S.B. 264 Elected Official Publicity Amendments: transcript

Hi. Good morning. Good morning.

Yes, I'll present to that. And then I would, um, kindly request the committee to make a motion to adopt if Okay. You see fit. Um, but I'll, I'll present to that sub, uh, members of the committee. It's nice to be in front of you. Today I'm presenting on a bill that is, uh, a follow up of legislation that Representative Kyle passed last year, and I was his senate sponsor, his bill, um, a addresses, publications, and the way that public funds are used to place candidate, or excuse me, public officials photos in places that would be, um, seen by, uh, the mass public within 60 days of an election and essentially prohibited the use of public funds to do that. Um, we've found that, uh, since that bill passed, there's been, what I think were probably some unintended consequences. I've spoken with the Representative Abbott this, um, but I've invited Tom Des, who's a member of the Millcreek City Council to come and explain what Millcreek has seen on their end. And, um, then I'll go over the proposed fix.

Okay. Uh, thank you for having me today. Um, I'm Tom Desy and I serve on the Millcreek City Council, uh, Millcreek since even before we were a city, uh, and just community councils have regularly mailed out, uh, newsletters that go to every single resident. They've been very helpful in informing residents about what's happening in the city. Um, one thing that we do, uh, on every single issue is we have, uh, a listing on the back with headshot and just, uh, our council positions and phone numbers. Um, and what we try to do for each municipal election to increase municipal turnout, uh, is to include a voter guide where every, uh, candidate for office gives kind of a paragraph. Uh, they have a word limit about what or why they're running and why they would encourage voters to support them, uh, with a headshot. That way voters, when they get their ballot in the mail, can open up the newsletter, go over, you know, learn about the candidates, learn about where they can find their website, uh, and then vote. Uh, unfortunately, uh, while I support the, uh, Senator Pitcher's original bill, um, this is just one kind of oversight that it banned the city of Millcreek and other cities who do this from mailing out items like this. Um, I do have a copy, for example, of, uh, if you are curious, kind of like what it looks like, it just takes, it costs some money for us to do the graphic design changes, uh, to go take off and remove headshots from what's a standard mailer that goes out every single month. Um, and I think that it just is one thing that, uh, or this rule doesn't allow us to, uh, help encourage, uh, turnout in these off year elections, which, as you know, are historically, or have always been lower than even year elections. So, what the sub proposes is, well, the sub, what the bill proposes to do, including the sub, is to allow for a placement of a candidate photo if they are, uh, um, also a public official as long as any other candidates for that same office are also featured in the same way. Um, and the sub was, uh, something that was proposed in the rules committee to sort of limit this in scope, I do think it, it's a good change. And so I would encourage the committee's adoption of that. And that concludes our presentation.

Yeah. Thank Mr. Chair. I would make a motion that would delete and title and Body Senate bill 2 64 and replace it with first substitute Senate bill 2 64.

Uh, I'll move that. Uh, we recommend favorably SB 2 64 to the full Senate.

I'd appreciate your support. Thank you. Okay.

Waive. Okay.

And one final motion. Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.

Mr. President, this is, this bill is a follow up from legislation, uh, that was run last year regarding, uh, when an elected official Kanosh, um, publicize something with their photo and their name on it with public funds within 60 days of an election. Um, we found there's a little cleanup needed. Of note would be that when a municipality sends out a newsletter, as long as they give equal coverage to all candidates, this would allow them to continue sending out, um, that mailing with a photo and a name. And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. I move that for substitute Senate Bill 2 64. Be read for a third time.

Senator Baldy Luin Bra bus Colmore Escamia Fillmore Grover Harper Kinins Ipson Ipson Johnson. Juab McKay. Mikel McKay Mikel Milner Musselman Owens Pitcher Plum Rebe Sandal Stevenson Stratton Bickers Weiler Wilson Winterton Escamilla

Aye. President Adams Aye.

public monies being used for, um, mass media communications. The bill last year prohibited, uh, elected officials from using public funds to, um, put out mass communication 60 days within an election. This bill is a follow up to that based on some feedback we got after the application. It does allow municipalities to send out newsletters or similar communications, um, provided that, um, all individuals who are running for public office get the same type of airtime. So photos, their names, uh, they would just need equal coverage. With that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. I'll move that First substitute Senate Bill 2 64 pass. And the question is, shall first substitute Senate Bill two sixty four pass Roll call vote.

Senator Balderree Aye. Lewin Aye. Bramer Aye. Fuss. Colmore Escamia Fillmore Aye. Grover Harper Aye. Hankins Aye. Aye. Ipson Ipson Johnson Juab McKay Mikel Milner Musselman Owens pitcher Plum Rebi Sandal Stevenson Stratton Vickers Weiler Aye. Wilson Aye. Winterton MCC President Adams