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

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

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])


** Busy days on Capitol Hill
------------------------------------------------------------

There is never a dull moment during the legislative session! Here are some highlights:
* Welcomed members from the Washington Area Chamber and discussed our priorities in Southern Utah. View photos here ([link removed]) .
* Congratulated the United Way of Northern Utah on 90 years of service and discussed issues in Utah around health, education and financial stability. View photos here ([link removed]) .
* Met with the Beaver County Youth Prevention Coalition. These kids do impressive work to educate their peers on preventing youth drug, alcohol and tobacco use. View photos here ([link removed]) .
* Declared a Day of Hope in Utah to raise awareness about suicide and other mental health issues affecting Utahns. If you or a loved one are in crisis, dial 988. Read the full declaration here ([link removed]) .

Only two weeks left of the legislative session! For updates on bills we’ve signed into law, click here ([link removed]) .

[link removed]


** Monthly News Conference
------------------------------------------------------------

We joined PBS Utah this week for our first Monthly News Conference ([link removed]) of 2024. Here are some highlights:

Q: “The State Board of Education last night took action against Board Member Natalie Cline – you yourself have issued statements calling for her resignation. What do you make of the board's actions and what do you think the House should do now?”

A: I support the Board’s action. I think it’s very illustrative that it wasn’t just a Board action but it was a unanimous Board action. That’s a Board if you follow any of the Board meetings, it’s a divided Board. They don’t agree on a lot of things, which that’s part of the process, but this is one thing they all agree on and so I think that was very illustrative. We’ve had some conversations with the House and the Senate. I don’t know exactly what they’re going to do, we’ll find out soon. I don't want to presuppose anything that comes out of what they’re going to do later today. It’s a fair question. What I think should be done, I think she should resign. That’s the right thing to do, the best thing to do. Whether she should be impeached or not – what happened yesterday has effectively removed her from any action of the Board. Whether or not she’s impeached is probably immaterial at this point because that is in effect what has happened. She’s not participating in meeting
s, she’s not able to participate on any of the committees, she no longer has authority to even put agenda items on. That's a decision that was made and effective what has happened. I support that and I think that’s a really positive thing.

Q: “Legislators aren't sure what they want to do – they're hoping that she (Natalie Cline) resigns and they're hoping that voters take care of the problem in the upcoming election. There is a non-zero chance that she gets reelected; what happens in that case?”

A: That’s a hypothetical that I can’t answer… This is one of the problems, quite frankly, with having an elected school board. There’s a reason that almost every other state in the nation does not have an elected school board… In most every other state, governors appoint the school board because everyone knows who the governor is and everyone can hold the governor accountable. And if the governor does a terrible job of appointing school board members they can throw them out. In our state I appoint the board members for the Board of Higher Education. I’m held accountable for what that board does and I should be held accountable for that. Now I know that’s not going to change. There’s been a lot of talk about that. It would take a constitutional change, but that’s the reason why.

Q: “What are your thoughts about migrants coming to our state? Are you concerned about the crisis of immigration here in our state? There are some migrants that arrived from a New York City shelter this week – are you aware of this, and is this a concern?”

A: It is a concern. When you hear governors say that every state is a border state now, this is exactly what we’re talking about. Again, we’re the most compassionate country in the world, the most compassionate state in the world. We care deeply about helping people out but this system, it’s a perfect example of how broken the system is. Every city, every single major city in America right now is facing this crisis. We don’t have resources. We have used those resources historically and just in the past year to help in a very organized way asylees who are coming from places like Ukraine and Afghanistan. That’s not what is happening here. What is happening here is cartel members are getting paid money to deliver migrants to the border… I’ve been in Mexico, I’ve met with the highest level of leaders in Mexico and they are as concerned about this as we are…. This is unsustainable and cannot continue.

To see the full news conference, click here ([link removed]) .


** Rural Caucus Day
------------------------------------------------------------

We care deeply about all people and all areas of our state, but our rural communities really do face some unique challenges.

