July 2021 Update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Despite the numerous challenges we’ve faced over the past year, the pioneer spirit that was established by Utah’s ancestors nearly 174 years ago is alive and well. Utah continues to lead the way in innovation, growth and economic outlook, and we face opposition with resilience and hope. We owe much to those who founded our state, and I look forward to paying tribute to their sacrifice during Pioneer Day.

Redistricting

A redistricting overview has been added to the Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee website. View the document here.

Frank Newman Award

The Education Commission of the States honored Utah with its 2021 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation for Utah’s commitment to expanding digital learning across the state. Learn more here.

Employment Incentives

To recover from the pandemic and fight worker shortages, Utah businesses are offering incentives to job seekers such as remote work and increased wages. According to a study by the Department of Workforce Services, hospitals, higher education, restaurants and financial institutions are a few of the Utah industries that have the most openings. Learn more here.

HEAT Program

Utah’s Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) program now provides year-round energy assistance to eligible households to help with cooling costs. HEAT also helps eligible households pay for home heating and other energy costs. Read more here.

Antitrust Lawsuit

Utah's Attorney General Sean D. Reyes, along with a coalition of 37 attorneys general, publicly filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google. The attorneys general claim that Google used illegal methods to unfairly restrict competition from the Google Play Store. Learn more here.

Outdoor Recreation and the Tech Industry

A recent Utah study shows that outdoor recreation is a strong incentive to bring tech industry employees to Utah. According to this study, Utah natives who are tech industry employees and moved away from Utah but later returned, were more likely to return for outdoor recreation than any other reason. Read more here.

Fishing and Hunting Licenses

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) stopped issuing fishing and hunting licenses on July 1 of this year to individuals who are more than $2,500 behind on child support. The Legislature passed a law during the 2020 session requiring the Office of Recovery Services to work with DWR to halt accounts of individuals behind on child support. There was a year delay in enforcement to provide individuals the opportunity to pay off their debt or enter a payment plan and not caught be off guard. Anyone who currently has a valid license or permit will not be affected until their license expires. Learn more here.

Utah Fires

Wildland firefighters have responded to over 500 wildfires this year, with close to 90 percent of wildfires having been extinguished before reaching 10 acres. Over the past few weeks, the leading source of human-caused wildfires has been abandoned campfires and vehicle-related starts. Currently, campfires are widely restricted throughout the state, and fireworks are restricted on state lands. Learn more about Utah’s current wildfire activity here and Utah’s fireworks restrictions here.

COVID-19

Gov. Cox issued an apology after reporting an error in COVID-19 vaccination data. It was reported that our state reached 70 percent of adults receiving at least one dose of the vaccine, but rather 67 percent of eligible Utahns have received at least one dose. Read more here.

One Utah Summit

Tickets are now available for the One Utah Summit with the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. This year marks the 34th anniversary of the Summit as the premier gathering place for convening Utah’s top leaders and decision-makers to discuss rural Utah’s challenges and opportunities. The event will be held at Southern Utah University from October 4-6. Learn more and register here.

I Look Forward to Hearing From You!

I'll try to continually keep you informed about my work on the Hill – likewise, please keep in touch – I’d love to hear your insights and opinions. I can be reached by email at dmccay@le.utah.gov. You’re also welcome to join me at the Capitol and if you’d like to meet with me in person outside of interim or the legislative session, you can reach Jason Gould at jgould@le.utah.gov. He’ll help us get in touch.

I’m truly grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me to serve in this capacity. We live in a unique and special place. Thank you for all you do to make Utah the best state in the nation – and thanks for paying attention.

Until next time,

Senator Dan McCay

Utah Senate District 11