Happy birthday to Abby Cox today, Sen. Dan McCay tomorrow and Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner on Sunday; AI and political ads on the docket as well | | | 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 [email protected]. | | |
Situational Analysis | Jan. 26, 2024 It's Friday and National Peanut Brittle Day AND Dental Drill Appreciation Day. Sounds about right. Also, a very happy birthday to Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox today, to Sen. Dan McCay tomorrow and to Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner on Sunday! ð ðð Three things to watch today: HB221, sponsored by Rep. Karen Peterson and Sen. Chris Wilson would provide a financial stipend of $6,000 for future educators to complete their student teaching, which they currently do without compensation. This bill will be heard in the House Education Committee at 2 p.m. HB286, also being run by Rep. Karen Peterson, would do away with alumni legacy scholarships for nonresident students wanting to attend Utah universities. This bill will also be heard in the House Education Committee. SB131, by Sen. Wayne Harper tackles artificial intelligence used in political campaigning. This bill would require disclaimers at the beginning of the ads, specifying if audio or video or both were generated by AI. This bill also enhances criminal penalties for using AI in committing certain offenses. This bill will be heard in the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee at 2 p.m. On the Hill Today, Day 11 of 45 The short titles of all requests for legislation will be made public today, unless abandoned by the sponsor. Hold onto your hats. 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 Business and Labor; House Economic Development and Workforce Services; House Education; House Health and Human Services; Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice; Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment 3:00 pm: Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology | | |
| | 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 A huge chunk of Utahâs state budget for next year just passed. What you need to know about base budgets (Deseret News) Potty training, stipend for student teachers and more at the 2024 Legislature (UPR) Business and Labor Whiplash: Senate passes transgender bathroom restrictions with more last-minute changes (KSL) Utah lawmaker proposes bill for new entertainment district, eyes slapshot for NHL (KUTV) Education $10 million âteacher empowermentâ bill headed to the Utah Senate (Deseret News) DEI bill passes Utah Senate, heading to governor after House concurrence (Deseret News) Lawmakers recommend continued funding of Utahâs dual language immersion program (KSL Newsradio) Criminal Justice One lawmaker wants to streamline the reparations process for crime victims (Deseret News) Other Utah News Politics Utah works to fight misinformation ahead of 2024 election (Fox13) Scott Cuthbertson, CEO of EDCUtah, on politics, on KSL at Night Israel-Palestine, the New Hampshire primary and the Utah Legislature (UPR's Both Sides of the Aisle) âIncluding razor wire fencesâ: Gov. Cox supports Texas effort ignoring Supreme Court over border crisis (Salt Lake Tribune) Utah news Utah Food Bank opens distribution center in Springville to serve central Utah (KSL) Major Brent Taylor Foundation wants to send all of Utahâs Gold Star families to 9/11 memorial (KSL TV) Business/Tech 3 Utah Cold Stone Creamery stores fined $42K for violating child labor laws (KSL) Two bars and 2 Mexican restaurants among businesses awarded liquor licenses (Salt Lake Tribune) Salesforce laying off 700 workers in latest tech-industry downsizing (Wall Street Journal) Courts Utahâs lawsuit against TikTok contains startling allegations (Deseret News) âThis is a mistakeâ: Utah woman shocked to learn perpetrator granted parole just months after sentencing (KSL TV) Culture CES to host âlow-pressureâ events to help âreset the culture of datingâ (Church News) Uncovering the little-known history of southwest Utahâs only Chinatown (KUER) Education University of Utah introducing Viewpoint Representation and Expression Task Force (KSL Newsradio) Parents demand 're-do' of Salt Lake school closure vote because of conflict-of-interest (KUTV) Environment Worldâs smallest rabbit, which lives in Utah and the West, may get help (Deseret News) Family Lisa Halverson: The important role families play in shaping a childâs political behavior (Deseret News) Whatâs happening to parent-child bonds as kids become adults? (Deseret News) Well into adulthood and still getting money from their parents. Nearly 60% of parents provide financial help to their adult kids, a new study finds (Wall Street Journal) Health Can menopause be delayed indefinitely? This University of Utah professorâs mathematical model predicts itâs possible (Deseret News) Robitussin cough syrups recalled over possible contamination (Deseret News) Utah's first LGBTQ+ health clinic opens in Salt Lake City (Fox13) To help these school kids deal with trauma, mindfulness lessons over the loudspeaker (NPR) Housing Study says treating social isolation helps with obesity, health issues (Deseret News) Helping the homeless will require many more social workers (Deseret News) | | |
