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!

A heartbreaking tragedy 

The thin blue line is a real line between order and chaos, and this week we honored one of the brave officers who stepped into that line and paid the ultimate sacrifice. 

Sgt. Bill Hooser of Santaquin was one of a kind, a dedicated family man and committed law enforcement officer who served and protected his community. Thank you, Utah, for supporting his family and our law enforcement community during this challenging time.

#DisagreeBetter in Nashville

We brought the Utah Way to Tennessee this week as we gathered for the third convening of our National Governors Association Disagree Better Initiative. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was a gracious host and supporter of our initiatives. 

We heard from renowned scholars how we can attack ideas and not people, and why learning to engage in healthy ways strengthens relationships, families, our institutions and communities. A highlight was the launch of our Disagree Better Parent Toolkit and tips developed by professors at Utah State University and Brigham Young University. Check it out here. And thank you to our good friend Brad Paisley for his support of this initiative and for performing for us! See photos here.

Driving the economy forward

This week we attended the groundbreaking of the John and Marcia Price Computing and Engineering Building at the University of Utah! Engineering represents 12% to 15% of Utah’s $200 billion economy and this facility will help train the next generation of engineers who will help drive Utah’s economy forward.

Thanks to the Price family, Kahlerts and others for helping to fill this critical need in our workforce. Our administration remains committed to investing in education and ensuring Utah remains a beacon of prosperity for years to come. 

Monthly News Conference

This week we held our Monthly News Conference with PBS Utah! Thank you to the media who attended. Here are some highlights: 

Q: With the water supply rebounding this year, what is your message for Utahns about conserving water this summer? 

A: My message is the same as last year, keep conserving. It’s actually working. I know we’ve had a good water year, but we’re well ahead of where we would be otherwise because people conserved so well last year when we did have a record water year. I can tell you the experts were really surprised. Last year was the first year in our state’s history where we had extra water, and consumption did not go up. Which means there has been a paradigm shift and we need that to continue. We started the year in a great place, we started the runoff with most of our reservoirs above 80% which is remarkable. Now our statewide reservoir capacity is at 90%, which is incredible and higher than normal for this time of year. And the Great Salt Lake is rising. We’ve seen a significant increase, we crossed the elevation threshold, and are headed to a better indicator of the lake rising which includes opening the north arm. We’re in a better position historically. If we can do that again this year we can get the lake in healthy territory, which I think everyone is anxious for. My encouragement to people is, in most parts of the state you don’t need to be watering yet and it looks like we have more storms and cooler weather coming, which is going to make your lawns beautiful and green. We’re still funding programs for our farmers which are working, and we’re still funding programs for people who want to replace their lawns with waterwise landscaping, and we’re seeing so many people doing that. So just keep doing what you did last year and the year before. 

Q: Last week there was a forum on election trust at UVU. Some data showed that some conservatives are losing trust in elections, especially presidential elections, even here in Utah. What do you think needs to be done? 

A: The lack of trust in general in our institutions is a problem in our country. There’s a great book I recommend everyone read called “A Time to Build” by Yuval Levin. And in there he talks about how this decline of trust is impacting everything in our country. There’s something called the Edelman Trust Index that I look at every year – it’s a survey in about 50 different countries in trust in different types of institutions and government is one of those and they look at business, nonprofits and the media. What we’re seeing is a decline in trust everywhere but it’s very pronounced in the United States. What happens when you lose trust in institutions then the very fabric of our society starts to fall apart. Elections is a bedrock institution within government and sadly we’ve seen candidates who have tried to undermine elections when they were unsuccessful as a way to either make themselves feel better about why they lost, or even worse, to make it impossible for people to trust and then to foment the repercussions of that. I issue a grave warning to people- – we’re playing with fire when we do this.

Watch the full news conference here.

Return Utah Meet and Greet

The Return Utah Program is a testament to our state's commitment to supporting individuals looking to re-enter the workforce. Lt. Gov. Henderson met with Return Utah workers and their managers to discuss their experience with the program and re-entering the workforce. Over the past two years, many of our public offices have benefited from the experience and value what the returners bring to the workplace. 

To learn more about this amazing program that is changing lives, click here.

UServe Utah's Youth Council Recognition 

Volunteering and serving is what Utahns do so well. UServeUtah High School and College students presented their community-based service projects at the Capitol this week. Their projects ranged from providing easier access to feminine hygiene in female bathrooms to encouraging young people to vote. Lt. Gov. Henderson helped recognize the students for their remarkable achievements. See photos here.

ICYMI

• May is Military Appreciation Month! Thank you to the members of the armed forces who serve our nation. 

• Congratulations to Torus on the grand opening of their new manufacturing facility in South Salt Lake! Torus is unleashing the spirit of American ingenuity and invention, positioning Utah as a leader in sustainable energy. This is a milestone as we work to secure a more resilient future!
• Utah’s unemployment rate is holding steady at 2.8%! Learn more here.

Coming up

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!