Two Issues for Special Session on Wednesday

On April 18, 2023, Gov. Cox declared a state of emergency due to flooding. This executive order allows the state to tap into the State Disaster Recovery Restricted Account for additional resources. It also permits the state to seek aid from both the federal government as well as other states. DNR and the Division of Emergency Management expect flooding and recovery efforts to continue into late July — the current emergency order expires May 18, 2023.

This Wednesday, May 17th, the legislature will be meeting in our interim committees up at the Capitol. After these meetings, we have been called in to a special session by Governor Cox to discuss and vote on three items:

• HB 1001 Emergency Response Funding reallocates $30 million from other important funds to address flooding and its impacts. This bill will be heard in Executive Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, May 16.
• HJR 101 Joint Resolution Extending Emergency Powers for Flood Mitigation and Infrastructure Rehabilitation would extend the state of emergency to August 15th. This bill will be discussed in Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee on Wednesday, May 17th, before the special session.
• HB 1002 Restricted Persons Amendments would amend HB 225 which was passed and signed by the governor earlier this year. HB 1002 would remove a provision regarding nonimmigrant visa holders who were not intended to be classified as restricted persons while the issue is studied further. HB 1002 will be heard in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee on Wednesday, May 17.

You can participate remotely or in person at these meetings.

I appreciate the governor holding firm in only allowing this three bills to be on the agenda of the special session. I also understand the need to extend the state of emergency and allocate additional funding. However, I do have reservations about extending the executive order until August. It is important to put checks, balances, and safeguards in place to be sure this money is being spent carefully. One of the ways to provide additional oversight on this spending is to decrease the extension for only 30 or 60 days. That gives legislators an opportunity to review budgets and hold the executive branch accountable for spending. 

Peace Officers Memorial Day

On October 1, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy signed a joint resolution designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in honor of federal, state, and municipal peace officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. Here’s a shout out to my fellow Provo Representative and Provo City police officer, Tyler Clancy, who sponsored and passed HB 332 Fallen Officer Memorial Scholarship Program. HB 332 sets up a scholarship program for children of Utah’s fallen public safety officers and firefighters who died while in the line of duty. I was a co-sponsor on this bill, which passed unanimously. It is a small gesture to support and thank the families of those who have given their all for us, our families, and our community.

Community 

I attend many local and state committee and commission meetings to keep current on the issues facing our communities and on the resources available. I hear about so many good events happening every month, and I recently started asking people to send me info about them that I can pass on through my newsletters. I should have thought of this years ago. Here are a few items that I hope are helpful to some of you.
 

For our teens:

OUTRAGE  (Utah County’s youth-led (ages 12-18) advocacy and prevention group), Centro Hispano, and ITAT (Island Teens advocacy team) will be having a summer retreat on June 12, 2023, from 10am-3pm at CLAS Ropes Course (3606 W Center St, Provo, UT 84601). All youth ages 12-18 from Utah County are invited to learn more about leadership skills, overcoming challenges, and advocacy. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Youth that are interested in coming need to RSVP by scanning the QR code or visiting https://bit.ly/3LHjwyd. We will cap the participants at 30 youth. This is a free event and lunch will be provided.

These youth groups are amazing advocates for the prevention of teen addiction. Members come visit with me at the Capitol every session, and I love their passion and strength. I would love to see more youth become involved in these programs.
 

If you haven’t checked the USU Extension out lately:

One of the BEST resources Utah has is the USU extension program. They have 38 locations throughout Utah, and provide excellent, research based resources on everything from gardening to business development to family relationships. I am very interested in community building, strengthening families, and in ways to increase our well-being. Check out this webpage if you would like more information on how we can find more connection and some highlights of Utah towns and cities that are working to accomplish this.
 

Provo River Delta

If you are curious about what is happening out by Utah Lake and the Provo River, there are site tours of the new delta on the second Saturday of each month from now until October 14th. These guided tours are an opportunity to get a close look at the restored delta and the new river channel–the project is still under construction and closed to the public. There are a LOT of changes! You can also sign up for a community wild-land gardening event after the tour to help the native vegetation put down roots before the noxious weeds do. Visit the Contact Us page on their website, or call Paula Trater at 801-560-1790 to get on a list for a tour.
 

Family Wellness at UVU

The Utah Valley University Stronger Families Project is a free, 8-week educational, family based program to improve the quality of family life. It uses an evidenced-based, nationally recognized curriculum to teach parents, teens, and children how to improve their interaction and emotional patterns within the family. Research on this program has demonstrated improved parenting skills, child behavior, and family relationships. This program also provides additional resources such as weekly personal coaching at no charge. Visit their website to find out more.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let me know. I hope you can go out and get some vitamin D in the sun!