Salt Lake Tribune’s Political Cartoon Causes Uproar

By Representative Carl Albrecht, District 70

Bagley Cartoon – Salt Lake Tribune (See Below)

Statement from House Speaker Brad Wilson

Earlier this week, I had a conversation with Paul Huntsman after a rather alarming political cartoon appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune. Political cartoons are often satirical and many of us are often the spotlight of them. They help portray a message, but I felt that this particular one went too far.

Nearly all members of our caucus, and several from the minority caucus, signed the citation honoring first responders, ran by Representative Carl Albrecht during the Sixth Special Session, and I personally want to express my gratitude for the many brave and selfless first responders across the state. Regarding the Pat Bagley cartoon, I posted the following statement on my social media accounts:

“When done well, political cartoons help us see an issue from a new perspective and use wit to encourage us to do better. The Pat Bagley cartoon posted yesterday fell far short of that.

The men and women who serve and protect deserve better than a blanket label as white supremacists. Name calling doesn’t solve the problem; listening, working together and building trust do.

We hold our public safety personnel to the highest standards and rightfully so. I am confident our law enforcement agencies and the elected officials charged with oversight of the police are committed to making our system work for everyone.

Let’s dedicate our efforts to making changes that strengthen our community and make it a safe place for everyone and avoid taking the low road.”

State Parks – We’ve Loved Them to Death

Listen to this week’s Utah House of Representatives podcast for information on Utah’s state parks.

Suicide Prevention Month

September is suicide prevention month. You can save a life by showing compassion and sharing the suicide hotline number: 1-800-273-8255. Please visit Live On Utah, a statewide effort to prevent suicide by increasing education and resources.  

COVID-19 Update

Utah’s COVID-19 Case Counts from Aug. 31 – Sept. 4

Monday, August 31

• 52,107 positive cases, an increase of 253 from the previous day
• 659,855 total tests administered
• 125 current hospitalizations
• 407 total deaths, zero more than the previous day
• 43,990 recovered cases

Tuesday, September 1

• 52,403 positive cases, an increase of 296 from the previous day
• 664,521 total tests administered
• 126 current hospitalizations
• 409 total deaths, two more than the previous day
• 44,338 recovered cases

Wednesday, September 2

• 52,822 positive cases, an increase of 419 from the previous day
• 668,425 total tests administered
• 128 current hospitalizations
• 410 total deaths, one more than the previous day
• 44,658 recovered cases

Thursday, September 3

• 53,326 positive cases, an increase of 504 from the previous day
• 668,425 total tests administered
• 120 current hospitalizations
• 414 total deaths, four more than the previous day
• 44,995 recovered cases

Friday, September 4

• 53,839 positive cases, an increase of 513 from the previous day
• 679,716 total tests administered
• 121 current hospitalizations
• 419 total deaths, five more than the previous day
• 45,547 recovered cases

Utah’s seven-day rolling average for positive tests is 411 per day. The rolling seven-day average for percent of positive laboratory tests is 9.4%.

For more information, please visit https://coronavirus.utah.gov/. You can also call 1-800-456-7707 to receive help.

Unemployment Update

Overall, Utah’s unemployment rate is the lowest in the country at 4.5%. Below is the latest news release from the Department of Workforce Services on Utah’s unemployment insurance claims. A few key points to highlight from Aug. 23-29:

• Traditional unemployment insurance new claims decreased by 13% from the previous week to 2,603 claims
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance new claims decreased by 22% from the previous week to 747 claims
• Pandemic Extended Unemployment Claims decreased by 26% from the previous week to 1,241 claims
• Total new claims for all three programs ended the week at 4,591
• Combined weekly claims for all three programs was at 52,782
• Total combined numbers from March 15 to Aug. 29
  • New claims: 290,344
  • Benefits paid: $1,390,625,815

While the claim volume is trending well, it remains high as we continue to see four times more claims per week than the 2019 average. Last week was the first time claimants that were considered “job attached” prior to Aug. 15 had to report weekly job contacts. We saw some disruptions with increased calls and online chats because of the changes to the weekly claim process. This will be a difficult transition for some but will also lead to increased activities on the jobs.utah.gov labor exchange where more than 30,000 jobs are currently posted.

Interim Legislative Meetings

During September interim meetings, the public will have the opportunity to join WebEx as a guest at any point. The public will be able to make comments or listen to the meetings, just as if they were sitting in the audience at the Capitol. For more information, please visit le.utah.gov. These meetings will be held Sept. 15 and 16.

Contact me, as always with questions or concerns. I’m honored to be able to serve you. Thank you.