Hello Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you all have been doing well since the end of the Legislative Session. I want to update you on what I've been doing recently and provide an overview of our greatest accomplishments during this year's session. Thank you all for your continued commitment and support!
Warmly,
Melissa
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Overview
During this legislative session, the State Legislature passed nearly six hundred bills, whose implementation will improve education and school safety, protect our water, maximize natural resources, and increase government efficiency. Ultimately, the new bills passed by myself, and other legislators, will enhance life in Utah for all Utahns. For more information on these topics, and more, please see below.
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I love my family! They are the most important thing to me and truly make my life better!
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Families
During the legislative session, my bill HB 192 Local Agency Employed Paid Leave was passed, instructing local education agencies to develop certain parental paid leave policies that cover both biological and adoptive parents.
Several other bills that positively affect families were also passed during this session, such as HB 75 Paid Leave Modifications, which broadens parental leave for state employees and allows for postpartum recovery leave for any childbirth that occurs after twenty weeks of pregnancy and HB 134 Marriage Modifications, which validates all marriage regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin.
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Schools
One in ten bills passed during this session related to education in some way, however, the largest bill was Rep. Ryan Wilcox's bill, HB 84 School Safety Amendments. This bill establishes a school guardian program, which mandates that schools must have a resource officer, armed security guard, a trained and armed employee, or a school guardian. HB 119, which creates the Educator Protection Program, works in conjunction with this bill by requiring all teachers to store their firearms in biometric gun safes.
H.B. 29 Sensitive Material Review Amendments allow for a single book to be removed statewide from Utah public schools if at least three school districts- or five charter schools and two school districts- determine the book contains objective sensitive material.
The legislature also voted to allocate 1.1 million dollars to provide free or reduced summer meals to struggling students in K-12. Since I entered office in 2018, the total revenue of K-12 public education has increased by 56.3%.
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Coal-powered energy plant in Huntington, Utah.
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Resources
Utah's natural resources, especially our finite water supply, were a source of great debate during this year's legislative session. Largely, this debate surrounded SB 211, which established the Water Development Council and a state-appointed water agent, both set Utah's water future going forward for up to 100 years.
The legislature also voted to allocate millions of dollars in funding to the Great Salt Lake Commission to establish a state water plan in an attempt to preserve and maintain the Great Salt Lake.
Concerning energy production, the legislature passed two main bills, HB 191 and SB 224, both of which prevent Rocky Mountain Power from shutting down their coal-powered energy plants in Huntington and Hunter. A separate bill, SB 161, does require that Rocky Mountain Power submits new air quality permits, however, a date for the deactivation of the coal plants, and subsequent transition to sources of more sustainable energy, has not been set.
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The amazing and beautiful Great Salt Lake. Photo credit: Scott Spain.
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Taxes and Budget Breakdown
Nearly $60 million was appropriated to address homelessness, with $25 million going towards the construction of low-barrier shelters, and $11.8 million to the Utah Homelessness Council. The legislature allocated nearly $190 million for the Utah Fits All voucher program, which just launched this year, with another $35.5 million being issued to reduce fees for students in public schools.
The state income tax was reduced from 4.65% to 4.55%, which is expected to save Utah families $65, on average. The legislature also approved amendments to expand the child tax credit, which now includes children older than one and younger than four. This nonrefundable tax credit of $1,000 per child phases out as income rises above $53,000 for joint filers and $43,000 for taxpayers filing as single.
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A rendering of the new Utah Jazz/National Hockey League stad.
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Sports Stadiums
HB 562 creates a new investment zone located within the Salt Lake Power District; an area slated for major redevelopment. This redevelopment includes a proposed MLB Stadium; the construction will be partly funded by the state government, which has pledged $900 million of funding. Aside from a slight tax increase for residents who live within the new investment zone, there is a statewide 1.5% increase in rental car taxes that is only triggered if Utah lands an MLB team; however, in-state residents are exempt from this tax as long as they fill out a form to prove their residency.
SB 272, commonly referred to as the hockey bill, establishes a capital city revitalization zone and includes provisions to revitalize public transportation and parking, as well as clauses to mitigate downtown safety concerns and homelessness. The essence of the bill allows an NBA or future NHL owner to approach Salt Lake City and the state with a plan to revitalize the area, which includes a new arena for the Jazz and a possible NHL team. Most of these ventures will be funded privately, however, the state will allocate funds to oversee planning and Salt Lake City will impose a 0.5% increase in sales tax.
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A conceptual rendering of the proposed Major League Baseball stadium, located within the Power District in Salt Lake City.
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For extra information on the 2024 General Legislative Session, follow these links below:
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How Utah families will be impacted by Utah’s newest state laws (Deseret News)
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The 2024 Utah Legislative Wrap-Up (RadioWest)
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Utah’s 2024 legislative session was bookended by DEI, transgender issues, and new baseball, and hockey stadiums (Deseret News)
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The Utah 2024 Legislative Session is over. Here’s what lawmakers did (KSL Newsradio)
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Utah Legislature passed a record number of bills in 2024. Here’s how they’ll change your life. (Salt Lake Tribune)
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Utah has $29 billion to spend next year. Here’s how lawmakers are spending your taxes. (Salt Lake Tribune)
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Here's what the 2024 Utah State Legislature did to your life. (Fox13)
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Bills on homelessness and mental health services pass Legislature in final days (Daily Herald)
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Curtain falls on the 2024 Utah Legislature. Here’s what happened (Standard-Examiner)
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Passes & fails: A recap of what happened during Utah’s 2024 legislative session (KUER)
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2024 Legislative Session Week 7 (Hinckley Report)
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