 Logan, Alex Johnson, and Rep. Val Potter Logan and his wife Kim wanted me to extend a special thank you to Alex Johnson, Logan’s intern. He really did an outstanding job. And while we’re on the subject of thank-yous, I would like to thank both of them for giving me the opportunity to write this blog. The final week of the 2017 General Legislative Session was extremely busy but a lot was accomplished. Governor Gary Herbert called it the “most collegial, collaborative” session he could recall in his seven years as governor, a sentiment which was echoed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.  Logan and his wife Kim, exhausted from a long final day of the 2017 General Session Among the things that were accomplished was a much needed increase in funding for public education of four percent per pupil. The new money will be distributed via weighted student funding which simply means that the funds the schools receive will be based on the number of students which attend them. It also means that the local school districts will have the freedom to decide how best to use the funding in order to best meet the needs of the students. Lawmakers have also taken on the homelessness crisis. A bipartisan effort lead to the legislature committing about $10 million to build three new homeless shelters in Salt Lake County. On Monday speaker Greg Hughes announced that they would no longer be considering restoring the full food tax after new data showed that the benefit of doing so would be marginal. The hope was to reduce the volatility of State revenue. On Monday there was a fantastic article on Standard.net wherein Rep. Brad Wilson talked about HB272, a bill he’s sponsoring. Utah is known throughout the country for it’s business friendly environment. Utah has been ranked #1 on Forbes’ “America’s Top States for Business” list six times in the last seven years. This bill would help ensure that Utah maintains it’s business friendly leadership status. Logan voted for this bill for the second time on Wednesday, approving amendments added by the Senate. This bill would require that every piece of legislation that lawmakers consider have a regulatory note attached to it. The regulatory note will include an analysis of the potential impact the legislation could have on small businesses. This would help legislators make well informed decisions while taking into consideration the impact of those decisions have on small businesses. The bill would also require a more rigorous analysis of actions taken by the executive branch and their impact on businesses. Logan is very supportive of this bill noting that “Often times when we look at fiscal impacts, we’re only looking at the fiscal impact to government and this was looking at the fiscal impact that regulation was going to put on small businesses. So in my mind that’s a good direction.”  As always, thank you for reading and please feel free to contact Logan with any questions comments or concerns you may have. He loves getting feedback from his constituents. loganwilde@le.utah.gov Phone: (801) 538-1029 350 North State, Suite 350 #16 
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Hello and thanks for reading! It’s been very busy at the Capitol as we near the end of the 2017 General Legislative Session. Logan’s oldest son Reed got the chance to hang out with dad at the Capitol and the legislature welcomed friends and family members of nine soldiers from Utah who died in 2016. On Friday, a group of red and white striped-top hat sporting grade schoolers came to visit the Capitol to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Here’s a brief rundown of what else has been going on.  On Monday HB442, sponsored by Rep. Brad Wilson, was introduced to the House. On Friday it passed out of the House and will now move to the Senate for consideration. Logan voted yea on this bill which would do away with the requirement that restaurants who serve alcohol erect partitions, commonly called “Zion curtains.” The barriers separate areas where minors can sit from areas where alcohol is dispensed. Restaurants are still required to have a physical barrier like a railing that is at least 42 inches tall and children would not be allowed to sit within 10 feet of an area where alcohol is dispensed. The law will also raise the markup on liquor sold at state run liquor stores about 2% to fund underage drinking programs for grades 8-10.  The star of Napoleon Dynamite, and producer Jon Heder paid a visit to the Utah legislature on Thursday to talk about how tax credits could help bring big movies to Utah. Utah is one among a number of states that offer film makers incentives to produce films in them. Also on Thursday HCR25 passed out of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. Logan supports this resolution to create a three digit national suicide crisis hotline. “With the problem that we’re having with suicide,”, he commented, “I think it’s time.” This week the house also passed HB365. It moves to the Senate for consideration. The intent is to make it a felony to sell drugs with in 100 feet of a homeless shelter. This bill passed out of the House and is going to the Senate. Logan voted for this bill and when I asked him about it, he said, “We’re putting a quite a bit of money into these homeless shelters, trying to get rid of the element that’s preying on them… a lot of the problem comes from people who are selling drugs and I feel that we need to stand up to them.” On Friday the legislature honored Utah’s fallen soldiers, and welcomed the friends and family members of nine soldiers from Utah who died in 2016. Senator Allen Christensen read off the names of fallen soldiers from Utah and the dates that they died. During their meeting on Friday, the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee, there was a lot of discussion about HCR26, a resolution urging the restoration of Utah Lake. Logan firmly supports this measure. Utah Lake is the most visited lake in Utah. 60% of Utah’s population live within an hours drive of the lake. Last year there was a severe algae bloom outbreak due in part to extra nutrients from water treatment plants. About 15% of the water that flows into the lake comes from waste water treatment plants and that number is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. The lake has also had a problem with phragmites, (pronounced frag-mite-ees), an invasive species of reed which crowds out more desirable plants. The committee approved the resolution unanimously.  Two of Logan's children, Reed and Emma Once again I’d like to thank you for reading, and remind you that Logan always enjoys hearing your questions, comments, and concerns. So if you have any please contact him here:
