Week Three

I enjoyed meeting with Summit County's elected officials Thursday morning.

What a rollercoaster this one was! In spite of all the drama, a lot has been accomplished in this third week of the session. A few noteworthy items:

• HB357 will be presented by Representative Ken Ivory and Senator Jim Dabakis. This bill calls on the Federal Government to pay its fair share. Currently, public lands are not taxed for the services other government agencies provide; such as search and rescue, police, fire, and ambulance. This bill would allow the state to calculate the cost of these services and bill the Federal Government for the services provided. I am in favor of this bill, and will be keeping a close eye on it during the session.

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Hillary Jessup is one of my favorite Summit County constituents. I'm always happy when she stops to say hello and keep me on my toes.

• The House Leadership is pursuing a plan to increase the weighted pupil unit (WPU) by $4200. They would also like to increase teacher salaries by $2000. Both of these changes would be statewide.
• The Transportation Committee heard several bills this week. One tackled distracted driving (it failed in committee), another concerned diesel emissions in non-attainment areas of the state (it passed committee and will be heard on the Floor). Representative Curt Webb presented HB166, which sets parameters on when a state agency can limit access to a public road. It also states that land owners must be justly compensated by the state agency if their access is limited.
• In Political Subdivisions we debated HB224, the County Government Change Election Amendment. This bill simplifies the process of changing a form of government within a county. The process would be consistent with changing the form of government in a municipality.

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I loved the opportunity to visit with Summit County delegate Karen Spencer this week.

​Thursday, the Utah Association of Counties hosted their day on the Hill. It was great to meet with friends and colleagues from all of our District 53 counties.
It’s been a good week, and I’m looking forward to next week’s adventures. As always, you may contact me at loganwilde@le.ut.gov with any questions or concerns. Thanks for trusting me with your vote. 

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