This week we spoke with the Legislature’s Rural Caucus and highlighted some of our efforts which are bringing great results to rural Utah including:
* We continue to invest in the water optimization program ($69 million) so farmers can make their water go farther with better equipment.
* We’re keeping Rural County Grant funds available to support communities which are working to keep local talent, and helping previous residents bring their businesses back to their hometowns.
* We’re continuing to invest in food processors which expands food security throughout the state.
* We’re making it easier for companies to grow. A great example is Milford Mining, which has just announced this week that they are expanding, creating 160 new jobs and investing $20 million into their operations.
* We’re working to provide more opportunities and pathways to homeownership for Utahns in every community. We refuse to accept a future where our children and grandchildren can’t afford to buy a home.
* We’ve opened local crisis centers in rural areas so individuals and families who are struggling can access mental health services when and where they need it most.
* We’re also advocating funding homeless resources to help support communities across our state trying to get homeless individuals into treatment and transitional housing.
* And because we believe that the government closest to the people serves them best, we’ve made it a priority to shift state jobs to rural areas. We now have close to 6,000 of our 23,000 state employees who live in rural Utah. This includes:
+ 61% of Utah Department of Agriculture and Food employees.
+ 52% of Department of Natural Resources employees
+ 43% of UDOT employees
+ 36% of Corrections
+ 33% of Department of Workforce Services
+ 30% of Public Safety

All of this is to say that we care about rural Utah, we want our entire state to be a place where everyone can thrive, and we’ll continue these efforts because we know that when rural areas succeed, the whole state benefits.


** Equal Suffrage Day in Utah
------------------------------------------------------------

We declared Feb. 14, 2024 as Equal Suffrage Day in Utah. This Valentine’s Day was also the 154th anniversary of the first woman to vote under equal suffrage law in the United States. This historic event took place right here in Salt Lake City when Seraph Young cast her vote in Council Hall. The lieutenant governor celebrated this day by handing out cookies to senators and representatives, and yellow rose flower pins — the symbol of women’s suffrage — to the women in the Capitol.


** A visit from Sen. Romney
------------------------------------------------------------

Sen. Mitt Romney spent some time meeting with stakeholders on Utah’s Capitol Hill this week. Lt. Gov. Henderson and her staff were grateful for his visit, talking about their work overseeing elections. See pictures here ([link removed]) .
[link removed]


** #DisagreeBetter with Steve Young
------------------------------------------------------------

In the most recent edition of our Disagree Better ads, NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young talks about how we can disagree with respect. Watch the full video at the link above, and learn more about our #DisagreeBetter initiative here ([link removed]) .


** Governor’s Award For Excellence Highlight
------------------------------------------------------------

Each week, we’re highlighting a state employee who was recently awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence. This week we’re recognizing Robert Reeves with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

Juvenile crime within some of our refugee communities continued to be a challenge through 2021 while many in those communities felt lost, confused, and disconnected from the juvenile system in general. There was a clear gap in understanding the system and what early intervention resources can be accessed when a youth begins to exhibit challenging behavior. Robert, in partnership with DWS, got to work to support our refugee youth. Their goals were to make sure every refugee youth in JJYS custody was fully connected to community support; while building relationships of trust within the refugee communities. To date they have worked with 43 youth, and worked within 11 unique refugee communities. He ensured interpreter services were available, worked with local mosques to ensure Muslim youth were supported, worked with with facility kitchen staff to support any religious dietary needs, and worked to ensure Muslim youth had support needed during Ramadan

Thank you, Robert, 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]) .


** ICYMI
------------------------------------------------------------
* This week we welcomed Olympians Conner Mantz and Clayton Young to the Capitol to congratulate them on qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the men’s marathon. Looking forward to cheering on these two Utahns in July!
* The Utah Division of Indian Affairs and Utah Department of Health & Human Services partnered with the Navajo Nation Division of Social Services to host a resource fair on this week in Salt Lake City. Lt. Gov. Henderson addressed the group. See more about it here ([link removed]) .
* Lt. Gov. Henderson was awarded the NATSAP award and answered questions about the youth mental health crisis, the harms of social media, and encouraged NATSAP members to get involved in politics. See photos from all our visits here ([link removed]) .
* Lt. Gov. Henderson celebrated the talent and artworks of Utah student artists. She talked about the important role the arts provide in students’ development and growth and handed the awards to the student artists. See photos from all our visits here ([link removed]) .



** Coming up
------------------------------------------------------------
* Feb. 19: Happy Presidents Day! Our offices will be closed.
* Feb. 20: We’re headed to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Governors Association Winter Meeting. Looking forward to collaborating with our fellow governors!
* Feb. 21-24: Lots of events highlighting our “Disagree Better” NGA initiative, including events at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., The George Washington University, American University, the National Cathedral and, of course, the NGA meetings. Many of these will be live streamed so watch for links and details on our Facebook, X and YouTube channels!

[link removed]


** Get involved!
------------------------------------------------------------

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!
------------------------------------------------------------
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])

============================================================
Copyright © 2024 Office of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.

Our mailing address is:
Office of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox
350 N. State Street
Suite 200 P.O. Box 142220
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2220
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.