Week 2 of the General Session
This week I worked harder than ever to help District 18, meeting with stakeholders, passing legislation that will protect victims of violence, passing essential parts of the State budget, and supporting our law enforcement. Even though it's only week two, our legislature has completed significant work.
 Notice anything different? We are experimenting with a new newsletter provider to the House of Representatives! I'd love your feedback on the newsletter.
- My decision on SB16: Transgender Youth Medical Care
- Meet my intern
- Passing the base budget--and what that means
- Town Hall
- Utah Broadband
- Water Week
- Week one in pictures
- Passed bills
This Thursday, I voted Yes on SB16 TRANSGENDER MEDICAL TREATMENTS AND PROCEDURES. Here is an article covering the process on Thursday.
In preparation for considering transgender related bills, I have been meeting individually and in groups with transgender constituents and their family members. I work with a number of LGBTQ colleagues and have LGBTQ extended family members and friends. I recognize that some of these bills have a very personal impact on their daily lives. I also met with a number of doctors that I trust, and I studied the various transgender related bills in detail (some I support, others I oppose).
Key issues in the debate include medical licensure, individual rights, parental rights, and is what is appropriate for a minor and/or their parents to consent to. As a community, we have decided to put age limits on tattoos, alcohol, tobacco, nicotine use, along with limits on the use of many other prescription and non-prescription drugs. The state also requires specific medical licenses for many types of medical treatments.
In the last few years, transgender related medical treatment has increased by several orders of magnitude. Currently in Utah, the State and the medical community do not heavily regulate transgender related medical treatments. There are qualified, highly trained doctors providing hormonal treatments in reputable programs at the Univ. of Utah and Primary Children’s. Unfortunately, there are also reports of less reputable providers providing quick treatments with minimal screening and no oversight. There are no long term studies available on the lifelong impacts of treating minors with “gender affirming care” and it appears to me that there is wide disagreement in the medical community on the best approach. (For more of the debate, watch the committee hearing.)
One of the examples that resonated with me was the history of opioid care the past 20 years. 15-20 years ago, many medical organizations encouraged the wide use of opioids to treat pain. One of the most heartbreaking parts of my service as Mayor was learning of the tragic deaths that resulted from opioid addictions. Only after years of experience were the longer term effects of prescribing opioids fully realized, and now the medical consensus around the use of opioids has changed.
Given the medical disagreement and high risks, should children and their parents be encouraged or allowed to consent to receive life-altering transgender surgery with lifelong consequences to them? What screening and consent requirements should physicians follow before recommending surgery or prescribing life altering drugs? What is the best approach to reduce suicide among one of our most vulnerable populations?
I had many questions that I discussed with the sponsors and other medical professionals. Along with most of my colleagues, I voted for SB16. I believe is it a good compromise that will protect children and save lives.
In SB16, I recognize there are elements may be challenged in court and have a risk of being struck down, such as the open-ended hormonal transgender treatment moratorium. However, below is a list of the key elements of SB16 that I strongly support:
- Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a systematic review of the medical evidence regarding hormonal transgender treatments and provide recommendations to the Legislature;
- Division of Professional Licensing to create a certification for providing hormonal transgender treatments, and requirements that a health care provider to meet certain requirements before providing a hormonal transgender treatment;
- Prohibition of sex characteristic surgical procedures on a minor for the purpose of effectuating a sex change;
- Malpractice Lawsuits: specifies that a patient may bring a medical malpractice action for a hormonal transgender treatment. Extending the medical malpractice statute of limitations for a hormonal transgender treatment that is provided to minors;
- The careful, structured framework required for consent before treatment is provided to a minor
I have sincerely appreciated your feedback to me; it has informed me on my decision and helped me know how I can best help the LGBTQ community. I would love to hear more from you and your thoughts about this, and what we can do more to protect and help all children in our community.
I'm excited to introduce my intern, Jenny Carpenter! Jenny is currently spending her time helping me and Representative Colin Jack from St. George. Ever since she competed in Woods Cross High’s debate team, she's loved politics. Currently, she’s majoring in journalism and minoring in Chinese; she wants to work as a political reporter (though I’m trying to dissuade some of that!). In her free time, she loves being with her fiancé, reading and writing poetry, and sleeping. I’m grateful for her help and excited to see how we can best help you! If you would like to meet with me, reach out to her phone or email (385-420-3082 or jcarpenter@le.utah.gov).
This week, we passed four base budget bills. These bills help us create a base plan to ensure a responsible minimum budget. Over the next few weeks, my colleagues and I will debate the items and funding to allocate in addition to this minimum budget.
High-speed broadband internet has become a critical part of most people lives for work, school and entertainment. Centerville has good access to Fiber via UTOPIA, and many in Farmington are excited about the recent agreement with AllWest. Bountiful and Kaysville have both been exploring options to bring more fiber to their cities. As a state, Utah will be applying for federal funding as part of the 2022 Infrastructure bill to expand access to high quality broadband. If you would like to help, please fill out the Connecting Utah High-Speed Internet Survey, where you can provide essential information to bolster Utah’s efforts.
Next week is #WaterWeek. Tell me your thoughts about how we can best preserve, conserve, and optimize Utah’s water.
If you are interested in more bills helping with the Great Salt Lake and Utah's water, check out HB150: Emergency Water Shortage Amendments, HB272: Water Efficient Landscaping Amendments, HB276: Water Supply Amendments.
 It was meaningful to meet with some of our disabled friends at the Capitol and learn more about what is working (parent caregiver compensation) and what isn’t working (long DSPD wait lists). I commit to helping both caregivers and those with disabilities get the help they need.
 This week, I had the opportunity to meet with several constituents, including representatives from the Utah Parent Center (an organization dedicated to those with disabilities and their caregivers), and SheMoney (an organization that helps women with their businesses). I also chatted with a university student about her work on Research Day on the Hill.
 This week, I had the opportunity to request funding for a project that will enable easier, more transparent elections for you. I then presented one of my bills to the Utah Law Enforcement Legislative Committee.
I was also able to chat with Cameron from Bike Utah, and I'm excited to work with them in the future.
H.B. 1 Higher Education Base Budget
H.B. 4 Business, Economic Development, and Labor Base Budget
H.B. 6 Infrastructure and General Government Base
H.B. 7 National Guard, Veterans Affairs, and Legislature Base Budget
H.B. 11 Volunteer Government Workers Amendments
H.B. 18 Online Dating Safety Amendments
H.B. 25 Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Task Force Sunset Extension
H.B. 29 Mental Health Support and Law Enforcement Co-response
H.B. 30 Wildlife Resources Code Recodification
H.B. 31 Wildlife Resources Recodification Cross References
H.B. 35 Unfair Practices Act Amendments
H.B. 41 Utah Retirement Systems Revisions
H.B. 57 Law Enforcement Investigation Amendments
H.B. 66 Behavioral Health Crisis Response Commission Amendments
H.B. 71 Local Health Department Revisions
H.B. 73 Municipal Office Modifications
H.B. 78 Behavioral Health Treatment Access Amendments
H.B. 94 Reverse Mortgage Amendments
H.B. 110 Waste Tire Recycling Fund Amendments
H.B. 112 State Fish Hatchery Maintenance Account Amendments
H.B. 114 Theft Defense Amendments
H.B. 122 Sex Offender Registry Amendments
H.B. 133 Health Care Facility Visitation Amendments
H.B. 141 Driver License Test Amendments
H.J.R. 2 Joint Resolution Amending Rules of Civil Procedure on Injunctions
H.J.R. 6 Joint Resolution Authorizing Pay of In-session Employees
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