loganwilde@le.utah.gov Phone: (801) 538-1029 350 North State, Suite 350 #16 I’d like to start out our weekly update by thanking you for reading. Once again, thanks to the voters of District 53 for giving Logan the opportunity to represent you. And thanks to all those who participated in Logan’s survey, too. I know that Logan appreciates it, and he’s using that information to inform the decisions he makes as your representative.  The Morgan High student body officers paid a visit to the Capitol on Friday, and they sat on the floor with Logan. It’s always great to see young people learning about how the legislative process works firsthand. The Capitol building was also treated to a performance from Morgan High School’s Ovation! Choir. They really did a fantastic job. On Tuesday, Logan and his daughter Charlotte had a great time hanging out together at the Capitol. Here’s a brief overview of what’s been going on at the Capitol this week: On Monday the legislature was not in session in observance of President’s Day. On Tuesday Council for America came to the Capitol. Council for America is made up of 9,000 law enforcement officers, retired military officers, pastors, coaches, and community leaders. They met at the Capitol to discuss concerns over youth readiness for adulthood and declining eligibility for military service.  Also on Tuesday Rep. Steve Eliason along with the Utah Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention held a press conference to raise awareness about suicide prevention for military personnel and civilians. Shoes and combat boots, provided by Deseret Industries and the National Guard, were lined up on the Capitol steps to represent the more than 600 Utah lives lost to suicide last year. On Friday House Speaker Greg Hughes, and Senate President Wayne Niederhauser met with Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, and Murray Mayor Ted Eyre met to address the problem of homelessness. A few noteworthy bills that have come up this week are…
 Logan loves to hear from his constituents so feel free to contact him at:
Loganwilde@le.utah.gov Phone: (801) 538-1029 350 North State, Suite 350 #16  Logan was pleased to have his brothers and sisters-in-law, Albert and Karen, Edwin and Holly, and their families visit the Capitol on Friday.  Heather McMillan, Morgan County 4-H Ambassador and her Uncle Rep. Norm Thurston It’s been another week in the 2017 legislative session. On Wednesday Logan had the privilege of sitting with Morgan County's 4-H Ambassador Heather McMillan as she shadowed him for the day. Friday was a Wilde day, as some of Logan’s family came to visit and toured the Capitol. This week the House voted to remove the safety inspection requirement for privately owned vehicles via HB265. Thirty-four states have already done away with safety inspections. Numerous studies on vehicle safety inspections have been reviewed by the US Government Accountability Office in 2015. They found no evidence to indicate that safety inspection programs reduce mechanical failure related car accidents. A bill Logan is sponsoring also passed out of a Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee meeting. The bill, HB104, is designed to give counties more control over how funds collected from vehicle emission fees are spent. So far the bill has faced no opposition. HB178 also passed out of the House. The purpose of the bill is to help convicted felons who have served their time find housing so that they can reintegrate into society. It relates to the Good Landlord program. Landlords must pay a yearly fee for each dwelling on their rental property. The fee covers the disproportionate cost for providing city services to apartments when compared to owner occupied housing. However, if the landlord participates in the cities Good Landlord program, the fee is reduced from the standard fee of over $80 per unit to under $10 per unit. Several cities such as Ogden, have made it a requirement under the program, that landlords not rent to convicted felons. Even in municipalities where the city doesn’t have this requirement, it can be hard for former convicts looking for a new start to find housing. When a city creates strong incentives not to rent to ex-convicts it’s much harder for them to get on their feet. Logan, believing that mercy and forgiveness are vital to rehabilitation, and also that cities should not be telling private property owners who they can rent to, did vote for this bill. He was dismayed at an amendment which was added exempting cities where half-way houses reside. Logan also voted for HB211, a bill that would designate Spiral Jetty, an earthwork sculpture on the northeast shore of the Great Salt Lake, as the state work of art. The sculpture was created by Robert Smithson in 1970. Logan initially had concerns that the bill would put taxpayers on the hook to maintain the sculpture. Since this bill doesn’t appropriate any money, funding to the sculpture would require another bill.  The House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee voted for HB121 on Monday, a bill that would create a Local Food Advisory Counsel. It’s something that has been tried in North Carolina and Kansas with positive results. The Counsel would work with farmers to help promote local food as well as help to inform policy makers.
