Day 32 of 45: Natalie Cline censured by legislature, says she won't resign and is running for re-election; plus restricting gun access | | | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. We scour the news so you don't have to! Send news tips or feedback to Holly Richardson at editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | Feb. 16, 2024 It's Friday and it's Do a Grouch a Favor Day. It's me. I'm the grouch. Good thing Monday is a holiday. The legislature is taking the day off and so am I. See you Tuesday morning. Breaking news overnight: Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russiaâs Putin, has died, Russian prison authorities say. He was 47. Finally, happy birthday to Utah AG, Sean Reyes ðð Three things to watch: HB166, Restricted Persons Amendments, by Rep. Marsha Judkins would restrict gun sales to a person who has been convicted of a felony domestic violence offense, a misdemeanor assault offense on an intimate partner, parent or guardian of the offender, or is subject to a restraining order for threats against their intimate partner and/or their child. This bill will be heard in the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee at 8 a.m. HB401 Water Usage Amendments by Rep. Doug Owens would restrict watering lawns in 11 counties from October 1 to April 30, with financial penalties imposed for violations. This bill will be heard in the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee at 8 a.m. SB242 Utah Lake Modifications by Sen. Mike McKell repeals the Utah Lake Restoration Act passed in 2022. Last year, the Utah Attorney Generalâs Office notified the legislature that the plan to restore the lake through a private company was not legal. That company has since filed for bankruptcy. This bill will be heard in the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee at 8 a.m. On the Hill Today, Day 32 of 45 8:00 am: House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment; Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services 8:30 am: House Transportation 9:00 am: Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions; Senate Revenue and Taxation 10:00-11:50 am: Senate floor time 10:00 am-12:00 pm: House floor time
2:00-5:00 pm: Senate floor time 2:00-5:00 pm: House floor time | | |
Utah Headlines Legislative session Utah Legislature votes to formally censure embattled state school board member Natalie Cline (Deseret News) Education Cox calls DEI overhaul a âpositive visionâ for struggling students in Utah (Deseret News) Natalie Cline tells GOP leader she wonât resign, will continue to run for reelection to Utah school board (Salt Lake Tribune) Government Operations Utah lawmakers target open meetings, public records access (Deseret News) Valerie Hudson: How high rents and home costs threaten our democracy. A new bill before the Legislature, Utah can take one small step toward ensuring the American Dream (Deseret News) Health and Human Services Trigger law sponsor hopes new bill will clarify legal questions over Utah's abortion ban (KSL) Medicaid cuts concern patients as bill moves forward in Utah Legislature (Fox13) Utah adoption agencies shut down by regulators could face more scrutiny if they try to reopen (Salt Lake Tribune) Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Romero bill seeks to halt polygraph exams for Utah sexual assault victims (ABC4) Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Bill would infuse money into energy infrastructure in hopes of cutting emissions (Deseret News) Revenue and Taxation Southern Utah lawmaker sees sales tax as solution to cover growing cost of emergency services (St. George News) Utah revenue growth âpretty flat.â What does that mean for a tax cut this year? (Deseret News) Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Why Utahâs rooftop solar customers soon may get more money back (Salt Lake Tribune) Other Utah News Political news Utah Gov. Cox: Republicans making âa huge mistakeâ if they nominate Trump - but they will, and he will win, Cox predicts (Deseret News) Romney ânot going to run for president,â shoots down Manchin rumors (Deseret News) Sen. Mitt Romney weighs in on Bidenâs age, competency (Deseret News) If Biden doesnât fix the border, Gov. Cox says âitâll cost him the electionâ (KUER) Governor's monthly news conference (PBS Utah) Utah Kristin Chenoweth, award-winning actress and singer, announced as RootsTech keynote speaker (Church News) EXCLUSIVE: Dunn led Utah through COVID's rise amid sexism, politically-based backlash (KUTV) Payson High invites Kevin Bacon for âone last danceâ in celebration of âFootlooseâ 40th anniversary (ABC4) Business Miller Company pledges $3.5B toward Salt Lake development, possible MLB stadium (KSL) Renderings give first look into Salt Lake City 'Power District' that could include MLB stadium (Fox13) Crime/Courts Registered sex offender arrested for alleged child abduction attempt in South Salt Lake (KUTV) Assisted living facility in Utah fined $11,200 after dementia patient's death in freezer (KUTV) Education FAFSAâs rocky rollout â and why bigger families may be unhappy (Deseret News) BYU receives $3.7 million grant for Cybersecurity students to train for government jobs (KSL TV) Proposed increase in fees for Utah high school athletics (KUTV) Environment New poll taps votersâ views in 8 states on wildlife, water and land (Deseret News) US Magnesium avoided paying millions for alleged air quality infractions and gave big donations to Utah lawmakers (Salt Lake Tribune) Health Smokingâs damage to immune system can linger years after quitting (Deseret News) New app could fast-track diagnosis of autism (Deseret News) | | |
