Greg Bell (politician)

Infobox Politician
name = Gregory S. Bell


width =
height =
caption =
small_

state_senate = Utah
term_start = January 20, 2003
term_end = present
predecessor = Terry R. Spencer
successor =
district = 22^nd
birth_date = Birth date and age|1948|10|16|mf=y
birth_place = Ogden, Utah
party = Republican Party
spouse = JoLynn
residence = Fruit Heights
occupation = Real Estate Developer
religion = Latter-day Saint
website = [http://www.utahsenate.org/perl/spage/distbio2007.pl?dist22 Legislative Website]

Gregory S. Bell (born October 16, 1948) is an American politician and land-use attorney from Utah. A Republican, he is a member of the Utah State Senate, representing the state's 22nd senate district in Davis County. Official Legislative Biography, [http://www.utahsenate.org/perl/spage/distbio2007.pl?dist22 Gregory S. Bell] ]

Early life and career

Bell was born on October 16, 1948 in Ogden, Utah. He graduated from Weber State University in 1972 with a B.A., and from the University of Utah College of Law in 1975 with a J.D. Vote Smart Biography, [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=MUT05206 Gregory S. Bell] ] Bell is married to JoLynn and is the father of six children including sons Braden, Ryan, Davis, and Christian, and daughters Andrea and Eliza. Bell was employed as Vice President of United Savings from 1977 to 1981, Utah. He founded Gregory S. Bell and Associates law firm from 1981 to 1984, when it merged with Kirton & McConkie Law firm in 1984, where he was a partner. He left Kirton & McConkie until 1997 when he became partner in Raddon/Bell Properties, a real estate development company.

Bell was elected to the Farmington City Council in 1990 and subsequently elected Mayor [Farmington, Utah|Farmington] , Utah in 1994. Bell then served as Mayor of Farmington until 2002. He was elected to the Utah Senate in Utah's 22nd Senate district in 2002. Since 2003 Bell has been self-employed in Real Estate Development.

enate career

55th Utah Legislature

Bell took office on January 20, 2003 and introduced 4 bills during his first legislative session in the State Senate. Two bills dealing with health care and two with the sale of motor vehicles. [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2003/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0060.htm S.B. 60] and [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2003/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0232.htm S.B. 232] , both dealing with health care, failed to pass out of the Senate while [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2003/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0217.htm S.B. 217] and [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2003/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0218s1.htm S.B. 218] , which dealt with motor vehicles, were defeated in the House. Bell, Gregory S., [http://www.le.state.ut.us/asp/billsintro/SenResults.asp?Listbox2=BELLGS 2003 General Session - Sponsored Bills] ] During the 2004 General Session Bell sponsored 9 bills, of which 6 were passed into law and 3 were defeated in the Senate. 4 of the 6 bills he was able to pass dealt with criminal justice issues while the others dealt respectively with interlocal agreements and the state insurance code. Bell, Gregory S., [http://www.le.state.ut.us/asp/billsintro/SenResults.asp?Listbox2=BELLGS 2004 General Session - Sponsored Bills] ] Bell also served as Chairman of the Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Standing Committee and was a member of the Revenue and Taxation Standing Committee and Capital Facilities and Administrative Services Appropriation Subcommittee during the 55th Utah State Legislature.

56th Utah Legislature

Bell sponsored 15 bills during the 2005 General Session, 10 of which were signed by the governor, 4 defeated in the Senate and 1 defeated in the House. Bell, Gregory S., [http://www.le.state.ut.us/asp/billsintro/SenResults.asp?Listbox2=BELLGS 2005 General Session - Sponsored Bills] ] Some of the most significant bills Bell sponsored to be defeated during the legislative session included [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0102.htm S.B. 102] , which made amendments to the Lobbyist Reporting requirements requiring "lobbyists [to] report more detailed information about expenses made to benefit public officials when the lobbyist spends more than $10." [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0112.htm S.B. 112] which made amedments to the "child protection and custody provisions of the Child and Family Services" provisions in the Utah Code was also defeated in the Senate. [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/bills/sbillint/sb0089.htm S.B. 89] , which was also defeated in the Senate, would have "extended some health and property-related benefits to those who cannot legally marry" [cite news
last = Riley-Roche
first = Lisa
title = State's first gay senator is sworn in
pages =
publisher = Deseret Morning News
date = February 8, 2005
url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600110466,00.html
accessdate = 2006-02-06 ] [cite news
last = Bernick, Jr.
first = Bob
title = Money abounds, but lawmakers feeling squeezed
pages =
publisher = Deseret Morning News
date = January 16, 2006
url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600104870,00.html
accessdate = 2006-03-06 ] and would have created "mutual dependence benefits contracts" allowing two adults who cannot legally marry to "share certain rights and responsibilities" including "health-related rights and responsibilities" and "property-related rights and responsibilities." Utah Legislature, [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/bills/sbillint/sb0089.htm S.B. 89 - Mutual Dependence Benefits Contract] ] . While serving in the 56th Utah Legislature, Bell was a member of the Health and Human Services; Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; and Revenue and Taxation Standing Committees.