Once again thanks for reading and staying involved. As always don’t hesitate to contact Logan with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. He does read every email, we promise. You can contact him here: loganwilde@le.utah.gov Phone: (801) 538-1029 350 North State, Suite 350 #16 If you haven’t done the survey Logan put up on Tuesday, please do! He’d love to hear your feedback and it only takes a couple of minutes. Your input will help him this week as budgets are planned. If you’re one of the hundreds of voters who already took the survey, thank you! “We were just looking at some of the issues and just wanted to get a feel for how the district felt about some of the questions that we’re fielding by way of email.”, Logan said in an interview. The survey can be found here. About three-quarters of the respondents have said that the education system needs to be improved and needs more funding. Logan agrees.“There needs to be a mechanism to provide more funding and money specifically for teacher pay at the local level.”  Logan presented his first bill to the House on Monday. HB104 is an emissions bill which will give counties greater control over how vehicle emission fees are spent. Current law only permits counties to spend money on enforcement of emissions programs. This bill will allow them to use emission fee revenues on projects that promote air quality as well. Advocating for greater control at the county level is one of the primary issues that Logan campaigned on. The bill passed out of the House without opposition and is headed to the Senate.
This legislative session has been very, very busy. 1,272 bills have been brought forward this session, more than any other legislative session in Utah’s history. The senate has given final approval of HCR12, a resolution which calls on President Trump to reduce the size of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which currently occupies 1.9 million acres of land in Garfield and Kane Counties. HCR11, a resolution to rescind the Bear’s has passed and been signed by Governor Herbert. Rep. Jason Chaffetz gave a copy of it to President Trump on Wednesday.
Please contact Logan here with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have: loganwilde@le.utah.gov Phone: (801) 538-1029 350 North State, Suite 350 #16 And as always, thanks for reading and staying involved. Logan's Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L6ZHMNK
It’s been a busy week in the Utah state legislature. The Utah Future Farmers of America leadership paid a visit to the Capitol. Logan enjoyed the opportunity to meet with Utah college football coaches. He also got some training on how ticket revenues have dropped in recent years and how it’s affected local budgets, and had the opportunity to meet with the Utah Association of Conservation Districts. Some of the legislation that’s generating interest this week includes...
 Logan also presented HB0180 and HB181 mentioned last week to the House Natural Resources Committee. Both bills passed out favorably.
Thanks for reading and staying involved. Logan would love to hear any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. You can contact him here: loganwilde@le.utah.gov Phone: (801) 538-1029 350 North State, Suite 350 #16  Logan Wilde is honored to represent the citizens of District 53. He was sworn into office Monday, January 23 and is already hitting the ground running. He’s been busy, getting moved into his new office, getting oriented with his new duties, and meeting with all school board and county officials of District 53. Logan is excited to be serving on the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee, The House Political Subdivisions Committee, and the Executive Office Criminal Justice Offices Appropriations Subcommittee.  He is currently sponsoring three bills...
We would like to extend our gratitude to District 53 for giving Representative Wilde the opportunity to serve you. It’s been an eventful race to say the least. We’re looking forward to a busy year, working toward the ideals of fiscal responsibility and putting greater control back in the hands of local government.
Of course, it’s easy to see why the Presidential, US Senate, US Congressional races are important. But did you know that the number of Republican votes cast in your precinct for Governor/Lt. Governor, State Attorney General, State Auditor, and State Treasurer determines how many delegates will get to represent your precinct during the next four years? (This is called “Relative Republican Strength”, see the Utah Republican Party Constitution, Article XII, Sections 1A & 2C.) The more delegates that come from your precinct, the stronger your collective voice when it comes time to participate in party conventions and decisions.
In some counties and precincts, there are also races for state and local school boards, state senate, county commissioners, and more. Each one of these elected officials make important decisions that impact our daily lives, especially our families and our wallets. And let’s not forget the multiple constitutional amendments, ballot opinions, and judicial retention votes that also appear on our ballots. Are you worried that you don’t know enough to vote? Information is readily available; you just need to know where to look for it. I suggest first checking out vote.utah.gov, where you can enter your address, see a sample ballot, learn how and where to submit your ballot, and track it to make sure your vote was counted. I’ve also found Ballotpedia to be a great resource for voter information. With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, it’s particularly important to remember the hundreds of thousands of brave citizens who risked everything to protect our freedoms, especially our right to choose those leaders who must represent us in government. I believe that we will stand accountable for how we choose to exercise these freedoms that were bought at such a great cost. In light of all of these reasons, are you going to let an ugly presidential race keep you from sharing your voice and casting your vote? I hope not. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to vote for me, Logan Wilde, for Utah House District 53! |
Logan WildeA rancher, family man and Council Chair in Morgan County, I will fight for local control of education, land, and agriculture in the Utah State Legislature Categories
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