A Busy Summer

Welcoming New Citizens

One of my favorite ways to serve the citizens of Utah is to host naturalization ceremonies at the Utah State Capitol. At these ceremonies, immigrants who have met the legal requirements to become U.S. citizens take the oath of citizenship and are given their Naturalization Certificates. On August 3, I hosted a ceremony for 110 immigrants from 41 countries. Speakers included Congresswoman Mia Love and Chris Mann, a local entrepreneur and recently naturalized citizen from the U.K.

Report on NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures)

Last week, a couple dozen or so Utah legislators attended the Annual Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Los Angeles. I am pleased to report back on my participation and what I learned. As with most conferences, in addition to learning from presentations, the opportunity to network is extremely informative and valuable.

Networking

At the summit, I met dozens of new people and renewed contact with many others. Here’s a sampling of the types of people that I was able to connect with – representatives of the federal government, including those who work in intergovernmental affairs; legislators from many other states and U.S. territories; national experts on topics of interest, such as helping disabled people; and of course it was good to spend time with colleagues from Utah. I also scheduled time to discuss policy topics and ideas with exhibitors in the exhibit hall, notably the National Safety Council and the Pew Charitable Trusts, among many others.

Information Sessions

One of the main purposes of attending the summit was to participate in the organized sessions where I learned about many topics from national experts and legislators from other states. Some of the more interesting sessions I attended included discussions on the following topics:

Why work matters to people with disabilities
How to increase access to oral health workers
How states are dealing with the opioid epidemic
What cryptocurrency is and why states should care
How to reconcile occupational licensing with antitrust laws
The latest efforts for states to fix health insurance markets

Community Events

One of the privileges of representing you is the opportunity to attend community events where I can interact with you and enjoy being part of this great district. Here is a quick sample of what I have been up to lately.

Maeser Neighborhood Meeting

Each month, some of the neighborhoods in District 64 hold neighborhood meetings to discuss local issues. I am frequently invited and really enjoy attending to hear concerns and participate in seeking solutions. In July, I was happy to attend the Maeser Neighborhood meeting.

Webelos Den Meeting

This week I was invited to speak to some Webelos at their Cub Scout den meeting. I was very impressed by their understanding of local issues and their ability to think through how policies could be used to improve conditions for those affected.

Neighborhood Night Out

This week, Provo participated in the National Neighborhood Night Out event. Police, Fire & Rescue had community displays set up at North Park. I had a great time interacting with first responders and saying hello to friends and neighbors.

Rooftop Concert Series

Last week I attended the Rooftop Concert in downtown Provo with my son. In addition to having the opportunity to hear some interesting music, it was also great fun to see so many friends and neighbors coming together for a real community event.