| Also, stage 1 fire restrictions are now in place, Utah is poised to be a global powerhouse and Jordan Clarkson helps food truck owners .png?width=1200&upscale=true&name=Utah_Policy_Logo_Email_Full%20(1).png) | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. Send news tips or feedback to editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | June 10, 2021 It's already Thursday and we are one-third of the way through June. Crazy. On this day in 1977, the Jazz chose Lusia Harris, the first and only woman drafted into the NBA. ððð Also, I erroneously noted yesterday that the Republican Women Lead PAC was the first of its kind. It's actually the second. The first was the Republican Women's PAC started by Sen. Carlene Walker and Cheri Hendrix. Its final donation was to Mia Love. Sorry 'bout that. Be in the Know -
The recently vandalized Yum Yum food truck, which serves Filipino and Asian fusion food, got a makeover with help from Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, whose mom is half Filipino. "I stand in solidarity with Utah's Filipino community," he tweeted. "#StopAAPIHate" -
Utah is poised to be a global powerhouse, say Gov. Cox and Ryan Smith. They just spoke at SelectUSA, a global conference for international business and investment. You can watch their presentation here, if you'd like. -
Free fishing this weekend! No license? No problem. Here are 25 places you might want to check out (but there are many more). -
Have you heard of Amazon's Sidewalk? It's a new kind of wireless network that shares some of your home's Internet connection with your neighbors via Echo speakers, smart displays and some Ring devices. Amazon just activated it. You might want to deactivate it. - There are lots of news stories about the drought and wildfires currently burning in Utah, including the implementation of Stage 1 statewide fire restrictions. You'll want to check them out in the section below.
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Utah Headlines General - Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert wins 3rd Defensive Player of the Year award, only the 4th player in NBA history to win at least 3 times. (DNews)
- University of Utah School of Medicine gets âtransformationalâ $110 million gift from Eccles foundations (DNews)
- Lindon's 'Iron Cowboy' completes 100-day, triathlon-marathon quest (Daily Herald)
- Chad Daybell pleads not guilty to murder, judge sends Lori Vallow Daybell to mental health facility (ABC4)
- 'Good samaritan' saves couple from raging house fire in Veyo, Utah (Fox13)
Politics - Mitt Romney says Vice President Kamala Harrisâ trip wonât solve border crisis (DNews)
- Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love joins Center for Growth & Opportunity at USU (Herald Journal)
- Rep. Pierucci spearheads new GOP women's PAC (UTPOL Underground)
COVID Corner - 360 new cases, 2 new deaths, nearly 10K vaccinations (KSL)
- Seattle is the first major city to reach a 70% fully vaccinated rate of all residents age 12 and up. (King 5)
- Biden to send 500 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to 100 countries over a year (New York Times)
Drought/Wildfires - Fireworks still a wildfire threat even after state ban. With 90% of Utah facing extreme drought, this year has already tallied 326 wildfires. (SLTrib)
- The Carbon County Bear Fire grew to 5300 acres and is 0% contained as it shut down Highway 6 last night. (SLTrib)
- American Fork looks to implement âdrought planâ as extreme conditions continue (Daily Herald)
- Utah County to reduce park water usage by an average of 40%. Trees and perennial plants will have priority for watering. (Daily Herald)
- Utah issues stage 1 statewide fire restrictions (ABC4)
- Pack Creek Fire threatens multiple structures south of Moab (KUTV)
- 'Extremely critical' fire weather conditions expected Thursday in Utah (Fox13)
- Washington County Water Conservancy District implementing water restrictions, long-term solutions contemplated in Utah drought emergency (Fox13)
- Harrisville declares drought emergency, other cities debate new water rules (Standard-Examiner)
Economic Development - American Fork considering 10-year tax to fund cultural, recreational (Daily Herald)
Education Elections Health - State park officials confirm 'Swimmer's Itch' currently active in Utah (KUTV)
Housing - Photo essay: What homelessness looks like in Utah County's 'Happy Valley' (SLTrib)
- IN FOCUS Discussion: Utahâs 2021 real estate market (ABC4)
Legal - Religious freedom case over Roy church discipline matter is revived by Utah Supreme Court (Standard-Examiner)
Local Communities - Ogden City Council pushing idea to spend $1M on water conservation program (Standard-Examiner)
- Pleasant View has enough money to move forward with large veterans monument (Standard-Examiner)
- Santa Clara City Council follows surrounding cities in approving fireworks restrictions (St. George News)
- S.R. 248, Kimball Junction included in nearly 20 construction projects planned in Summit County this summer (ParkRecord)
Service - Utah optician helping underprivileged kids in Utah and around the world (Fox13)
National Headlines Politics - Kyrsten Sinema gets her make-or-break moment with Republicans
She's spent years building GOP ties that rival Sen. Joe Manchin's. The next few days will test whether that can translate to 60 votes for an infrastructure deal. (Politico) - Swing voters in Pueblo, Coloradoâs âSteel City,â say they are getting frustrated with Rep. Lauren Boebert, someone they see as more focused on her own celebrity than her constituents. (Politico)
- Pentagon leadership is taking steps to promote inclusion in the military. Some Republicans call it a 'culture war.'
