Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics, surprisingly strong job growth in January and guest post on NOT eliminating the death penalty | | | 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 | February 4, 2022 We made it to Friday! Today is National Wear Red Day, a day designed to to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Be in the Know This year's filing period for candidates has been moved up a week. It is now Feb. 28 - Mar 4. If you are planning on running this year, you will want to take note. The Opening Ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics has begun. Flag bearers Brittany Bowe, who lives in Salt Lake City, and John Shuster led the United States' delegation into the "Bird's Nest." "Tell me you're an entitled billionaire without telling me you're an entitled billionaire." Rotterdam is considering a request to dismantle the central section of an historic bridge to allow a superyacht reportedly owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to leave the shipyard where it is being built. | | |
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2022 Legislative Session 17 days done, 28 days to go General Lawmakers say thereâs been a âdramatic increaseâ in threats toward Utah elected officials (Salt Lake Tribune) Today Appropriations Meetings, 8 am Business, Economic Development, and Labor, Infrastructure and General Government, Public Education, Social Services Floor Time Senate - 11:00 - 11:50, 2:00 - 3:30 House - 11:00 - 12:15, 2:00 - 3:30 Committee Meetings, 3:40 pm House Economic Development and Workforce Services, House Government Operations, House Political Subdivisions, House Revenue and Taxation, Senate Education, Senate Health and Human Services Monday Appropriations Meetings, 8 am Executive Offices and Criminal Justice, Higher Education, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality, Social Services Floor Time Senate - 11:00 - 11:50, 2:00 - 3:30 House - 11:00 - 12:15, 2:00 - 3:30 Government Operations Bill takes on âexcessive removal of Native American children from their homes.' SB28 protects Native children in the state welfare system. (Salt Lake Tribune) Health and Human Services State may investigate psychedelic mushrooms to treat mental illness (KUTV) Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Utah bill would prohibit police from using deception during interrogations with minors in custody (Deseret News) Bill to limit criminal justice reform program leaves prosecutors with an âaxâ and a âhammer,â top lawyers say. HB257â²s sponsor acknowledged the bill is aimed at Utah County Attorney David Leavitt, an outspoken proponent of pre-filing diversion programs. (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah House approves $5 million to provide mental health services for first responders (Deseret News) Utah bill to declare state â not cities or counties â has final say on gun regulation clears Senate (Deseret News) Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Utahâs unique role in clean energy: Why the stateâs access to rare earth minerals matters (Deseret News) Revenue and Taxation With new bill, Utah would become 31st state to enact earned income tax credit (KUTV) Transportation Police want harsher speeding penalties. A Utah lawmaker protested, citing a recent âsmooth ride.â (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah to take charge of some transit projects under new bill in the legislature (Fox13) Utah lawmaker proposes carbon tax to fund free transit, rural projects (Fox13) Utah Headlines General Is violence against the government ever justified? New poll shows what Utahns think (Deseret News) Punched. Kicked. Spit on. Assaults on the rise against Utah health care workers (KSLTV) Anonymous app 'flooded' with stories of sex assault after U of U frat incident (KUTV) Attentive Lehi dad pulls over, talks man out of jumping off I-15 overpass (KUTV) Utah ski buses will be free to all riders throughout February (Deseret News) SLC mayorâs midterm report card: some passes and some incompletes (Salt Lake Tribune) Sewage contamination, bedbugs led to closure of Midvale assisted living facility (Fox13) Utahns can now search public court records online for $5 (Salt Lake Tribune) Children's TV show hopes to revitalize Navajo language and culture through puppets (Fox13) Elections Dead people voting. Hacked machines. Rogue clerks. Is there any truth to mail-in ballot myths? (Salt Lake Tribune) COVID Corner 3482 new cases, 10 new deaths The CDC is finally recognizing 'natural immunity' â legislators should follow suit (The Hill) Patients with