Monthly News Conference
This week we were able to join reporters at PBS Utah for our monthly news conference. Here are some excerpts:
Q: “You signed a series of bills dealing with the Great Salt Lake, are you convinced they’re going to work? Are they going to get water into the lake?”
A: “The good news is that you are going to see a substantial increase in water getting to the lake, getting to all our lakes and reservoirs. When laws pass, stuff doesn’t immediately happen. Everything they did last year is going to start taking effect this spring. We got an additional $200 million in agriculture optimization this year that will start to take effect in the spring. All of the water that was conserved last year, where we ended the year better than we expected, there was not a net decrease, there was a net increase in some places. Salt Lake has already had water run over reservoirs into the Great Salt Lake and that will make room for the water that is coming from snow. We are going to see water getting into the lake. One of the most important bills we passed this session was the Great Salt Lake Commissioner, that position will help us coordinate all the efforts to save the lake and get water to the lake. The future of the lake is now being set in motion.”
Q: “Are you enacting a total abortion ban, by signing the bill that limits access to clinics?”
A: “Absolutely not, that is not the case. We were asked by abortion providers to clarify the laws. What would’ve happened because of the trigger law passed a several years ago would have enacted a de facto abortion ban, because there wasn’t clarity around rape, incest and health/safety of the mother. This bill clarifies that. Those abortions will still happen, it will just now happen in a hospital. The hospitals were involved in the drafting of that bill and were supportive of that bill passing.”
Q: “We have had a wet winter this year and will have another wet winter next year, do you think that will cause any state leaders to take their eye off the ball when it comes to addressing drought and water concerns?”
A: “This is a narrative I keep hearing, but this is not the case. This is a great opportunity for us, the changes we’ve put in law over the past two years I don’t anticipate being undone at all. We’ve put ourselves on a path to reduce the amount of water we’re using, a conservation path. We’ve been blessed with excess water because of decisions made by leaders generations ago. We’ve been able to grow without checking out water use. The drought has helped us change public opinion of how conserving is so important. People have been so willing to conserve and legislators have been so willing to pass bills over two years to help with water infrastructure and conservation. We’re not “good,” but we’re on a path to be better.Living in Utah is all about preparing ourselves for the next drought, because it’s going to come. I hope we get a couple years like this, but I’m not expecting it. We’re going to keep preparing as if drought is normal, because drought has always been normal in our state, it’s just been bad the past couple of years.”
You can watch the full press conference here.
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