Utah Policy: Anti-Asian hate, Utah should lead with carbon dividends and support for Bears Ears

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Situational Analysis - March 22, 2021

It's Monday and the beginning of the last full week of March. It's also World Water Day and the theme this year is simple: Valuing water.

There are 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water resources globally. According to the UN, global water demand is likely to rise by over 50 per cent by 2040. Here in Utah, Governor Cox just declared a drought emergency with 100% of the state in the 'moderate drought' category and 90% in 'extreme drought' conditions. "I ask that Utahns "evaluate their water use and find ways to save not only because of current drought conditions but also because we live in one of the driest states in the nation," he said.

Reminder: Utah has opened up vaccine eligibility to all Utahns 16 and older beginning Wednesday. Only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for 16 and 17-year olds.

Also: The ERA passed Congress on this day in 1972 and was sent to the states for ratification - where it still sits. Today, one major argument against ratification is that the original deadline for ratification had passed. Last week, however, the US House voted to remove the deadline. Utah's John Curtis was one of four Republicans to vote for the bill. In Utah, the most recent attempt to get the state to ratify the amendment never even left the Rules committee.

Countdown

23 days until the end of the Cox/Henderson administration's first 100 days (04/14/2021)
39 days until the Biden/Harris administration's first 100 days are up (04/30/2021)
173 days until half-way through the Cox/Henderson's administration's 500-day plan (09/11/2021)

Today At Utah Policy

News round-up: genocide and Anti-Asian hate
By Holly Richardson
Genocide - Yesterday was World Down Syndrome Day and Robyn Chambers, executive director of advocacy for children at Focus on the Family, writes that so-called attempts at "eradicating" Down Syndrome amount to genocide. Eradication, in this case, does not mean getting rid of a disease, like say smallpox or polio, but getting rid of people, of babies, with Down Syndrome through abortion.Guest opinion: Utah should lead with carbon dividends
By A. Scott Anderson
Utahns must be good stewards of the environment we have inherited. We owe it to our state's future and our children's future to take decisive action to curb carbon emissions. The best way to accomplish this is for Utah to lead and champion solutions that both parties can support. That is why I support the Baker-Shultz Carbon Dividends Plan.Guest opinion: Members of the Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance support restoration of Bears Ears
By Mark Coles-Ritchie
As the board of the Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance (MESA), we support and encourage the restoration of the original boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument. We agree with the Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board that Utah's elected leaders should not waste valuable time and resources opposing the restoration of the monument.

Utah Headlines

Deseret News

Utah's 'Steve Jobs of the Skies' is ready to do it again - Utah entrepreneur David Neeleman has overcome setbacks and his own ADHD to launch 4 airlines and is set to launch his fifth. Can Utahns have 'normal' July celebrations or will COVID-19 still put a damper on them? - Maybe. Unfinished business: Doctor reenlists with the U.S. Army 'to give back' what he's learned - Dr. John Mitchell, 61, is joining up for the second time in his life as a way of showing gratitude for the opportunity afforded to him years ago in the U.S. Army that led to a long career in medicine as a cardiothoracic surgeon. Taking on the world, one pancake at a time - Utah-based Kodiak Cakes has gone global. Will Utah keep vaccinating a high number of people each day going forward? - That's the plan. Workforce diversity a goal for Utah employers, but they're only getting so far - Retention is proving difficult. Millions of Americans don't believe Biden was elected fairly. Here's how that's affecting voting laws - Republican legislators in dozens of states are using the public perception of widespread election fraud to advocate for changes to voting laws, in what Berkeley Public Policy professor Robert Reich called "the biggest attack on voting rights since Jim Crow." Will new technology tame these two-wheeled terrors? - New technology can detect when scooters are being driven illegally and slow or stop the scooter. Do Americans still believe in freedom, equality and self-government? - Just 30% of voters say we're doing well in living up to these ideals.

