Checking In At The Legislature:
2021 Legislative Session Week 5

Helpful Links

• Vaccine Update: Those 65 and older will now be offered vaccines. Find out more here. 
• State leaders urged President Biden to reconsider his actions taken against Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The full letter is here.

In This Issue

• “Mighty 8” Town Hall with Republican Women in the Utah House of Representatives
• HB223 Alternative Fuel Incentives Amendments
• SB195 Balancing Emergency Powers
• HB262 Child Health Insurance
• Photos from the Hill
• Bills passed this week.
• Town Hall next Saturday facebook “South Davis Community” 8:30-9:30 am

“Mighty 8” Town Hall

HB223 Alternative Fuel Incentives Amendments

Collaborating with many from the governor’s office, private industry, and representatives from various organizations, we are working on providing parity and opportunity for a hydrogen economy and zero-emission applications. My bill HB223 helps to provide this parity and opportunity.

• Photo 1: My intern Leah Roberts, Thom Carter (Gov’s Office of Energy), Karen Peterson (Gov’s legislative liaison)
• Photo 2: Alexis Dubois (HyET, Hydrogen), Scott Brandeberry (Lancer Energy)
• Photo 3: Jeff Hartley (Sage Government Solutions), Brian Somers (Utah Miners Assoc)

Balancing Emergency Powers

With the onset of COVID-19, Utahns watched the Emergency Management Act in effect for an extended period for the first time in our state’s history. It became clear the Emergency Management Act is not structured for long-term emergencies such as a pandemic. After listening to Utahns' concerns, the Senate and the House of Representatives began working with the governor’s office to create checks on broad executive emergency powers.
 
S.B. 195 Emergency Response Amendments limits extensive executive emergency powers during long-term emergencies without hindering rapid response. It does not disrupt the executive branch’s or health department’s ability to respond to short-term emergencies, such as natural disasters.

Child’s Health Insurance

This week, the House Health and Human Services Committee unanimously passed HB 262. This bill seeks to expand the coverage of uninsured children throughout the state by creating an outreach program. According to a new Georgetown University Center for Children and Families report, an estimated 82,000 Utah children were uninsured in 2019, which constitutes a 39 percent spike since 2016. At 39 percent, Utah had the third-largest increase in its child uninsured rate nationwide, the report found. The state’s rate of uninsured children was 8.3 percent in 2019, compared to a national rate of 5.7 percent. We hope HB262 will help our thousands of children get health insurance. 

https://stateofreform.com/featured/2020/10/number-of-uninsured-utah-children-increased-by-39-between-2016-and-2019/

Photos from the Hill

• Photo 1: Goshute Indian Tribal Elder, Lainey Thomes, gave the legislative opening prayer in Shoshone (Shoshone is the official language of the Goshute, Shoshone, and Ute tribes).
• Photo 2: Higher Ed Appropriations Committee Priorities. As Vice-Chair of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I presented the committee budget priorities with the co-chairs from the House and Senate.
• Photo 8: Utah Cultural Alliance Award
• Photo 9: USU students visiting the Hill

Bills Passed This Week (As of Thursday at 5 pm)

Weekly Town Hall Meeting