Utah Policy: Hydrogen for clean energy, #utleg roundup and Scouting for Food

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Utah Policy Daily Newsletter

The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to editor@utahpolicy.com

Situational Analysis - March 4, 2021

It's Thursday, March 4th and the day some Trump supporters believe Trump will be sworn in as President. (He won't, but that doesn't stop them from making credible threats of a Capitol attack.) Why today? Because March 4th was traditionally the day presidents were inaugurated, beginning with George Washington and ending with FDR's first inauguration. In 1933, Congress changed the date to January 20.

On this next-to-the-last day of the Utah legislature, elected officials will again spend all day on the floor debating bills. Unless they go saunter in this afternoon's sunshine - or enjoy some pound cake on National Pound Cake Day. Or both. Follow along at le.utah.gov

If you only have time for one thing today: Take a minute to check out the tech that is bringing old photos to life. The "Deep Nostalgia" photo animator from MyHeritage lets you see your ancestors (and others) smile and move their heads. What do you think? Creepy or cool?

Countdown

1 day more to the end of the 2021 Utah Legislature (3/5/21) (You're humming that song from Les Mis, aren't you?? Me too.)
40 days until the end of the Cox/Henderson administration's first 100 days (04/14/2021)
56 days until the Biden/Harris administration's first 100 days are up (04/30/2021)

Today At Utah Policy

Tweets of the day: #utleg roundup
By Holly Richardson
Restricting voter access, a new state park, beefing up security, streamlining government and vehicle registration reminders.Generous Utahns show big support for 35th annual Scouting for Food Drive
By Holly Richardson
When Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox issued a proclamation declaring Jan. 25 Feb. 12, 2021 as Utah's 35th Annual Scouting for Food Drive, generous Utahns heeded the call by donating an estimated 142,000 pounds of food at donation drop off sites across the state. Rep. Ballard: Realizing Utah's clean energy potential
By Rep. Melissa G. Ballard
During the last three years, we have seen an explosion of electric vehicles on Utah's roads. In fact, so many Utahns have recently purchased electric cars that a bill has been introduced raising registration fee on electric vehicles. Even though these thousands of new cars on Utah roads running on electricity undoubtedly help our air quality, most electricity, as everyone knows, is still produced in a way that will not.

Utah Headlines

Deseret News

Religious liberty hangs in the balance this summer - The case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, has the potential to gut First Amendment precedent that has stood for over 30 years. It will also signal how the new conservative majority will rule on religious freedom protections. Searching for a moral awakening: How America can become equitable, humble and prosperous - Our upswing, if we choose to reject our narcissism, will start with Americans deciding there is a better way, assessing their own moorings and then working among their city blocks to change hearts and minds. How RootsTech Connect went from 130,000 to 1.1 million - Bottom line, the pandemic offered an opportunity to look at the conference differently. The desire to connect and the increased ability to do so brought people together in unprecedented numbers. Letterboxd: It's like Facebook, but for movie lovers - The film-centric social media outlet saw its membership nearly double since the start of the pandemic and now has over 3 million members. Republican support for a third party is at an all-time high. But could it actually happen? - Those who support a third party include 70% of independents, 63% of Republicans and 46% of Democrats. In the recent past, election reforms have replaced efforts to create another party. Why Sen. Mike Lee thinks the massive COVID-19 relief package is 'offensive' - "The bill before the Senate this week is not really about COVID relief. It's about politics," Utah bill spelling out 'endgame' for pandemic clears House, but may be in trouble - "I'm not sure we need legislation," Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, pointing to the pace of the vaccine rollout and declining case counts as indicators the state could already be "headed toward the end of the pandemic." Dixie State University name change bill passes, headed to governor's desk - No one in the Senate spoke against the bill, but some, like Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, expressed frustration that the push to change the university's name was tantamount to cancel culture. Four more companies hired to help vaccinate Utahns against COVID-19 - Utah's Red Rock Pharmacy, Hurricane Family Pharmacy and Community Nursing Services, along with Curative Wellness in California, were chosen Wednesday to join Orem-based Nomi Health to provide mobile and mass vaccinations.

Salt Lake Tribune

$1.23B transportation package heading to governor's desk - Legislators add language urging the hiring of Utah firms and residents to tackle the construction projects. Commission on racial equity urges Salt Lake City's police improve its training programs - The commission wants more trainers to be officers of color and more focus on implicit bias. Robert Gehrke: Utah legislators are pushing a quick exit from COVID restrictions, but these steps are more critical - There's a difference between getting to that endpoint fast and getting there right. Is a 5G pole planned for your neighborhood? This map shows all permits in Salt Lake City so far. - The City Council is mulling potential policies to make the tech less of an eyesore. Bill on changing Dixie State University's name gets final approval from Utah lawmakers - The bill requires the university to restart the renaming process - going back to square one to form a committee to study the issue and collect more community input before making a final call. And it no longer stops the new name from still including "Dixie," as the first version of the bill did. Bail reform repeal passes Utah Legislature just months after kicking in - Reforms were meant to stop kicking defendants locked up before trial simply because they couldn't afford bail. Prosecutors say the new system has worked. Political party switching banned in three months before primary election under bill headed to governor - Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, said he brought the legislation in response to efforts to recruit Democrats to join the Republican Party to cast a ballot in the 2020 primary for governor, even though the data does not support that claim. Reversing Trump, Interior Department moves swiftly on climate change - As the Interior Department awaits its new secretary, the agency is already moving to lock in key parts of President Joe Biden's environmental agenda, particularly on oil and gas restrictions.