Electoral results

Bell was first elected to the Utah State Senate in district 22 in the 2002 General Election held on Tuesday, November 5, 2002 with approximately 87% of the vote. His opponent was Green Party candidate David L. Rowland who obtained approximately 13% of the vote. Bell was up for re-election in the 2006 General Election held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 and defeated Democratic Party candidate Dave Rowland by a margin of 71% to 23%. Also running in 2006 was Constitution Party candidate Sheryl Fluckiger who obtained approximately 6% of the vote. Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Gregory S. Bell
votes = 14,718
percentage = 71.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (US)
candidate = David L. Rowland
votes = 4,699
percentage = 22.8
change =Election box candidate with party link
party = Constitution Party (US)
candidate = Sheryl Fluckinger
votes = 1,200
percentage = 5.8
change =

Political views

Bell supports all-day kindergarten, tax credits and vouchers for private school tuition and is a strong supporter of parent choice in education. [Deseret Morning News, [http://deseretnews.com/dn/elx/2006/candidate/bio/1,5024,35,00.html 2006 Candidate page] ] Bell generally supports increased funding for public education and has expressed his support for displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools.Project Vote Smart, [http://votesmart.org/npat.php?old=true&can_id=MUT05206&npatform_id=263 2002 NPAT] ] He has also sponsored legislation that would grant same-sex couples "mutual dependence benefits" and legislation seeking to reform the lobbying and ethics rules in State Government. [Bell, Gregory S., [http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0102.htm S.B. 102 - Lobbying Reporting Amendments] ] In terms of Criminal Justice issues Bell is a supporter of the death penalty, prisoner rehabilitation programs and ending parole for repeat violent offenders. Bell has been a sharp critic of state policies which essentially force cities and towns to rely on increasing their retail sales tax base and thus cater to sprawl-inducing, auto-dependent retail development which warps traditional land use and development. See his article: Sales Tax and Land Use: "Are Cities Being Driven to the Mall?", Gregory Bell, "The Hinckley Journal of Politics" (2007, Volume 8), p. 69.

Organizations

Bell served as Chair of [http://www.envisionutah.org/ Envision Utah's] Steering Committee from 2001 to 2003. The Coalition for Utah's Future was founded in 1987 and would subsequently develop and implement the idea behind Envision Utah in 1997. Envision Utah is a public/private partnership that "work [s] toward quality growth within the Greater Wasatch Area of Utah" and to develop a "vision to protect Utah's environment, economic strength, and quality of life for generations to come." [Envision Utah, http://www.envisionutah.org/] Bell also served on the Board of Trustees of the Coalition for Utah's Future. He formerly served as President of the Farmington Bay District of the Boy Scouts of America. He served as Chair of the Real property Section of the Utah State Bar.

Further reading

* cite news
last = Anderton
first = Dave
title = Nuclear power amendment tossed
pages =
publisher = Deseret Morning News
date = November 30, 2005
url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view2/1,4382,635165064,00.html
accessdate = 2006-02-06

* cite news
last = Bulkeley
first = Deborah
title = Hate-crimes bill gets a lobbyist
pages =
publisher = Deseret Morning News
date = January 29, 2005
url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600108233,00.html
accessdate = 2006-02-06

* cite news
last = Johnson
first = Whit
title = School Vouchers Bill Passes Senate
pages =
publisher = KSL 5
date = February 9, 2007
url = http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=879868
accessdate = 2007-03-03

*Sales Tax and Land Use: "Are Cities Being Driven to the Mall?", Gregory Bell, The Hinckley Journal of Politics (2007, Volume 8), p. 69; url: http://www.hinckley.utah.edu/publications/journal/2007journal.pdf

External links

Legislative Information

* [http://se16.utahsenate.org/perl/spage/distmap22.pl Map of Utah Senate District 22]
* [http://www.utahsenate.org/perl/spage/distbio2007.pl?dist22 Official Legislative Biography]
* [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=MUT05206 Project Vote Smart Biography]

Voting Record

* [http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=MUT05206 Interest Group Ratings at Project Vote Smart]
* [http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=MUT05206 Voting Record at Project Vote-Smart]

Financial Disclosures

* [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200244&c=42648 2002 Follow the Money]
* [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200644&c=424992 2006 Follow the Money]

References