Plus, Marlo Oaks is sworn in, Craig Hall is nominated for the bench, NBA champs, and millennial flooding in China | | | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. Send news tips or feedback to editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | July 21, 2021 It's Wednesday and I have COVID - how's your week going? (I've been fully vaxxed since March.) It's also probably one of Senator Romney's favorite days: It's National Hot Dog Day. I hope he celebrates in style. Be in the Know Marlo Oaks was sworn in as the new state treasurer yesterday. Congrats to him. Rep. Craig Hall has been appointed to fill a vacancy in the Second District Court, subject to Senate confirmation. Aside from some ribbing from fellow legislators, I expect his confirmation to go smoothly. Congrats to him too. The Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA title in 50 years by beating the Phoenix Suns in Game 6, 105-98. Two players with Utah ties got to join in the fun: Sam Merrill and Elijah Bryant. Congrats to them. Once-in-a-thousand-years flooding in China has displaced more than a million people., has trapped people in subways (scary!) and has completely buried crops. China even blasted a dam to release floodwaters threatening one of its most heavily populated provinces. The heavy rains began over the weekend and will continue at least through Wednesday night. No congrats there. | | |
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Utah Headlines General Scammer phish for personal data by targeting Utah drivers (KSLTV) The CDC has confirmed monkeypox in the U.S. You should probably pay attention to this (Deseret News) New University of Utah police chief is leaving. He spent half of his tenure on administrative leave for unfounded claims. Rodney Chatman will now oversee public safety at Brown University. (Salt Lake Tribune) âWe are in panic modeâ: Utah school districts in dire need of school bus drivers (ABC4) Utah County Sheriffâs Office to hold active shooter training for teachers (Daily Herald) Politics Powerful lawmakers on the Executive Appropriations Committee kill bill that could help Utah students with special needs (KUTV) Adam Snow named as new Washington County commissioner; new clerk/auditor also appointed (St. George News) âIâm going to blaze my own pathâ: Adam Snow discusses plans, priorities as new county commissioner. (St. George News) Donald Trump Jr. says he was just messing â only he didnât say âmessingâ â when he called for GOP to expel Mitt Romney (Deseret News) COVID Corner 559 cases, 4 new deaths, hospitalizations at their highest since Feb 12, 87.7% of cases in the last week among unvaccinated, 12.3% in vaccinated. Sen. Mitt Romney wants to know why COVID-19 booster shots aren't available (Deseret News) St. George Regional Hospital, including the ICU, is now at capacity after the latest surge in COVID-19 cases in Southern Utah. (ABC4) The Delta variant makes up an estimated 83 percent of U.S. cases, the C.D.C. director says. (New York Times) Fauci tells Rand Paul during heated testimony: "You do not know what you are talking about, and I want to say that officially" (The Hill) Growing number of Republicans urge vaccinations amid delta surge (Washington Post) Drought/Wildfires/Heat All but 4 counties in Utah now in Stage 2 fire restrictions: no campfires or open flames. (Fox13) Groups spell out 10 ways to build a resilient Colorado River Basin â amid drought and climate change (Salt Lake Tribune) Smoke from western wildfires smothers East Coast (The Hill) Legal Lawsuit alleges collusion by state officials awarding licenses to grow medical cannabis (KUTV) National Headlines General US life expectancy fell by 1.5 years in 2020, the biggest drop since WWII (NPR) A couple whose 2020 gender reveal party allegedly sparked a deadly wildfire in California has been charged in the death of a firefighter (CNN) Former Trump campaign advisor Thomas Barrack arrested and charged with being a foreign agent for the UAE. (The Hill) Olympics From Rhyan White to Rudy Gobert, here are all of the athletes with Utah ties at the Tokyo Olympics and a guide to when they compete (Salt Lake Tribune) Rower earned her Olympic spot by training on the Great Salt Lake, Jordan River alongside high school kids. Kathleen Noble of Salt Lake City will race in Tokyo as the first Olympic rower in Ugandaâs history (Salt Lake Tribune) U.S. womenâs soccer team suffers stunning loss to Sweden in Olympic opener (Washington Post) Brisbane picked to host 2032 Olympics without a rival bid (AP) Politics Florida GOP chair under investigation for alleged sexual harassment (Politico) Big infrastructure bill in peril as GOP threatens filibuster (AP) Rep Greene: Reporter's question about vaccination status 'a violation of my HIPAA rights' (No, it's not) (The Hill) Ted Cruz is blocking diplomats from being confirmed, and it has nothing to do with their qualifications (CNN) Courts Judge blocks Arkansas' near-total abortion ban (Axios) Economy Warning signs for global recovery as Delta dims outlook (Reuters) Education Texas Senate removes requirement to tell students that the KKK are "morally wrong" (The Hill) International At least 25 dead in Chinese province's heaviest rains in 1,000 years (Reuters) A new day in Haiti? Many Haitians have their doubts. (New York Times) | | |
