Editor,
I read E. Kent Winward’s column in the Standard on Feb. 2 (“Role of government is to assist in the pursuit of happiness”). He describes HB 80 as a law that, if passed, would make a married person responsible for the debts of their spouse. This sounds like it would give credit card companies a reckless incentive to hand out credit since they could legally get an unknowing spouse on the hook also. Are credit card companies lobbying for this bill? Or, did Rep. Johnny Anderson of Taylorsville, who is sponsoring the bill, come up with this idea on his own?
Based on the logic of this bill a person’s entire immediate family should be responsible for their debt, not just the spouse.
If credit card companies are having trouble collecting on their loans, maybe they should be more careful to whom they extend credit. Are these credit companies extending credit to individuals based on a joint credit rating? If so, then the legislature should pass a bill to make that illegal, not pass on the responsibility to an unknowing spouse who did not sign a credit agreement.
HB 80 stinks like a dead skunk in the middle of the road.
James S. Pearson
Kaysville
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