Monday, April 21, 2003

Public Service Commission to be elected? This year the State Legislature passed a resolution calling for a study of whether the Public Service Commission should be an elected body. Last Wednesday, the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee met to discuss the issue. Opponents said that the plan would politicize the process. Supporters that election would ensure there was public discussion of utility regulation policy every two years. Thirty Seven states have appointed commissioners, 13 have elected members. Opponents feared election would inject utility money into PSC campaigns. Supporters cited a recent poll showing 3/4 of voters favored changing to an elected body. Full hearings will follow this fall with a final report due by year's end. [Utah Legislature Website] [Salt Lake Tribune] 10:28:57 AM

States, including Utah, turning to taxes on Satellite Dishes Utah has instituted taxes on cable and DBS (Digital Broadcast Satellites). A number of other states are looking at such options, and, according to a DBS group, cable companies are lobbying strongly for taxes on satellite dishes. Cable companies says that exempting cable from sales taxation is fair because cable customers already pay franchise taxes. DBS providers do not, but do pay spectrum allocation fees to the FCC. Twenty-three states currently tax one or both. Utah faced lobbyng from cable companies for an exemption, but in the end, both were taxed. In Ohio, however, the cable lobby was successful in exempting cable from sales tax. [Ohio Cable Telecommunication Association] 10:05:37 AM

Washington Watch: Utah's Congressional Delegation - 4/ 21 Sen. Hatch lauds Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, a potential candidate for Senate Majority should Tennessee's Bill Frist retire in 2006: He tramped on a few toes in those early years - by the way, they were toes, I think, he should have tramped on. Santorum, dubbed a compassionate conservative, has strong views on the importance of families and disputes a constitutional right to privacy for consensual sex outside of marriage. Santorum opposes homosexuality, feminism, and liberalism. [Grand Forks Herald] [Sen. Santorum Web Site] Today, the chief of staff for Sen. Hatch, holds a meeting for major parties involved in the legislation to limit asbestos settlements, in an attempt to resolve differrences. Hatch wants a draft bill to be ready by April 28. [Reuters] The Kiplinger Letter reports that President Bush's political advisor, former Utahn Karl Rover, will target several congressional districts perceived a vulnerable for Democrates, including Jim Matheson in Utah. And, speaking of Matheson, the Congressman is one of the sponsors of a House amendment to allow industrial loan companies to offer interest bearing checking accounts to commercial users. It is about offering two entities...parity in terms of offering the same service. [America's Community Bankers] 9:52:17 AM

Utah Mortgage Company facing Federal / State Investigation Fairbanks Capital Corp. is being investigated by Federal agencies Housing & Urban Development and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as the states of Maryland and Utah. The mortgage company, based in Salt Lake City, is the subject of 12 consumer complaints. Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski asked HUD to get involved after a series of high-profile homeowners' complaints in that state which became the focus of a series of television news stories. The company denies any criminal wrongdoing. [National Mortgage News] [WBAL-TV] [Fairbanks Capital Corporation] 9:41:59 AM