Becky Edwards

The 4th Day of the session finds most bills in 1st gear.  This is the stage where a lot of the work on bills is done that produces the momentum to take them through the next 2 gears and finally into the 4th gear where it passes through both the House and the Senate and is signed into law by the Governor.

Two bills I am working on took a significant step forward as I was able to secure Senate sponsors for both of them.  The first is the Access to Voter Date of Birth Records.  Currently, that information is public and accessible to anyone. That causes a lot of concerns over potential identity theft and this bill is an attempt to simply protect the privacy of those who register to vote. The release of private information like your birthdate, even if it is voluntarily made public by you in other places like facebook, should not be a requirement for voter registration.

Senator Ralph Okerland will be the Senate sponsor on this bill.   Sen. Okerland has heard from several constituents about this issue and one of them has had their identity stolen, in part because of their date of birth being public record on the voting roles.  Below are several links that discuss this issue.

Governor Herbert gave his annual State of the State address tonite.  Read the text of his message here:

http://www.utah.gov/governor/news_media/2012-state-of-state.html

While that was happening (better planning next year, I promise), Rep. Jim Nielson, Senate Todd Weiler and I held our “State of Davis County” Legislative Town Hall meeting at the Bountiful City Library.  We had a great crowd there who came well informed and prepared with questions about issues facing the families of our area.  The questions covered everything from education funding, online learning, insurance coverage for autism, eminent domain for trails, concurrent enrollment for high school students, and tax policy.  In addition, each of us had a chance to briefly discuss bills we are working on this year.  It was a great opportunity to meet together and I know all three of us would welcome continued conversations.

Earlier in the day I had the opportunity to visit with a group of students representing the North Salt Lake City Youth Council.  They were at the Capitol as part of the League of Cities and Towns annual event.  They are great young people and it was a great reminder that the “State of the Future” in our area is doing great.

I also had a chance to meet with some folks representing Utah Works, a “State Use Program”program that puts people with disabilities to work through public-private partnerships.  It is a self funding collaboration that saves taxpayer dollars by reducing public assistance costs and currently employs over 200 people.  I am very impressed with the good work done by several businesses employing people to do janitorial work, shredding, scanning, laundry, assembly work.  The “State of Employment” is healthy in the disability community and those helping them creatively find employment.

These are some of the folks involved in Utah Works projects:  Chad Miller and Bob Daniels from PARC in Clearfield, Charlee Norman of the Columbus Community Center in SLC, and Jan Parke and Phil Shumway with TURN Secure Shredding.

In addition, we had committee meetings for Political Subdivisions and Education today as well.  In Education we heard two bills.  One that addressed the division of a school district and required that all people involved in the split would be allowed to vote in decision to divide.  That bill is an outgrowth of the Canyons/Jordan split from a few years ago.  The bill failed with only one yes vote. The other bill allows for a public school teacher to send home with their students a list of school supplies that their parents could voluntarily purchase, otherwise the school would furnish the supplies.  This is not an option under current state code and many teachers spend hundreds of dollars every Fall getting their classroom stocked with the necessities for the school year.  That bill passed out with only one no vote.

We had two great committee meetings today, both having to do with different aspects of education.

First, in Higher Education Appropriations we had the privilege to hear from Clayton Christensen, author of “The Innovative University” and other books that challenge the status quo by disruptive techniques.  He believes in the realm of higher education those disruptions are:

1.  On-line learning.

2.  Modular pieces of higher education that can fit seamlessly with other pieces.

3.  Removing the boundaries between K-12 and post-secondary education.

4.  Finding a common way to frame the issues surrounding higher education.  In other words, let’s speak a common language.

Clayton Christensen is the brother of our own Carlton Christensen, Salt Lake City Councilman, who represents the area of Rose Park that I represent in the legislature.  Judging from the two of them, they must have had a great Mom.

A photo of Clayton in committee:

And now, if you’d like a reading assignment…..today’s homework assignment is to read “The Innovative University” and share your thoughts with the class.

