Hello, PPC members! I wanted to introduce myself and talk about exciting updates with the Legislative Session. My name is Caroline deLannoy. I am the Legislative intern for the 2020 session. I am studying political science and on a pre-law track at the University of Utah. When I'm not studying or working I love to run, dance, watch basketball and eat! This internship has been such an exciting opportunity for me. I've been able to meet many incredible legislators, professionals, and passionate advocates. I was unsure of how I wanted to present myself and my voice in this new job. The people who work with the Utah Legislature and the PPC are the fiercest fighters for being one’s true authentic self. They are courageous in their decision-making, advocacy, and fight to help people who are on the margins of society. I have fallen into an extraordinary pocket of learning that is priceless to my University education as well as my journey in becoming a good human.
These values are evident in the legislation that we are following. This was a particularly exciting week because we had three bills go to committee. The week started with the introduction of S.B. 39. The bill, sponsored by Senator Anderegg, will put $15 million towards the construction of affordable housing, $15 million towards rental assistance, and $5 million towards continued affordable housing mechanisms. The bill is bridging the gap between homeless services and at-risk families. It passed committee 2-1.
The next bill to go into committee meetings was H.B. 83. The bill sponsored by Rep. Stoddard introduced a new system of expunging records. The legislation is advocating for the protection of domestic violence victims. This new approach ensures that they are notified when their abusers request the expungement of their records. This bill passed the committee unanimously with a favorable recommendation!
Our last bill in committee was SB 89 The bill is sponsored by Senator Thatcher and seeks to establish a fund for University Neuropsychiatric Institute that will provide affordable mental health care for people who have slipped between the cracks. Senator Thatcher said that he believes this is the most important bill he will sponsor the whole session because it will provide extensive help to Utahns who are in dire need of mental health care. This bill passed unanimously in the committee with a very favorable recommendation!
We are so happy to see that the issues of mental health, domestic violence, and affordable housing are a priority to our legislators. I got an amazing opportunity this past week to connect with Representative Suzanne Harrison. I wrote a research paper on the effectiveness of electronic prescriptions of controlled substances to decrease fraudulent activity and "doctor shopping" for her. Rep. Harrison's bill H.B. 177 passed unanimously in committee! This moment was so special to me. Rep. Harrison and the PPC were able to work together to pass a bill that will help so many struggling people.
The work that we are doing is incredibly meaningful to all Utahns, but more specifically, the underserved populations. Every week in the legislature provides a new time to make important decisions. As I continue to work with these incredible people, I am confident that we are in good hands. This is the first weekly update of many to come. There will be a new one each week so you can be up to date with the bills the PPC is supporting.
I am so excited to have to opportunity to write these weekly updates! I am also going to be doing live updates on the @pioneerparkco Instagram if you’d like to stay even more current. If there are any questions about the legislative session, specific bills, or the PPC that you’d like me to cover specifically please leave a comment here or email us at info@pioneerpark.co