Policy News Gov. Spencer J. Cox appoints H. Craig Hall Jr. to fill Second District Court vacancy Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed H. Craig Hall Jr. to fill the Second District Court vacancy left by Judge Robert Dale. The governorâs nominations are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate. âIâm thrilled that Craig is willing to continue his long-standing commitment to public service on the bench,â Gov. Cox said. âHe has served with distinction in the Utah Legislature and the private sector, and I have every confidence he will continue his record of excellence in the Second District Court.â Rep. Hall currently serves as senior legal counsel with Intermountain Healthcareâs in-house legal department. Hall has been a member of the Utah House of Representatives representing District 33 since 2013. He has served as a member of the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission since 2017, and as the chair of the commission since 2020. (Read More) Scott Cuthbertson named Director of Operations for The Point The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority announced today that it has hired a Director of Operations to oversee development efforts at The Point. Scott Cuthbertson, an expert in real estate investment and development, has been named to the newly created position. For 15 years, Cuthbertson has worked extensively with multinational developers, institutional investors and public sector clients on major development projects around the world. âThe Point will be a model for innovative, sustainable development that offers significant economic opportunity to Utahns,â said Cuthbertson. âI believe my background with large-scale global development projects around the world has prepared me well for this exciting new opportunity.â (Read More) Gary B. Porter named as Chair of Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors The Salt Lake Chamber has named Gary B. Porter, senior vice president of Deseret Management Corporation, the new chair of its Board of Governors. Porter most recently served as the Chamberâs vice chair with outgoing Board Chair Craig Wagstaff, senior vice president and general managerâwestern distribution gas infrastructure group of Dominion Energy. During his tenure, the Chairâs initiative will focus on businesses supporting educators and schools. âWe recognize the numerous things Gary has done for our community and we consider it a privilege to have him at the helm, representing businesses across the state,â said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. âHis leadership will be pivotal to our stateâs long-term success, especially with his desire to focus on education at a time when it is so needed. Through his direction, the Chamber will continue to bolster the voice of business and champion community prosperity for everyone.â (Read More) Bringing a touch of Hollywood to the Silicon Slopes: MPLC announces new location in greater Salt Lake City Los Angeles-based entertainment firm, MPLC (Motion Picture Licensing Corporation) has opened offices in the greater Salt Lake City region, bringing a touch of Hollywood to the Silicon Slopes. After a review of several potential cities, the firm settled on the city of Sandy based on its wealth of talented professionals, high quality of living, and business-friendly environment. The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) provided pro bono site selection support to MPLC. âA 2019 study we performed found that Utahâs creative industry has generated more than $10 billion in annual economic impact state-wide and created more than 50,000 total jobs,â said Theresa A. Foxley, President and CEO of EDCUtah. âMPLC is a welcome addition to our arts and entertainment industry.â (Read More) | | |