And speaking of higher ed, today was “Research on the Hill” day where students from the University of Utah and Utah State University came with posters to present their research on a variety of subjects.  It was quite a thrill to connect with a USU student, Kira Anjewierden of Bountiful.  Her research, in conjunction with fellow USU student Sarah Pope of Sandy, centered on the influence of physical activity on eating disorder risk and emotion regulation in female college athletes.

It was an interesting study, but even more impressive was their ability to discuss the design of the study, statistical analysis and their conclusions.  There were probably 30-40 students from each University and the research topics ranged from microgravity, literacy, linguistic patterns, and organic carbon in beaver ponds.  Truly, an impressive bunch of students and Sen. Todd Weiler and I were pretty wowed.

The afternoon brought a House Education Standing committee where we had standing room only due to the fact that there were probably 50 students from the American Preparatory Academy visiting.  They are one of the strongest charter schools in the state, with several campuses serving different cities, and really exemplify the why and how charters can be so successful in providing choice for parents and students.

During the Education Committee  we discussed State-wide Adaptive testing, a great tool for educators that allows a test to adapt the questions on a test to the ability of the test taker.  Test results are available immediately, allowing for lesson plan creation that addresses the specific needs of the students.  This bill passed out unanimously.  There is a significant fiscal note, however, and we will have to see how that gets dealt with as we continue to put the budget together.  The other bill we heard was dealing with the UEN, the Utah Education Network, the entity that provides curriculum, student inter actives, professional development, and educational tools to K-12, higher ed, and adult ed across the state, free of charge.  It is a tremendously important program to the education community as a whole in our state and this bill creates a board for governance and accountability for the UEN.

The 2012 Legislative session began this morning at 10:00 am.  Here is the view from Victory Road as I was driving in to the Capitol earlier this morning….and yes, I did pull over to the side of the road to take this photo.  

The morning began with a beautiful prayer by Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the LDS Church.  He asked that a blessing of humility and civility be present in the legislative session and that those involved would work towards all that was right and good.  Since Elder Hallstrom is a neighbor it was a special treat o see him there this morning and to feel of his spirit.  We then had the privilege of hearing the Provo High School Chamber Choir sing  ”The Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,”  and the beautiful British hymn “I Vow to Thee, My Country.”

 I’ve included the lyrics to that hymn, set to Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter,” below:

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,

Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;

The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,

That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;

The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,

The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

I heard my country calling, away across the sea,

Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.

Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,

And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.

I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,

I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.

And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,

Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;

We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;

Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;

And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,

And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

Speaker Lockhart shared some remarks that included several experiences she has had throughout this past year meeting exceptional people across the state.  She ended by encouraging House members to “be bold and be brave” so that “when the session is over you’ll be able to say you did your very best.”  A good admonition.

We also witnessed the swearing in of the three most recent members of the House:  Rep. Craig Frank (R-Pleasant Grove), Rep. Dan McCay (R-Herriman), and Rep. Lowry Snow (R-St. George).  I look forward to working with my new colleagues.

During a break for lunch I was able to go to the Capitol cafeteria with my husband who was visiting for the morning.  He deserves the title of my favorite constituent and it was a treat to have him up at the Capitol.

We returned from lunch in time to hear Utah  State Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham deliver her state of the judiciary address.  It was impressive to hear the innovations and efficiencies they have applied in the past several years that have resulted in improved court reform and judicial administration.  I am highly impressed with the great work they do.

Then it was off to the Political Subdivision where we heard 4 bills, several of which were very hotly scrutinized and debated.  Usually this early in the session you hear bills that are fairly non-controversial or simple, but that was not the case.   One bill dealt with a state requirement to perform a seismic assessment on buildings built prior to 1975 when they undergo a complete roof replacement.  The other deals with a clean up of the Utah Voter files by requesting either an acknowledgement of a correct current address from the voter at least once every 10 years, or the voter actually placing a vote in an election at least once every 10 years in order to maintain their status on the voting rolls.  Very interesting topics and we will hear more from both of these bills I’m sure.

