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. Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions regarding the newsletter. And thank you for subscribing! 

Declaring a State of Emergency

This week we declared a State of Emergency due to the flooding and resulting avalanches, landslides, rockslides, mudslides and other dangerous conditions the state is experiencing. This will allow the state to tap into reserve funds to support flood response and mitigation efforts. In short, we’ll be better prepared for what lies ahead this spring. 

So far, the Utah Division of Emergency Management has activated the State Emergency Response Team and has deployed resources, including nearly 2 million sandbags to help communities prepare for flooding. In addition, crews from the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands are available to assist local governments and volunteers with filling sandbags, removing debris and operating heavy equipment. Check out the full executive order here.

Smart growth in Utah

As our state grows, we must provide more housing opportunities, build more trails and recreational options, and invest more in strategic infrastructure for the future of Utah. On Tuesday, we ceremonially signed bills that affect housing affordability in Utah, homeless services, transportation, local land use and more. Here are some highlights: 

SB 240 First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program: 

• Establishes the First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program, which provides up to $20,000 in assistance to qualifying first-time homebuyers. To qualify, homes must be new construction and cost less than $450,000. The Utah Housing Corporation (UHC) is developing the program.

SB 27 Transportation Revisions: 

• Creates new safety protections for snowplow drivers like prohibiting passing three or more snow plows that are plowing side by side and passing a snowplow displaying yellow flashing lights.

HB 499 Homeless Services Amendments: 

• Establishes the winter task force where governments from each county create a winter response plan each year. This bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to issue “code blue alerts,” which allows homeless shelters to increase their capacity when the temperatures drop.

View the full list of bills we ceremonially signed here.

Monthly News Conference

We joined PBS Utah this week for our Monthly News Conference. Here are some highlights:

Q: Have there been any hiccups in the flood response? 

A: I’ve been incredibly impressed with the coordination at the county level, city level and state level. Getting sandbags out and filled and heavy equipment being put into position has required a lot of coordination. The water infrastructure seems to be holding well with the floods that have occurred, but the temperatures in the coming weeks are going to play a major role in how much flooding we’re able to avoid. 

Q: There have been some reports that insurance companies have declined flood insurance for some Utahns this spring. What is your office doing to respond to that? 

A: We do have an insurance department that oversees insurance. They take all those concerns and adjudicate them. It’s important for people to know that your regular home insurance usually doesn’t cover flood insurance, and sometimes it takes 30 days for policy changes to take effect to add flood insurance. If you are being denied flood insurance that you believe is unjust, you should reach out to the Utah Department of Insurance. We want to hold the insurance companies accountable. 

Q: You recently signed SB 35 into law which allows nine departments in the state to issue licenses to immigrants so they have more access to work. What is your message to these people interested in applying?

A:  We actually passed the first piece of legislation last year, and the second piece this year. This allows legal immigrants living in Utah to use the skills they used and were licensed for in their country in Utah. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and we have companies who are desperate for workers like this. I’m proud we’re one of the first states in the nation to find pathways for these people to get licensed here without having to start from scratch. It does take time, and the bill hasn’t taken effect; that will happen in May. The Department of Commerce is taking the lead to figure out how to accomplish this. We hope people will be patient. From the bill last year, we’ve been able to move a few people through, but we want to expand that significantly and that will be happening this year. 

You can watch the full press conference at the link above.

Connecting Utah: Eastern Utah

Our Connecting Utah Tour continues! This week we made stops in Roosevelt, Vernal, Manila, Payson, Heber City and Park City. We enjoyed connecting with students and community members and discussing important topics that affect all Utahns including: 

• Utah’s strong economy;

• the importance of the agriculture business in Utah;

• the historic education funding passed this legislative session; 

• the importance of working together across differences to solve problems; and 

• why volunteering and giving back to your community is important!

Our young people are living in the best state in the nation at the best time – there are so many opportunities in Utah. Next week, we’re headed to northern Utah, so stay tuned! To see photos from our visits, click here.  

Fine dining at Park City High School 

As part of the Connecting Utah Tour at Park City High School, students in the ProStart Culinary Arts Career and Technical Education Pathway served our team an amazing lunch. 

The program is designed to help students gain the skills and knowledge needed for a career in the restaurant and food service industry, which is a huge aspect of Park City’s economy. The ProStart program is in its first year at PCHS, but already is earning accolades as they took 4th in a state competition this year. 

They served us with their award-winning menu of yellowtail chirashi sashimi, coconut miso sea bass, and cold-set matcha cheesecake for dessert. We rate their meal a 10/10! 

Huge thanks to all the students who worked so hard to prepare and serve this meal on Wednesday.  

Visiting our friends in the Navajo Nation

This week, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson met with Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and addressed the 25th Navajo Nation Council in Window Rock, Arizona, the tribal nation’s capital city.

The lieutenant governor and President Nygren chowed down on mutton stew with Council delegates and cabinet members Wednesday night before she joined tribal leaders in the Navajo Nation Council Chambers the next morning. Lt. Gov. Henderson provided an update from the state of Utah and addressed questions from Council members.

Her message to the Navajo Nation? Our administration has a deep love for the Navajo Nation, and the state of Utah is devoted to being a good partner. We are stronger when we come to the table and meet government to government, partner to partner, and friend to friend.

ICYMI

• Looking to see dark skies closer to Salt Lake City? Check out these dark skies locations close to the city here. 

• Utah’s done it again! WalletHub ranked four Utah cities in the top five for their 2023 Best & Worst Small Cities to Start a Business. Read the full article here.

• Utah’s jobs report remains strong, with unemployment at 2.4% and job growth at 2.7%. More info here.

• Lt. Gov. Henderson met with local law enforcement in Blanding on Thursday. Domestic violence victim service providers and police officers are training on the lethality assessment protocol with the Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.

   

   

Coming up

• April 24: We’re headed to Northern Utah for our Connecting Utah Tour! We’ll post updates on our social media platforms. 

• April 24: Lt. Gov. Henderson is kicking off Cotton Days at the Washington City Museum.

• April 25: We will be ceremonially signing bills that affect water in our state. 

• April 26: Excited to meet with Wells Fargo employees in a tele-town hall.

• April 26: Lt. Gov. Henderson will speak at the graduation ceremony for Davis Technical College students.

• April 27: We will be attending the 44th Giant in our City Awards!

• Lt. Gov. Henderson will speak at the 35th Annual Crime Victims Conference in Wasatch County.

• April 28: We’re headed to Southern Utah University to attend their commencement ceremonies. Congratulations to all the graduates, including my son, Gavin!

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!