October 2015 Legislative Update!
October Interim Session
Following the completion of the general legislative Session begins the off-season, or "Interim" Session. Once a month we meet in committees comprised of both House and Senate members and begin to craft and discuss proposed legislation for the 2016 session. Our latest Interim Session was on October 21, 2015.
Items discussed during the October 2015 Interim included:
Following the completion of the general legislative Session begins the off-season, or "Interim" Session. Once a month we meet in committees comprised of both House and Senate members and begin to craft and discuss proposed legislation for the 2016 session. Our latest Interim Session was on October 21, 2015.
Items discussed during the October 2015 Interim included:
- Alcohol-related fatalities - The number of alcohol-related fatalities in Utah has almost doubled in the past year. [Trib] [DNews]
- Death Penalty - For the first time in years, Utah lawmakers debate the merits of the death penalty. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV] [Fox13]
- Medical marijuana - The Interim Health and Human Services Committee discussed the possibility of allowing medical marijuana in Utah. [Trib] Two different bills dealing with the issue were pitched. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV] [Fox13] [KUER]
- Air quality - Received a presentation and statutorily required report from the Coordinator of Resource Stewardship on best practices and stewardship efforts to improve air quality.
- Credit card fraud - Utah officials are warning against a scam that takes advantage of the shift to smart chips in credit and debit cards. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
- Suicide prevention - State officials say that discussing suicide is helping prevent it. [DNews]
- Utah's economy / state budget - Despite posting a budget surplus, there are some troubling signs ahead for Utah's economy [Utah Policy]
- State Fairpark - Legislators reviewed a business plan to help make the Fairpark more profitable during the time of year when the State Fair is not operational.
- Everything else - See here for a summary of everything else discussed by the 24 Interim Committees.
- Visit with SLCC's President Deneece Huftalin
- Panel Discussion with Granite School District
- Granger Elementary / West Valley City / Utah Legislature / United Way - All working together!
Many of you know that Granger Elementary has a "Neighborhood Center." On October 20, members of the City Council and State Legislature visited the school to observe the Neighborhood Center. Granger Elementary is the largest elementary school in the Granite School District, with more than 1,000 students. Services provided by the Neighborhood Center include a before and after school program, a mobile health clinic, flu shots and immunizations, preschool, and many other programs.
Those present on Oct. 20th included Mayor Ron Bigelow, city council members Lars Nordfelt, Tom Huynh, Steve Buhler, Steve Vincent, Karen Lang, Granite School Superintendent Martin Bates, and legislators Senator Karen Mayne and Representative Craig Hall.
Thanks for all your work for putting together this wonderful Neighborhood Center which is a small part of keeping West Valley a great place to live, work and raise a family!
Those present on Oct. 20th included Mayor Ron Bigelow, city council members Lars Nordfelt, Tom Huynh, Steve Buhler, Steve Vincent, Karen Lang, Granite School Superintendent Martin Bates, and legislators Senator Karen Mayne and Representative Craig Hall.
Thanks for all your work for putting together this wonderful Neighborhood Center which is a small part of keeping West Valley a great place to live, work and raise a family!
- Go Vote!
Summary of the 2015 Regular Session
For those interested, the legislative staff has put together some good summaries of what was accomplished during the last Legislative Session:
- A complete list of all bills that were passed can be found here: http://le.utah.gov/asp/passedbills/passedbills.asp?session=2015GS
- A good explanation of some of the more interesting bills that passed can be found here: http://le.utah.gov/Session/2015/pdfdoc/2015SelectedHighlights.pdf
- FY2015 - 2016 budget. If you want to know how Utah will be spending its money over the next fiscal year, click here for a fantastic summary.
Thanks again for all your support. My contact information is as follows. Feel free to contact me regarding any issue.
Legislative email: chall@le.utah.gov
Personal email: hcraighall@yahoo.com
Website: www.votecraighall.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/votecraighall
Twitter: www.twitter.com/hcraighall
Cell phone: (801) 573-1774