Thanks for following this legislative blog.  As we move forward I will be including on the right sidebar a list of every vote taken on the House floor and continuing to write a more in-depth accounting of the activities of the day than I include in a Facebook or twitter post.  However, you are welcome to follow me on either of those sites.  You can search for me @utahbecky on twitter and Becky  Edwards on fb.  As always I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for those who have completed and mailed in their legislative surveys.  I mailed the surveys to every registered voter within both my current and new legislative district boundaries.   However, if for some reason you didn’t receive one, you may login to www.utgop.org/edwards and complete the survey online.  You may also choose to complete it online even if you received a survey in the mail.

One last thing….please join me, Rep. Jim Nielson, and our new Senator Todd Weiler, at a Legislative Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 25th, at the Bountiful City Library, 620 S. Main in Bountiful.  We will begin at 7:00 pm and I hope to see you there.

Again, thanks for your interest and input.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Three things I’m thankful for this November:

1. The opportunity to vote in the General Municipal election. Election day is coming up on Tuesday, November 8. In fact, early voting has begun.

You can check the link at http://vote.utah.gov/ to see locations and hours for early voting in your community. We talk a lot in Utah about the importance of local control and that the government closest to the people governs best. I believe that. Municipal elections are a chance for you to vote for those who will literally be closest to you. Please make the effort to get out and vote.

2. Beauty in art. Two of my very favorite people are kindly bringing their art to my home on Saturday, November 5, from 6-9 pm. Cary Henrie and his talented daughter, Annie Henrie, will be here in person with their latest works of art. Come prepared to enjoy the beauty they see and help others feel through their art. Works will be for sale that evening, but simply appreciating and looking is fine too. My address: 1121 Eaglewood Loop, North Salt Lake.

Interested in their work, or more info about Cary and Annie?
www.caryhenrie.com
and
http://anniehenrie.weebly.com/index.html

2. Music, especially the songs of this Thanksgiving season. Specifically two upcoming concerts that highlight some of my favorite choral music.

A. “Hometown Praise,” a Utah Voices concert, Friday, November 11, 7:00 pm, Libby Gardner Hall, UofU campus.
I have had the opportunity to sing with this wonderful choir for several years now and it has been a tremendous privilege. This particular concert is comprised of sacred choral music all either written or arranged by Utah composers. Your spirit will be enriched–guaranteed. Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased at the door.

Info on Utah Voices: www.utahvoices.org

Beautiful thoughts on the Hometown Praise concert by Kathryn Ariotti, Managing Dir.of Utah Voices: http://utahvoices.org/news/2011/10/17/thoughts-hometown-praise

or check out the Facebook event page for the Hometown Praise concert:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=227668217293290

B. I love the hymns of Thanksgiving and always wish we had more opportunities to sing them. You too? Well, our wish will come true at the “Thanksgiving Interfaith Festival of Hymns,” on Sunday, November 13th, 6:00 pm, 261 E. Center Street.

This event is presented by North Salt Lake City as part of their Second Sunday Concert Series. This will be an open sing along format and is open to all community members and church choirs. Members of all faiths in the South Davis area will join together to sing the sacred hymns of the Thanksgiving season. Hymn texts will be provided. Scott Rowley, Music Director for the Church of the Resurrection in Centerville, will serve as the organist for the evening. Come celebrate God’s great bounty with gratitude in song.

Facebook event page:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=263029223742832&ref=ts

The following are four items of interest for this week.  Thanks for following the blog and please take time to write me at beckyedwards@utah.gov with any suggestions or concerns you may have, especially as we gear up for the legislation session that begins in January, 2012.  Please note I am moving to a new email server and hope to have all updates to my email list completed soon.  Let me know if you’d like to be on my email list to receive legislative and other updates throughout the session and beyond.