National Headlines General New York Mayor sues social media firms for fueling youth mental health crisis (Reuters) FBI informant charged with lying about Joe and Hunter Bidenâs ties to Ukrainian energy company (AP) Caitlin Clark soars into history, breaks NCAA womenâs scoring record (Washington Post) Political news Raúl Labrador. The immigration crisis has reached a tipping point. Fixing it isnât as hard as it seems (Deseret News) Verdict in Donald Trumpâs civil fraud trial expected Friday, capping busy week of court action (AP) US government will soon spend more on interest payments than defense (Wall Street Journal) Fani Willis accuses defense of lying in fiery testimony at Georgia hearing (Washington Post) Ukraine ðºð¦ Prominent Ukrainian army unit launches own recruitment drive to strengthen ranks (Reuters) German and Ukrainian leaders sign security pact, condemn Navalny's death (Reuters) How Russia recruits soldiers from Cuba to fight in Ukraine (Wall Street Journal) Israel ð®ð± Opinion: You can love Israel and still hold its government accountable (Deseret News) Israel asks World Court to reject request for Rafah emergency orders (Reuters) World news Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russiaâs Putin, has died, Russian authorities say (AP) Former ambassador to Russia: âPutin killed Navalny, letâs be crystal clearâ (The Hill) Harris says Russia to blame for Navalnyâs death (Politico) Alexei Navalny: Who he was and what he said about Russia, Putin and death (Reuters) | | |
| | News Releases Utah House Democratic leadership team on the vote to censure The Utah House Democratic Leadership Team releases the following statement after the Utah House of Representatives vote to censure Utah School Board Member Natalie Cline: âAs representatives entrusted with the well-being and integrity of our communities, we are deeply disappointed by the Utah House of Representativesâ failure to consider impeachment proceedings against Utah School Board Member Natalie Cline...While we appreciate the censure imposed upon Cline, we firmly assert that it is not enough. Impeachment is a vital mechanism for upholding accountability and ensuring that those who betray the public trust are held responsible for their actions. It is essential for our democracy and the protection of our communities, particularly our youth." (Read More) Senate Minority Caucus on HCR18 âWe want to express our appreciation for the swift and decisive action in passing HCR18, House Concurrent Resolution Condemning and Censuring State School Board Member Natalie Cline. We are assured in knowing that we still retain the option of impeachment. Censuring Ms. Cline is just the first step in stopping her. We are glad that we could have come together on this and stand united in censuring an individual that has a lengthy history of hateful and discriminatory rhetoric, including homophobic, transphobic, and racist comments. We hope that this will send a clear message that such behavior is not tolerated within our bodies or within our state. No child should ever be subject to bullying, harassment, or hate by anyone, specially from adults in a position of trust and leadership.â Gov. Spencer Cox signs one bill in the 2024 General Legislative Session Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed one bill today. He has signed 15 pieces of legislation from the 2024 General Legislative Session to date. Information on the bill signed today can be found below: HCR 18 House Concurrent Resolution Condemning and Censuring State School Board Member Natalie Cline Gov. Cox issued the following statement: âThe vast majority of Utahns agree that Natalie Clineâs behavior was unacceptable. Iâve spoken with the studentâs parents and Iâm heartbroken for this family. We agree with the actions of both the State Board of Education and Legislature, and we hope the voters will hold her equally accountable this fall.â | | |
Upcoming Feb. 21 â Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series: Women Focused Organizations, 11:30 am-12:30 pm,Register here Feb. 22 â Understanding Utahâs Caucus-Convention System, with GOP Chair Rob Axson and Dem. Chair Diane Lewis, sponsored by Utah Women Run, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Register here Mar. 1 â Legislative session ends Mar. 5 â Caucus night Mar. 20 â Utah Foundation Annual Lunch, 11:45 am-1:30 pm; Grand America, Purchase tickets here Apr. 20 â United Utah Partyconvention Apr. 27 â State GOP and Democratic Conventions | | |
On This Day In History 600 - Pope Gregory the Great decrees saying "God bless You" is the correct response to a sneeze. 1838 - Kentucky passes law permitting women to attend school under certain conditions. Way to be forward-thinking, Kentucky. 1840 - American Charles Wilkes discovers Shackleton Ice Shelf in Antarctica. 1861 - Abraham Lincoln stops his train at Westfield on his way to Washington to thank 11-year old Grace Bedell in person for her advice to grow a beard to gain more votes 1870 - Leonora OâReilly, is born. She was a labor organizer, founding member of the Womanâs Trade Union League and helped found the NAACP. 1878 - Silver dollars made legal. 1905 - Louise Larson is born. She became the first Chinese American and first Asian American reporter in a mainstream daily paper (The Los Angeles Record) and also wrote for the San Francisco News, the Chicago Times and the LA Times magazine over her 51-year career. 1923 - Archeologist Howard Carter opens the tomb of King Tut. He had been searching since 1891. 1951 - New York City Council passes bill prohibiting racial discrimination in city-assisted housing developments. 1957 - LeVar Burton is born. An actor for all seasons, he played in Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation and as the host of Reading Rainbow. 1959 - Fidel Castro sworn in as prime minister of Cuba. 1968 - The first 9-1-1 call is placed. 1984 - Bill Johnson becomes the first American to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing. 2024 - Alexei Navalny, prominent Putin critic, dies at 47 Quote of the Day "If they decide to kill me then it means we are incredibly strong and we need to use that power and not give up." âAlexei Navalny On the Punny Side It was a sad and disappointing day when I discovered my Universal Remote Control did not, in fact, control the Universe. Not even remotely. | | |
| â Advertise With Us â Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
|
|
