Week Five of the General Session
With just two weeks left, things at the Capitol are busier than ever. I am honored to serve each member of my district and pass legislation that will improve the lives of families and individuals. You can follow along with the process at le.utah.gov.
Largest Tax Cut in State History
Over the last two years, the Legislature reduced taxes by nearly $300 million. This session, we are proposing an additional $400 million in tax relief. H.B. 54 Tax Revisions will be heard in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee early next week and provides tax relief to individuals and families in all stages of life by:
- Cutting the income tax rate from 4.85% to 4.65%.
- Expanding social security tax credit eligibility to individuals earning between $0 to $75,000 per year.
- Providing a tax benefit for pregnancy by allowing a double dependent exemption for children the year of their birth.
- Increasing the earned income tax credit (EITC) from 15% to 20% of the federal credit.
Celebrating Women’s Suffrage
On February 14th, 1870 Seraph Young of Utah became the first woman to vote under the equal rights law. In honor of her memory and to celebrate this historic event, our female legislators and staff wore purple. I am grateful to work with each of these ladies.
Over the last several years, we have seen efforts to use non-financial criteria to shade and skew financial markets. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards imposed on businesses and financial institutions distort the free market and place real costs on the people of Utah. As a Legislature, we are taking proactive measures against investment schemes based on assessments of businesses’ and individuals’ political beliefs.
HB 281: Social Credit Score Amendments prohibits governmental entities in Utah from using, enforcing, or providing data for a system that discriminates or gives preferential treatment to an individual. Similarly, SB 96: Fiduciary Duty Modifications ensures any state investment is done without regard to political, environmental, or social considerations of companies. Both bills passed committee this week and will be voted on in their perspective bodies.
My Bills
Five out of my seven bills are in the Senate now which is great as we go into the last two weeks of the session. All of my bills either reduce regulations or push family friendly policy changes. Even though I’ve proposed 7 bills, I’ve proposed zero new laws. If you have ideas on more ways we can curb overreach, please reach out and let’s see what we can do.
With a record number of bills moving through and leadership preparing for the annual board scramble where the bill order is switched up to include a priority from each member rather than going in order, I anticipate that some of these won’t make it through this year. However, those that don’t will come back next year with a high chance of success as they’ll already be drafted and ready to go on day one and I’ll know if I need to make any changes to ensure success.
HB166S04 Mental Health Professional Licensing Amendments
-This bill is currently on the Senate 3rd Reading Calendar. It passed 2nd reading unanimously and I’m looking forward to checking it off this coming week. It makes adjustments to licensing requirements and opens up Telehealth for mental health services.
HB180S02 Child Welfare Placement Review Amendments
-This bill is currently in Senate Judiciary. It codifies language from the Utah Supreme Court to address inconsistencies within the juvenile courts relating to child placements after a finding of parental unfitness has occurred.
✅ HB200 Motor Vehicle Registration Revisions
-This bill has passed both the House and Senate and is prepared for enrolling. It allows for the transporting of unregistered OHVs. Prior to enactment of this bill, you could receive a citation or have your OHV impounded if it was unregistered and on a trailer, even if the trailer was registered.
HB256 Carpool Lane Usage Modifications
-This bill is currently assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee. It failed to be recommended but myself and some of the Senators are working on language adjustments with the hope of bringing it back. Simply put, it would allow a woman who is pregnant to access the carpool lane. It is life affirming as it acknowledges a separate individual in the vehicle. It also has the ability to help free up congestion which leads to improved air quality. UDOT has reported that the carpool lanes are underutilized and moving these women over can help with congestion. A positive message with positive results. Senator Kennedy and I have discussed bringing this back next year but starting it in the Senate since we know we have the support in the House.
HB350 Adoption Modifications
-This bill will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee this week. It modifies the process for fees and streamlines the issuance of birth certificates in adoptions for children who were born in another state.
HB375 Traffic Violation Exemptions
-This bill is being heard in Senate Transportation this week. It essentially says that if you receive a ticket for an offense where the only means of identifying the owner of a vehicle is DMV records (parking ticket, registration violation on trailers, etc), you can receive an automatic dismissal through the court clerk if you can demonstrate proof that you did not own the vehicle. Because of how the DMV tracks vehicle sales, if you sell your vehicle and notify them, you are still kept as the owner of record until the new owner registers it. Sometimes, especially with recreational vehicles, this formal transfer of ownership never occurs.
HB461 Airport Firearm Possession Amendments
-This bill is being heard in the House Law Enforcement committee this week. It is modeled after legislation in Texas and Georgia and states that it is a defense to prosecution if a concealed carry permit holder who unknowingly carries a handgun into a secured area within an airport, leaves with their firearm and possessions upon notification of possession and the completion of the required screening process. It also states that a peace officer may not arrest the individual if they exit the secured area immediately. This will only apply to those with a concealed carry permit as they undergo frequent background checks.
Constituent Visits
I love having guests during floor time. To schedule, you can reach my intern, Anne, at (385) 420-3103 or you can click here: Schedule Now. If none of these times work for you, please reach out to Anne and we will try to work something out. If you have already scheduled, you are good to go with no further action required.
Legislative Update
On Tuesday, Feb 21, legislators from Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, and Lehi will be giving a quick update. Please join us from 7:30 – 8:30 at 3192 West 2450 North, Lehi, UT 84043.