41 days down, four more to go!
Welcome to the final four days of this year’s legislative session! You may think things will slow down now that we are at the final stretch, but in reality, things are about to move even faster.
Legislators will rush to finalize actions on over 1,300 pieces of legislation in the upcoming days. It is crucial that you continue voicing your concerns and reaching out to your lawmakers as we race to the finish line.
Here is a breakdown of what you can expect during the rest of this week.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Last week, many HEAL supporters tuned into various committee meetings and provided public comments. We encourage you to continue doing this virtually or in person, as it is a unique opportunity to address not only your specific lawmakers but a body of representatives from around the state.
Snowed in, or can’t make it up to the hill?
Giving public comments virtually is easy! All you have to do is,
1) Visit le.utah.gov.
2)Find the specific legislation you are tracking (you can use our tracker for this).
3)Find the committee meeting it’s heading to.
4)Look for an agenda + time.
5)Join the meeting at the respective time
6)Wait until they allow for public comment!
Opportunities to give public comment this week
✅House Bill 220, a bill requiring the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) to identify and measure point sources of all halogens, including bromine, will be heard during the Senate Natural Resources committee. We encourage you to provide public comment in SUPPORT of this legislation.
✅House Bill 217, a bill that would help schools with energy and water conservation efforts, will be heard in the Senate Education Committee. We encourage you to provide public comment in SUPPORT of this legislation.
❌Senate Bill 107, a bill that would divert $20 million in severance tax revenue to cover road reconstruction through Gate Canyon, will be heard during the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. We encourage you to provide public comment to OPPOSE this legislation.
❌Senate Bill 407, a bill that would roll back a tax credit for utility-scale renewables by 2034, will be heard during the Senate Revenue and Taxation committee. We encourage you to provide public comment to OPPOSE this legislation.
❌❌Senate Bills 96 and 97, two bills with anti-ESG language, will both be heard in the House Business and Labor Committee. We encourage you to provide public comment to OPPOSE both pieces of legislation.
❌HJR 25, a joint resolution that would unequally compare the hazards of renewable energy to traditional fossil fuels, will be heard in the House Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee. We encourage you to provide public comment to OPPOSE this legislation.
Lobby your lawmakers while they cast their final votes.
Suppose you missed your opportunity to submit a public comment but still want to ensure your lawmaker knows your opinion on a piece of legislation. In that case, you can contact them either in person or virtually.
In-person: To lobby a lawmaker in person, you will need to know the following information
1)What bill you want to focus on.
2)What chamber is it in? (House or Senate).
3)Your lawmaker’s intern’s phone number.
4)When it will be voted on. (Check agendas!)
Once you have this information, you will want to head to the Utah State Capitol, go to the second-floor, and text or call your lawmaker’s intern and request to speak with them as they vote on either the House or Senate floor.
Contact your House Representatives
OPPOSE HCR 9, a resolution that would go after federal regulations delaying the closure of coal-fired power plants in Utah, by contacting your Representatives. 
SUPPORT SB 201, a bill requiring educational information about radon to be provided to residential property owners by contacting your Representatives.
❌OPPOSE HJR 25, a joint resolution that claims that net-zero policies are expensive and cause environmental harm while oil and gas positively impact health and life, by contacting your Representatives
Contact your Senators.
❌OPPOSE SCR 9, a resolution that supports the treasurer and government entities in opposing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, by contacting your Senators,
❌OPPOSE House Bill 301, a bill creating a new tax on most electric vehicle charging stations in Utah, by contacting your Senators.
✅SUPPORT House Bill 349, a bill that limits water reuse projects that direct water away from the Great Salt Lake watershed, by contacting your Senators.
Organize + Mobilize.
Did your lawmakers vote in a way that doesn’t accurately represent the wants or needs of your community?
Start a conversation with friends and family and organize to hold your lawmaker accountable. This could be as easy as creating a letter/petition with signatures to finding ways to run for office.
Bills that you can organize around
SB 249 is a bill that would have created a tax credit for commercial entities to install energy storage systems in the state. This bill failed in committee with a vote of 2 YEAS, 3 NAYS, and 3 ABSENT votes.
SCR 6 is a resolution that would have highlighted the importance of the Great Salt Lake and set a target water elevation level. This bill failed in committee with a vote of 4 NAYS, 2 YEAS, and 2 ABSENT VOTES.
Join us for our last two community lobbying days.
- Tuesday, Feb 28: Southern Utah Day on the Hill 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM. RSVP
- Thursday, Feb 2: Last Community Lobbying Training: 9:30 AM -12:30 PM. RSVP
Meisei Gonzalez
Communications Director for the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah)