Here are the highlights from Weeks Five and Six of the Utah Legislature.
Education Funding Proposal
Education will always be a priority for the legislature. Utah is one of the best states to raise a family, and education is critical to our future economic success. However, we also have other high priority needs, including providing services for those among us that are not able to care for themselves, including children and people with serious disabilities. In our current budget structure, we have enough money to cover the necessities, but we do not have the flexibility to appropriately balance those needs.
While the budget process could be better managed if we had more flexibility to make those difficult decisions, we do not want to do so at the expense of our K-12 public education system. For the past several weeks, legislative leaders have been working with leaders from the education community to find a solution that allows for more budget flexibility but also improves and stabilizes the process for funding education. It was announced last week that a compromise has been reached. The proposed package would involve changing the state constitution to allow income taxes to be used for more than just education, specifically, programs to help children and people with disabilities. It would also create an improved budget process to ensure that public education is funded in a more stable and predictable manner, providing a buffer against economic downturns and prioritizing funding to keep up with enrollment growth and inflation.
The proposal also stipulates that the whole package would be put on the November ballot so that the citizens of Utah can give it their thumbs up or thumbs down. To be clear, this proposal requires no additional taxation from Utah citizens.
Redistricting
Similarly, a compromise has been in the works with the proponents of the recent initiative on redistricting (Better Boundaries). Everyone involved in the compromise agreed that the initiative could not be practically implemented as written and passed, so changes were necessary. Nobody wanted to gut the intent of the initiative, but all involved were willing to come up with improvements that worked for everyone. The results of the compromise are outlined in SB200 (Sen. Bramble) and will be voted on this week for final passage. The compromise still creates an independent Redistricting Commission to propose boundaries, but clarifies how they will do their work and the opportunity for the Legislature to consider other proposals, including those submitted by Utah’s citizens.
Weekly Highlights
Committee Presentations
Since we are now headed into the final stretch of the session, my opportunity to present bills in committees has picked up. Recently, I have given successful committee presentations on bills on the following topics (see below for a full re-cap of bill status):
- Intergenerational Poverty Solution (House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee)
- Initiatives and Referenda Amendments (House Government Operations Committee)
- Insulin Access Amendments (Senate Health and Human Services Committee)
- Utah Alternative Dispute Process for ADA Complaints Act (House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judiciary and Law Enforcement Committee)
- Occupational Licensing Amendments (Senate Business and Labor Committee)
I also presented one bill in committee that did not pass – Vehicle Property Tax Amendments. While I still think it’s a good idea, I respect that many of my colleagues disagree.
 Presenting the ADA Complaint bill in the Senate Judiciary and Law Enforcement Committee |  Presenting the Insulin Access bill in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee |
Norm in the News
- KSL: House approves bill requiring ‘dignified’ treatment of fetal remains
- Deseret News: Committee sends bill to tackle insulin costs to Senate
- Utah Public Radio: A Look At Tax Reform, Tuesday’s Access Utah
- Anchorage Daily News: Alaska House bill would establish health care pricing database
- St. George News: Following passage of bill, Utah will go to permanent Daylight Saving Time…maybe
- KUER: Pricy Prescriptions Leave Patients Looking To Each Other — Not The Healthcare System — For Support
- Daily Herald: What Utah lawmakers and officials can do to accommodate deaf residents
- Deseret News: Bill targeting insulin costs gets nod from Utah House committee
- KUTV: Lindon man’s son dies while rationing insulin
- Deseret News: ‘We need a little oomph’: Utah legislator seeks to revitalize child care availability
- ABC4: New legislation proposes employer tax credit for child care
Alton Telegraph: Utah lawmakers advance bill targeting insulin costs - KSL News Radio: Bill to cap insulin prices in Utah advances in the legislature
- Salt Lake Tribune: Robert Gehrke: Expensive insulin is costing some Utahns their lives, and one legislator may have a solution
- ABC4: Bill addressing the cost of insulin moves forward
- Deseret News: Increases to weighted pupil unit’s value above 4% would not require property tax
- The Utah Statesman: Letter to the editor: Rising insulin prices
Capitol Visitors
 It was my privilege to host cabinet member Ann Silverberg Williamson, Executive Director of the Department of Human Services on the House Floor. |  Executives from GeneaNet, a genealogical research network based out of Paris, France were in town for RootsTech and came to the Capitol for a tour and visit to the House Floor. |
 Timpview High School student Magnolia Vega is a state officer in Career and Technical Education and came to sit with me on the House Floor. |  Student leaders representing FFA came to the Hill to learn more about the political process and how to advocate for their programs. |
 Jane Wilson, a High School student from Springville, was at the Capitol to be honored for her artwork. She was one of the winners of the Utah High School Art Show. You can see her painting at the Springville Museum of Art. |
