Week 2 Updates
Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne
Senator Mayne had two bills move out of the Senate this week to the House and has three that are waiting to be heard on the Senate floor. She also met with students from Connections High School in Granite School District and talked about how they could get more civically engaged.
Bill requests: 16
Bills in Senate:
SB68 Substitute Driver License and Implied Consent Modifications
SB124 Local Government Administration Amendments
SB43 Criminal Provisions Modifications
Bill passed out of Senate:
SB10 Substitute Identification Request Amendments SB76 Workers' Compensation Adjudication Amendments
Upcoming events:
Town Hall Meeting Monday, Feb. 11 | 6:30pm West Valley City Hall
In the news:
The Salt Lake Tribune Gehrke: Utah’s cities should abide by the same gift rules as legislators and that means no more Jazz tickets or expensive meals
Senate Minority Whip Luz Escamilla
This week Senator Escamilla made public two of her bills: SB143, Public Education Vision Screening and SB144, Environmental Quality Monitoring Amendments. SB143 will require nurses to be trained to provide vision screening for students. SB144 will involve having the Department of Environmental Quality implement environmental monitoring regulations to help assess and manage risks to human health. Senator Escamilla spoke on the 2019 Winter Innovation Summit's panel to discuss the importance of investing in infants and toddlers. She was also a part of a film regarding the subject that's being produced by the Pritzker Children's Initiative.
Bill requests: 13
Bills introduced:
SB143 Public Education Vision Screening
SB144 Environmental Quality Monitoring Amendments
Bills passed out of committee:
SB55 Charter Trust Land Council Amendments
SB87 Procurement of Design Professionals Amendments
In the news:
Utah Public Radio Utah Senator Wants To Send Message ToWashington About Family Separations At The Border
ThinkProgress.org Utah Senate passes bill limiting Medicaid expansion in favor of costly alternative
Senate Minority Assistant Whip Jani Iwamoto
Monday Senator Jani Iwamoto presented, SCR 2, Concurrent Resolution Recognizing Navajo Code Talkers, to recognize and honor the Navajo Code Talkers’ legacy for their extraordinary contribution to the nation. The resolution, presented during general session floor time, designates August 14, 2019 as Navajo Code Talkers Day in the state of Utah. Read more here.
On Thursday, her SB134 Campus Safety Amendments bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary, Law & Criminal Justice Committee.
Bill requests: 14
Bills introduced:
SB126 Motor Vehicle Insurance Minimums Amendments
Bills in the Senate:
SB61 Poll Hours for Early Voting
SB62 Substitute Campaign Finance Revisions
SB65 Utah Noxious Weed Act Amendments
SB81 Substitute Native American Remains Amendments
SB88 Crime Victims Restitution Amendments SB89 Substitute Conflict Disclosure Amendments
SB101 Navajo Code Talker Recognition
SB134 Campus Safety Amendments
Bill passed out of Senate: SJR1 Joint Resolution Supporting the Study of Water Banking in Utah Bills passed: SCR2 Concurrent Resolution Recognizing Navajo Code Talkers
In the news:
The Salt Lake Tribune State leaders dedicate a day in August to the Navajo Code Talkers, whose top-secret transmissions “saved thousands of lives” in World War II
Indian Country Today Navajo Nation advocates for Navajo priorities at Utah American Indian Caucus Day
The Salt Lake Tribune Utah lawmaker, spurred by the death of Lauren McCluskey, wants colleges to create safety plans and train officers about signs of domestic and dating violence
Deseret News Utah bill seeks to strengthen campus safety following University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey's death
Utah Public Radio Utah Senator Wants To Send Message To Washington About Family Separations At The Border
Senate Minority Caucus Manager Derek Kitchen
“We are making great progress on the enormous $16.8 billion dollar budget. My assigned appropriations subcommittee is Executive Offices & Criminal Justice. This is a huge opportunity for me because I care a lot about the prison system, criminal justice reform, and fair treatment for people in our legal system. We have received updates from the Attorney General's Office, Adult Probation & Parole, and Utah Highway Patrol, among others. You can learn more about the budget here.”
Here is Sen. Kitchen's floor speech voting 'no' on SB96.
Bill requests: 3
Bill introduced:
SB146 Sales Tax Exemption Modifications
Bills passed out of Senate:
SJR5 Joint Rules Resolution -- Ethics Commission Amendments
In the news:
Senator Gene Davis
This week, Senator Davis voted against the passage of SB96 on the Senate floor. In the Senate and Business Labor Committee, he voted 'yes' for a favorable recommendation of SB132 - Beer Amendments. On Thursday morning, Senator Davis presented one of his constituents, Jaime Duenas, who won the Utah Youth of the Year Award through the Boys & Girls Club.
Bill requests: 10
Bill introduced:
SB142 Animal Welfare Amendments
Bills in the Senate:
SB49 Homeless Shelter Funding Amendments
In the news:
Utah Public Radio Utah Senator Wants To Send Message To Washington About Family Separations At The Border
Senator Kathleen Riebe
Senator Riebe spent the week working in committees, caucus meetings, and on the Senate floor. In the Senate Education Committee, Riebe voted to pass fifteen bills out of committee favorably. She was the only Senator on the Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee to stand up for the environment and vote in favor of S.B. 119, the Legacy Parkway Truck Ban that aimed to keep pollution and traffic down in a scenic area known for its numerous bike trails.
Bill requests: 3
Bills in the Senate:
In the news:
The Salt Lake Tribune ‘I had no idea it was such a small group.’ Historical list of women in the Utah Senate fits on one page
The Salt Lake Tribune Longtime truck ban on Legacy Parkway likely to disappear Jan. 1 as lawmakers reject bill