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.

Last day of the Legislative Session

We’re almost there! Today is the last day of the 2023 General Legislative Session and we’re looking forward to wrapping up by midnight. We’re grateful to our legislators and their families for their hard work and commitment to public service over the past 45 days.

We still have a few hours left, but we already have some significant legislation to celebrate including: 

• major investments in water conservation, infrastructure, agricultural optimization and measures that will preserve the Great Salt Lake; 
• significant tax cuts, from cutting the income tax from 4.85% to 4.65%, to rolling back Social Security taxes, to providing a double exemption for pregnant women;
• historic funding for our schools and our teachers;
• housing bills that provide grants for first-time homebuyers, streamline the construction application process and funding for homeless services;
• domestic violence prevention measures including lethality assessments and data sharing that will save lives;
• groundbreaking bills that will protect our young people from the harms of social media;
• the extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months to benefit mothers and their families;
• and so many other bills that support our priorities.

We thank the Legislature and thousands of Utahns who let their voices be heard this session. Once the session ends, we’ll have 20 days to review the hundreds of bills the Legislature passed. Stay tuned for updates on our bill signings!

Environmental stewardship in a conservative state

We joined Benji Backer, president of the American Conservation Coalition, and the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah on Monday to talk about conservation and environmentalism in a conservative state. 

For too long, the perception has been that Republicans don’t care about the environment, and we haven’t engaged in those arguments as much as we should have. But the irony is that Republican governors and legislators are advancing some of the best environmental policy work in a lot of areas including wildfires, public lands and growth. These policies are often market-oriented solutions that work. We call this “free-market environmentalism.” 

We enjoyed the conversation with Benji and students at the Hinckley Institute. 

Answering your questions

This week we hosted a virtual town hall to answer questions from our constituents here in Utah and we appreciated hearing from so many of you. Starting the evening off strong, we received multiple questions about water. We responded with gratitude for all the snow we’ve received, and talked about the significant bills in the Legislature that will help with water conservation, water infrastructure and measures that will protect the Great Salt Lake. 

We also were able to discuss other priorities, from lowering taxes to bringing nuclear power to Utah, to preventing the detrimental impacts of social media on mental health. You can watch the full town hall here.

Black and Blue Gala

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson joined hundreds of peace officers in Salt Lake City on Saturday to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to Utahns.

The annual Black and Blue Gala, hosted by the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, raises funds for the families of Utah’s fallen. The powerful and emotional evening paid homage to the 147 officers who have died in the line of duty.

To quote President Ronald Reagan: “Those officers who have made the supreme sacrifice have demonstrated their devotion to the fundamental values of decency so essential to the well-being of American life.”

We ask law enforcement to show up for us in moments of unimaginable difficulty – and they do. We ask them to put their lives on the line for us – and they do.

Our administration backs the blue because they have our backs.

A historic announcement

Utah is the first state in the nation to announce access to free period products in all state buildings! 

We were joined by the Policy Project, First Lady Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson on Thursday for this historic announcement. Women and girls deserve to have access to a necessary resource and to know that they are valued. This announcement comes just a year after we signed HB162 into law which required all K-12 schools in Utah to offer free period products in school restrooms. Women and girls deserve to have access to a necessary resource and to know that they are valued. 

We appreciate the good work done by the Policy Project and the attention they have brought to this important issue!

Discussing the Bears Ears Cultural Center

On Monday, tribal leaders filled the Capitol Board Room to talk about the future of the Bears Ears Cultural Center.

Lt. Gov. Henderson, the governor’s Indian affairs advisors, and Rep. Doug Owens welcomed the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition to the Capitol and discussed plans to build a facility in the southeastern corner of Utah that honors the unique cultures and histories of Utah’s tribal nations.

We look forward to continuing conversations with the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni.

March is Women’s History Month

It’s Women’s History Month and we’re celebrating by highlighting places where you can learn about the significant contributions of women.

Stop by Council Hall in Salt Lake City where the territorial Legislature voted to give Utah women the right to vote in 1870, the first place in the nation where women cast ballots. Visit the Sanpete Valley where you can see the home of artist Ella Peacock, who is also known as the “Matriarch of Utah artists.” Or take a trip to Monument Valley to see where Louisa Mary Wade Wethrill ran a trading post and befriended members of the local Navajo tribe and learned to speak their language fluently. 

Check out more places you can visit to honor women’s history in Utah here!

March is Women’s History Month

It’s Women’s History Month and we’re celebrating by highlighting places where you can learn about the significant contributions of women.

