Week 7 (of 7) Newsletter for 2022 General Session

Session Week 7

Utah House of Representatives sent this bulletin at 03/04/2022 05:18 PM MST

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LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER

District 43 / New District 38

Representative Cheryl Acton

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

cacton@le.utah.gov

801-809-3571

@votecherylacton

Week 7 of the General Session

Dear House District 38,

Over the past seven weeks, the legislature has:

allocated the largest-ever increase for education by increasing the WPU (weighted pupil unit, or per pupil allocation) by 6% and providing four paid professional days for teachers throughout the state. We increased the education budget by a total of 9%, or $383m.
allocated $1B to transportation projects.
enacted three tax cuts totaling $200m: one to reduce income taxes, one for Social Security recipients, and one EITC (earned income tax credit) for lower income individuals and families.
committed more resources than ever to water conservation efforts to overcome the effects of the draught and the implications of rapid growth.
committed even more resources to mental health, especially for first responders.
increased state employee compensation dramatically to recruit and retain a high-quality workforce. .

One of my greatest accomplishments this session was securing an increase for Corrections and AP&P officer pay that exceeded the governor's budgeted request by $5m for a total increase of $20.2m. (My committee and I had made this our #1 priority.) Corrections and AP&P make up the state's largest law enforcement agency, but because they work behind the scenes and drive unmarked cars, they rarely attract attention. The agency struggles to recruit and retain employees because of dangerous work conditions (did you know they are unarmed?), low pay, and many hours of mandatory overtime. I'm happy that this increase will benefit 1700 families.

I also realigned the code for DUI, DMCS (driving with a measurable controlled substance), and automobile homicide, making it easier for prosecutors to charge and judges to sentence correctly. I negotiated those changes in a workgroup of prosecutors, defense attorneys, and MADD advocates over interim.

I passed a bill to make it possible for Juvenile Justice case managers to extend some services to youth released from custody, at the case manager's discretion. This will help young people stabilize their lives and avoid recidivating into the adult prison system. A pilot program was 100% successful.

I passed a bill to require all elected officials, including school board members, to have their votes recorded (yes, no, or absent) in the minutes of their public meetings by name, making it more transparent for voters when officials are up for re-election. This bill increases transparency.

I ran a bill to prohibit the use of social credit scores (aka ESG Index Scores) in the state of Utah. That prohibition is moving to the Business & Labor Interim committee to identify ways for banks to comply.

And I passed a resolution (House, Senate, and Governor all concurring) to encourage the safeguarding of children from the damaging effects of ten specific ACEs (adverse childhood experiences), which often cause long-term individual and societal harms.

It's been a great session, because of these bills and so many others. The legislative process works - the bills everyone hated shriveled up and died. The bills everyone embraced sailed through, helping us incrementally improve life in Utah.

If you live in an area that has shifted to another legislator with redistricting, I hope you will continue to think of me as your supplemental legislator. I am still interested in hearing your thoughts. If you have been similarly displaced from another district and I am your new legislator, I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for suggesting bill ideas, following legislation, and reaching out to me to let me know your thoughts. My newsletters will come out monthly until next General Session, but I will keep you updated with Facebook posts and blog posts on my web site. (The newsletters are also posted there, though they do not always format as nicely.) Please email, text, or call with questions or concerns.

Sincerely yours,

Cheryl

2022 General Session Recap

This session, the House Majority Caucus laid out five ambitious policy priorities. The following will help us meet the pressing needs of today and embrace the opportunities of tomorrow.

Conserve, optimize and preserve Utah’s water
Keep life affordable for all Utahns
Drive innovation in education
Promote sustainable growth rather than rapid expansion
Make large-scale strategic investments that are sure to have generational impacts

Click here to learn more about our priorities.

How will this Legislation Impact You?

Every year, the Utah Legislature meets for 45 days to debate and pass bills and budget billions of dollars. Watch this short video to learn how these bills impact YOU.

Executive Appropriations Committee

Last week, the Executive Appropriations Committee made final recommendations for the fiscal year 2022-23 budget. This year’s recommendations include record-level funding for education including a $383 million, or 9% increase in ongoing revenue. The committee recommended an increase in funding for social services, a generational opportunity to fund water and infrastructure, and a significant tax cut for the second consecutive year. View the budget highlights here.

Utah Stands with Ukraine

As we entered the final week of the session, we were reminded that our work is made possible because of the freedoms we enjoy. Freedoms that are under attack in Ukraine. On Tuesday, I joined state leaders and fellow Utahns to rally in a united show of support for the people of Ukraine. My heart is with them.

Podcast

Representative Mike Schultz, House Majority Leader, joins us to discuss some of the upcoming transportation projects Utahns can look forward to seeing across the state in the coming years. Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!