Situational Analysis | February 10, 2023

Good Friday morning to ya. It's National Cream Cheese Brownie Day, the perfect treat for Super Bowl Sunday, doncha think? Will you be watching?

Also, happy Women's Suffrage Day in Utah! On this day in 1870, a bill allowing women to vote passed the territorial legislature unanimously (50 years before the 19th Amendment was ratified.)

What You Need to Know

Today on the hill, SB192, Medicaid Doula Services, will be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services committee; SB183, which would increase teacher salaries by the same percentage that the WPU increases, will be heard in the Senate Education committee and the first big tax bill - a proposal to amend the Utah Constitution to require that 45% of residential property value be exempt from property tax - will be heard in the Senate Revenue and Taxation committee.
Yesterday, HB284, Public Library Background Check Requirements passed unanimously; a bill to look at moving the state hospital was held and a bill addressing investigative searches for genetic information was held in committee and will be back on the agenda Monday.

Rapid Roundup

BYU lost to last-place Pepperdine; ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Frozen’ sequels are in the works; a second New Jersey council member killed in a week; the death toll in Syria and Turkey is more than 22,000 and a U of U professor explains how war in Ukraine is affecting rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria.

2023 Legislative Session

24 days down, 21 days to go!

Today

8:00-9:50 am: House committees: Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice; Natural Resources, Agriculture, & Environment; Public Utilities, Energy & Technology

8:15 am: Senate Economic Development & Workforce Services

9:00 am: Senate Revenue and Taxation; Government Operations & Political Subdivisions

10:00-11:50 am: House Floor time

10:00-1:50 am: Senate Floor time

12:15 pm: Executive Appropriations

2:00-5:00 pm: House committees: Judiciary; Government Operations

2:00-5:00 pm: Senate committees: Business & Labor; Education; Health & Human Services

Monday

8:00-9:50 am: House committees: Business & Labor; Education; Health & Human Services; Economic Development & Workforce Services

8:00-9:50 am: Senate committees: Judiciary, Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice; Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment; Transportation, Public Utilities & Technology

10:00-12:00: House floor time

10:00-11:50: Senate floor time

2:00-3:50 pm: House floor time

2:00-3:50 pm: Senate floor time

4:00-6:00 pm: House committees: Public Utilities, Energy & Technology; Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice; Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment; Transportation

4:00-6:00 pm: Senate committees: Economic Development & Workforce Services; Government Operations & Political Subdivisions; Revenue & Taxation

Utah Headlines

General Legislative News

Utah lawmakers push legislation for maternal mental health (KSL Newsradio)
Why Gov. Cox vetoed transgender sports bill but signed law banning transgender surgery for minors (Deseret News)
Curriculum transparency bill critics say is ‘punitive’ to teachers stalls in committee. Critics say proposed law sends message that teachers can’t be trusted (Deseret News)
'Sherry Black bill' would expand DNA testing options for law enforcement (KSL)
Will Utah end sales tax on food? Community groups rally for support from lawmakers (KSL)
Utah House passes watered-down social media regulations (KSL)
GOP lawmakers kill proposal aimed at curbing renter evictions. “Many landlords can’t see 90 days into the future,” an evictions lawyer tells a House committee as the 90-day notice measure fails. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Lawmakers narrow aim on judicial injunctions, eyeing Utah’s abortion trigger law (Salt Lake Tribune)
Bill that would require library employees to get background checks passes Utah House committee (Salt Lake Tribune)
Voters will likely make final call on food tax, House leader says (KUTV)
Deal may be struck on food sales tax, education funding earmark (Fox13)
Utah House approves bills on social media, conversion therapy for minors (KUTV)
Bill providing improved mental healthcare for first responders passed by both houses (KUTV)
Conversion therapy bill passes the House unanimously and heads to the Senate (ABC4)
Clergy abuse reporting bill gets tweaked, but Catholic church likely to oppose it (Fox13)

Other political news

This Valentine’s Day, consider showing love to your political opposites (Deseret News)
Lack of a plan drives Mitt Romney ‘nuts’ about U.S. policy on China. Utah Republican urges Biden administration to develop comprehensive strategy (Deseret News)
A Mitt Romney biography by fellow Latter-day Saint writer McKay Coppins announced (Deseret News)

General Utah News

How many Utahns have a gun in their home? A new poll shows about half of Utah adults have a firearm in their house, many for personal protection (Deseret News)
Enoch mother was deemed not in ‘high danger’ before father killed entire family. Why? (Deseret News)
Utahn tackles Japanese balloon bomb nearly 80 years before Chinese balloon shot down (KUTV)
Analysis says Provo/Orem is third most popular city for young adults in US (Daily Herald)
West Valley’s Cultural Celebration Center brings the arts to Utahns (KSL Newsradio)

Business

Immigrants helping address Utah health care labor shortage (KSL)
Popular SLC Greek restaurant closed from flood can’t reopen for weeks (KSL TV)
Return Utah helping those with career gaps to rejoin the workforce (KSL Newsradio)
Google shares drop $100 billion after its new AI chatbot makes a mistake (NPR)

Environment

Frustrated by Salt Lake City air quality? The EPA wants to hear from you (Salt Lake Tribune)

Family

Want a happy marriage? Don’t stop dating. Report by Wheatley Institute and National Marriage Project says dating enhances happiness, sexual satisfaction and relationship stability (Deseret News)
St. George mom shares warning after FBI sees rise in sextortion scams targeting teen boys (KSL)

