Policy News Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson respond to Biden vaccine announcement Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson released the following statement in response to the Biden Administrationâs announcement of a new vaccine and testing requirement for all businesses over 100 employees: âThe Presidentâs vaccine mandate for businesses is a serious mistake. Itâs outside the authority of the federal government and, as public health experts have pointed out, it is likely to exacerbate and broaden public resistance to all vaccines, which may outweigh any marginal benefit in terms of increased population immunity. âWe continue to strongly encourage Utahns to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones, and to protect the hospital capacity that we all use. The vaccines are a miracle of science and represent the best way to end the pandemic, but a federal mandate is heavy-handed overreach that will harden vaccine resistance and polarization. Workplace vaccination and testing policies should remain firmly the prerogative of business owners. Weâre committed to fighting the mandate through every possible avenue.â Utah leaders respond to Biden vaccine mandate Senate President J. Stuart Adams and House Speaker Brad Wilson, Attorney General Sean Reyes and State Auditor John Dougall released the following joint statement in response to the Biden administrationâs sweeping new vaccine mandate: âThe mandate the Biden administration issued is a blatant attempt to exceed well-established limitations on federal authority and infringes upon the rights of private businesses and employees. Biden continues to be tone-deaf to a majority of Americans who oppose mandates. âUtahns have made it clear they expect the state to oppose this heavy-handed overreach, and each of us will act in our capacities to do so. We will not stand down while Biden disregards the rights of the people and we will continue to stand for civil liberties and freedom in our state.â Salt Lake Chamber and State of Utah host the inaugural Utahâs Business Diversity Summit The Salt Lake Chamber and the State of Utah hosted the inaugural Utahâs Business Diversity Summit, part of the One Utah Summit Series, to engage business and community leaders in efforts to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces. It was the first diversity summit of its kind in the state of Utah to discuss diversity and inclusion where the primary focus was from a business perspective. âThis deliberate effort to advocate for more inclusion of diverse talent and combat the gender wage gap remain top Chamber priorities,â said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. âWhile we still have miles to go, I believe we are moving in the right direction. With this inaugural event, we have the opportunity to have a collective experience and learn how to champion diversity and inclusion together, as well as have a launch point from which we can sail toward a more inclusive future.â (Read More) Granite School District: Community vaccine clinics open to individuals aged 5 and above Following the recent approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11, the Salt Lake County Health Department will be hosting several free community vaccination clinics at school locations throughout Granite School District this month. âWe are very pleased to host these clinics in conjunction with the health department, and we hope our families take advantage of this opportunity,â said Granite superintendent Rich Nye. Vaccines will be available at the clinics to all eligible individuals aged 5 and up. Minors receiving vaccines will be required to have parental consent. No appointments are necessary. For the full list of vaccine clinics, visit Granite School Districtâs COVID Information Page. Sen. Romney, colleagues urge return to work for federal workforce U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined 41 of his colleagues, led by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), in a letter to the heads of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to request immediate action to transition federal workers back to in-person operations. The letter follows months of delays from the Biden Administration on implementing plans for agencies to return their workforce to the office and to address the mounting backlog of cases that arose while workers were working from home. The text of the letter can be found here. (Read More) DAY 14: Sen. Lee continues fight against Bidenâs vaccine mandate Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), for the fourteenth day, spoke against President Bidenâs vaccine mandate on the Senate Floor today (Nov. 4) and asked the Senate to pass by unanimous consent his bill to clarify that federal law does not authorize the President to issue a general vaccine mandate. Lee offered his bill the âNo Forced Vaccination for COVID-19 Actâ which would prevent federal vaccine mandates from taking effect without approval from Congress. (Read/Watch More) | 