DEI & bathroom bills to be heard in Senate committees today; first bill of the session has been signed; and regulating cold plunge tubs? 𥶠| | | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. We scour the news so you don't have to! Send news tips or feedback to Holly Richardson at editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | Jan. 22, 2024 It's Monday and National Blonde Brownie Day! Happy birthday yesterday to Rep. Ariel Defay and Rep. Walt Brooks! ðð Top of Mind Today Ron DeSantis dropped his presidential bid and promptly endorsed Donald Trump, saying that "we canât go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, , or a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism." Nikki Haley is now Trump's only challenger in the GOP primary. Three things to watch today: HB261: Equal Opportunity Initiatives, (the DEI bill) passed the House today along party lines and will be heard in the Senate Education committee at 2 p.m. on Monday. HB257, aka "The Bathroom Bill" is last on the agenda for the Senate Business and Labor committee, which begins at 2 pm. The Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, which meets at 8 am, will hear from multiple water agencies, including the Division of Water RIghts, Division of Water Quality, and the Colorado River Authority of Utah. On the Hill Today, Day 7 of 45 8:00 am: Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations; Higher Education Appropriations; Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations; Social Services Appropriations 11:00-11:50 am: Senate floor time 11:00 am-12:00 pm: House floor time 12:00 pm: Senate Rules Committee 2:00 pm: House Government Operations; House Judiciary; House Political Subdivisions; House Revenue and Taxation; Senate Business and Labor; Senate Education
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| | Construction Underway, Scheduled Operation: 2025 The Intermountain Power Project's transformational âIPP Renewedâ project is under construction and on track for mid-2025 start-up. The project includes new natural gas-fueled electricity generating units that will also utilize "green" hydrogen for long-term, dispatchable storage of renewable energy. There are currently 600 workers on site in Millard County, with 1200 expected during peak construction. Click here to watch construction unfold. For more information, visit www.ipprenewed.com | | |
Utah Headlines Legislative session Cox signs first bill of session, pushing social media regulations back to October (KSL) Without control tower funding, officials say St. George Airport could become safety hazard (KSL) Democratic lawmakers dismayed at GOP strategy of fast-tracking controversial bills (Cache Valley Daily) 2024 legislative session begins (Hinckley Report) Business and Labor Should cold plunge tubs be regulated in Utah? Hereâs what a legislative committee decided (Deseret News) Education Legislative committee OKs resolution that encourages teaching about âsuccess sequenceâ in Utah public schools (Deseret News) The magic behind the high-impact discoveries from Utahâs universities (Deseret News) Utah teachers could be paid $500 to install gun safes in their classrooms (Salt Lake Tribune) Government Operations Proposed bill would change mail-in ballots, Salt Lake County Clerk says âthereâs no need to changeâ (KSL Newsradio) Health and Human Services Medicaid expansion? Including coverage for doulas could mean Medicaid savings (Deseret News) A lawmaker wants to sell Utah State Hospital, on coveted land in Provo foothills (Salt Lake Tribune) Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Utah considers bill defining 'ritualistic' abuse of children (Fox13) Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Hundreds rally, calling on Legislature to 'Save our Great Salt Lake' (KSL) Other Utah News Politics U.S. Senate candidate Brad Wilson endorses Donald Trump (Deseret News) Sunday Edition: Brad Wilcox (KSL TV) Ogden Valley moves closer to ditching county government and becoming its own city (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah news About 1,200 people join âMarch for Lifeâ in Salt Lake City (Deseret News) Cedar City middle school to switch to online learning for carbon monoxide detector testing (KSL TV) Hearing scheduled today in Utah's lawsuit against TikTok over youth mental health concerns (KUTV) NIL money keeps star quarterbacks in college. Hereâs a glimpse at what it took to keep Cam Rising at Utah: at least $500,000 (Salt Lake Tribune) Business/Tech Hurricane High School robotics team visits Crunch Labs engineer (St. George News) More workers want to change jobs but now face tougher odds (Wall Street Journal) Facing Backlash, Some Corporate Leaders Go âUnder the Radarâ With D.E.I. (New York Times) Culture âHe harnessed the power of Supermanâ: Christopher Reeveâs real-life heroism unfolds at Sundance (Deseret News) Environment Should schools, city offices, county offices be required to xeriscape? (Deseret News) Outdoor recreation in Utah continues to soar. Now there's a plan to keep it sustainable (KSL) Who will feed the world if the Great Salt Lake collapses? (KUER) USU professors chosen as authors on National Climate Assessment report (UPR) Family 30 years of longing: How I lost my twin girl and joined the throngs of forever-grieving parents (Salt Lake Tribune) Health How one mother is fighting to prevent suicide following her daughterâs attempts of taking her own life (Deseret News) Why the largest group of dietitians and nutritionists doesnât recommend food detox (Deseret News) Housing Decades-high mortgage rates and soaring prices lead to near 30-year low in U.S. home sales (Deseret News) | | |
