Meeting Summary for
Utah Progressive Caucus
General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
via internet conference
Presiding and Conducting: Emily Olsen, Chair
Other executive committee officers in attendance:
Mitchell Vice, Vice Chair
Terri Gilfillan, Secretary
- Approval of meeting minutes from January 3, 2023 meeting
- Announcements:
– The UDP County Chair meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month. A Zoom link is available on the UDP calendar of events can be found on their website under the Get Involved tab.
– Candidate filing for positions up for UDP election will open March 18. Information to file may be found here.
– Other announcements - Guest: Nick Mitchell, running for UDP Vice Chair. His website is nickforvicechair.com.
Nick is a progressive. He ran as a U.S. Representative in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District last year. He is interested in getting involved at the State Party level.
- The State Progressive Chairs, a national group, met about a week before this meeting and discussed the potential to create a fundraising arm to support progressive democrats in red states.
- Legislative update discussion:
Bill List may be found at https://www.utahprogressives.org/2023/01/05/utah-progressive-caucus-bill-list/
– HB 25, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, passed
– HB 59, First Responder Mental Health Amendments, which would add the spouses of retired first responders to the list of those who qualify for mental health services, passed
– HB 113, Motor Vehicle Insurance Revisions, passed House and Senate – Increases the minimum coverage limits in January 2025. Although it will be expensive for people out of pocket, it will help them on the backend when they are involved in an accident.
– HB 89, Gun Safety Amendments, which would create a waiting period between purchase a delivery of a firearm, was tabled.
– HB 115, Child Abuse Reporting Revisions, which would require a member of the clergy to report child abuse under certain circumstances, was tabled.
– HB 148, Firearm Amendments, which would make it a crime if someone files off identifying marks on a firearm, was tabled.
– HB 215, Funding for Teacher Salaries and Optional Education Opportunities, passed. We oppose. The bill holds hostage the raise for teachers under the condition that the state support charter schools.
– HB 217, School Energy and Water Restrictions, passed
– HB 243, Public Transit Employee Collective Bargaining Amendments, passed. We oppose – does not permit managers in public transit from being involved in unions.
– SB 231, Government Records Access and Management Act Amendments, passed, we oppose – adds additional restrictions to GRAMA and ability for journalists and the public to obtain requested government documents.
– SCR 1, Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed. We are opposed.
– HB 228, Unprofessional Conduct Amendments, that prohibits certain health care professionals from providing conversion therapy to a minor client, passed.
– SB 16, Transgender Medical Treatments and Procedures Amendments, passed. It would fund research about when gender-altering surgery in children is recommended.
– SB 93, Birth Certificate Modifications, passed. We oppose. Doesn’t allow someone under age 18 to change their gender on birth certificate.
– SB 133, Modifications to Medicaid Coverage, passed. This is good. It required Medicaid in Utah to provide family planning services and extend the duration of post-partum coverage for certain women.
– SB 192, Medicaid Doula Services, was not passed.
– SB 269, Chronic Condition Support Amendments, passed. This requires the Dept of Health and Human Services to apply for Medicaid waivers to assist people with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, kidney disease, etc.
– HB 231, Low Income Housing Property Tax Exemption, passed. It allows homeowners that provide permanent supportive housing to qualify for the nonprofit entity tax exemption
– SB 240, First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program, passed
– HB 230, Center for Medical Cannabis Research, passed
– HB 116, Intergenerational Poverty Solution, passed. It provides grant funds to be put into 529 savings accounts for the children of an identified intergenerational poverty family.
– SB 288, Utility Bill Assistance Program, passed
– HB 18, Online Dating Safety Amendments, passed
– HB 19, Rape Crisis Center Modifications, passed
– HB 219, Firearms Regulations, passed. It claims states’ rights to not enforce any federal law that would restrict the Second Amendment
– HB 259, Suicide Prevention in Correctional Facilities, passed – requires county jails to install suicide barriers on upper levels to prevent an individual from falling
- Scheduling of the next General Membership Meeting – a list of available dates will be sent out.
- Adjournment