On the Hill today: income tax reduction; safe routes to school, state sovereignty; and Utah's youngest lawmaker tackling big bills | | | 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. 24, 2024 It's Wednesday and Belly Laugh Day. Top of Mind Today Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night, clinching his second straight victory in his quest for the 2024 GOP nomination. But instead of delivering a triumphant speech, Trump blasted opponent Nikki Haley for staying in the race. Haley vows to fight on. Three things to watch today: SB69 lowers the income tax rate for corporations and individuals from 4.65% to 4.55%. This bill would lower the income tax revenue to the state by $3.2 million in Fiscal Year 2024, and almost $200,000 million in Fiscal Year 2025. This bill will be heard in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee at 2 p.m. HB109 would require a school traffic safety committee to submit a child access routing plan to the Utah Dept. of Transportation and highway authorities, and needs to include priority recommendations to improve child safety. This bill will be heard in the House Transportation Committee at 2 p.m. SB57 proposes a framework whereby the Utah legislature can determine if a federal directive violates Utahâs 10th Amendment rights and authorizes Utah to ignore the federal directive if it does. It has passed the Senate and will be heard in the House Natural Resources Committee at 2 p.m. On the Hill Today, Day 9 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-12:15 pm: House floor time 2:00 pm: House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment; House Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology; House Transportation; Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services; Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions 2:10 pm: Senate Revenue and Taxation | | |
| | 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 Tackling issues from homelessness to digital currencies, Utahâs youngest lawmaker is âshooting bigâ (Deseret News) What can Utah do to make housing more affordable? (Salt Lake Tribune) Business and Labor This Utah lawmaker passed the porn age verification law. Now heâs taking on smartphone filters for obscene material (Deseret News) âGag clausesâ targeted by proposed bill (KSL) Senate passes resolution supporting MLB expansion to Utah (Fox13) Utahâs businesses forcing DEI practices on workers, GOP lawmaker says â but canât provide an example. Bill to prohibit private companies from doing trainings passes committee (Salt Lake Tribune) Education Committee OKs bill that would require removal of school library books statewide if 3 Utah districts deem them indecent (Deseret News) Are Utah kids alright? A new push to limit in-class surveys could make it harder to know. (Salt Lake Tribune) Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment No âlegal personhoodâ for the Great Salt Lake, Utah legislative committee decides (Deseret News) Water conservation bills begin to advance at Utah State Capitol (Fox13) Bill in Utah's legislature seeks to cut emissions by 50% in 10 years (Fox13) Panel votes to exempt small water districts of 2,500 or less from metering (Deseret News) Other Utah News Politics Salt Lake County mayor praises economy, parks, residents in State of the County address (KSL) Utah county no longer paying return postage on mail-in ballots (KSL TV) Utah news Frontier to add new nonstop routes at 38 airports, including 3 new Salt Lake flights (KSL) Utahâs growth remains strong, thanks to people from out of state (ABC4) Business/Tech Layton Construction: This people-focused Utah company has grown into a national giant. (Deseret News) âThe most significant quality-of-life opportunity for Utahnsâ: Why we are building The Point (Deseret News) Bringing home the bacon: 5 tech startups battle for a chance to win $100K in Utah tech week (KSL) eBay to lay off 1,000 workers as tech job losses continue in the new year (NPR) Crime Attorneys for Ralph Menzies argue he is incompetent for execution based on dementia diagnosis (Deseret News) Utah homicides, including police shootings, up significantly in 2023 (KSL) Rossi refuses to show up to initial Utah County hearing on rape charge (KSL TV) Culture Hereâs how to properly walk on ice and why youâre probably doing it wrong (Deseret News) Environment Money sought to map groundwater in Utahâs Cache Valley (Deseret News) Southern Utahâs Mojave desert tortoise numbers have dropped by more than 50% since 1998 (Salt Lake Tribune) Faith âWe need to get betterâ in helping sex abuse victims heal, says LDS Elder Kearon (AP) Elder Patrick Kearon describes feelings as the first adult convert called as a Latter-day Saint apostle in 119 years (Deseret News) LDS Churchâs newest apostle talks singles, women and LGBTQ members in sit-down interview (Salt Lake Tribune) The âbeautifulâ and âstretchingâ life experiences that prepared Elder Kearon to be an Apostle (Church News) Family Gen Zâs view on religion and politics â and what it has to do with their parents (Deseret News) Experts say 1,000 books before kindergarten helps develop a love for reading (KSL TV) Health Utah company creates first solution to instantly destroy opioids, other drugs (Fox13) Top cancer center seeks to retract or correct dozens of studies (New York Times) Housing Are we unintentionally making things worse for the homeless? (Deseret News) 2024 housing market aims to rebound as mortgage rates fall (KUTV) | | |