COVID risks describe betrayal, abandonment as Utah doctorâs tweet goes viral. A Utah neonatologist with a heart condition pleads: Stop treating the chronically ill as if they have nothing to lose. (Salt Lake Tribune) National Headlines General US payrolls grew sharply by 467,000 in January (Wall Street Journal) Putin meets Xi in show of solidarity as U.S. warns against helping Russia evade Ukraine-linked sanctions (Washington Post) On Ukraine, Many Russians Have No Doubt: Itâs the Fault of the U.S. (New York Times) Politics âGround up and spit outâ: Inside the Hill staffer Instagram rebellion. The Capitol's often-overworked, underpaid and mistreated workforce is riveted to the unfiltered stories shared by "Dear White Staffers." (Politico) Why Utahâs GOP congressmen say âdo-nothingâ competition bill fails to counter China (Deseret News) Islamic Stateâs âghostâ of a leader was plotting comeback when U.S. commandos cornered him (Washington Post) Tense moments in Situation Room as Biden oversaw raid on ISIS leader that was months in the making (CNN) Lawmakers Press Amazon on Sales of Chemical Used in Suicides (New York Times) Gorsuch to headline GOP lineup of speakers at Federalist Society; media barred from his speech (Washington Post) Oklahoma bill would fine teachers $10k for teaching anything that contradicts religion (Independent) Pence, Trump tensions rise, raising questions about a break (The Hill) Arizona Republican House speaker effectively dooms GOP bill to allow state legislature to reject election results (CNN) Olympics Salt Lake City native Nathan Chen wows in figure skating team event (Deseret News) A Whoâs Who of athletes with Utah ties competing in the 2022 Winter Games. Nearly 80 athletes with ties to the Beehive State are competing in this yearâs Winter Games (Deseret News) | | |
News Releases Election filing period adjustments S.B. 170 Election Schedule Amendments fulfills requests from leaders of the Utah Republican Party, the Utah Democratic Party and county clerks to eliminate confusion and facilitate a more clear and transparent election process. Under current law and party-selected caucus night dates, this year the candidate filing period falls in the middle of the caucus. Caucus attendees may not know who is running for each office when they meet on Tuesday, which could cause confusion. At the partiesâ request, S.B. 170 moves this yearâs election filing period from March 7-11 to February 28-March 4. (Read More) Sen. Romney talks China, Russia, Olympics, & more during Washington Post Live U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today joined Washington Post columnist David Ignatius for a wide-ranging discussion about the growing threats from Russia and China, the upcoming Beijing Olympics and the diplomatic boycott, and the rise of authoritarianism around the world. (Read/Watch More) Salt Lake County receives $2 million to help dozens of more families stay in their homes Salt Lake Countyâs Green & Healthy Homes Program is receiving a new $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funds will allow the Salt Lake County program to help 130 additional families and individuals during the next three and half years. Salt Lake County was one of 60 agencies chosen nationally to receive funding to make low-income familiesâ homes safer and healthier. (Read More) Utah Foundation: New, final report in Middle Housing series provides solutions The Utah Foundation released the fourth part of its new study, Is the Middle Missing? A Guide to Expanding Options for Utah Homebuyers and Renters. âObstacles and Opportunitiesâ explores opportunities to open the way for new middle housing options. âMissing Middle Housingâ is a term that encompasses a variety of multi-unit housing buildings that are house-scale, facilitate neighborhood walkability, accommodate changing demographics and preferences, and are available to people with a range of incomes. Middle housing offers the potential to increase the supply of housing, but at a scale that is not objectionable to most neighbors and in a manner that can improve upon neighborhoods. There are obstacles to increasing this type of housing, though they are not insurmountable. (Read More) Representatives Blake Moore and Annie Kuster introduce resolution in support of BridgeUSA programs Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT) and Annie Kuster (D-NH) introduced a resolution expressing congressional support for BridgeUSA programsâformerly the Exchange Visitor J-1 Visa Programâwhich are vital to the economy and national interests of the United States. Across the nation, and