Stop by Council Hall in Salt Lake City where the territorial Legislature voted to give Utah women the right to vote in 1870, the first place in the nation where women cast ballots. Visit the Sanpete Valley where you can see the home of artist Ella Peacock, who is also known as the “Matriarch of Utah artists.” Or take a trip to Monument Valley to see where Louisa Mary Wade Wethrill ran a trading post and befriended members of the local Navajo tribe and learned to speak their language fluently. 

Check out more places you can visit to honor women’s history in Utah here!

Improving access to the Great Outdoors

Two exciting recreating projects – the Bryce Canyon Ice Ribbon and the Indian Creek Climber Conservation Initiative – have recently been completed, thanks in part to funding through the Division of Outdoor Recreation’s Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant and the Recreation Restoration Infrastructure Grant. 

The Indian Creek Climbing Conservation helped create a sustainable trail access system for the world-class climbing resources throughout the Indian Creek Unit of Bears Ears National Monument. And, the development of Southern Utah’s first-ever outdoor wintertime ice skating ribbon in Bryce Canyon City ensures that residents and visitors have access to year-round outdoor recreation. This fully-refrigerated 14,000-square-foot ice ribbon is bringing in tourism during the slow season, and is balancing out the seasonality of the region’s economy, local businesses, and labor force. 

Both of these projects improve access to the outdoors for the local community and tourists alike! Learn more about the Division of Outdoor Recreation here.

Utah’s Spirit of Service

Just one week left, but there’s still time to nominate outstanding Utahns for the second annual Governor’s Spirit of Service Awards! Thank you for all the nominations so far and please keep them coming.

Utah leads the nation in volunteerism, and there are so many of you engaged in important service work that too often goes unnoticed. We want to recognize you! 

Nominating a person or organization for the award is easy. Use this link and fill out the survey before March 10. Share the survey with family and friends; we want to give everyone the chance to nominate the person or organization they think deserves the award. Thank you for all you do to serve our community!

Spotlight: Governor’s Award for Excellence

Each week we are highlighting a state employee who was recently awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence. This week we are recognizing Ian Wright with the Department of Cultural and Community Engagement.

Since March of 2021, Ian has successfully built a statewide volunteer program through the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program. This innovative program connects interested members of the public with sensitive archaeological and historical sites on public (state and federal), municipal, and even private lands. In one year, the program has already created relationships with every land manager, has over 275 active stewards, and their donated hours and mileage in the first year has already surpassed the state’s investment in this one FTE. The state of Utah is now seen as the leader and touch point to the stewardship of cultural resources regardless of land jurisdiction, and the success owes itself to the tireless work and amiable personality of Ian.

Keep up the great work, Ian! To read more about the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, click here.

An opportunity to volunteer

Do you love history? Are you great with kids? Volunteer as a National History Day-Utah judge this spring! 

NHD Utah judges evaluate student history projects in the form of exhibits, documentaries, performances, papers, and websites. The time commitment typically runs from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., with additional time at home for advance training and project review. See complete details and signup links here. Please contact NHD Utah with any questions.

An opportunity to volunteer

Do you love history? Are you great with kids? Volunteer as a National History Day-Utah judge this spring! 

NHD Utah judges evaluate student history projects in the form of exhibits, documentaries, performances, papers, and websites. The time commitment typically runs from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., with additional time at home for advance training and project review. See complete details and signup links here. Please contact NHD Utah with any questions.

ICYMI

• On Wednesday, we were honored to join First Lady Cox to meet with the Special Olympics Youth Advisory Council! This is such a great group of young people.
• We spoke to the new National Board Certified Teachers in Utah on Monday and commended them for their commitment to Utah schools and Utah’s children.. 
• We were fortunate to talk about Utah’s growing economy with dedicated business leaders attending the Association for Corporate Growth Conference in Park City. 
• We were excited to talk with 3,000 young women at the Women in Tech SheTech Conference about the opportunities for women in STEM!

Coming up

• March 7: We’re talking sports with Bill Riley on ESPN 700. Tune in at 1:30 p.m.
• March 8: We'll be attending the State Unified Basketball Tournament at Weber State University!
• March 8: We’re excited to speak at the Qualtrics X4 Summit in Salt Lake City. 
• March 8: Lt. Gov. Henderson will speak at the Women in International Business Conference.
• March 8: Lt. Gov. Henderson will speak at the Utah Women Making History Day on the Hill.
• March 10: Lt. Gov. Henderson will speak at the Ken Garff Esports Spring Celebration

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, and  YouTube for the latest news and updates.

Contact the Governor's Office