It's Day 25 of 45. Up today: the 'Safe Child Project' bill, resolution rejecting a land swap, and tax credits for families w young children | | | 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 | Feb. 9, 2024 It's Friday and National Pizza Day! ð A true staple in politics. A very happy birthday to Rep. Carol Spackman Moss on Sunday. I think Taylor Swift might be celebrating that day, in her honor, of course. ð Three things to watch today: SB205 Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Amendments by Sen. Kirk Cullimore, is the Safe Child Project bill. This bill would require local education agencies to provide instruction on child sexual abuse and human trafficking awareness and the prevention of both. This bill will be heard in the Senate Education Committee at 2 p.m. HB153 Child Tax Credit Modifications by Rep. Susan Pulsipher would raise the age of a child dependent for whom an individual taxpayer may claim a child tax credit from age four to age six. This tax credit of up to $1,000 is subject to taxpayer income limits and would not exceed the tax liability of the taxpayer. This bill will be heard in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee at 2 p.m. HJR26 Joint Resolution Rejecting Exchange of School and Institutional Trust Lands by Rep. Casey Snider is the bill that rejects the proposed exchange of state school and institutional trust lands plus mineral interests in and around the Bears Ears National Monument for federal lands. This bill will be heard in the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee at 8 a.m. On the Hill Today, Day 25 of 45 8:00 am: House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment; House Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology; House Transportation; Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services 10:00-11:50 am: Senate floor time 10:00-11:50 am: House floor time
2:00 pm: House Government Operations; House Judiciary; House Political Subdivisions; House Revenue and Taxation; Senate Business and Labor; Senate Education | | |
Utah Headlines Legislative session What do Taylor Swift and AI have to do with the Utah legislature? (Deseret News) Business and Labor âAre you human?â Utah lawmakers seek business regulations on generative AI (Salt Lake Tribune) Economic Development and Workforce Services Utah looks at modular homes to increase housing affordability in cities (Deseret News) Utah committee declines to make decision on state flag 'do-over' bill (KSL) Education Utah House panel advances stateâs first NIL bill (Deseret News) Government Operations Will Utah voters be asked to decide whether to increase the threshold for passing initiatives that raise taxes? House passes legislation putting proposed constitutional amendment before voters in November, but Senate leaders worry about ballot âclutterâ (Deseret News) Sexual, racial harassment reported years before Utah Guard commander relieved. A former commander of the Utah National Guard is now proposing a law that would make it easier for the governor to fire the stateâs top military leader. (Salt Lake Tribune) Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Mothers and teens urge Utah lawmakers to pass family court reform (KSL TV) GOP lawmaker wants to make âlewdnessâ around kids a crime. Does that mean drag? (Salt Lake Tribune) Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Managing new water projects and a reason to celebrate this water year (Deseret News) A big bill on the Great Salt Lake advances after a tense hearing in the Utah legislature (Fox13) Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Lawmaker: Utah energy policy looks like a ârun over lizardâ (Deseret News) Other Utah News Political news Rep. John Curtis travels to border town in Arizona, calls crisis the âworst possible humanitarian situationâ (Deseret News) Rep. Blake Moore calls for border solutions during meeting with Utah lawmakers (KSL) Growing calls for state school board member Natalie Cline to resign after she targeted high school athlete (Deseret News) Lawmakers considering impeachment of school board member Cline over controversial post (KSL) Lt. Gov. Henderson says school board member Clineâs actions âa new low,â calls for resignation (KSL TV) BYU psychologist explains impact of controversial post on teen student-athlete (KSL TV) Father of teen girl targeted by board member Natalie Cline calls for immediate action (KUTV) As lawmakers talk impeachment, Natalie Cline faces âpromptâ Utah school board action (KUER) Will Utah lawmaker face charges for sharing protected information on transgender athlete cases? (Salt Lake Tribune) Election news In a hot election year, Utahâs Braver Angels want to be a calmer voice on your shoulder (KUER) Utah news 