in states like Utah and New Hampshire, participants in these programs fill vital workforce needs, strengthen Americaâs tourism industry and cultural diversity, and advance our important diplomatic efforts domestically and abroad. Approximately 300,000 participants from over 200 counties and territories visit the United States on a J-1 cultural exchange visa each year. (Read More) Guest Opinion: Donât get rid of the death penalty by William and Lorie Fowlke We respectfully disagree with a growing position of eliminating the death penalty. We hear repeated, decades-old arguments that the death penalty costs too much, traumatizes victims, is not a deterrent, and is irreversible. While we appreciate that people have taken time to study these issues the last few months, we have worked in the justice system for several decades and know that these arguments, while persuasive to some, fail closer scrutiny. The victims. Murder always involves two sets of victims, the one(s) killed and the grieving loved ones. A defense attorneyâs number trial strategy in any criminal case is delay. They know the further removed the trial is from the crime, the less people care. Delay and ongoing appeals wear down victimsâ resolve to âsee justice done.â Studies are available on all sides. Words like closure, retribution, and even justice, do not make the remaining victims whole, because nothing can. Proponents of abolishing the death penalty reference the case of Ron Lafferty to support their position. In the law there is the saying that âbad facts make bad law.â Ron Lafferty was one of the longest-serving condemned inmates in the country and sat on death row for 34 years. An anomaly should not be the basis for policy change. Instead, change policy to streamline the process. Other victims feel differently. The families of Brelynne âBreezyâ Otteson and Riley Powell were âshocked, angered, and disappointedâ and believed the âUtah County Justice system is brokenâ when they learned Utah County Attorney David Leavitt refuses to seek the death penalty for Jared Baum, an extremely violent career criminal tragically prematurely released from Federal Prison and charged with their murder. Decent and reasonable people, including our government leaders, expect decency. The key to this issue is understanding the predator mentality, the âbully,â who represents the antithesis of decency. Moving these people to another location does not change them; it just presents a new hunting ground. Bullies only respect and respond to superior strength. True evil does exist and sometimes we must be strong enough to stamp it out in order to protect the rest of us. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming The Emergence of the Crypto Economy with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation and special guests â Feb. 16, 10 am MST. Register here. Campaign filing period: Feb 28-March 4 (early this year!) State of the Union address â Mar 1, 7 pm MST Utah legislative session ends â Mar 4, 2022, midnight Fireside chat with Justice Clarence Thomas hosted by the Hatch Foundation â Mar 11, 2022, 7 pm. Register here. Campaign Management Training with Utah Farm Bureau â Mar 24-25, registration deadline March 1. Register here | | |
On This Day In History 1789 - George Washington unanimously elected as the nationâs first president 1794 - France abolishes slavery. However, it was reinstated in 1802 under Napoleon. 1826 - The Last of the Mohicans is published. 1861 - States meet to form Confederacy. Jefferson Davis is elected President. 1913 - Rosa Parks is born. 1938 - Walt Disneyâs first full-length feature film, Snow White, is released. 1962 - First U.S. helicopter shot down in Vietnam. 1974 - 19-year-old Patty Hearst is kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. 1983 - Karen Carpenter dies of heart failure brought on by anorexia. 1986 - Sojourner Truth is on a US stamp. 1987 - First âNational Women in Sports Dayâ is celebrated by Presidential Proclamation 1987 - President Reagan's veto of Clean Water Act is overridden by Congress 1996 - Republican J.C. Watts becomes the first Black Representative to respond to a State of the Union address. 2004 - Facebook launches. Do you remember when you joined?? Wise Words "I never got into politics for it to be a career. It doesn't take a lot of strength to hang on. It takes a lot of strength to let go." â J. C. Watts Lighter Side âThe Washington Football Team announced that it officially changed its name to the Washington Commanders, as in âRams 37, Commanders 3.ââ â SETH MEYERS | | |
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