Other

Feel shaking in Salt Lake County on Tuesday? No, it wasn't an earthquake (ABC 4) - Officials say the shaking was related to night-flying operations at Hill Air Force Base. 'This is our community': Salt Lake City residents voice concern over plan to demolish 5 historic homes (KSL) - Four of the five homes were constructed in the 1890s. Sullivan talks latest project while under house arrest for Capitol riot involvement (FOX 13) - He has about 70,000 words finished in a book he is currently writing about the riot. Do parents want distance learning after pandemic? Jordan School District wants to know (FOX 13) - A survey raises these questions: Has the pandemic led to a better school schedule, or do people want to return to a pre-pandemic school week? Utah has nation's worst housing shortage, new programs announced to help (FOX 13) - The effort would create a statewide authority to guide development of affordable housing to reassure communities projects will fit into communities rather than detracting from property values. It also funds a new director of homeless issues at the state level to advise the governor and coordinate a homeless advisory council. Senate passes bill aimed at getting higher education to incarcerated youth (St, George News) - "Education is the antidote to recidivism," Snow told St. George in February. "We've got to invest in education outreach. This program will provide the same opportunities for concurrent enrollment to incarcerated youth as it does to their peers who are not incarcerated."

COVID Corner

Hundreds of unhoused people have received COVID-19 vaccines in Salt Lake City (Salt Lake Tribune) - Fourth Street Clinic is hoping to get single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the near future. Utah expected to get more COVID-19 vaccines in next few weeks (FOX 13) - The week after next, we are really going to start seeing an increase in the number of Pzfiser and Moderna doses that we receive. J&J should really have its production ramped up by the third week of March. Texas doctors say Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to scrap mask mandate could result in another Covid-19 surge (NBC News) - "I think the governor's decision was premature...If the goal is to reach herd immunity, we are not there yet. Masking and distancing are an important bridge to herd immunity. We're still seeing 1,000 new cases per day in Houston." T cell response to virus variants remains potent; Asthma does not raise severe COVID-19 risk (Yahoo! News) Why Blood Type May Matter for COVID Infection (WebMD) - The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is particularly attracted to the blood group A antigen found on respiratory cells. Why type A blood may increase COVID-19 risk (LiveScience) - Laboratory experiments revealed that part of the coronavirus called the "receptor binding domain" (RBD), which directly binds to cells to jumpstart infection, also grabs onto unique molecules associated with type A blood. The COVID-19 vaccine has a side effect that is being mistaken for breast cancer (Salon.com) - The observation of swollen lymph nodes in one's armpits is a common sign of breast cancer, particularly in female patients. Widely used convalescent plasma treatment doesn't stop COVID-19 patients from getting sicker, study finds (USA Today) - The federal government discontinued a research trial of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 saying the blood product from recovered patients doesn't prevent at-risk people visiting emergency rooms from getting sicker. Rural Americans in pharmacy deserts hurting for Covid-19 vaccines (CNN) - 111 rural counties, mostly located between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, have no pharmacy that can give the vaccines. COVID-19 felt like leukemia, Dr. Drew says (Deseret News) - Dr. Drew - a media personality and addiction medicine specialist - once criticized COVID-19. He has now changed his tune. 4 tips to consider after you get the COVID-19 vaccine (Deseret News) - Apply a cool, wet cloth over the area where you got the shot, use or exercise the arm that was injected, drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly to reduce any discomfort you might have.

National Headlines

Senate Democrats, White House Agree To Tighter Income Limits For Stimulus Checks (NPR) - White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at the White House that Biden is pleased with the progress on the bill. Biden limits eligibility for stimulus payments under pressure from moderate Senate Democrats (Washington Post) - Change comes as Senate prepares to move forward on Biden's $1.9 trillion relief bill Senate bill will narrow income eligibility for $1,400 stimulus checks (CNN) - That means 7 million fewer families will receive a partial payment than would have under the House version of the bill. Opinion: Biden has finally agreed to slim down stimulus checks. There's a lot more he could cut. (Washington Post) - Grants to state and local governments is one place to look. So is aid to schools. House passes bill named in honor of George Floyd aimed at preventing police misconduct (CNN) - Supporters of the bill say it would improve law enforcement accountability and work to root out racial bias in policing. No Republicans voted for the bill. Capitol Police say intelligence shows militia group may be plotting to breach the Capitol (Washington Post) - Police say the possible plot by a militant group to breach the Capitol on Thursday is a date that some followers of the QAnon extremist ideology falsely claim will mark former president Donald Trump's return to the White House. Biden won't deliver speech to Congress until after vote on coronavirus bill, Psaki says (Fox News) - Lawmakers are pushing to get the coronavirus relief package to Biden's desk before March 14 when key federal jobless aid programs lapse. Mitch McConnell on Donald Trump: We're looking to the 'future,' not 'the past' (USA Today) - That Mitch McConnell-Donald Trump feud is still happening. Democrats Don't Need Virus-Relief Compromise (Bloomberg) - There'd be no political benefit to settling for less than their $1.9 trillion bill just to pick up a handful of Senate Republican votes. Police disclose possible plot by militia group to attack U.S. Capitol (AOL.com) - The police force that guards the U.S. Capitol said on Wednesday it has obtained intelligence pointing to a possible plot by a militia group to breach the building on Thursday, Trump's Pentagon Blocked Troops From Getting to the Capitol Riots For Hours, DC National Guard Commander Said (BuzzFeed News) - The DC National Guard commander said he was not allowed to send troops to the Capitol, in sharp contrast to the city's George Floyd protests last year, when troops were given immediate permission to deploy.

