6 (of 7) General Session Newsletter from Rep. Cheryl Acton

District 43 / New District 38

Representative Cheryl Acton

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

cacton@le.utah.gov

801-809-3571

@votecherylacton

Thank you for engaging on what is happening in the General Session. I'm proud to be representing the interests of our district in the People's House, and I take that responsibility very seriously. Please continue to reach out on the issues you care about. Hearing from you makes it possible for me to do my job.

Sincerely yours,

Cheryl

On Education

We all know that schools (especially teachers) have been through a lot over the course of the pandemic: open/closed, online/in person, masks/no masks, CRT, trans sports, chronic absenteeism, substitute shortages, etc. Through it all, teachers have had to teach under difficult and unpredictable circumstances to students of all ages who are often isolated, anxious, and unsettled. That's a Herculean task! Add to that the unfortunate timing of a few bills this session that revealed an unwarranted level of distrust - bills which have stalled in the process, partly because of public outcry and partly because they were drafted by a few legislators as an over-reaction to a handful of incidents nationally.

All four of our children attended public schools in the Jordan School District, where they received an excellent education. They were well prepared for university studies by dedicated educators. Teachers feel called to the profession by a desire to impart knowledge about a particular subject or group of subjects to the next generation. They are focused on reaching each individual student. Our job as legislators is to allocate resources to them and let them do their jobs with less interference, not more - all within a framework designed to help Utah children reach their potential.

We honor a lot of people each General Session: fallen soldiers and first responders, healthcare professionals, Civil Rights leaders, Olympians, service organizations, artists, and teachers, among others. All deserve our appreciation! But this year teachers seem especially beleaguered and heroic. If you work in education, thank you for showing up every day and giving your best to preparing students for a future we will all share. ♥️

The state budget is almost finalized and will be voted on this week. It increases the WPU (weighted pupil unit, or per student allocation) by 6%, the largest increase the state has ever made. Since 2017, when I came into the House, the state has increased funding to education by 26%. Utah is the only state in which every penny of income tax collected (corporate and personal) goes to education, but that is never enough and must be supplemented out of the General Fund, which is derived from sales taxes. (Property taxes can only be collected on the 30% of land in Utah that is not federally owned...but that is another story for another day.)

Our state auditor, John Dougall, has a web tool that will show you how education funds are distributed throughout the state: projectkids.utah.gov

Navajo Nation

I've been meeting this session with representatives of the Navajo Nation, whose needs have come to the forefront during the pandemic. Utah's native American populations are very independent and do not have casinos or lotteries to sustain them financially, as they do in most other states, but philanthropic organizations and individuals have offered supplies and services to help them through difficult times. Parts of reservations do not have running water, electricity, natural gas, or broadband - but that is slowly changing. I've been working with their legislative liaison to train young people for jobs that will allow them to stay on the reservation, if they choose to, and earn a good living. I've enjoyed all of my interactions with the Navajo and hope to be able to assist them in the future as well.

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECIEVING...

During session, I don't have a lot of time to watch the news, but when I do, I'm struck by the brevity of the stories and their failure to tell "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to call it. The best way to know what is really happening on the Hill, especially about a bill that seems outrageously good or bad, is to listen to the discussion of the bill in committees and on the floor. A lot of information comes out that gives a fuller story than they have time for on the nightly news. You can also go to the legislative web site, le.utah.gov, to read the text of the bill, review its status (including how each legislator voted), see the fiscal note telling what implementation of the bill will cost, and "track" the bill to receive email notices as the bill progresses.

Todd Weiler

I appeared on Sen. Todd Weiler's weekly videocast with Rep. Rosemary Lesser this week to discuss topics of interest. Sen. Weiler is kind of a multi-media genius with a wide range of interests of public concern.

Golden Eagle

A golden eagle from "Hawk Watch International" visited to the House floor this week for a presentation by Rep. Marsha Judkins that would make the golden eagle our "state bird of prey." (The California gull remains our state bird, of course.) The bill has passed both houses now and awaits the governor's signature. We also had a bill this week brought to us by a 6th grade class through Rep. Lesser (HB298) to make the brine shrimp our "state crustacean." Six other states have state crustaceans, but all of them are along coasts. The brine shrimp is actually a very profitable industry in Utah. The bill passed the House and is in the Senate.

Republican Women

Utah's House of Representatives now has ten Republican women in office! We do not always vote alike, but we do support each other in seeking conservative solutions to important issues. We use our life experiences and perspectives to join our male colleagues in a great collaborative effort to make Utah an even better place to live and work.

Social credit Score

Both of Utah's senators came to the House this week. I had an opportunity to chat with Senator Mike Lee about my Social Credit Score bill.

Week 6 (of 7) Newsletter for 2022 General Session