Last week in the Legislature, we saw a focus on education, with hotly contested H.B. 234 and S.B. 114 sparking controversy amongst legislators and teachers alike.
After an outpouring of opposition to the bill, including over 30,000 signatures on the petition from the Utah Education Association we included in our daily update last week, Rep. Jordan Teuscher announced he is pulling H.B. 234 from consideration and will continue working on it during the Interim Session. Teuscher claimed a “coordinated misinformation campaign” against the bill, though teachers have claimed they are being targeted by a misinformation campaign from groups like Utah Parents United. (More from FOX 13, The Salt Lake Tribune, and Deseret News)
We are also keeping an eye on potential modifications to the Utah Inland Port Authority Board. House Speaker Brad Wilson and Majority Leader Mike Schultz (expected to be the next Speaker of the House) have confirmed that a bill is being drafted that would adjust the composition of the Board. Rumors have been circulating that Salt Lake City would have its representation on the Board reduced, even though the Inland Port has been moving forward, with plans to break ground on its transloading project in April. (More from The Salt Lake Tribune)
In other news, we are pleased to announce the release of our newly-revised Civic Engagement Toolkit, along with the new course, “Utah Legislature 101.” Designed to answer frequently-asked questions about how the Utah Legislature works, new lessons will be rolled out weekly over the course of the current 45-day Legislative General Session. The toolkit can be found here.
Finally, we want to congratulate our Escape the Inversion giveaway winners! Thank you to all who entered.
As always, we thank you for your continued support and all that you do to make Utah an even better place.
P.S. If you appreciate these weekly updates, please consider helping us continue the work by making a donation—any amount helps!