Policy News

Utah businessman David Ibarra expands program to 12 countries
Utah entrepreneur, success coach, philanthropist, and author David Ibarra announced today the newly acquired licensing rights to establish training and certification programs based on Dr. Napoleon Hill's Science of Success philosophy in mainland China (including Hong Kong) and Singapore. The agreements with the Napoleon Hill Foundation make Ibarra the largest licensee of Think and Grow Rich seminars in the world.Sen. Lee introduces bill to protect state water rights
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the State Water Rights Protection Act, a bill to prevent presidents from unilaterally creating reserved water rights when designating national monuments, as allowed under current law. As the size and scope of national monuments have significantly grown over time, often without the approval of a state and its inhabitants, these designations can impact, and in some cases terminate, privately held water rights.Rep. Owens remarks in response to H.R.1280
Today, U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) delivered the following statement, as prepared for delivery, on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 1280, George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021.Fry Street Quartet announces Gabriela Lena Frank as Composer-in-Residence
The Caine College of the Arts (CCA) and the Fry Street Quartet (FSQ) are excited to announce a four-year residency with composer Gabriela Lena Frank, funded by differential tuition from CCA students and the Visiting Artists and Scholars Series. In addition to educational activities, the grant supports the commission of a new string quartet in partnership with the NOVA Chamber Music Series of Salt Lake City, to be premiered by the FSQ in 2023.Utah families express outrage at Sen. Lee's claims that expanding the Child Tax Credit would discourage parents from working
According to a new survey of Utah families released by ParentsTogether Action, a family advocacy organization representing 2.5 million parents from across the United States, Utah parents expressed outrage at Senator Mike Lee's recent opposition to the proposed expansion of the child tax credit as it appears in the American Rescue Plan Act. Though Sen. Lee does support an increase to the child tax credit, he has voiced opposition to giving it to parents monthly, calling it 'welfare assistance', and believes that the lowest income families should not receive the benefit at all.

Business Headlines

Jeep is open to dropping Cherokee name, says CEO (Fox Business) - Carlos Tavares of Jeep-owner Stellantis NV, said his company was talking to the Cherokee Nation on the issue. The COVID-19 relief Senate bill will narrow income eligibility for stimulus checks. Here are the details (Deseret News) - The change includes cutting off payments for some individuals and couples who expected to receive payments under the original bill. 4 reasons you've got 'Zoom fatigue,' backed by science (Deseret News) - You're looking at a lot of things all at once, you're looking at yourself, you cannot move around, and your brain can't handle everything.

On This Day In History

(From History.com)

1522 - Anne Boleyn makes her debut at the English Court. 1628 - England's King Charles I grants a royal charter to Massachusetts Bay Colony. 1789 - The first session of the US Congress is held. 1791 - Vermont is admitted to the Union as the 14th state. 1861 - Abraham Lincoln inaugurated. 1867 - Ida Gray Nelson Rollins is born. She became the first Black female dentist in the US. 1869 - The 42nd Congress convened with five Black congressmen, including Josiah T. Walls from Florida who was the first Black congressman to represent an entire state. 1877 - Garrett A. Morgan is born. This Black inventor came up with a belt fastener for sewing machines, the gas mask and the automatic traffic signal. 1888 - Knute Rockne is born 1917 - Jeannette Rankin (R-MT) took her seat as the first female member of Congress. 1918 - First cases reported in the US in a deadly flu pandemic that eventually killed 675,000 Americans. 1929 - Charles Curtis takes the oath of office and becomes the first Native American vice-president. 1933 - FDR inaugurated and Frances Perkins becomes the United States Secretary of Labor, the first female member of the United States Cabinet. 1936 - The first - and last - flight of the Hindenburg. 1952 - Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis marry. 1960 - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz divorce after 20 tumultuous years of marriage. 1966 - John Lennon says "We (the Beatles) are more popular than Jesus." 1975 - In a private ceremony, Queen Elizabeth II knights Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Chaplin Knight Commander of the British Empire. 1976 - Peyton Manning in born. 1989 - The Louvre Pyramid designed by I. M. Pei is inaugurated by French President Francois Mitterrand. 1994 - John Candy dies of a heart attack at age 43.

Wise Words

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."

~Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address, March 4, 1861.