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Checking In At The Legislature:
Sept/Oct 2021 Update
Head over to our Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen to the Utah House Majority’s recent podcast, covering topics from legislative audits to redistricting. 

Helpful Link

Upcoming events:

Redistricting town halls: Utah State Capitol West House Building Room 30
  • Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 6:00 P.M. 
  • Monday, November 1, 2021, 6:00 P.M. 
  • Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 9:00 A.M. 
  • Wednesday, November 10, 2021, 9:00 A.M.  
Oct 19 Utah Capitol Steps:  Meet Utah companies who are producing, manufacturing, and distributing various Hydrogen applications throughout Utah. Press conference at 11:30 am.

In this Issue: 

  • Upcoming Election fraud prevention
  • Redistricting information
  • ABC4 interview with Glen Mills
  • Utah’s response to Biden’s vaccine mandate
  • Pics: Out and about working in the community

“It’s absolutely impossible (to hack our election system) without your elections office knowing”-Davis County Auditor/Clerk Curtis Koch.

Meeting with Davis County Auditor/Clerk Curtis Koch and Chief Deputy Auditor/Clerk Brian McKenzie was very enlightening. Here’s what I learned about the process to ensure your vote is counted and not tampered with.
  • There are two levels of login.
  • Registration is online.
  • Each envelope has a unique identifying number.
  • Replacement ballots have new numbers assigned to eliminate duplicate votes.
  • The bar code only works once.
  • If a voter attempts to vote twice, it still only counts as one vote. 
  • An electronic and in-person verification is set for every signature comparison from up to 5 previous elections.
  • Ballots in question have two people verifying the vote or clarifying extra pen marks.
  • There are 6-7 steps of verification for every ballot - and a lot of people for it to pass through.
  • A ballot name is not associated with the final vote.
  • Ballot machines are not on a network.
  • Each vote is transferred with an encrypted thumb drive.
  • Ongoing audits compare databases.
  • A public demonstration and audit always occur before each election to verify the accuracy and privacy of the process.
  • There is always a post-election audit.  
 
Go to Vote.utah.gov to register or to verify your ballot has been received.
 
With Davis County Auditor/Clerk Curtis Koch, Deputy Chief Brian McKenzie, and my daughter Mary Katharine in front of election verification equipment.

ABC4News interview with Glen Mills, INSIDE UTAH POLITICS

Discussing issues on the “Women’s March” in SLC Oct 2, and Biden’s vaccines mandate. Check it out here! 

Redistricting

  • As the fastest-growing state in the nation, Utah grew by 18.4 percent since 2010. However, not all areas of the state grew evenly, therefore the need to redistrict. To meet constitutional requirements and ensure fair representation, officeholders must be elected from districts that have an approximately equal population.  
  • Redistricting happens only once every ten years, so now's your chance to get involved. The Legislative Redistricting Committee will be traveling the state seeking public input on how Utah's Congressional, Senate, House, and school board districts should be drawn. Learn more at redistrict.utah.gov. Or, watch a video here.  
  • Read more about the Legislature's commitment to ensure that redistricting is fair and transparent here or by watching this short video from the Speaker.
  • Also, be sure to submit your own maps for consideration using the state-of-the-art map drawing tool. 

*The Legislative Redistricting Committee is coming to our area! This is a great opportunity to share your opinion and voice feedback. The public hearing will be at the Utah Capitol West House Building Room 30 Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 6:00 P.M., Monday, November 1, 2021, 6:00 P.M., Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 9:00 A.M. and Wednesday, November 10, 2021, 9:00 A.M. 

Utah's response to Biden's Vaccine mandates


President Biden recently instructed the Department of Labor to require all businesses with more than 100 employees to either mandate employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine or show a weekly negative test. NOTHING HAS BEEN WRITTEN OR SIGNED TO GO INTO EFFECT. BIDEN HAS ONLY TALKED ABOUT IT. The President's decision to mandate vaccinations on private entities is unprecedented and unacceptable. While a private business may choose to require vaccinations or testing for its employees, the government requiring businesses to take those steps is textbook overreach.

I want to reaffirm my continued support for the vaccination effort. Vaccines have proven to be the most effective measure to reduce the strain on our hospitals and save lives. However, requiring employers to force these decisions upon their employees or prohibiting them from doing so is not the proper role of government and should not become the new precedent.
 
Here are the actions being taken by Utah's Legislature:
  • Supporting Attorney General Sean Reyes as he works with other states to pursue legal action against the federal government.
  • Encouraging Governor Spencer Cox to reject these new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements as allowed under the emergency temporary standard process.
  • Preparing to respond quickly with legislation once an official rule is released.
  • Holding a special Business and Labor Interim Committee hearing to gather feedback from affected employers and employees.

Out and About in the Community

Photos in order:
  1. With SLCC President Tim Sheehan and welding students,
  2. Dixie State University President Williams.  
  3. Discussing state efficiency strategies with Kristin Cox,
  4. Discussing clean air policy and hydrogen applications with SLC Mayor Mendenhall and Scott Brandeberry of Lancer Energy. 
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