News Releases Gov. Cox orders flags to be lowered in honor of life and legacy of former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has ordered the lowering of the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the state of Utah on all state facilities in recognition of the life and legacy of former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. Flags should be lowered to the half-staff position immediately, and return to full-staff at sunset on Sunday, March 27, 2022. Private citizens and businesses are encouraged to participate as well. Read the Presidentâs proclamation here. The UEA supports Governor Coxâs veto of HB11 From Utah Education Association President Heidi Matthews: Across our races, backgrounds and genders, all of us want to be treated with dignity and respect. Yesterday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox lived up to this shared ideal by vetoing a bill that will cause great harm to our most vulnerable students. We applaud him for doing what is just and right, instead of inflaming and dividing communities by devaluing some students because of the gender with which they identify. We join with parents, educators, and students calling on elected officials to work with us to make sure our public schools are places where all students are free to thrive and to learn without fear or intimidation. The Utah Education Association supports Governor Coxâs veto of HB11. The Governorâs veto must stand. Utah Foundation: Utah has nationâs strongest middle class Today, the Utah Foundation releases the fifth report in its Utah Social Capital Series with The Soil of Common Ground: Social Cohesion in Utah. This installment focuses on social cohesion; the previous installments focused on civic engagement, social trust, community life and family life. The Soil of Common Ground presents data and analysis in three areas: economic stratification, language and the extent to which the population is homegrown. It looks at Utahâs performance on these measures over time, comparing the Beehive State both to the seven other Mountain States and to the nation at large. (Read More) Owens urges DOJ to combat rise in retail crime Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-signed a letter led by Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04) to Attorney General Merrick Garland, raising concerns about the recent rise in retail crime. The Representatives are urging the Department of Justice to develop and implement a national strategy to combat organized crime exploding in American cities. âNationwide spikes in violent crime and retail theft pose serious threats to the safety and security of Americans, their businesses, and our communities,â said Rep. Owens. âI urge Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice to develop a strong national strategy to maintain the rule of law and support Americaâs law enforcement officials.â The full letter is available here. Owens calls for humanitarian aid airlift to Ukraine This week, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-signed a bipartisan letter to President Biden and key administration officials urging them to organize an international humanitarian aid airlift to quickly deliver urgently needed nonmilitary supplies, such as food, water, and medicine, to the Ukrainian people. In the letter, the members write: âWhile we commend your Administration for taking action to approve Congressional funding for humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine and working with our allies and partners to impose sanctions on Russian President Putin and his government, more must be done to support the people of Ukraine and stop the war.â (Read More) Governor signs 23 bills of the 2022 General Legislative Session Today, Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed 23 bills. This brings the total number of signed pieces of legislation from the 2022 General Legislative Session to 230. Information on these bills can be found here. Governor signs 84 bills of the 2022 General Legislative Session Today, Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed 84 bills. This brings the total number of signed pieces of legislation from the 2022 General Legislative Session to 314. Information on these bills can be found here. Senator Lee questions SCOTUS nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Bidenâs nominee to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States today on the second day of questioning. His questions focused on her past cases dealing with federal lands, her record on criminal sentencing, and the troubling history of Supreme Court precedent regarding partial-birth abortion. (Read/Watch More) | 