a chance to see an ultrasound of their unborn child before deciding to undergo an abortion to terminate his or her life. It also requires abortion facilities to provide a detailed description of the unborn child to the mother considering abortion. While Roe v. Wade should be challenged directly, this provision for informed consent is a good, small step at helping mothers to re-consider ending their child's life.
  
  This bill passed the House 55-16, passed the Senate 20-7, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• SB11: Utah State-made Firearms Protection Act (2010)
  This bill exempts Utah-made firearms from federal regulation. The U.S. Constitution's commerce clause has been radically expanded beyond the intent of its framers, and should therefore be challenged by the states whose authority have been usurped by the federal government.
  
  This bill passed the Senate 19-10, passed the House 56-17, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.
• HB462: Criminal Homicide and Abortion Revisions (2010)
  This bill allows a woman who arranges an illegal abortion to be charged with criminal homicide. The life of all human beings should be protected—including those not yet born.
  
  This bill passed the House 55015, passed the Senate 23-4, and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas supports a "yea" vote.

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