1. Statewide Education Accountability Results

The Utah State Office of Education has released the 2011 accountability results of the UPASS and AYP school testing. This includes information on all public and charter schools. The link for this information is:
http://www.schools.utah.gov/data/Educational-Data/Accountability-Reports.aspx

Additionally, the Fingertip Facts link includes state-wide data on the following subjects and is worthy of an examination: CRT language arts and math scores, public education general funding and expenditures, and enrollment demographics. That link is:
http://www.schools.utah.gov/data/Fingertip-Facts/2011_FingertipFacts.aspx

2. Redistricting Meeting

The Republican Women of Northern Utah are hosting Representative Roger Barrus (State Representative from our neighboring District 18) for a dialogue of ‘How Redistricting Affects You.’ The meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 13th at Barnes Park (950 West 200 North, Bowery #1) in Kaysville at 12:00 P.M. (noon)

The Legislative Redistricting Committee voted on 9.12.11 and adopted a “Base Map” for the State Senate, which can be found here: http://www.redistrictutah.com/maps/senate-redistricting-committee-adopted-base-map-91211

Other maps can also be found on the www.redistrictutah.com site.

The state of Utah will have 4 U.S. Congressional districts, a U.S. senate seat and a gubernatorial election in 2012. Each state Senate, state House of Representatives and state school board seat will be realigned, too. All of these changes affect us directly. Take the opportunity to hear from someone who was involved in the process.

Please bring your neighbors and friends! This brown bag (bring your own lunch) event is FREE, the public is invited.  Dessert will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

3. Meet the Governor!

Open house with the Governor

 Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. 
 
Centerville Library, 45 South 400 West, Centerville

This event is open to the public and will include an opportunity for a Q&A with the Governor for those in attendance. We hope to have a great turn-out!

4. Municipal Primary Elections are  Tuesday, September 13

To find out your polling place, the election day requirements, and candidate information go to: http://vote.utah.gov/

City Council races in many cities will be decided in the general election in November.  Only the following cities in Davis County will be holding a primary:

Centerville, Clearfield, Farmington, Kaysville, Layton, South Weber, Syracuse, and West Bountiful.

The complete list of Utah cities holding primaries tomorrow can be found in the graphic included in the Deseret News story here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705390665/Primary-elections-on-Tuesday-hone-local-elections.html?pg=1

North Salt Lake will be hosting their second outdoor “Second Sunday Concert” on Sunday, August 14, 6:00. The concert will be held at the Foxboro Regional Park, 1100 North Skipton Drive (approximately 1100 West), North Salt Lake. The headliner group will be Back at the Ranch with June Crosby and Friends: A Cowboy Music Roundup. The public is invited to attend this free concert and enjoy a beautiful North Salt Lake sunset while being serenaded with Cowboy trail songs and ballads. There will be plenty of hootin’ and hollerin’ to go around and free popcorn for the family.

North Salt Lake’s own June Crosby has been playing violin since she was 8 years old. Although she studied classically she has been fiddling for 35 years. Her family band, “The Wasatch Fault,” played locally for many years and also toured Belgium. June was the fiddler with the “Bar K Wranglers” for over 10 years and played with the “Silver Creek Band” at the 2002 Olympics. June Crosby is one of North Salt Lake’s most talented and versatile musicians. We’re so proud to call her one of our own!

June’s Cowboy Friends:

Richard Olsen, a former bull rider and bareback competitor with the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association, has had four of his songs make the Top 20 on the charts. His western music rings true because he actually walks the walk and then sings about it. Richard’s huge international and local following knows all about his talent, passion, and showmanship. A performer like none other—a true singing Cowboy.
http://www.swingingwestmusic.com/bio.php
His album “Cowboy” can be heard on iTunes

Snoose Argyle looks the part of every long legged, mustachioed cowboy you ever read about in a Louis L’Amore western novel. With songs so real that you can almost smell the bacon or hear the horses whinny, it’s easy to see why Snoose is dedicated to preserving and promoting the ways of the old west through music. Website for Snoose Argyle:
http://www.saddlestringscowboyband.com/id1.html

Map for Foxboro Regional Park: http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=address+foxboro+regional+park&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8752f748947374e3:0x2924ee98fc39c171,Foxboro+North+Regional+Park,+W+1100+N,+North+Salt+Lake,+UT+84087&gl=us&ei=OtE5TsaaFerSiALJlqD_DA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ8gEwAA

North Salt Lake is hosting the first outdoor concert in their Second Sunday concert series. Uinta Barbershop will be the featured performers. The concert will be held on Sunday, June 12, at 6:00 pm.

