Happy Friday from #OneUtah, a weekly update from the office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Here’s your recap of what we did this week, what's coming through the pipeline, and more.

Celebrating 500 Days in office

Yesterday was our administration’s 500th day in office! We enjoyed talking about our experiences and vision with Jason Perry, host of “The Hinckley Report with Jason Perry” at a special event at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. Our thanks to Jason and the Hinckley Institute of Politics team for their help. 

We’re honored to serve all Utahns, and we’ll keep working to keep our state safe, healthy, and moving forward. Read more about the accomplishments we’ve made, and what we’ve got in the works, here.

A message to future Utahns 

This week our state made history – literally. In 2016, we opened a time capsule from 1914 at the Utah State Capitol, and it was incredible to see what special items past generations wanted to share with us. We wanted to pay the favor forward, and so we created our very own time capsule with some artifacts from the year 2022, and left it in the same cornerstone as the original time capsule. 

A huge thank you to the people across the state who helped us gather items to share with future generations. We included pictures of Utah towns and cities, sports memorabilia, messages from Utahns, COVID-related items, and much more. As we build a future that is safe, secure, and prosperous, we hope that the people who open our time capsule in 100 years will have reaped the benefits of our efforts.

You can check out the contents of the original time capsule in the Capitol rotunda, or read about it here.

PBS Utah Monthly News Conference 

This week we answered questions at the PBS Monthly News Conference in a live exchange with reporters. Here are a few topics we discussed:

Q: What is the state’s role in easing the baby formula shortage?
A: We wish we had a bigger role. Our team met with the USDA and FDA and, unfortunately, we don’t have any baby formula production facilities in our state. The best we can do is to reach out across the state, find out where there is formula and where there isn’t formula and try to move it around. We’re also working on messaging: We want parents to know that medical experts have advised:

Do not make your own formula.

Do not water down formula.

Do not use expired formula. 

Please be sure to talk to your pediatrician before switching your child’s formula. And please only buy what you need. We’re being told that production is coming back online, and that the shortage should ease in the next couple weeks.

We really want to thank the Utah mothers who are taking time to help connect mothers who have formula to those in need.

Q: Are we in favor of curtailing new developments during this drought?
A: One of the bills we passed recently was a requirement that, as part of city planning, officials have to include water resources when evaulating new projects. Some cities have done that in the past.

To lower the price of housing, we need more buildings — but we have to build responsibly. We must make sure that there are enough water resources in an area before we build. We don’t want to overextend in a way that would harm the community.

A big thanks to PBS for hosting this event, and giving us a platform to interact with our local news media. Make sure to watch the whole recording on PBS!

‘Let Me Speak to the Governor’

We answered lots of questions this week on KSL NewsRadio’s live call-in show. Read below for some highlights:

Q: A legislative committee just gave a nod to the idea of piping water from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Salt Lake. What do you make of this idea?
A: Well, it’s a fascinating idea, and we believe we should be looking at every idea when it comes to drought in the West. This one is, of course, interesting for lots of different reasons. One is just the enormity of it. It’s one thing to pipe several hundred miles, but you’re also talking about a huge elevation change of over 4,000 feet, and that would take quite an engineering feat. We can’t even begin to imagine the billions of dollars it would cost and the time frame it would take to get a pipeline of that magnitude to the Great Salt Lake. 

It’s certainly worth looking at, and we're always open to studies, but in the meantime, our focus needs to be on conservation. We have a huge program right now that got funding from the Legislature to help farmers upgrade their irrigation systems and implement new technologies which will significantly reduce the amount of water necessary to raise the same crops. That’s great news for all of Utah. So, while we're always interested in what a study might show, we are more focused on the practical realities of today. 

Q: A legislative committee just approved a land swap deal with the federal government. The state is going to give up land within the Bear’s Ears National Monument in exchange for land in other parts of the state. Will you sign off on this deal with the Secretary of Interior so the deal can head to Congress?
A: It’s something that we’re still evaluating and looking at, but generally this will be a good deal for the citizens in the state and for the kids in the state. When Utah became a state, there were portions of the state that were set aside in trust for the school kids of Utah, and any development that happens on those lands – oil or gas development, housing development, grazing of animals – that money goes into a fund and the interest on that fund can be used for our school districts. 

Several years ago, we got smart about it, and started being really strategic about how we develop these lands, and now we have over $2 billion set aside and the interest from that $2 billion gets used every year for our school districts, and it’s made a big impact. 