3 Utah cities are leading the country in economic growth (Deseret News) County wants out, so Utah may step in and buy coal country science lab (Salt Lake Tribune) More companies and individuals see the need for more dignity and civility in public and private discourse (Cache Valley Daily) These reports explore how Utahns perceive domestic violence and assault (UPR) Science/Tech The sunâs magnetic poles will flip in 2024. Hereâs what that means (Deseret News) Culture Faith, family, football â and why they matter to Andy Reid (Deseret News) Young people spark optimism as Latter-day Saints celebrate a global partnership feeding the hungry (Deseret News) With another gift, LDS Church cements its ties to U.N. â despite some anti-U.N. members (Salt Lake Tribune) Education The majority of Salt Lake City students arenât white. Why are most of its teachers? (Salt Lake Tribune) WSU hosting full slate of Black History Month events (Standard-Examiner) Environment Compass Minerals ends its lithium project to tap minerals in the Great Salt Lake (KSL) Utah Lake release sends 300 million gallons of water a day into the Great Salt Lake (KSL TV) Like Utah, California has had pipeline dreams to save its drying Salton Sea (KUER) Utah is pushing back against ever-tightening EPA air pollution standards (NPR) Family Is bathing your kids twice a week enough? The internet thinks not (Deseret News) Health Does occupation affect life expectancy? For desk jobs, it does (Deseret News) Study: Chemicals used in plastics could be linked to a rise in premature births (Deseret News) Housing âHorribly imbalanced:â How short-term rentals affect housing in Utahâs tourism-driven towns (Salt Lake Tribune) | | |
National Headlines General âWe must help our childrenâ: Christian Bale breaks ground on foster care project (Deseret News) Disney announces âMoana 2â to be released this year (Deseret News) They opened a Haitian food truck. Then they were told by a town councilman, âGo back to your own country,â lawsuit says (AP) Putin, in rambling interview, barely lets Tucker Carlson get a word in (Washington Post) Famed climate scientist wins million-dollar verdict against right-wing bloggers (Washington Post) Political news Failed border bill would have stopped migrants from âgaming the system,â Border Patrol union president says (Deseret News) AI-generated voices in robocalls can deceive voters. The FCC just made them illegal (AP) For President Biden, the special counselâs report was a legal exoneration â and a political nightmare. (New York Times) Biden angrily pushes back at special counselâs report that questioned his memory (AP) As some call for his ouster, McConnell pushes back on GOP critics: âTheyâve had their shotâ (AP) Supreme Court justices appear skeptical of effort to remove Trump from a state ballot (NPR) Ukraine-Israel aid package clears major hurdle in Senate (Wall Street Journal) Election news Trump easily wins Nevada caucus (Deseret News) The race for George Santosâ congressional seat could offer clues to how suburbs will vote this year (AP) Marianne Williamson suspends her presidential campaign, ending long-shot primary challenge to Biden (AP) Ukraine ðºð¦ For disabled boy in Ukraine's war-ravaged east, volunteers are a lifeline (Reuters) Ukraineâs new army chief says his immediate goals are better troop rotation and high-tech weapons (AP) Israel ð®ð± Israeli bombs target Gazaâs crowded Rafah as the US warns Israel against sending troops there (AP) What is 'domicide,' and why has war in Gaza brought new attention to the term? (NPR) 53 days in the Hamas tunnels: A hostageâs story (Wall Street Journal) World news US confronts dangers from 'not very good' Iran-backed militants (Reuters) A year after Turkey's earthquake, hundreds of thousands of people remain in shelters (NPR) | | |
| | News Releases USBE board leadership statement on board memberâs social media The Utah State Board of Education leadership condemns the actions taken by Board Member Natalie Cline on her recent Facebook post directed toward a female high school student athlete in Utah. Board Leadership is very concerned about this post and the harm it has caused to students and families in Utah. We are deeply saddened by the events that have taken place and will be taking prompt action regarding this matter as determined by the full Board. The Board has no power or authority to unseat an elected official. If the full Board determines discipline is warranted, Board Bylaws provide guidelines for additional action. Utah Senate Democratsâ condemn the actions of USBE board member and call for her immediate resignation âWe express our utter outrage and condemnation regarding the reprehensible actions of Natalie Cline, a member of the Utah State Board of Education. Ms. Clineâs actions, characterized by the intentional mockery and defamation of a minor student, represent a flagrant violation of the ethical standards, policies, and trust placed in her as a public official. We call for her immediate resignation. We are currently working with our legal counsel to pursue appropriate measures, including the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Ms. Cline. We will continue to provide updates on our efforts to address this matter. We extend our unwavering support to the victim and her family, who have been traumatized by Ms. Clineâs actions.