#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. Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions regarding the newsletter. And thank you for subscribing! ([link removed])


** Investing in ‘Utah Home’
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This week, we released our proposed fiscal year 2025 budget! This budget invests in so many of the elements that make Utah an exceptional place to live.

Housing

One of the biggest threats to our future success is the lack of affordable housing.

On Tuesday, we announced Utah First Homes, a comprehensive package of actions and incentives with the goal of building 35,000 new starter homes by 2028. This transformational investment includes:
* A new Housing Innovation Advisor – Steve Waldrip;
* $50 million to expand the First-time Homebuyers Assistance program;
* $75 million to expand the State Infrastructure Bank specifically for housing projects;
* $5 million into a new Housing Innovation and Construction Fund to incentivize innovations in how we plan, design, and construct new housing;
* $15 million to expand sweat equity programs;
* $5 million to support Community Land Trusts in the state; and
* Recruit an Off-site Housing Manufacturer to our state.

I’m passionate about building new starter homes for our children and grandchildren, and Utah First Homes can accomplish this.

Homelessness

Alleviating homelessness requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both short-term needs and incorporates long-term strategies. We’ve made tremendous progress over the past three years in better coordinating state and local efforts, but we must do more. Our administration identified several gaps in our current system, so we’re focused on filling those gaps by stabilizing emergency shelters, expanding behavioral health care, and prioritizing prevention. We are recommending $128 million to support our emergency shelter system, $8 million to enhance our behavioral health workforce, investments in affordable and deeply affordable housing, and more.

Families

Healthy families have been the key to our state’s success and we want to nurture and assist all families. We’re recommending $68.8 million in investments to support childcare and affordable and accessible health care, provide safety nets for vulnerable youth, and support new parents.

We’re also committed to continuing to protect our kids from the harms of social media and funding ongoing legal efforts.

Education, Workforce, and Service

Investments in our public education system benefit not only our children and our families, but the economy as a whole. In FY25, we’re recommending significant investments to better support rural students, strengthen the teaching profession, foster innovation, keep schools safe, and lay the foundation for future investments.

Utahns deserve quality education that prepares them for meaningful opportunities. The governor’s budget supports this with increased funding for the Utah System of Higher Education and targeted funding for specific workforce needs including life sciences, behavioral health, technical skills, and apprenticeships. We’re also investing $14.4 million to elevate service as a core cultural element in Utah.

Water

For the past two years, we’ve worked together and devoted more than $1 billion for water. Our prayers were answered last year with an above-average water year, but we need to continue to plan for a drier water future. This year we’re recommending another $81 million to improve our water and watershed management.

Transportation, Air Quality, and Recreation

As we grow, we need to provide Utahns with transportation choices so they can go where they want, when they want, in the way that they want— while improving our air quality. We’re recommending $122 million in transportation and air quality investments.

Access to recreation and open spaces enhances our quality of life. We are proactively maintaining and improving our recreational amenities, access, and open spaces, and are recommending $40.5 million to make that happen.

We’re so excited about Utah’s future and we look forward to working with our Legislature to fund these priorities. To see our full FY-24 budget recommendations, visit gopb.utah.gov.


** Meeting with the Consul General of Israel
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We were privileged to host Israel Bachar, Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, at the Utah State Capitol this week. We continue to condemn the unspeakable horror unleashed by Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, and stand with our Jewish community by insisting that there is absolutely no place for antisemitism in our state or anywhere in the world.

We mourn the Israeli and Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives since the outbreak of violence, and pray for a quick resolution of the conflict.

We have a lot in common with Israel and look forward to continuing to work toward a prosperous future together.


** ‘Tis the season to do good!
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Service is a big part of the magic of the holidays! This week we joined the Salvation Army in Utah to ring the bell and Venmo a contribution. The Salvation Army will be assisting 5,900 kids and seniors this Christmas through their Angel Tree Program. Once a child or senior adult has been registered and accepted as an angel, their Christmas wish list is shared with donors in the community who purchase gifts of new clothing and toys. These gifts are then distributed to the family to place under their Christmas tree.

In addition to the Angel Tree program, Salvation Army Red Kettles can be found throughout Utah – donate this holiday season! Learn more about The Salvation Army and the Angel Tree program here ([link removed].) .


** State of American Institutions
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Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson was hosted by Stanford’s Hoover Institution and their director, former Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, a tremendous honor and a nod to the good work of our lieutenant governor. She joined leaders from around the country to offer perspectives on the state of American institutions, taking the stage to talk about our administration and trust in elections.

We appreciate her work to represent Utah well and recognize the national leading voice she has become on this topic!


** Governor’s Award for Excellence Highlight
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Each week, we’re highlighting a state employee who was recently awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence. This week we are recognizing Robbi S. Foxxe, Ph.D., with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.

Dr. Robbi Foxxe tackles all projects assigned to her with tenacity and excitement. As a new managing director and chief economist in GOPB, Robbi has risen to the occasion and stepped into this new role gracefully. Not only does she have an impressive work ethic, but her empathy and insightfulness make her a great leader and creates an environment where people feel welcome, heard, and supported. Robbi has done an amazing job leading the Policy & Economic Analysis team. Robbi has done an excellent job as chief economist and keeping the office (GOPB and the Governor’s Office) up to date on the economic situation of the state and the nation. She has spearheaded new initiatives like the GOPB economic alert and the debt limit situational awareness products which are immensely helpful and start meaningful conversations and actions. Robbi is a true leader as she has helped so many people in GOPB succeed in their roles. Needless to say, we are lucky to have Robbi on team Utah.

Thank you, Robbi, for your dedication to the state of Utah. Keep up the great work! To read about the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, click here ([link removed]) .
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** ICYMI
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* If you want to hear all about our FY25 proposed budget – including a new service initiative, education funding and Utah First Homes – you can view the full budget press conference here ([link removed]) .
* “As the top election officers in our states, we have both a responsibility and a unique opportunity to lead these efforts.” Lt. Gov. Henderson, along with the secretaries of state from Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, and Kentucky, penned an op-ed this week about what needs to be done to restore trust in elections. Read the rest here ([link removed]) .


** Coming up
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* Dec. 10: Looking forward to attending the 26th Annual Po Hiva Kilisimasi, a Pacific Islander Interfaith Christmas celebration!
* Dec. 11: We’re hosting a press conference to celebrate the Utah Innovation Lab.
* Dec. 12: Tune in to our final Facebook Live Town Hall of 2023! You can tune in on Facebook, X, LinkedIn or Youtube.

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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 X ([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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Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2220
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