Policy News Owens co-sponsors bipartisan legislation to help military families save for retirement Representative Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-sponsored the Military Spouses Retirement Security Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Brad Wenstrup (OH-02) and Jason Crow (CO-06) to help spouses of active duty servicemembers save for retirement by expanding access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. âAmerica is the home of the free because of our brave men and women in uniform who have answered the call to serve in Utah, across the country, and abroad,â said Rep. Owens. âIâm a proud supporter of this bipartisan legislation to help alleviate the financial toll active duty can take on Utahâs military families and their retirement security.â (Read More) Utah State Board of Education names new Student Advisory Council members The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) appointed nine new students to its 15-member Student Advisory Council (SAC) as voting members, in its meeting on November 4. The students will join the returning six members to advise the USBE on issues relevant to high school students throughout the state. They were selected following an application period this fall. Appointed students attend both charter and traditional schools and represent diverse backgrounds. They report interest in issues including: mental health and bullying, access to personalized competency based learning, homelessness, issues perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. credit recovery, college readiness, and school funding. (Read More) State Educational Technology Directors Association honors Dr. Sydnee Dickson SETDA, the principal membership association of U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders, announced at their Leadership Summit named Dr. Sydnee Dickson as the 2021 recipient of the SETDA State Policy Maker of the Year Award. Dr. Dickson accepted the award at the (virtual) 2021 SETDA Leadership Summit: Envisioning a New Era of State Leadership. Annually, SETDA honors elected and appointed policymakers at both the state and federal levels who have championed access to and effective use of technology in K-12 education. The award is rooted in SETDAâs long tradition of seeking out exemplary leadership. It honors a recognized policymaker who actively supports digital learning opportunities for all students and engages with the broader education and policymaking communities to advocate for the role of technology in advancing education. Rep. Stewart receives the Congressional Champion Award This past weekend, the Log Cabin Republicans presented Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) with the Congressional Champion Award. This award is given to a member of Congress who has proven themselves to be a reliable leader for causes important to the conservative LGBT community. Rep. Stewart was the recipient of this award for his introduction of and continued persistence for the Fairness For All Act. âItâs an honor to be recognized by such an important community,â said Rep. Stewart. âEveryone deserves their chance at the American Dream, regardless of their race, religion, or sexuality. That ideal can only be realized by loving our neighbors and striving for greater unity. The Fairness For All Act is a balanced, commonsense means of achieving that end. This country can accommodate civil liberties for both LGBT individuals and religious freedom. And I will not stop working until we do just that.â (Read More) Smithâs seeks to hire 1,500 veterans In celebration and recognition of our veterans and active military and their family members, Smithâs Food & Drug Stores â a division of the Kroger Family of Stores â is hosting a virtual hiring event for veterans, active military and their family members on Wednesday, November 10, from 12-3 p.m. MST. Smithâs is looking to fill full-and part-time positions across the company including all-purpose clerks, manufacturing, distribution centers and delivery, department managers, e-commerce, pharmacy, and more. Veterans, active military, and their family members interested in joining the Smithâs team should apply at https://thekrogerco.com/careers/ (Read More) | 