National Headlines General Newspapers stolen after reporting on rape Investigation at police chiefâs home (New York Times) How tens of thousands of Black U.S. doctors simply vanished (Washington Post) Political news America Stares Down a Trump-Biden Repeat in Disbelief and Denial (New York Times) The art of being civil. If politeness and manners can mask ill intent, what is true civility and why does it matter? (Deseret News) Proposed federal law would put limits on use of $50 billion in opioid settlements (NPR) South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, a possible VP pick, is engaged to be married (Washington Post) House GOP already considering a future without Johnson (Politico) Election news Primary concerns in presidential politics (Deseret News) Can Trump be stopped? Key questions ahead of New Hampshire after DeSantis drops out of race (Fox13) For women backing Haley, a sigh of relief at not voting for Trump (Reuters) Our system needs to be broken and he is the man to do it (Politico) Once a Romney enclave, this New Hampshire town is turning into âTrump countryâ (Deseret News) Ukraine ðºð¦ Russia suspends operations at fuel export terminal after suspected Ukrainian drone attack (Reuters) Israel ð®ð± Israeli forces storm Khan Younis hospital in bloodiest fighting of 2024 (Reuters) Gaza hostage relatives burst into Israeli parliament, calls for action mount (Reuters) Saudi Arabia wonât recognize Israel without a path to a Palestinian state, top diplomat says (AP) The nightmare of childbirth in Gaza (Washington Post) World news Hundreds of thousands demonstrate against right-wing extremism in Germany (Reuters) Taliban enforcing restrictions on single and unaccompanied Afghan women, says UN report (AP) Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, diagnosed with skin cancer just months after a breast cancer diagnosis (New York Times) | | |
| | News Releases Utah House Democratic Caucus on HB261: Equal Opportunity Initiatives The Utah House of Representatives Democratic Caucus releases the following statement on HB 261 Equal Opportunity Initiatives: The passing of HB 261 Equal Opportunity Initiatives by the Utah House of Representatives during the week dedicated to honoring Dr. Kingâs legacy is disheartening. We are witnessing the advancement of a bill that appears to be designed to suppress conversations around race, disregarding the fact that minorities feel targeted and underrepresented in government. It is important to ensure there is representation in all spaces that allows the views of minority communities to be heard. By eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, this bill is depriving our brothers and sisters of spaces where they feel a sense of belonging. (Read More) Curtis introduces bill to prevent Wall Street from controlling Utahâs land Representative John Curtis (R-UT) introduced a bill to protect Utahâs public lands from Wall Street activist investors. The bill prohibits Natural Asset Companies, or any similar entity, from entering into any agreement that would impact land in the state of Utah. (Read More) Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson to deliver State of the County address Mayor Jenny Wilson will highlight Salt Lake Countyâs accomplishments, efforts to address homelessness, and outline the vision for the future in her State of The County Address on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. (Read More) Rep. Mooreâs budget reform legislation passes the House Budget Committee Congressman Blake Moore (R-Utah) released the following statement after the House Budget Committee passed his Fiscal State of the Nation Act by voice vote: "The Fiscal State of the Nation Act is a commonsense bill that will bring much needed transparency and accountability to how Congress approaches our debt and deficit crisis,â said Congressman Moore. âI am thrilled my legislation was included in this package of bills that aim to address our federal budgeting process. I thank Chairman Jodey Arrington and Ranking Member Brendan Boyle for their support of this bill, and I look forward to pushing it through the finish line as we work toward fiscal responsibility in Washington.â (Read More) Sen. Lee introduces 4 bills to protect the unborn Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) is reinforcing his dedication to protecting the unborn by introducing four critical pieces of legislation: the Abortion is not Health Care Act, the Protecting Life in Health Savings Accounts Act, the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act, and the Guaranteeing the Unborn Access to Respect and Dignity (GUARD) Act. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Jan. 24 â Davis County Safe Child Community Training, Syracuse High School, 7:00 pm, Register here Jan. 31 â Utah County Safe Child Community Training, Cascade Elementary School, 7:00 pm, Register here Feb. 5 â Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Healthcare, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, Register here Feb. 6 â Cache County Safe Child Parent and Community Training, Riverwoods Conference Center, 7:00 pm, Register here Feb. 7 â Women in Leadership Executive Series: Finance, 11:30 am-12:30 pm,Register here Feb. 8 â Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Traditional Industries, 2:00-3:00 pm,Register here Feb. 21 â Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Women Focused Organizations, 11:30 am-12:30 pm,Register here Mar. 1 â Legislative session ends Mar. 5 â Caucus night Mar. 20 â Utah Foundation Annual Lunch, 11:45 am-1:30 pm; Grand America, Purchase tickets here | | |
On This Day In History 1871 - Justina Laurena Carter Ford is born. Shortly after earning her medical degree from Hering Medical School in Chicago, Ford became the first African American woman to obtain a medical license in Colorado. However, since all the hospitals in Denver denied her privileges, she opened her own practice. 1905 - Bloody Sunday Massacre in St. Petersburg, Russia, as a group of workers marched to the tsarâs winter palace and imperial forces gunned them down. 1906 - Willa Brown is born. She became the first African American woman to earn a pilotâs license in the United States (1938) - 17 years after Bessie Coleman earned hers in France. 1946 - President Harry Truman signs a directive creating the Central Intelligence Group, the predecessor to todayâs CIA. 1970 - First commercial Boeing 747 flight goes from New York City to London in 6 ½ hours. 1973 - Former U.S. President Lyndon Johnson dies at age 64. 1973 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Roe v. Wade. 1984 - Appleâs iconic â1984â commercial airs during Super Bowl XVIII. 1987 - Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer calls a press conference, then shoots and kills himself on live TV. Thatâs messed up. 1997 - The United States Senate confirmed Madeleine Albright as the first female Secretary of State. 1998 - Ted Kaczynski pleads guilty to a 17-year stretch of package bombings. 2005 - Donald Trump marries Melania Knauss. 2016 - Winter storm strands 500 motorists for 24 hours on the New Jersey Turnpike. 2021 - Hank Aaron passes away at age 86. Quote of the Day "A diverse and inclusive workforce is not just a moral imperative but a strategic advantage for businesses aiming for sustained success." âSalt Lake Chamber, Jan. 19, 2024 On the Punny Side I havenât tried yoga, but I have tried bending over to pick up my keys. So Iâm pretty sure Iâd hate yoga. | | |
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