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!

NOTE: In honor of Independence Day, we won’t be sending a newsletter next week. Happy Fourth of July!

#DisagreeBetter: The Utah Way

This week we welcomed our fellow governors to Salt Lake City for the 2024 National Governors Association Summer Meeting. Always look forward to meeting with my fellow governors to share common-sense solutions to problems affecting all Americans. Here are some highlights: 

• We were honored to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska to Utah and reiterate our strong support for Ukraine. We agree with President Zelenskyy – evil must always lose. And to ensure the victory of good, our voices matter. Together we can achieve more for all of us – for our countries, our communities and our people. 

• Author and Academy Award-winner Matthew McConaughey joined us to discuss the important role that culture plays in depolarization efforts. McConaughey gave governors wise insight into how we can depolarize America. “It’s harder to sell belief and hope than fear … our leadership doesn’t need to look like an episode of “The Real Housewives.” Politics should not be entertainment – and it is up to us to be the adults in the room and work together to solve problems.

• University of Florida President Ben Sasse shared lessons from his 2018 book “Them: Why We Hate Each Other-and How to Heal” and how in person relationships build community. 

• Dr. Robb Willer, head of the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford University, shared the results of a new study that looked at the effectiveness of the Disagree Better ads that we recorded with governors. According to the research, these videos measurably reduced partisan animosity in those who viewed them, and show that disagreeing better can make a difference and bridge divides. Learn more about this encouraging study here. 

• Governors enjoyed a concert by Andy Grammer, a hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon, and an evening at Snowbird. We love showing off our state! 

It’s been an honor serving as the chairman of the NGA this past year, and I wish my friend Colorado Gov. Jared Polis best wishes as he assumes the chairmanship for the upcoming year! While my time as chairman is up, our Disagree Better campaign is not ending. We’ll share more details on that soon. For now, enjoy photos from this week’s NGA convening here.

Show Up For Teachers

We were honored to join hundreds of dedicated teachers at  First Lady Abby’s third annual Show Up for Teachers Conference. More than 2,400 teachers, administrators, educator advocates, legislators, presenters, and vendors came together to surprise, delight, and celebrate Utah educators. 

We especially enjoyed keynote speakers Dr. Marisa Franco and Robyn Benincasa who shared messages of connection, hope, teamwork and resilience. And our local businesses showed up in a big way, donating over $200,000 worth of products and services directly to teachers. Educators left feeling supported and armed with the skills they need to thrive in their classrooms. Learn more about Show Up Utah here.

AI Lab opening

Utah’s new Artificial Intelligence Policy Lab officially opened for business this week. Utah is leading the nation on learning how to regulate artificial intelligence effectively by creating the Office of AI Policy. AI is growing rapidly, and we are working to create an environment to ensure its growth and success while taking data privacy and security threats seriously.

Learn more about the Office of AI Policy here.

ICYMI

• Last week a wildfire occurred in Fishlake National Forest, spreading across 11,290 acres. We’re grateful for the hard work of the firefighters, local officials, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Department of Public Safety and so many others for containing the fire and keeping Utahns safe. Learn more about using good Fire Sense here. 

Coming up

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