Merry Christmas! My present to you is a short post that will hopefully still be informative. Click on the links to read or listen more in depth about things that are important to you.
November Interim
Legislators met last month for the final interim meetings of the year. Our interim committees have been working for the past seven months studying key issues and preparing for the 45-day general session that starts NEXT MONTH!!!. You can read the highlights here. I serve on the Health and Human Services and the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committees.
2021 Budget Surplus
Budget surplus refers to any money over what we spent in last year’s budget. Utah’s 2021 fiscal year is ending stronger than anticipated, and we will have an additional $614 million to appropriate during the 2022 General Session. However, these funds are likely an anomaly due to federal stimulus money and economic volatility. The funds will be spent with careful emphasis on fiscal responsibility, including the use of one-time money on one-time costs such as investments in infrastructure and capital improvements.
There are several areas that the state has not been adequately funding: e.g. many of our state employees–most noticeably thoses working with our most vulnerable populations–are earning far less than what they can make at any fast food restaurant. We cannot fill positions or keep employees, which is causing a breakdown in our systems and ultimately costs the state more money. In addition, studies show that increased childhood trauma and education gaps have been created by what has happened over the last two years. We need to figure out how to best address these issues.
The Legislative Financial Analysts recently released the Compendium of Budget Information for the coming 2022 General Session. In this “original” state, COBI provides an overview of every state program, performance metrics that inform our investment decisions, background on how and why the budget has changed recently, and a history of financing by source and use.
Utah Early Childhood Mental Health
I attended the Ready! Resilient! Utah Early Childhood Mental Health Summit a few weeks ago and learned a lot. If you are interested, you can view the recording here.
HEAT Program Now Includes Water
Utah’s HEAT program has expanded to provide assistance to eligible households for water costs. HEAT has been helping low-income Utahns to cover their utility expenses for years, and that assistance may now include water! Learn more.
Child Care Scholarship Available
The Office of Child Care is launching a program to help early child care professionals pay for college. Utah’s Early Education Pay Back Program provides reimbursement for the cost of early childhood education college degrees. Students can earn up to $3,500 per semester working at least 15 hours per week in the field. Learn more.
Help Offered by Dept. of Workforce Services
Department of Workforce Services We offer job fairs, onsite recruitments, job preparation workshops and family relation workshops for anyone who is interested or who needs assistance. Visit our events calendar for more information about upcoming events.
Podcast
In the newest episodes of the Utah House Podcast,
- Six members of the Utah House who served in the armed forces joined us to talk about what Veterans Day means to them.
- Rep. Steve Handy explains the Utah Flag Task Force which is seeking public input on the design and symbolism of the new state flag.
- Plus a bonus episode with the legislative auditors explaining the November Audits.
Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. You can also sign up here to get updates on policies and all things happening in the legislature and our district.
Ok, so I was wishful thinking about the short post, but I do wish you a Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!