Bring blankets, friends, family, and neighbors to Hatch Park for a beautiful evening enjoying the tight harmonies of barbershop.

Uinta Barbershop has been singing together for a little over seven years. All four have been members of the Beehive Statesmen Chorus for most of their time singing together. Uinta Barbershop has competed nine times in the past seven years in the Rocky Mountain District of the Barbershop Harmony Society. In those contests they finished in the top ten once, and have taken 11th place an unprecedented five times!

Members of Uinta Barbershop are Lee Taylor (baritone), Jim Gallagher (bass), Jan Vanderhooft (lead), and Doug Stone (tenor), who has lived in North Salt Lake for 30 years.

North Salt Lake Second Sunday Concert Series
Uinta Barbershop
June 12, 6:00 pm
Hatch Park
50 W. Center Street
North Salt Lake

Hope to see you there!

There are two exciting events coming up this weekend I want to let you know about.

1. First, the NSL Second Sunday Concert Series will be held on Sunday, May 8th, 6:00 pm.

“A Melody of Motherhood”
featuring
Melou Stewart Cline

Celebrate and honor the women in your life by enjoying this special Mother’s Day concert together. Mothers will be the special guests of honor as we enjoy an evening with acclaimed North Salt Lake musician and artist Melou Stewart Cline. Melou is a classical singer, composer, and pianist. She performs with the Utah Chamber Artists and is a frequent soloist on local, national, and international stages.

The Mother’s Day performance will include Melou’s original music as well as familiar and endearing songs. This event will highlight and enhance your Mother’s Day festivities. A reception will follow, including small gifts for mothers in attendance.

For more information on Melou: www.meloumusic.com

North Salt Lake Second Sunday Concert Series
“A Melody of Motherhood”
May 8, 2011
6:00 pm
North Salt Lake City Hall, 20 S. Highway 89, NSL

2. Second, Rep. Jim Nielson, Sen. Dan Liljenquist, and I will be participating in the South Davis Republican Symposium on Saturday, May 7th, 9:00 am. We’ll be discussing the legislative session and issues for the future. I hope to see you there. However, if you’re not able to come, please send any questions or comments my way at beckyedwards@utah.gov.

South David Republican Symposium
Saturday, May 7th
9:00 am
Bountiful City Hall, 790 S. Main, Bountiful

I’m delighted to inform you about a new event premiering in our community. North Salt Lake City is beginning something exciting – a “Second Sunday Concert Series.” Every second Sunday of the month NSL Live will be sponsoring a concert and the first one is this Sunday, April 10. This is a free family friendly event and will begin at 6:00 pm at the North Salt Lake City Hall, 20 S. Highway 89, North Salt Lake. All ages are welcome.

The first performers will be Utah Voices, a fantastic choir who will be presenting an encore of their recent concert “Broadway Bingo.” This played to a sold out crowd at Libby Gardner Hall two weeks ago and this is a great opportunity to come and see all the action: Broadway showtunes, amazing soloists, accompanied by the best band in town, The Band. For more info on Utah Voices, http://utahvoices.org. For more info on other NSL Live events, http://www.nsllive.nslcity.org.

Put this on your calendar and make it the first of what is sure to become a family tradition – attending the NSL “Second Sunday Concert Series.”

Sunday, April 10th

6:00 pm

North Salt Lake City Hall

20 S. Highway 89, NSL

Hope to see you there!