Engaging with the State Legislature

As you may know, we’re two weeks into the state legislative session. Already, I’ve been up to Salt Lake City twice to meet with Provo legislators.  

Thank You

My first message is one of gratitude to our state legislators. We truly feel they are partners with us in maintaining our high quality of life. Each of them sacrifices much for their important public service. I sincerely thank them for their efforts on our behalf.

Bills, Bills, Bills

For most of us, it can be challenging, if not impossible, to keep track of all the bills being discussed and considered. Ultimately, we just want to know how the potential legislation affects us personally. But without a doubt, legislation can have a huge impact on cities, both positively and negatively, so every year we engage with our representatives, letting them know which bills we support or oppose.

The amount of work being done over Utah’s 45-day legislative session is impressive and, at times, overwhelming. During the 2019 session, there were approximately 1,100 bill files opened. Of those, 835 were considered, and 573 were approved—a new record.

Remarkably, 362 of those approved bills had a direct local city impact. In short, we have 362 reasons to stay on top of what’s happening on Utah’s Capitol Hill.

Our Future Leaders

A highlight of the legislative session is Local Officials Day sponsored by the Utah League of Cities and Towns. On this day our Provo Youth City Council, now in its second year, recently joined hundreds of high school students from around the state to rub elbows with policy makers. They heard from the Speaker of the House, Brad Wilson, and the Senate President, Stuart Adams.

Our State Legislators

Do you know Provo’s state legislators? Have you ever reached out to them? Below is a list. I know each of them and can tell you they welcome your input. If you have concerns (or compliments!), you are always free to contact them, just as you’re always free to contact me. Thanks for reading this, and I’ll be on the lookout for any message you may have for me on legislative issues—or anything else impacting your life here in Provo.

Provo House Representatives

Marsha Judkins - mjudkins@le.utah.gov

Adam Robertson - adamrobertson@le.utah.gov

Keven Stratton - kstratton@le.utah.gov

Norman Thurston - normthurston64@gmail.com

Provo Senators

Curtis Bramble - curt@cbramble.com

Deidre Hendersen - dhenderson@le.utah.gov