â Utah House Democrats call for immediate resignation of Utah School Board Member Following recent actions by Utah School Board Member Natalie Cline, the Utah House Democratic Caucus issues the following statement: âNatalie Clineâs unconscionable online accusations have repeatedly endangered the safety of students and educators, warranting consequences beyond reprimand. Apologies are insufficient. Clineâs repeated misconduct highlights her unsuitability for the role of Utah School Board Member, necessitating her immediate resignation to prevent further harm to our students. We acknowledge that legislation discriminating against transgender individuals only worsens this harmful behavior. If the Utah Legislature continues to pass laws singling out our trans community members, these incidents may well continue.â Utah House Majority Caucus responds to state school board member comments Speaker Mike Schultz, Majority Leader Jefferson Moss, Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, and Majority Assistant Whip Casey Snider, on behalf of the Utah House Majority Caucus, release the following statement: âWe condemn the recent comments made by Utah State School Board member Natalie Cline directed toward one of our female high school student athletes. Elected officials, especially those whose primary responsibility is to support and defend the children of our state, must uphold high moral and ethical standards. Public servants have a far-reaching and impactful voice that should be used to inform and engage with constituents. Making thoughtless and baseless claims to harass a child is unacceptable and inexcusable. We are considering all available options within our constitutional authority moving forward. We care about this young victimâs safety and wellbeing and join our community and state in surrounding her and her family with love and support. She deserves nothing less.â President Adams announces water legislation Water is the lifeline of Utahâs economy, agriculture and communities. The stateâs growing population and economy rely on a steady and sustainable water supply. Today, Sen. President J. Stuart Adams is sponsoring S.B. 211 Generational Water Infrastructure Amendments, which creates a state water council to manage water projects with strategic foresight for the entire state and enhances coordination for water projects throughout Utah in a significant step toward sustainable water resource management for generations to come. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming 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 1773 - William Henry Harrison is born. Harrison went on to serve as the ninth U.S. president for a brief 32 days in 1841, the shortest term ever served. Harrison is also credited with the record for the longest inaugural address in history. Delivered on a bitterly cold March morning, it clocked in at one hour and 45 minutes. He contracted pneumonia after his inaugural speech and died in April. 1825 - The Presidential election was decided in the US House, as no candidate received the majority of electoral votes. John Quincy Adams came out on top. 1942 - Daylight Savings Time was instituted during World War II. It was repealed in 1945, then standardized again in 1966. Let's just keep it year-round. 1943 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order setting a minimum 48-hour work week in a number of critical war industries 1950 - Senator McCarthy says there are over 200 communists in the State Department. 1971 - Leroy âSatchelâ Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1995 - Dr. Bernard Harris becomes the first Black astronaut to take a space walk. He is also a surgeon and humanitarian. 2020 - Fastest supersonic New York to London journey made by British Airways Boeing 747-436 in four hours and 56 minutes, with speeds of 825 mph due to Storm Ciara Quote of the Day "There are no limits to human ingenuity or to human achievement...We are infinite beings with infinite possibilities." âDr. Bernard Harris On the Punny Side If you drive a Subaru in reverse, what are you? Ur a bus. | | |
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