October Legislative Updates

Capitol Pic of the Day

INTERIM HIGHLIGHTS

During our Republican House Caucus meeting we listened to an update regarding the formula error that was erroneously enacted in the Transportation Funding bill that was passed in the 2015 General Session. In an effort to fix it with the original sponsors and legislative body, we will meet in a brief special session during our interim day meetings to get it fixed. 

Government Operations Interim Committee - The committee had a full agenda and started off with a report on the Federal Funds Commission and the Commission on Federalism related to their recent deliverables. A tool was created to assess impacts of the loss of federal funds as a means to assess risk for the state. Click here to use the tool. 

Additionally, the committee learned about the new Center for Constitutional Studies established by Utah Valley University, where there will be seminars and future conferences on federalism. To listen to the audio and access the materials for this meeting, click on this link. 

Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee - The committee meeting was mostly taken up with presentations on the various agencies' annual reports. Reports were heard from the Department of Workforce Services, the Governor's Office of Economic Development, USTAR, Department of Heritage and Arts, and the Utah Capital Investment Corporation. The committee also heard an update presentation from the STEM Action Center. Click here to access the presentations and materials. 

Elected Officials and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee - The committee met at the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office and heard an update on the implementation of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI). We had a robust discussion on how to interpret measures and the importance of tracking ancillary crime data at the city level so that we are able to best evaluate the progress and impact of JRI. The discussion was engaging and as a result, the last few agenda items were pushed to the next meeting. Click here to access the audio and materials for this meeting. 

OTHER RELATED CAP HAPS

This month we celebrated the Capitol building's 100 year anniversary. It was a week long event filled with various activities and celebrations, including opening up a time capsule from 100 years ago. It was an honor to be part of this historical moment and I hope future generations will have as much fun looking back through time as we did that week. 

This month was the Annual Molina Healthcare of Utah Community Champions event. The Utah Health Policy Project, among others, were recognized for their outstanding work in the community and they were awarded with a check to donate to their charity of choice. There are a lot of great things happening out of the good deeds of others and it was great to celebrate their meaningful work. 

Governor Gary R. Herbert visited a group of our West Valley City scouts to help them with their requirement to interview an elected official. It was great to have him in our city and wonderful to have him for this fun community event. His message for our scouts was: 1. Get a good education; 2. Be a friend; and 3. Learn something new every day.

Earlier this month, I participated on a panel, hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, to speak about the 2016 elections to a group of young and upcoming millennials. It was interesting to compare and contrast the politics that exist in Utah and in Washington D.C.

I am proud to be part of a state that balances its budget and plans for its future in a responsible way.