I began this email during the last hours of the last day of the session. I had three bills still waiting to be heard on the Senate Floor, and I was hoping to have some good news by the end of the session.
Unfortunately, my bills were caught up in the political games that accompany the last days, and all three died. It is frustrating and disappointing to work hard with various stakeholders to get a bill ready and then have it sit on an agenda or reading calendar until the session ends.
I missed doing my Friday Facebook Live because of the hectic schedule but will do an end-of-session Facebook Live on Tuesday, March 8th at 10:15 am.
Don’t forget that Tuesday, March 8th is Republican caucus night. Democrat caucus night will be March 22nd. Caucus night is a great way to have a voice in Utah politics. Delegates elected at caucus choose who will be on the Primary ballot. Go to your party’s webpage to find out more.
MY DEAD BILLS (I will try again next session.)
H.B. 192 Former Offender Employment Amendments: decreased the barriers for ex-offenders to be licensed and hired as drug abuse counselors and mental health professionals for state agencies. This bill had no opposition by any of the state agencies or DOPL, which grants licenses. Many wonderful, intelligent, educated ex-offenders who wanted to help others on their path to recovery were very hopeful this bill would come up for a vote.
H.B. 459 HIV Testing Modifications: current law states that an alleged offender of sexual assault must be tested for HIV if the victim requests it; however, there is no process in place for if the defendant refuses. This bill created that process. It is very important that someone exposed to HIV start treatment within 72 hours of the exposure for the best results. This bill had support from defense lawyers, law enforcement, and prosecutors.
H.B. 112 Animal Fighting Penalties: brings Utah law in line with Federal law and closes a serious loophole in our Utah statute that allows for the possession, training, and sale of animals other than dogs for fighting. Two large cockfighting rings were broken up in Utah County in 2021, but current Utah code hinders law enforcement investigations. This bill protects and exempts lawful animal husbandry, agriculture, wildlife practices, training hunting dogs, raising backyard chickens, etc.
H.B. 136 Motor Vehicle Insurance Revisions, which increased automobile insurance liability limits sat in a House committee, and I was never able to present it. The limits have not increased for decades, while costs for medical care and vehicles have increased dramatically. If someone totals your car and they only have required liability, the most you will get is $15,000 for your vehicle. If you are injured, you will get $25,000, unless the other person has assets–then you can sue. The cost to increase liability coverage is generally only several dollars a month. There are a lot of factors that can increase or decrease this amount. I heard from many people who were interested in seeing this pass.
MY PASSED BILLS
H.B. 113 Students with Disabilities Funding Revisions: creates a more accurate and simple formula to count our students with disabilities. Because of the more accurate count, $6.3 million will be added to the special education WPU (weighted pupil unit) this year, with $4 million of that added to the base budget ongoing.
H.B. 138 Juvenile Justice Modifications: provides that juveniles charged as adults can stay housed in juvenile detention until age 25 before being transferred to adult prison, unless there is a safety or security risk. It does not change sentencing structures or guidelines, nor take away any incarceration time or accountability from the offender. Research indicates that recidivism rates for youth who are transferred to prison actually increase, including rates for violent reoffending, and it is more expensive to house these young offenders in prison. This bill is supported by victim advocates, including the Utah Crime Victims Council, the Law Enforcement Legislative Committee, the Utah Board of Juvenile Justice, Utah Department of Corrections, and the Sentencing Commission.
H.B. 359 Eviction Records Amendments: creates two pathways for evictions to be expunged if certain conditions are met. Currently, an eviction stays on someone’s record FOREVER, keeping those who have made mistakes in their past from obtaining stable housing. This bill was supported by all stakeholders, including the Utah Apartment Association, Realtors, eviction lawyers, and housing advocates.
MORE BILLS AND BUDGET
The following graphic has some of the bills that we passed. There are not links to the bill page in this document, but you can go to le.utah.gov and do a search of the bill number. Then click on the bill number or title and it will take you to the bill page. You can see the votes by clicking on Status, or listen/watch the debates on the bill by clicking on Hearings/Debates. You can find a list of all the bills that were passed here and selected highlights by topic here.
You can find budget quick facts here.
HELP FOR UKRAINE
Representative Jordan Teuscher lived in Ukraine and his wife is Ukrainian. Most of her family are still there. If you would like to donate to help the Ukrainian people, here are three good organizations he suggested.
| RAZOMRazom was born out of the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 when millions of people worked together and risked their lives to build a pathway to a better future for Ukraine. Those who were unable to be in Ukraine during this time, wanted to do their part to help the movement as best they could from abroad. Many sent funds and supplies to sustain the community built on the Maidan through the winter, but they also took to the streets in their own cities to raise awareness and amplify voices from Ukraine in the West. https://razomforukraine.org/donate/ | |
| The Voices of Children Foundation has been helping children affected by the war since 2015. They provide psychological and psychosocial support to children, helping them overcome the consequences of armed conflict and develop. Today, with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, they are providing non-stop assistance to affected children and families from all over the country, providing emergency psychological assistance, and assisting in the evacuation process. https://voices.org.ua/en/donat/ | |
| United Help Ukraine has been providing humanitarian aid to people in need in Ukraine since 2015, focusing on distributing clothing, medical supplies, and other basic materials to people impacted by the conflict with Russia (both past and present). They also help rehabilitate wounded and traumatized soldiers. https://unitedhelpukraine.org/donate |