#OneUtah: A weekly update from the office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox. 

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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! ([link removed])


** Utah Servicemen of the Year
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Utah’s a very patriotic state, and we were honored to present the third annual State of Utah Servicemember of the Year awards. These awards are held to recognize the outstanding performers from each of the major military entities in the state; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, from active duty, guard and reserve organizations across the state.

There are more than 15,000 military personnel in Utah serving on active duty, in the Reserves and in the National Guard, and they live and work throughout the state. They are supported by almost 15,000 civilian employees and countless community members. We value those who wear the uniform and the families and civilians who support them. What makes the military and all who work within it so special is their selfless service. Thank you to all those serving, we are grateful for you!

View more here ([link removed]) .
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** Monthly News Conference
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We joined PBS Utah this week for our Monthly News Conference. Here are some highlights:

Q: You called a special session that took place this week, was there enough money allocated to handle future flooding?

A: We have been looking very closely at what money has been spent and how much water is left. We’ve looked at the long-term forecast and know where trouble spots for flooding will be, which helps us to prepare in advance. We feel good about the funding that is available, and know that when the new fiscal year starts in July, we will be able to tap into additional funding without calling another special session.

Q: It’s been about 18 months since you’ve launched the One Utah Health Collaborative to help improve costs and health outcomes in the state. What has been achieved and what is happening right now to help fix the health care system?

A: About a month ago, I met with some of them and there were several pieces of legislation the group was working on — some of the legislation passed, some didn’t. We’ll keep working on it. The collaborative is working with the public and private sectors, and also with the nonprofit sector on different ideas that can be implemented to help reduce costs. This is a decades-long process and we are just a little bit over a year in. The collaborative is unified and working on several pilot projects and programs.

Q: In your Connecting Utah Tour, have you been hearing from students about social media and how do they respond to it?

A: I’ve been to 28 high schools and in each school, I bring four or five students up to the stage and they can ask me any question they want. In about half of the schools I’ve visited, the students have had a question about social media. The questions are similar to “How are you trying to help us with the harms of social media?” I ask the student body how many of them think social media is doing significant harm to their generation and the majority say it is. They understand the problems that social media causes them, and they also recognize there are positives that come from social media. We want our kids to have the good parts of social media while limiting the bad parts of social media.

You can watch the full press conference at the link above.
Connecting Utah: Southeastern Utah

This week we traveled to southeastern Utah for stops along our Connecting Utah Tour! We visited Grand, San Juan, Emery and Carbon counties. We talked about:
* Utah’s strong economy;
* 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!

It’s so great meeting with students and community members across the state – they all contribute so much to their communities. Utah’s future is bright! Next week, we’re headed to the last stop on our Connecting Utah Tour: Salt Lake County! To see photos from our visits, click here.


** Saving the Great Salt Lake
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We’re excited to announce that we’ve appointed Brian Steed as the first-ever Great Salt Lake Commissioner!

This position is a result of HB 491 ([link removed]) from the 2023 General Legislative Session. The bill supports the appointment of a new Great Salt Lake Commissioner to prepare a strategic plan for the long-term health of the lake. This strategic plan will help identify the most significant threats to the lake’s health and develop solutions to address them. The Great Salt Lake is rising, which is good news, but there is still more we can do to restore the lake and keep it healthy. We’re committed to saving the Great Salt Lake — and this commissioner appointment is a step in the right direction. Brian has been a trusted advisor for many years, and we are confident that he will excel in this role and help the Great Salt Lake. Next stop, confirmation from the Senate!

Learn more about Brian Steed here ([link removed]) .


** All aboard with the lieutenant governor
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Staring at the horizon on Monday, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson slowly pushed the accelerator and smiled as a multi-million dollar train lurched forward down the track under her control.

The lieutenant governor’s short foray as train operator capped her tour of the $50-million headquarters of Stadler US, a multinational train manufacturer in Salt Lake City. Stadler began searching for a U.S. headquarters in 2015, touring 32 cities across the country before picking the Beehive State to build its 230,000 square-foot facility.

During the visit, the company touted its apprenticeship program ([link removed]) and partnership with USU ([link removed]) to build battery-powered trains for North American markets. We’re grateful Stadler is investing in Utah!
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** Meeting with local leaders
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You can’t govern from Capitol Hill.

That’s the message Lt. Gov. Henderson shared with a group of Davis County officials on Tuesday ahead several visits across the Wasatch Front.

In Kaysville, Mayor Tami Tran kicked off the roundtable discussion about growth with members of the city council, education leaders, mayors, and Davis County Commissioner Randy Elliot. In Utah, we believe our best policy ideas come from the leaders closest to the people. We’re thankful for all the local leaders who serve as our eyes and ears in state government.


** ICYMI
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* We raised the new state flag over the Capitol for the first time!
* We joined KSL NewsRadio’s Let Me Speak to the Governor. Listen to the episode here ([link removed]) .
* The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality is offering the Charge Your Yard Incentive Program ([link removed]) to licensed lawn care businesses in Utah! Lawn care businesses operating in Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah, or Weber counties can receive up to $3,000 toward the purchase of electric lawn equipment in exchange for recycling their gas-powered string trimmers and leaf blowers.
* Lt. Gov. Henderson swore in ([link removed]) Department of Government Operations Executive Director Marvin Dodge after his confirmation by the Utah Senate. Congratulations!
* Lt. Gov. Henderson welcomed ([link removed]) the president of the General Assembly of the United Nations to Utah.


** Coming up
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* May 20: Happy Armed Forces Day, Utah! We’re grateful for the service of all those in the armed forces.
* May 22: It’s the last stop on our Connecting Utah Tour and we’re headed to Salt Lake County!
* May 24: We’re headed to southern Utah for the DPS Public Safety Summit.
* May 24: Excited to host the Governor’s Mansion Artist Awards!!
* May 29: Happy Memorial Day! We honor the service members who lost their lives in defense of our great nation.

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** Get involved!
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Looking for a new job opportunity? From great employee benefits ([link removed]) to versatile work schedules ([link removed]) , the career opportunities with the state are truly endless. Join Team Utah today ([link removed]) !

Those looking to volunteer can also consider more than 300 boards and commissions ([link removed]) . Find out which openings are available and how you can get involved here ([link removed]) !


** Get in touch!
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You can reach the Governor's Office here ([link removed]) . And you can follow us on Twitter ([link removed]) , Facebook ([link removed]) ,Instagram ([link removed]) , and YouTube ([link removed]) for the latest news and updates.
Contact the Governor's Office ([link removed])

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Office of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox
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Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2220
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