(New York Times)
Economy Elections - Nevada wants to be the first presidential primary of 2024 but faces hurdles (DNews)
Environment - Rep. Louie Gohmert asks if federal agencies can change Earth's or moon's orbits to fight climate change (the answer is no). (The Hill)
Security - Major meat producer JBS paid $11 million to hackers to resolve ransomware attack (The Hill)
Business Headlines - Celebrities are investing in Utah companies. Will yours be next? (Utah Business)
- Lucidpress acquired, new CEO Owen Fuller takes the helm
(Utah Business) - Gov. Cox and Jazz owner Ryan Smith: Utah poised to be a global powerhouse (DNews)
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Policy News We are excited to announce the launch of our Zions Bank Community Speaker Series on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 from noon to 1:30 pm MDT. The theme of this series is to build inclusive cultures in the communities that we serve.
Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Steve Starks as the governorâs Olympic and Paralympic Advisor. In this position, he will act as a liaison with the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, where he also serves as the governorâs designee and vice chair.
Following ProPublicaâs publication of a âvast troveâ of taxpayer information provided to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that appears to be confidential information and protected under federal law from disclosure, Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) have sent letters to the Acting Treasury Inspector General and the Inspector General for Tax Administration to request a prompt investigation into how this IRS information was lost and to hold accountable any individuals who broke federal law by inappropriately sharing confidential tax information.
This week, Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Annie Kuster (D-NH), co-chairs of the House Ski and Snowboard Caucus, introduced the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act, bipartisan legislation to support ski areas across the country that are operating on National Forest System lands and bring money back to local forests.
U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today led his colleagues in introducing the Smart Intersections Act, legislation which would reduce traffic congestion and improve roadway efficiency by establishing a grant program at the Department of Transportation (DOT) with the purpose of improving the functioning of traffic signals throughout the country.
âOur delegation, tribal governments, local partners, and department officials have worked in good faith to share and listen to differing viewpoints on this issue,â the delegation wrote. âIn that same spirit, we request you meet with us before making a final decision and publicly release the Secretaryâs report recommendations. This is a matter of utmost importance to the communities in our state, and we remain committed to working toward a permanent, legislative solution together.â
Former Representative Becky Edwards, candidate for U.S. Senate, will kick off her Yellow Couch summer tour at an event in her childhood hometown of Provo on Saturday, June 12th at Kiwanis Park. The event will begin at noon.
Smithâs Food & Drug today announced a hiring event that will take place on Thursday, June 10. The goal of the event is to hire 1,000 supporting retail, e-commerce, pharmacy, manufacturing, and logistics operations.
Join farmers, business, faith, and civic leaders from Utah, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona as they urge Senators to support bipartisan immigration solutions at Intermountain Rising: Strengthening our Workforce Through Bipartisan Immigration Solutions on Thursday, June 10th at 10:00 AM MST / 12:00 PM EST. They will discuss how immigration solutions, including the bipartisan farm workforce bill being developed by Senators Bennet and Crapo, the bipartisan Durbin-Graham Dream Act, and the SECURE Act will help expand our workforce, bring certainty to employers and families, and help the region roar back from the pandemic.
U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, released the following statement today announcing the subcommittee hearing, âStrength Through Partnership: Building the U.S. â Taiwan Relationship,â scheduled for 10:00am ET on June 17, 2021. âOur strategic partnership with Taiwanâs vibrant democracy continues to grow despite the government of the Peopleâs Republic of Chinaâs efforts to isolate Taiwan from the world,â said Senators Romney and Markey in a joint statement.