The idea here is that we’ll trade the land that got locked up inside of Bear’s Ears for parcels of land on, say, BLM land in the Uinta Basin with oil and gas reserves, or in some county where there’s major development happening, and so we can generate more money for the school kids. 

You can listen to the whole radio show on KSL’s website. 

‘Flip Blitz’ comes to Washington County

When it comes to drought, small landscape changes can make a big difference. We so appreciate the efforts of the Utah Division of Water Resources, water districts, municipalities, and Utah State University to convert 120,441 sq. ft. of grassy park strips into waterwise landscapes yesterday. 

This is the second “Flip Blitz” in state history, and is part of a campaign to raise awareness about water conservation. Thank you to Washington County, where 85% of these conversions will take place, for their leadership in these imperative drought measures.

You can help be part of our water solution by following the state lawn watering guide, implementing the division’s water conservation tips, and staying up-to-date on the drought monitor to see what kind of drought your area is experiencing.

Strengthening trade ties with Germany

This week, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson is on a weeklong trade mission in Germany – which is Europe’s largest economy – to meet with leaders in business, philanthropy, and government. 

Lt. Gov. Henderson got to kick off the inaugural nonstop flight from Frankfurt to Salt Lake City by Eurowings Discover, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Group. The nonstop service will promote tourism and business between Utah and Germany, bringing business and leisure travelers from other destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. 

In 2019, visitors to Utah injected more than $10 billion into our economy. We’re excited for all the new friends we will make.

ICYMI

Congratulations to Justice Diana Hagen on her unanimous confirmation. We know she will serve the people of Utah with integrity. And thank you to the Utah Senate for fulfilling a crucial part of their constitutional role and confirming Utah's next Supreme Court Justice.

We declared May as Foster Care Awareness Month in Utah. We’re grateful to Utah's foster and relative families, who are a critical resource to the children and parents we serve.

This #InfrastructureWeek, we're committed to investing in a sustainable future for all Utahns. Learn more about what opportunities our state is pursuing at gopb.utah.gov/infrastructure.

If putting locally sourced, nutritious meat on the table while enjoying Utah’s beautiful outdoors sounds good to you, take note that the application period for Utah’s 2022 antlerless hunts opens next week.

On Monday, Lt. Gov. Henderson swore in members to Utah’s Appellate Court Nominating Commission. Thank you for your service!

In this week's episode of “First Lady and Friends,” Utah's First Lady Abby Cox speaks with Kirsten Rappleye, director of the First Lady’s initiatives, to recap the past year of Show Up. Listen here!

Coming up

May 23: We’ll be visiting Millard County to meet with elected officials, industry leaders, and community members. We’re always grateful for the opportunity to meet with Utahns in rural counties and hear first hand about their priorities. 

May 24: We’ll join the Bipartisan Policy Center in a fireside chat on housing affordability. Register here.

May 24: Utah County is making a huge effort to combat hunger in our state. We’ll be at the groundbreaking for the new Utah Food Bank Timpanogos Distribution Center in Springville and are so proud of the Utah Food Bank for their leadership in hunger relief. 

May 26: Lt. Gov. Henderson will join the president of the Navajo Nation’s Oljato Chapter on a drive from Oljato toward Navajo Mountain. 

May 27: We’re hitting the road! Monument Valley has always been a stunning state landmark, but we’re traveling there to work together with the Navajo Nation to recognize and protect their reserved water rights.

July 12: All Utah educators are invited to attend ShowUpUtah’s free conference focused on professional and personal wellness. Learn more here.

#OneUtah agency highlight: Tracy Gruber

Meet Tracy Gruber, our very own executive director of the Utah Department of Human Services. Tracy has years of experience addressing some of the most important issues, including poverty, and child care, and was named “Government Official of the Year” by Community Action Partnership of Utah in 2017. In July, she will lead the new Utah Department of Health and Human Services when Human Services and Health merge.  

Watch our interview with Tracy to find out more about how DHS provides children, families and adults with services that help them thrive in their homes and communities.

Get involved!

Looking for a new job opportunity? From great employee benefits to versatile work schedules, the career opportunities with the state are truly endless. Join Team Utah today! 

Those looking to volunteer can also consider more than 300 boards and commissions. Find out which openings are available and how you can get involved here!

Get in touch!

You can reach the Governor's Office here. And you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for the latest news and updates.

Contact the Governor's Office