The Blue Buzz: Recent Episodes
The Utah House Democrats
Utah House Democrats’ take on what’s buzzin’ at the capitol hive. Tune in here for candid discussions with Democratic legislators on policies, bills, and issues that affect ALL Utahns.
The practice of restorative justice is mentioned in multiple places in Utah code, but it lacks a clear definition. In the 2021 Session, Rep. Andrew Stoddard sponsored H.B.330 to give the concept of restorative justice a uniform definition. But then, a majority of the House voted it down. In this episode, Rep. Stoddard talks about why misunderstandings about what restorative justice actually is resulted in the bill failing. And, Nate Blouin, a renewable energy advocate, shares his family's experience of choosing to apply restorative justice after his father’s tragic death.
Rep. Carol Moss talks about her bill (HB177) that would require Utah’s sex education curriculum to include opt-in instruction about consent for grades 7-12, and her thoughts on why Utah’s current sex education approach is failing to protect youth, as Utah has among the highest rates of sexual violence nationally.
The legislature is considering a big bill (HB297) to create a Utah Colorado River Authority that would try to assert and manage Utah's share of the Colorado River. But Rep. Joel Briscoe and Steve Erickson with the Great Basin Water Network say we face certain realities over how much of Utah's share is "wet water" versus "paper water," and the need to conserve better than we now do with a drier future.
Rep. Elizabeth Weight talks about the resolution she is running (HCR3) to encourage school leaders to retire school mascots that wrongfully characterize and cause harm to Native Americans. It also encourages the State Board of Education and local schools to enhance instruction on the history, culture, and traditions of Native Americans in school curriculums.
This week we talk with Democratic Rep. Rosemary Lesser who was appointed to fill the open seat for House District 10 representing the Ogden area. Learn about her experiences as an obstetrician and experience in the U.S Air Force, her legislative and policy interests, and her passion for reading good books.
Rep. Joel Briscoe is sponsoring legislation (HB263) to create a non-profit "Clean Energy Fund" to facilitate the development of clean energy projects in Utah. The bill is modeled on similar clean energy funds in other states and would be dedicated to leveraging public and private capital to drive private investment in developing energy efficiency and zero-emissions energy technologies. Josh Craft with Utah Clean Energy and Sean Kelleher, President of Austin Atlantic Asset Management Co., join Rep. Briscoe to talk about the bill.
The Utah House and Senate Democrats delivered a joint response to Gov. Spencer Cox’s State of the State Address on January 21, 2021. Here is the audio version of that response. You can see the video version on our Facebook page.
Representatives Angela Romero and Sandra Hollins are members of the Utah Legislative Quad Caucus, which currently has 7 members. Nationally, and in state legislatures across the country, the QUAD Caucus is comprised of the four bipartisan national caucuses of state legislators of color – the Black Caucus, The Hispanic or Latino Caucus, the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, and the Native American and Indigenous Peoples Caucus. Rep. Romero and Rep. Hollins talk about how 2020 became a critical year for Utah’s Quad Caucus to work on policy issues to address police reform and systemic racism, and some of the bills they are running in the 2021 Session.
Rep. Andrew Stoddard talks about two of his bills – HB62 “Post Certification Amendments,” and HB59 “Law Enforcement Investigation Amendments” - that he hopes will improve responsibility and professionalism standards for police officers, and help victims of crimes feel more secure with law enforcement.
This past year we all experienced the effects of policy on public health in a very real and profound way. Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost talks about the ways public health policies and regulations, although usually hidden, allow people in the economy and our society to thrive.
Rep. Brian King, and Nancy Halden and Ed Rutan with the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, discuss legislation for the 2021 General Session to close the loopholes in the state's criminal background check system for firearm purchases that are endangering the lives and safety of Utahns.
Additional reading and resources:
https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/background-checks/universal-background-checks/
https://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/21572-poll-utahns-overwhelmingly-support-requiring-background-checks-on-all-gun-sales
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/759193047/poll-most-americans-want-to-see-congress-pass-gun-restrictions
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-dependent-on-the-gun-industry/18719
https://theconversation.com/us-gun-violence-too-many-people-have-died-in-2020-and-covid-played-a-larger-part-than-you-think-151598
Get to know Rep-elect Ashlee Matthews for House District 38 in the Kearns area, and Rep-elect Doug Owens representing constituents in the Millcreek area for House District 36.
Get to know Rep-elect Gay Lynn Bennion in the Cottonwood Heights area for House District 46, and Rep-elect Clare Collard in Magna for House District 22.