Guest Response: The high price of lower taxes By Matthew Weinstein Last week âPolly Policyâ wrote an essay entitled âIs a $300 to $400 million tax cut small, medium or large?â that concluded that ââ¦a $300 million tax cut would be somewhere between small and medium. With massive spending in prior years and more to come from the federal government, will taxpayers get some relief this year? Youâll certainly hear about spending pressures from advocates and ânon-partisanâ analysts, most, perhaps all, of which is justified. A moderately sized tax relief package is also justified.â At the risk of being accused of being one of those advocates, I would argue that the public deserves to also know the following: Relative to our incomes, Utah taxes (state and local combined) are the lowest they have been in 50 years. This follows roughly $2.5 billion of tax breaks (mostly for the wealthiest Utahns) that have been passed in recent decades. That averages to about $100 million annually of new tax breaks for the last 25 years. We all love paying lower taxes. But is it possible at some point to conclude that we have gone too far? Is there ever a point where we might begin to wonder whether we might be better off with smaller class sizes and more experienced teachers? Would Utah benefit if we could reach the national average for high school graduation rates for all racial and ethnic groups, not just for white Utahns? And why shouldnât we even aspire to exceed national high school graduation rates? We managed to get out of last place for per-pupil K-12 investment, though the share of our incomes going into public education continued to fall â now 3.9%, compared to 6% 25 years ago. What about college completion â are we okay with seeing our younger generations fall behind their cohort nationally for Bachelorâs degree and beyond? How will Utah attract and grow the high paying jobs of the future if we are falling behind the nation for our educational attainment? Not to mention infrastructure investment, affordable housing, air quality, disability services, pre-K, full-day kindergarten, 82,000 uninsured children, homelessness, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and the list goes on and on â all areas where our underinvestment â the direct result of all the tax cutting â is costing us. Call it âthe high price of lower taxes.â At what point do we begin to ask the question, âAre we, as the current generation of Utahns, doing our part, as earlier generations did (paying higher shares of their lower incomes in taxes), to set aside sufficient resources every year to do the things together â through our taxes â that we canât do as individuals, as families, or through our charitable efforts? Matthew Weinstein, MPP is the State Priorities Partnership Director, Voices for Utah Children | | |
Upcoming Developing your diversity and inclusion playbook webinar presented by the Salt Lake Chamber and SixFifty Technologies â July 21 @ 11:00 am Register here Utah Foundation Breakfast Briefing: Mental health in anxious times â Aug 26 @ 9 am. Register here Securing the American Dream: A conversation with Tim Scott presented by the Hatch Foundation â Aug 11 @ noon. Register here Utah Foundation Annual Luncheon with Shaylyn Romney Garrett â Sept 23 @ 12 pm. Register here | | |
On This Day In History From History.com 1656 - Elizabeth Key wins a lawsuit freeing herself from slavery in Virginia. 1853 - Central Park is created on Manhattan Island 1861 - The first Battle of Bull Run, the first major land battle of the Civil War that brought spectators out to watch some 5000 soldiers die. 1864 - Francis Clara Folsom is born. She became the youngest First Lady in US history when she married sitting President Grover Cleveland when she was 21. It was the only wedding of a president that took place in the White House. She also has the unique distinction of being both the 23rd and 25th First Lady of the United States. 1899 - Ernest Hemingway is born. 1938 - Janet Reno is born. She became the first woman to serve as US Attorney General, 1993 â 2001, under President Clinton. 1951 - Robin Williams is born. 1966 - British physician, Dr. Ian Donald, pioneered the first use of ultrasound for medical diagnosis. 1974 - The US House Judiciary Committee approves two Articles of Impeachment against President Richard Nixon. 2007 - The seventh and final Harry Potter book is released. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sells 11 million copies in 24 hours. 2011 - NASAâs final space shuttle mission comes to an end Wise Words "It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.â
â J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Lighter Side Jeff Bezos went to space yesterday and returned wearing a cowboy hat. âA cowboy hat? So he went into space and somehow became extra divorced.â â STEPHEN COLBERT | | |
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