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 on the horizon, and more.

Gas prices

Thankfully, gas prices across the country are starting to go down. Here in Utah, prices are decreasing — just at a slightly slower pace than some other states. That’s because Utah’s and Idaho’s oil markets are more geographically isolated than most others in the country. This isolation prevents us from receiving other crude or refined oil, like oil from the gulf, which creates a lack of competition in the production and refined products markets. 

We remain dedicated to keeping costs low for Utahns and will continue to push for energy independence and an “all-of-the-above” energy approach that serves everyone in our state.

Kicking off Days of ‘47

Happy Pioneer Day! This week we helped kick off the Days of '47 and Rodeo Week the best way we know how: On horseback herding longhorn cattle through downtown Salt Lake City.

The Days of ’47 is one of the longest standing traditions in our state and our favorite time of the year. We hope everyone enjoys this celebration of Utah’s western lifestyle and pioneer heritage.

This year especially, please stay safe while you celebrate. With the hot and dry conditions, we’re looking at extreme fire danger. Please, use good Fire Sense and if you can’t resist fireworks, use them only in areas that are safe and have water nearby. This year, we’ll be forgoing the personal fireworks in favor of supervised, professional displays. We encourage all Utahns to do the same! We want to keep everyone – including our firefighters – safe this holiday weekend.

Helping our homeless neighbors

Some good news: The $5 million appropriated by the Legislature for public safety and mitigation around resource centers has been successfully awarded to several Utah cities that have qualified emergency shelter.

We’re also excited about the 1115 Medicaid Waiver that has been approved that will address housing support and enhance services for people experiencing homelessness and other populations. There’s also $55 million in grant money available for housing projects across the state. Apply here before July 31.

We know that the hot weather makes life on the street even more difficult for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, and we want to help spread the word that help is available. Cooling and hydration centers are available across Utah. You can find a map of these resource centers here. If you’re looking to help, many of these centers are seeking water bottles and other donations. Call your local shelter for details.

A successful transition to the new Utah Correctional Facility

We’re so pleased to report that the Utah Department of Corrections has successfully moved 2,464 incarcerated individuals from the Utah State Prison in Draper to the new Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City.

Over five days, incarcerated individuals were moved by bus, van, or car with consideration for safety, security, and medical-related needs. Operations moved efficiently each day, thanks to the coordinated effort by Corrections, Utah Department of Technology Services, Utah Highway Patrol, Utah DOT, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, Cache County Sheriff's Office, Utah County Sheriff's Office, Davis County Sheriff's Office, Kane County Sheriff's Office, Millard County Sheriff, Weber County Sheriff Offices, and Sevier County Sheriff's Office.

The new facility features uncompromised security and safety, more daylight, and greater access to programming opportunities that will help the incarcerated re-enter society.

This transfer required tremendous forethought and coordination. We sincerely thank Director Brian Nielson, Corrections, and the other state and local agencies who helped. We also thank the incarcerated individuals and their families for their patience.

Ensuring a safe and secure move to our new state-of-the-art corrections facility was a monumental task and we congratulate everyone involved on a job well done! Learn more by visiting www.corrections.utah.gov.

Addressing drought in the West

Because the drought continues and reliable, clean water is essential to our quality of life and continued prosperity, we’re continuing to share ways in which the state is working to conserve water and plan for a drier future. This week, we’re talking about agriculture efficiency.

Agriculture accounts for about 75% of the state’s total water use, but we all need food. Fortunately, farmers and ranchers are ready to do their part to conserve.

HB33, passed in 2022, changed an old “use it or lose it” law so farmers could leave some of their water in streams without losing their allotted amount.

In addition, we support agricultural optimization, which means finding ways the industry can stretch limited water resources further. Many farmers are finding that they can significantly reduce their water usage while increasing crop yields by updating their irrigation systems and implementing new technologies. We've signed numerous bills to help fund upgrades. 

Finished projects from the initial round of funding have a reported savings of 21,459 acre feet of water — that’s about 7 billion gallons of water! Projects funded in 2021 have a projected water savings of 15,283 acre feet of water. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food just approved 140 more projects for funding and there are many more projects and water savings to come!

#TeamUtah visits London

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson led a trade delegation to London this past week to attend the Farnborough International Airshow, one of the largest aerospace and defense trade exhibitions in the world. 

Joined by Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, Sen. Jerry Stevenson, and Ben Hart from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Lt. Gov. Henderson met with the most advanced and innovative businesses in aerospace to discuss industry needs and bolster relationships. 

MPs Penny Mordaunt and David Rutley welcomed the delegation and discussed advancing a state-level trade deal with the Beehive State. Thanks for representing our state so well!

Spotlighting Utah’s ‘Spirit of Service’

In our inaugural Governor’s Spirit of Service Award Ceremony, we recently recognized the outstanding service that Utahns are doing throughout the state. Each week, we’ll highlight one of these unsung heroes. This week, we’re highlighting Lenise Peterman.

Lenise Peterman is the volunteer mayor of Helper. She was nominated for working tirelessly on behalf of her community, being a key volunteer for the city revitalization committee, writing grants for the city, securing key partnerships, and acting as a mentor to aspiring change-makers.

ICYMI

-- This week we visited the Division of Services of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which works with the deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind communities in Utah to obtain meaningful employment and increase independence. We’re grateful for the incredible work this team does, and look forward to learning more.

-- We’ve declared July as Muslim American Heritage Month in Utah! We’re thankful for the contributions Muslims have made across all aspects of American society.

-- Temperatures in Utah are high — click here for a few tips to keep you and your family safe.

-- So far this year in Utah we’ve seen a 30% increase (compared to the five-year average) in the number of motorcycle fatalities on our roads. We have to do a better job of seeing these vulnerable road users. Please look twice to make sure you're seeing everything you need to see.

-- One little spark on the road, or even exhaust from your hot car, can cause a fire. Remember to tighten up loose trailer chains, and park away from dry grass and vegetation.

Coming up:

- July 24: It’s time for the Days of ‘47! This celebration of Utah’s western and pioneer heritage is one of our state's longest-standing traditions, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. The official state holiday is Monday, July 25.

- July 26 to July 28: We’ll be at the Western Governors Association summer meeting in Idaho! We look forward to discussing solutions to drought, wildfires, and more.

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