Utah Cap Haps Blog

Sunday, June 26, 2016

June Legislative Updates

Capitol Pic of the Day


NOTICE: UPCOMING TOWN HALL MEETINGS

The town hall meetings have been fantastic. In May, we had representatives from UTA, the Utah House sponsor of the transportation fuel bill, and the Utah Transportation Coalition. 

On June 11, we heard from representatives from U.S. Senator Mike Lee's office, the Utah House sponsor of the Criminal Justice Reinvestment bill and Adult Probation and the Parole office of the Utah Department of Corrections. 

Don't miss the upcoming July town hall meeting where we will hear from representatives from the state, county, and West Valley City economic development offices. Economic development experts will highlight key projects and initiatives at the state, county and city. 

These forums have been a great way to learn about the issues you care about most and to meet the people involved in each respective policy area. 

Join me in welcoming these professionals to our community and come prepared to learn and engage in the discussion. 


INTERIM HIGHLIGHTS

In our caucus meetings, we discussed the need for a potential special session in July to take action on a proposed deal on the State Fair Park. The Governor ultimately decides on the agenda and we anticipate learning more soon.

Government Operations Interim Committee - The committee heard an update on unmanned aerial use by the state. After discussion, the committee learned that the collection of information from the state has not had the outcome intended by the original bill that created the collection. Changes to the original legislation are anticipated.  

The state ombudsman provided an overview on her annual report. Evidently, most of the records requests that come through the Government Records Access Management Act process are corrections-related, making up approximately 25 percent of requests. Interestingly, this is mostly due to people who are either charged with a crime or currently serving a sentence in jail or prison, who are collecting facts related to their charged crime. 

Additionally, the committee heard introductions on several upcoming bills related to election law. Click on the audio links through this site. No action was taken on any of these bills.

Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee - The committee heard an overview of the various tax incentives and grant programs available through the Department of Workforce Service and the Governor's Office of Economic Development. For general highlights on each program that was presented, click here. For details, click on this link and go to the meeting materials section of the June 15th meeting. 

Retirement and Independent Entities Interim Committee - The committee reviewed the bills that passed in the last legislative session and spent most of the meeting reviewing the URS CAFR. We also heard an update on the Tier II retirement systems and a few proposals to balance the needs of retirees, while ensuring that the liability is funded appropriately over time. Click here for the agenda


OTHER RELATED CAP HAPS 


It was an honor to be recognized by the Utah Business Coalition among 44 other legislators for the 2016 Legislative Champion Award for Outstanding Legislative Service to the Utah Business Community. The Utah Business Coalition is made up of 40 Utah businesses and associations across a broad spectrum of industries in the State of Utah.

Each legislative election cycle, the Coalition recognizes "Legislative Business Champions" that have not only supported business friendly legislation through their voting record, but have demonstrated a proactive desire to enhance the business climate in Utah.