Policy News
Utah Foundation Breakfast Briefing: Mental health in anxious times
Lockdowns. Social isolation. Unrest. Soaring drug overdose deaths. Health worries. Economic anxiety. This decade is off to a challenging start for our nationâs sense of well-being.
On August 26, the Utah Foundation will hold an important Breakfast Briefing focusing on the Beehive Stateâs mental health challenges and what we can do to address them. Panelists include Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Mark Rapaport and Doug Thomas. (Read More)
Large jump in executive confidence correlates with mass vaccination rollout effort
The Salt Lake Chamberâs CEOutlook released today shows the economy flashing green with the index increasing significantly from 58.9 in 2020-Q4 to 75.3 for 2021-Q1. This is the second-highest jump in confidence that executives have reported, as growing positive expectations related to continued basement level unemployment, rising profits, and favorable overall economic conditions in Utah.
âUtahâs economic recovery and growth continue to lead the nation,â said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. âThe indicators show a strong, positive trend that is expected to continue, especially as the incumbent challenges of growth return in full measure.â (Read More)
Gov. Spencer J. Cox appoints Jennifer N. Fresques to the Utah State Tax Commission
Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Jennifer Fresques to serve as commissioner on the Utah State Tax Commission. The governorâs nominations are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.
âJennifer brings a wealth of experience to the Utah State Tax Commission,â said Gov. Cox. âI appreciate her willingness to serve the people of Utah in this new capacity.â
Fresques currently serves as a commercial appraisal manager in the Salt Lake County Assessorâs Office, where she has held several positions since 2008. (Read More)
Utah Bankers Association honors Bank of Utah president and CEO, Douglas L. DeFries, with Distinguished Banker Award
Douglas L. DeFries, Bank of Utah president and CEO, was recently honored with one of Utah Bankers Associationâs highest honors, the Distinguished Banker Award. Every few years, the Utah Bankers Association recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to their community, their bank and the banking industry. Since the award was introduced, only 25 individuals have been given this honor. Read More
Rep. Stewart passes amendments to ban US govt funding of gain-of-function research in adversarial nations
âU.S. taxpayer dollars should never fund gain-of-function research in adversarial nations. Unfortunately, there is circumstantial evidence that American funding was funneled to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. While the world continues to feel the devastating human and economic impacts from COVID-19, we cannot turn a blind eye to this obvious national security threat.
âMy amendments ensure that we never arm our foreign adversaries with potentially devastating pandemic pathogens. This isnât about assigning blame. Itâs about preventing another catastrophe, and these amendments are an important step in the right direction.â
EDCUtah launches Site Ready Utah real estate program
Attracting industrial and other large corporate expansion projects to Utah can hinge on having shovel-ready properties with engineering and other studies in hand. The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) is pleased to announce the launch of the Site Ready Utah program to address the needs of expansion projects for timely and precise data.
The Site Ready Utah program incorporates the existing Mega Sites program, which focuses on properties of 400 acres or more. A new element â Certified Sites â targets properties of 50 to 400 acres in size. Both Mega Sites and Certified Sites include due diligence work that shortens development timelines and reduces client risk. (Read More)
Utah cities encouraged to exit struggling nuclear project
The Utah Taxpayers Association released the following:
Last fall, seven Utah cities from Logan to Lehi wisely withdrew their support for a proposed nuclear power plant due to financial risks that their residents should not be asked to accept. Because these were some of the projectâs largest subscribers, and combined with the federal government decision to change its participation in the project, the commitments to purchase power from the plant were reduced by more than 50%.
At that time, eighteen other Utah cities, including a few larger subscribers like Brigham City, Hyrum, Hurricane and Washington City, voted to continue to expose their electricity customers and taxpayers to these financial risks, despite the fact that the projectâs budget had ballooned from $3.1 billion to $6.1 billion. Since then, new information has emerged that makes it clear the project faces even more financial uncertainty.
These remaining participants have until July 23rd to decide once again whether to continue their commitment to this ill-conceived attempt to risk public money. (Read More)
Sen. Lee speaks against runaway spending
In response to recent spending proposals and the historically high federal deficit and debt, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) spoke against uncontrolled federal spending.
âFor a long time, I and others have talked about how this will affect our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren down the road. And this will be a real consequence: They will in fact be saddled with debt they have not incurred, and forced to pay for it. The consequences, however, are no longer something we are facing in the distant future â but also what we are facing today. Theyâve caught up to us. ⦠I vote ânoâ when I see how the consequences will affect those I represent in real, everyday life â not just the intended consequences of legislation that might indeed have a good goal, but the unintended consequences also. I vote ânoâ if it will mean saying âyesâ to what really matters, what really counts, for making everyday life better for Utahns and hardworking Americans across the country.â (Read More)
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