By Representative Carl Albrecht, District 70
Welcome to the 2022 Legislative Session! I’m honored to serve you and hope to represent you well. I want to hear from you! Your input will help me represent you as I vote on important issues during the Legislative Session. Please visit utrepsurvey2022.questionpro.com?custom70=HD70 to take the survey. The Legislature will likely consider over 1,000 bills this session, but the ones I’m running that I’m most excited about are:
- HB168 – Preferences of Water Rights Amendments
- HB180 – Off-Road Vehicle Safety Education
- Irrigation Canal Amendments (Not yet numbered)
- Electric Power Grid Amendments (Not yet numbered)
- Tax Cut Amendments (Not yet numbered)
Committee Assignments
I will be serving as Chair of the Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Standing Committee. I will also serve on the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Standing and Appropriations Committees. I will continue to serve on the Federalism Commission, State Legislative Water Commission and as Co-chair for the Rural Caucus. The Rural Caucus is held every Friday at 7 a.m., and I invite all members of the public to attend. In addition, I will be meeting with Rural Educators every week to discuss ways to improve the education system in rural counties.
Policy Pillars for the 2022 General Session
The Utah House Majority Caucus identified five policy areas to serve as pillars to frame the 2022 Legislative Session. I am excited to debate these important issues over the next 45 days as we practice a forward-thinking, principled and collaborative approach to public policy.
- Water
- Affordable Utah
- Education Modernization
- Maintaining the Utah Way
- Generational Investments
If you want to view the complete policy booklet, please visit house.utah.gov.
Mask Mandate
On Friday, Jan. 21, the Utah House of Representatives voted to pass a resolution to overturn the mask mandates in Salt Lake and
Summit County. Many House Republicans cited that mask wearing should be a personal decision, not the job of government. The resolution passed the House with a 45-29 vote, with one absent.
Tax cuts
Tax cuts are a big focus for the Utah Legislature in the 2022 General Session. The Utah Legislature is pushing forward bills to help the citizens of Utah. I have worked extensively with House Leadership and other legislators to find the most effective way to lighten the burden for the people of Utah.
State of the State
On Thursday, we welcomed Governor Spencer Cox to the House Chamber to hear this year’s State of the State address. Governor Cox endorsed my work on improving Utah’s Energy Infrastructure and providing sustainable energy supplies.
Speaker Wilson gave his response to the address by stating, “We greatly value the strong working relationship we have with Governor Spencer Cox, Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson and the entire administration. Because we work from the same conservative foundation, the governor’s agenda aligns with many of the principles we laid out in our Utah Way Forward plan on the first day of the Session. We look forward to working productively with the Executive Branch throughout the session and beyond.”
Podcast
This week, Speaker Brad Wilson joined us to discuss the policy priorities for the House Majority Caucus and the specific issues we can expect the Legislature to tackle over the next six weeks. Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Cowboy Recognition
Additionally, I had the wonderful opportunity to recognize outstanding Utah cowboys with Governor Cox and other members of the legislature. I met 2021 Bareback Bronc rider, world champion Kaycee Field.
“I’m proud to represent the State of Utah on the world stage,” Field said. “I learned much of my skills from my father, who was also a successful rodeo cowboy. I love the USA and was honored to compete for the State of Utah. We are very proud of all our successful cowboys from the state of Utah.”
I will be keeping you updated throughout the session on these important issues that influence your local communities. Please contact me directly by email at carlalbrecht@le.utah.gov. You can also text or call me at (435) 979-6578.
My intern is Curtis Sheets, a student at Utah State University Eastern. His email address is csheets@le.utah.gov. His telephone number is (385) 420-3096. I look forward to representing all the needs and interests of rural Utah.