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By Tyler Clancy, executive director of the Pioneer Park Coalition There might not be any worse time in our nationâs history to be a cop. Talk to any police officer whoâs worked through this past year and theyâll share with you the litany of challenges they face day in and day out. A global pandemic, civil unrest, calls for deep budget cuts, and even local newspaper artists here in Salt Lake depicting them as members of the Ku Klux Klan all contribute to the struggle of an already tough job. However, one challenge clearly rises above them all. Since April of 2020, many departments, including Salt Lake City, have seen a decline in proactive policing. Historically, until the mid-1980s, most criminology experts assumed that policing was a matter of responding to crime, and police officers had no impact on the number of crimes committed in a given city. Simply put, the experts thought that âcriminals would be criminalsâ and cops should just show up to âclean up the mess.â Because of this philosophy, patrol officers mostly waited around for 911 calls to come in, then responded in a reactive fashion. In the late 80s and early 90s, innovative law enforcement leaders in New York City such as Bill Bratton, Chuck Wexler, and John Timoney, decided to challenge the notion that police officers have no impact on crime. Instead of viewing law enforcement as a reactionary force, these leaders proposed more proactive measures. Putting more cops on the street in a visible presence, using a cutting-edge program called âCOMPSTATâ to use data-driven metrics about where to deploy officers, and targeting dangerous violent criminals with warrants out for their arrest all contributed to crime, and specifically murder, plummeting in New York City. Soon these innovations caught popularity with departments around the nation and other cities saw similar successes. When asked about this new strategy and the results his city saw, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton summed it up by saying: âCops Count, Police Matter.â Another important facet of American policing is a philosophy called âCommunity-Oriented Policingâ. This initiative, also known as just community policing, is the simple but powerful notion that residents of a city should have 4-5 positive interactions with a police officer before they have one negative interaction. By going to schools, community council meetings, and being connected with the neighborhoods they serve, police officers are more in tune with the diverse challenges their community faces, and they build the trust necessary to be effective in solving problems. Despite major progress in the past few years,, Salt Lake City has seen a significant increase in homicide, theft, robbery, and carjacking since April of 2020. The challenges facing the Salt Lake Police Department are well-documented and the most recent reports show our city desperately needs more officers. Where does this crime wave hit our city the hardest? Our most diverse communities and neighborhoods are disproportionately victimized by higher rates of murder and violent crime. The crisis facing us in Salt Lake City is not an outlier from what the rest of the nation has seen. Paul Cassel, a former federal judge and current professor at the University of Utah College of Law, has done extensive research on this very topic. Declines in proactive policing strategies since early 2020 have caused murder rates to skyrocket in Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, New York, and even smaller cities such as Louisville and Milwaukee. In a recent article for KUER, Shima Baughman, an associate dean and criminal justice researcher at the University of Utah law school, suggested that more officers on the street do not reduce crime. She cited the fact that many officers actually spend most of their time being reactive and not proactive. Ironically, that is exactly the reason we need more officers. When our police department has the resources and personnel necessary to effectively do their job, they can recommit to proactive policing, and fully invest in community policing â data-driven strategies we know are extremely effective. In my role as director of the Pioneer Park Coalition, I constantly hear the pleas of our citizens for help as they see criminals emboldened by our weakened law enforcement presence. FOX 13âs investigative team exposed that the Salt Lake Police Departmentâs staffing struggles have led to dangerously slowed response times, including a 28-minute response time for ârape in progress.â With this in mind, calls to defund the police seem truly incomprehensible. Our police department needs our support now more than ever. Since the summer of 2020, we have all been lectured time and time again about the cost of police funding and budgets, but I think itâs time we talk about the cost of crime. The fact of the matter is, police officers do impact crime. We just have to give them the resources necessary to do their job. Itâs time for a return to proactive policing â creating foot patrols, recommitting to community policing, seeking out the âapex criminalsâ preying on our vulnerable communities, and deploying resources based on where we need to, not just where we can. Our message to the citizens of Salt Lake City is simple: Cops Count, Police Matter. | | |
Upcoming - Strengthening our workforce through bipartisan immigration solutions with Sen. Michael Bennet, USU president Noelle Crockett and others â June 10 @ 10 am â Register here
- Webinar: COVID-19 Return to Work best practices, day 2 â June 10, 11 am - 12 pm â Register here
- Utah Elder Abuse Awareness Day Virtual Conference â June 15 @ 10 am. Register here
- Zions Bank Community Speaker Series: LGBTQIA+ panel â June 22 @ noon â Register here
- Utah Democratic Party Organizing Convention â June 26
- Utah Foundation Annual Luncheon with Shaylyn Romney Garrett â Sept 23 @ 12 pm â Register here
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On This Day In History From History.com - 1692 - Bridget Bishop is the first to be hung as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts
- 1752 - Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm, collecting ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar.
- 1935 - Alcoholics Anonymous is founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith
- 1953 - President Eisenhower rejects calls for US isolationism
- 1963 - The Equal Pay Act is enacted: âTo prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce.â
- 1963 - Black students Vivian Malone and James Hood, accompanied by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach attempted to register at the University of Alabama today in 1963 while Governor George Wallace bodily blocked their entrance. Vivian Malone became the first black graduate of the University.
- 1977 - The Jazz draft Lusia Harris, the only woman ever drafted into the NBA
Wise Words "Indecision, with the passing of time, becomes decision."
-Bill Wilson
Lighter Side (President Biden swatted away a cicada as he was getting on Air Force One.) âMeanwhile, Mike Pence was like, âBug's on your head â youâre supposed to save that for the big debate.ââ â JIMMY FALLON | | |
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