National Headlines General A pastor tried to house the homeless. He ended up in court (Deseret News) Charles Osgood, CBS host on TV and radio and network's poet-in-residence, has died at 91 (KSL) Exclusive: The Education Department says it will fix its $1.8 billion FAFSA mistake (NPR) Colleges are finally turning the corner on enrollment (Washington Post) Political news GOP Speaker Mike Johnson has a House majority in name only. Heâs left with daunting choices ahead (AP) Election news Trump furious as he fails to knock out Haley before South Carolina (Reuters) Trump says Tim Scott âmust really hateâ Haley (The Hill) Trump wins New Hampshire primary as rematch with Biden appears increasingly likely (AP) Ukraine ðºð¦ Russian military plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashes near border (AP) Zelenskyy calls Trumpâs rhetoric about Ukraineâs war with Russia âvery dangerousâ (AP) How war changed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (NPR) Thereâs âno war in Kyiv,â scoffs Slovakiaâs Fico. The Russia-friendly PMâs remarks land the same day Moscow bombards Ukraineâs capital with missiles. (Politico) Israel ð®ð± UN chief warns that Israelâs rejection of a two-state solution threatens global peace (AP) Israeli hostage families have ânothing left to loseâ in push for new deal (Washington Post) World news Cameroon starts worldâs first malaria vaccine program for children (AP) | | |
| | News Releases 47G to host Utah Aerospace & Defense Day on Capitol Hill 47G is hosting their annual Utah Aerospace & Defense Day on Capitol Hill with nearly four dozen member companies, academic institutions and community partners. Technologies on display will include real-time drone demonstrations, artificial intelligence breakthroughs, materials used in space satellites and moon landings, 3-D printing, virtual reality devices and military-grade weapons. Thursday, Jan. 25, 11 am-2 pm (Read More) Annalisa Holcombe to lead the Utah Foundation Board of Trustees The Utah Foundation today announces the 2024 leadership team for its board of trustees, with Annalisa Holcombe, senior vice president of advancement at Western Governors University, appointed board chair. Other officers appointed include Kelly Mendenhall, Benjamin Brown and Carlton Christensen. (Read More) Utah House Democratic Caucus hosted bipartisan meeting with Biden administration officials to discuss adolescent mental health and wellbeing initiatives The Utah House Democratic Caucus hosted a bipartisan meeting with esteemed members from the Biden Administration, including Jessica Marcella, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs and Director of the Office of Adolescent Health at the US. Department of Health and Human Services, and Lily Griego, Regional Director of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Acknowledging the profound impact of the pandemic on young individuals, Marcella stressed the significance of a community-driven solution tailored to the specific needs of the communities it serves. (Read More) Romney, Hassan request GAO report on effectiveness of export controls on semiconductors U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ranking Member and Chair of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee respectively, today sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an assessment of the Department of Commerceâs export controls on advanced semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and related technologies from China and other countries. Strong export controls protect national security and will restrict adversaries, like China, from using advanced U.S. technology to bolster their artificial intelligence capabilities. (Read More) Romney joins colleagues in introducing resolution to support school choice U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined his colleagues, led by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), in introducing a resolution designating January 21 through January 27, 2024, as National School Choice Week. Text of the resolution is available here. (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 1848 - Gold discovered at Sutterâs Creek. 1950 - Percy L. Spencer receives U.S. patent no. 2,495,429 for a âMethod of Treating Foodstuffsâ - otherwise known as the microwave oven. 1956 - Emmett Tillâs murderers confess in a detailed article published in âLookâ magazine. They were never brought to justice. 1965 - Winston Churchill dies at age 90. 1972 - Japanese soldier found on Guam after 28 years of hiding. 1984 - Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh personal computer. 1989 - Ted Bundy dies. 1945 - D. Todd Christoffersonâs birthday. 2003 - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation. 2006 - Walt Disney International announces it is buying Pixar. 2011 - Becky Lockhart is sworn in as Utahâs first female Speaker of the House. 2011 - Moscowâs Domodedovo International Airport is bombed by Chechen terrorists, killing 35 and injuring 173. 2018 - After years of unhindered assaults, Larry Nassar is sentenced to prison for sexual assault. 260 women alleged that Nassar abused them while they were minors and the FBI found more than 37,000 images of child porn on his computer. He will spend the rest of his sorry life in prison. Quote of the Day Let's do a real Winston Churchill quote, shall we? "Fascism and Communism... Polar oppositesâno, polar the same!" âChurchill's remark to his son, Randolph Churchill. On the Punny Side What do you call a country that doesnât exist? A Halluci-nation. | | |
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