Salt Lake Tribune

Adult film star urges Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to veto porn-blocker bill - How effective her appeal is remains to be seen. How design limits the homeless from camping, sleeping in public spaces in Salt Lake City - Advocates argue 'hostile architecture' doesn't address the underlying causes of homelessness or help move people off the streets. Ex-politician in prison for adoption scam gets 5 more years - For defrauding Arizona's Medicaid system in a scam to get taxpayer-funded health coverage for the birth mothers, even though he knew they didn't live in the state. Robert Gehrke: What will normal feel like post-pandemic? Here's where I'm at. A bit nervous and here's the thing: Everyone's level of comfort is going to be different. Some Utah landlords are evicting domestic violence victims - In too many cases eviction adds to the trauma of abuse victims and families struggling to make ends meet. Will counties be allowed to enact mask mandates after April 10? It depends. - All pandemic public health orders will end in Utah after caseload, ICU and vaccine benchmarks are met, but some flexibility remains.

Other

A year into pandemic, veterans halls 'barely hanging' on (KUTV) - After years of declining membership, restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 became a death blow for many. SL County mayor considers seeking a new mask mandate as COVID-19 'endgame' bill looms (FOX 13) - "We haven't ruled out a possible mask mandate after April 10," she said. Small donations add up to big haul at Feed Utah Food Drive (FOX 13) - "We are looking at one of the best food drives in the nation."

COVID Corner

Utah reports 375 new COVID-19 cases and 15,236 more vaccinations (Salt Lake Tribune) - Two Utahns have died since Saturday, both men. Miami Beach spring breakers hit with extended curfew after SWAT team forced to break up rowdy crowd (Fox News) - Miami Beach police said they have made more than 50 arrests and confiscated eight firearms since Friday. AstraZeneca, once touted as a pandemic slayer, faces challenges (Washington Post) - "AstraZeneca has unfortunately underproduced and underdelivered." Vaccine Battle Heats Up With EU Ready to Halt U.K. Shipments (Bloomberg) - EU to review, and likely block, Astra shipments going to U.K. Dr. Scott Gottlieb says COVID-19 variant could infect vaccinated New Yorkers (Daily Mail) - The former FDA Commissioner said Sunday that it is not yet known where it is causing an increase in cases in parts of New York City California among worst in getting vaccines to vulnerable populations, CDC report finds (ABC News) - Of the 48 states surveyed in the report, California ranked 44th when it came to vaccinations among residents in the highest socially vulnerable counties. Vaccinated mothers pass covid antibodies to babies in utero and through breastmilk, early studies show (Washington Post) - Worries about possible risk and harm may be proven quite the opposite. In fact, it may be proven that the vaccines actually provide protection to the developing fetus. Experts Warn: Vaccines Alone May Not Be Enough to End COVID-19 Pandemic (SciTech Daily) - "Vaccines are great for protecting people against disease, but we don't yet know how well they work to protect against transmission." Fauci: U.K. variant may account for 30% of U.S. coronavirus infections (Axios) - The news comes after multiple states across the country have relaxed or rolled back their coronavirus restrictions. 'Why would you not?' Alarm as Republican men say they won't get Covid vaccine (The Guardian) - A recent poll reported 49% of Republican men saying they won't get the shot as mixed messaging persists among conservatives. Navajo Nation nears 30K COVID-19 cases since pandemic began (Salt Lake Tribune) - "A couple days ago, we only had two new cases of COVID-19 reported and today we have 18," tribal President Jonathan Nez said. "This is very concerning."

National Headlines

No evidence yet of federal hate crime in Atlanta-area spa killings, officials say (NBC News) - Georgia officials have previously stated that state hate crime charges are still possible, which would be separate from a federal case. Evidence in Capitol attack investigation trending toward sedition charges, departing chief says (Washington Post) - Sedition is a rarely invoked charge for those who use violence to hinder the execution of federal law. Top Senate Republican says Americans don't need 'alternative versions' of January 6 Capitol attack (CNN) - Sen. Blunt pushing back on Senator Ron Johnson's narrative that here was no violence on the Senate side of the US Capitol during the attack, and earlier this month he said he "never really felt threatened" and "wasn't concerned" during the riot because he believed the rioters were "people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law." Biden response to border crisis 'isn't incompetence', but 'is by design', Tom Homan tells Mark Levin (Fox News) - Former ICE acting director claims president 'sold out this country' to progressives. Rep. Tom Reed apologizes for sexual misconduct detailed in Post report, won't challenge Cuomo in 2022 (Washington Post) - He said he planned to dedicate himself to making amends for his past behavior and helping others battling substance abuse. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock on Atlanta Spa Shootings: 'We All Know Hate When We See It' (Daily Beast) - Georgia's first Black senator, Democrat Raphael Warnock, says "hate" was central to the murders of eight people, six of them Asian women, in Atlanta. Trump slams Biden over border 'crisis', accused him of causing 'death and human tragedy' (Fox News) - Trump took aim at the "pathetic, clueless performance" of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and wrote "The only way to end the Biden Border Crisis is for them to admit their total failure and adopt the profoundly effective, proven Trump policies."

