Campaign shenanigans
By Holly Richardson
Every election cycle, campaign shenanigans ramp up the closer one gets to the nominating conventions. (Dirty campaign tricks happen during primaries and general elections, too, but itâs harder to time an âOctober surpriseâ with the advent of early voting.)
Senator Mike Lee once called this period before an election âsilly seasonâ â a nice euphemism for the sometimes outrageous/ridiculous accusations that come flying. Sometimes, assertions or implications of endorsement or support are made, as happened Monday night.
A mass text was sent out inviting recipients to join Congressional candidate Jason Preston for a town hall with special guest Mike Lee. Senator Lee then sent the following text message:
A few hours ago, Jason Preston sent a text message to delegates incorrectly suggesting I was appearing as his guest at a delegate gathering tonight. Shortly thereafter, I decided to cancel my appearance at that event, which was one in a series of delegate gatherings being planned by my friend Pike Goss.
Oops.
News Releases
Owens co-sponsors legislation to provide disabled veterans full military benefits
Last week, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-sponsored the Major Richard Star Act, bipartisan legislation to rectify an injustice that keeps disabled Veterans from receiving full military benefits.
Currently, at least 42,000 military retirees with combat-related injuries qualify for medical retirement pay for their service from the Department of Defense (DoD) and disability compensation for injuries connected to their service from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However, for retired veterans with less than 20 years of service, their disability pay is deducted from their retirement pay. The Major Richard Star Act would repeal this unfair offset. The full bill text is available here.
Gov. Spencer Cox appoints Theresa Foxley and Dan Hemmert to Inland Port Authority
Gov. Spencer J. Cox has named Theresa Foxley and Dan Hemmert to the Inland Port Authority Board. In March, the Utah Legislature passed HB443 which requires the governor to appoint two individuals to the Inland Port Authority Board: one who is engaged in statewide economic development or corporate recruitment and retention; and one who is engaged in statewide trade, import and export activities, foreign direct investment, or public-private partnerships. (Read More)
Sen. Lee launches state inflation tracker
Today, Joint Economic Committee Ranking Member Mike Lee (R-UT) announced the launch of a new State Inflation Tracker that provides the first ever estimates of the inflation costs Americans are facing in each state. The State Inflation Tracker will provide state-by-state inflation data every month.
The inflation that has already occurred will cost the average American household $536 in March alone and $6,431 over the next year. View the State Inflation Tracker to find estimates for each state. (Read More)
WGU and Canyons School District sign partnership to address teacher shortage
Western Governors University (WGU) and the Canyons School District announced a partnership to encourage more education support professionals to pursue teaching credentials and rewarding careers as teachers. The benefits extend to all district employees and include fee waivers and exclusive scholarship opportunities.
The agreement between WGU and the Canyons School District also establishes the Pathway to Teaching Scholarship. Valued up to $5,000 per award and applicable to any, approved WGU bachelorâs or masterâs degree program, as many as 10 district employees will be selected to receive that scholarship. Additionally, Canyonsâ employees are eligible to apply for the $2,500 WGU K-12 Partner Scholarship. (Read More)
SLCo Council approves more than $30M in investments made possible by American Rescue Plan Act funds
Today, the Salt Lake County Council approved three major initiatives totaling $32.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to increase affordable housing inventory, prioritize water conservation, and innovate workforce development.
The $20 million infusion into the Countyâs Housing Trust Fund aims to fund the construction and preservation of 1,200 units near food, jobs, broadband, transportation, schools, and childcare resources. A new program called Workforce Inclusion & Successful Employment (WISE) was also funded with $10 million. WISE aims to propel at least 1,500-2,000 students toward successfully completing programs that lead to higher-paying careers. To meet water challenges, Salt Lake County invested $2.1 million in a regional water conservation program to generate significant water savings by collaborating with municipalities and unincorporated areas to develop sound water conservation policies in tandem with land use action plans. (Read More)
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