Health

Colon cancer is on the rise in young people. People in their 30s are more likely to get colon cancer than those in their 70s, a study says (Deseret News)

National Headlines

General

Russians participating in the Paris Olympics? Why the mayor of Paris says, ‘Non’ (Deseret News)
6 major takeaways from the ATF's first report in 20 years on U.S. gun crime (NPR)
Officer did not witness "reckless driving," but drew gun anyway as he approached Tyre Nichols, report finds (AP)

Politics

Florida high school athletes won't have to report their periods after emergency vote (NPR)
‘We’re not giving up’: Biden assures wife of Ridge Alkonis that U.S. is working for his return (Deseret News)
The caustic words that are poisoning our discourse (Deseret News)
Martin B. Gold: No filibuster, no Senate (Deseret News)
Jay Evensen: Republican leaders should tell Santos to resign from Congress (Deseret News)
GOP senators sympathetic to Romney’s call for Santos to resign (The Hill)
Pence receives subpoena from prosecutors examining Trump’s Jan. 6 role (Washington Post)
GOP races from Medicare, Social Security third rail (The Hill)

Ukraine 🇺🇦

Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant (NPR)
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy makes emotional appeal for EU membership (AP)
Zelenskyy: Ukraine caught Russian plan to ‘destroy’ Moldova (AP)
Russia strikes Ukrainian power grid and makes ground in the east (Reuters)
Romania says Russian missile flew over Moldova just outside NATO airspace (Washington Post)

World

China now wants to boost fertility — and will help pay for treatments. The Chinese government is worried about the economic impact of its shrinking population and hopes to boost its birthrate (Deseret News)
Syria orphans from quake taken in by overwhelmed relatives (AP)
After earthquakes, Turkey's haven for refugees is a ghost town (Wall Street Journal)

News Releases

Joint statement on behalf of the agencies addressing the needs of those experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake County

As Salt Lake City welcomes the NBA All-Star Weekend, state, county, city and homeless service providers have come together to provide opportunities for community connection for people experiencing homelessness and address the health and safety implications that arise from a large-scale event expected to draw 100,000 visitors. (Read More)

Romney, Van Hollen introduce bill to end China’s unfair international advantages

U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today introduced the Ending China’s Developing Nation Status Act, bipartisan legislation to prevent the granting of “developing nation” status to China in future treaties and international organizations. This bill also directs the Secretary of State to pursue changing the status of China to “developed nation” in treaties or organizations where a mechanism for change exists. Romney first introduced this legislation at the end of last Congress. (Read More)

Romney: The administration must move beyond principles and develop comprehensive China strategy

At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing today,U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) urged the Administration to implement his legislation, which was co-sponsored by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and enacted as a part of the in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022, requiring the U.S. to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter the China threat. Romney and Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID) previously urged the Administration to begin the process of implementing this legislation. In their November letter, they requested an update on the progress after 60 days, which has just passed. (Read/Watch More)

Upcoming

Ditch Your Debt and Transform Your Net Worth with the Utah Women and Leadership Project — Feb. 28, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Virtual, Register Here
Legislative session ends — Mar. 3, le.utah.gov
Provo Women's Day — Mar. 4, more information here.
Women in International Business Conference with World Trade Center Utah — Mar. 8, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm, Register Here
Teaching Your Child Consent with the Utah Women and Leadership Project — Mar. 16, 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm, Virtual, Register Here
Sutherland Institute Annual Gala honoring Lowry Snow & Ian Rowe — Mar. 23, 7 pm, Hyatt Regency, More Information Here
MWEG Spring Conference with keynote speaker Sharon Eubank — Mar. 25, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm at UVU or virtual, Register Here

On This Day In History

1763 - The French and Indian War ends.
1846 - Mormon exodus begins, leaving Nauvoo and heading to the Rocky Mountains.
1870 - The Utah Territorial Legislature passes a bill allowing women to vote and they do it unanimously. Go, Utah!
1883 - Edith Clarke is born. She became the first woman to earn an M.S. in electrical engineering from MIT (1919), first woman professor of electrical engineering (1947), and she invented the Clarke Calculator, a graphical device for solving power transmission line equations.
1907 - Grace Hamilton is born. She was the first African-American in the Deep South’s state government, serving in the Georgia General Assembly from 1966-84 and is credited with Andrew Young’s victory in Georgia’s Congressional election in 1980.
1957 - Laura Ingalls Wilder died
1957 - The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is founded. Martin Luther King Jr. invited about 60 black ministers and leaders to Ebenezer Church in Atlanta where they organized the SCLC. King served as the first president.
1964 - The US House passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964
1989 - Attorney Ron Brown was elected chairman of the DNC, the first Black person to hold the post. He later became the Secretary of Commerce. He died in 1996 when the plane he and 32 others were in crashed while on a diplomatic mission in Croatia.
1992 - Famed author Alex Haley dies.
1996 - Garry Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer. However, he ended up winning overall, with 3 wins and 2 ties.
2011 - Jerry Sloan resigns as head coach of the Jazz.
2014 - Shirley Temple dies at age 85.
2020 - More than 30 bushfires put out by heaviest rainfall for 30 years in New South Wales, Australia, helping end one of the worst bushfire seasons ever, 46 million acres burnt, over 1 billion animals killed, 34 people dead

Heard on the Hill

“We’ve rode this horse for quite a long time. It’s tired and I’m tired.”

—Rep. Carl Albrecht, speaking on a water bill

On the Punny Side

What do you call two birds in love?

Tweethearts!