National Headlines General Alabama executes man by nitrogen gas for the first time in the U.S. (NPR) âPreposterousâ: Federal judge decries efforts to downplay Jan. 6 violence, label perpetrators âhostagesâ (Politico) Political news Sen. John Barrasso announces wifeâs death (The Hill) Sen. Mike Lee says border deal wonât solve crisis, says itâs to give President Biden a âfig leafâ (Deseret News) Romney: âAppallingâ Trump wants to kill border bill so he can âblame Bidenâ (The Hill) Senate deal on border and Ukraine at risk of collapse as Trump calls it âmeaninglessâ (AP) GOP looks for Plan B on Ukraine with border bill looking DOA (The Hill) Biden: âMore pressing than everâ to remember âscourge of antisemitismâ on Holocaust Remembrance Day (The Hill) Election news Republican National Committee pulls resolution declaring Trump as the âpresumptive 2024 nomineeâ (AP) Lauren Boebert mounts defense to criticisms of âcarpetbaggingâ in packed first Republican debate (AP) Trump reportedly ditched a staffer in Iowa after he lost a single county by a measly vote (Business Insider) Inside Trump's cutthroat conquest of Iowa and New Hampshire (New York Times) Haley raises money off Trump donor threat (The Hill) Ukraine ðºð¦ Ukraine alleges Russian disinformation in downing of military plane (Washington Post) Israel ð®ð± Qatar, a key mediator in sensitive Israel-Hamas talks, lashes out at Netanyahu over critical remarks (AP) War in Gaza opens scars for Palestinians in Lebanon, firming up support for Hamas (NPR) Israel's war with Hamas has no end in sight (Wall Street Journal) World news World Court orders Israel to prevent acts of genocide, fails to order ceasefire (Reuters) Mass graves are still being found, almost 30 years after Rwandaâs genocide, official says (AP) Russian court extends detention of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich (Wall Street Journal) | | |
| | News Releases Legislature considers stipends for future educators Today, the House Education Committee will consider H.B. 221 Stipends for Future Educators, sponsored by Rep. Karen Peterson and Sen. Chris Wilson. Utah has long valued the work of classroom teachers, but with 42% of new teachers leaving the profession within the first 5 years, efforts need to be made in both recruitment and retention of Utah teachers. H.B. 221 focuses on supporting new educators as they fulfill their full-time student teaching requirement. The bill proposes a stipend of $6,000 for an educator to apply for during their semester of full-time student teaching. Student teachers learn how to manage a classroom, create lesson plans, coordinate with parents, and differentiate learning for studentsâ varied abilities. Currently, student teachers are not paid, often forcing them to work additional jobs or take on additional debt to complete this requirement. (Read More) Aerospace and defense leaders unveil cutting-edge technologies on Capitol Hill Yesterday, 47G hosted their annual Utah Aerospace & Defense Day on Capitol Hill to showcase next-generation technologies from leaders in Utahâs aerospace and defense industry. The premier annual event is the only one of its kind in Utah. This unique opportunity afforded legislators and the public to see and experience Utah-based innovation, including artificial intelligence breakthroughs, composite materials used in space missions, 3-D printing applications, virtual reality devices, military-grade weapons, drone demonstrations and much more. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming 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 Feb. 22 â Understanding Utahâs Caucus-Convention System, with GOP Chair Rob Axson and Dem. Chair Diane Lewis, sponsored by Utah Women Run, 6:00-7:30 p.m., 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 Apr. 20 â United Utah Partyconvention Apr. 27 â State GOP and Democratic Conventions | | |
On This Day In History 1784 - In a letter dated January 26, 1784, Benjamin Franklin writes to his daughter Sarah (Sally) Bache expressing his dismay that the eagle is chosen as an American symbol. Were he to choose, the turkey would be a more appropriate bird. 1788 - British settlement begins in Australia with 11 ships of convicts. It is now celebrated as Australia Day, although many Aboriginal Australians call it âInvasion Day.â 1826 - Julia Boggs Dent is born. She later marries Ulysses S. Grant and becomes the 19th First Lady of the United States. 1893 - Bessie Coleman is born. In pursuit of becoming a pilot, Coleman traveled to France after being denied the opportunity in the United States. In France, she learned to fly, returning to the United States as the first female African American and Native American pilot. 1905 - Maria von Trapp is born. 1918 - Ukraine declares its independence. 1954 - Ground is broken for Disneyland. 1961 - JFK appoints first female presidential physician, Janet Travell. 1962 - Bishop Burke of Buffalo Catholic dioceses declares Chubby Checker's "The Twist" to be impure and bans it from all Catholic schools. 1980 - Mary Decker became the first woman to run a mile under 4 1/2 minutes, running it at 4:17.55 1988 - âPhantom of the Operaâ opens in NYC, goes on for 4000+ performances. 1998 - President Bill Clinton says "I want to say one thing to the American people; I did not have sexual relations with that woman.â 2005 - George W. Bush appoints Condoleeza Rice as secretary of state. 2010 - The World Health Organization rejects claims that it overstated the severity of the swine flu pandemic. 2020 - Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna die in a helicopter crash. Quote of the Day "Society will not rescue, let alone help recuperate, these individuals (experiencing chronic homelessness) by building more physical shelter alone â they need qualified human support that is accompanied with the medical care, services infrastructure and accountability that will enable meaningful, lasting improvement."
âRandy Shumway On the Punny Side In High School I was so excited to become a Senior. I'm not too excited now. | | |
| â Advertise With Us â Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
|
|