Policy News

Reps Curtis, Peters, Grassley, Feinstein introduce bill to confront rising threat of methamphetamine
Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Scott Peters (D-CA) and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the Methamphetamine Response Act, a bipartisan bill declaring methamphetamine an emerging drug threat which would require the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop, implement and make public a national plan to prevent methamphetamine addiction and overdoses from becoming a crisis.Utah Foundation finds Salt Lake area rents expensive from national perspective, but not among other Mountain States
Utah Foundation's 2020 Utah Priorities Project found that housing affordability is a top issue to Utah voters. Previous Utah Foundation research indicated that housing affordability was of much greater concern among renters than homeowners. While the increasing cost of owning a home is potentially offset by record low interest rates, there is no such offset for renters.POCAST: Utah Thrives - The why and how of boosting post-secondary attainment
Utah Foundation has launched a series of reports on how Utah can boost educational attainment. The first report in that series, Beating the Odds: Post-Secondary Success for Adult, First-Generation and Lower-Income Students, explores various means of promoting both student retention and completion of certificates and degrees. It focuses on subsets of students who have been less likely to attain higher levels of education and receive the socio-economic benefits of that attainment.Rep. Stewart reintroduces budget process reform
Last week, Representative Chris Stewart (R-UT) reintroduced legislation requiring that the annual Presidential budget provide an estimate of the per taxpayer cost of the deficit and of the public debt. This proposal encourages more responsible government spending, increases fiscal transparency for taxpayers, and holds legislators accountable for how they spend taxpayer money.Rep. Stewart discusses the dangers of politicizing the military
Last week, Congressman Chris Stewart (R-UT) joined Fox News' The Ingraham Angle to discuss the dangers of politicizing the military. Over the past few days, some uniformed service members have engaged in political commentary. This is an irresponsible, dangerous trend that must be stopped. Our military leaders need to focus on their all-important duty: Defending the American people.

Business Headlines

Railroad megamerger would create the first Mexico-US-Canada freight rail network (CNN) - Canadian Pacific (CP) agreed to purchase Kansas City Southern (KSU) in a deal worth about $25 billion. Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor dies by suicide after COVID-19 (Seattle Times) - Unrelenting post-COVID symptoms, including severe tinnitus, resulted in Taylor's decision. Tim Cook and other Apple executives will testify against Epic in Fortnite trial (CNN) - The case concerns a fallout between the maker of one of the world's most popular video games and the preeminent mobile device company over Apple's control of its App Store. Epic is suing Apple for alleged antitrust violations. A company will pay you $2,400 to stay away from screens for 24 hours (CNN) - Reviews.org, a company that tests home services and products, is holding a 24-hour digital detox challenge. They'll pay their chosen challengers over two grand to survive a whole day without screens.

On This Day In History

(From History.com)

1638 - Anne Hutchinson is banned from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for her religious teachings. She went on to help found Rhode Island. 1790 - Thomas Jefferson becomes the 1st US Secretary of State under President Washington. 1931 - William Shatner is born. 1938 - Violet Bear Allen is born. She was a Skull Valley Goshute artisan who encouraged the next generation to "Keep going and dreaming." 1941 - James Stewart is inducted into the Army, becoming the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War II. 1972 - The Equal Rights Amendment is passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. We know how that turned out. (Hint: Still not ratified) 1997 - Tara Lipinski becomes the youngest women's World Figure Skating Champion. She was just 14 years and 9 months old.