By Representative Albrecht, District 70
Legislative Redistricting
The Legislative Redistricting Committee met on Aug. 16 to review the newly-released 2020 U.S. Census Data and report, which shows how population shifts over the last decade will force changes to current district boundaries.
As the fastest-growing state in the nation, Utah grew by 18.4 percent since 2010. However, not all areas of the state grew evenly, therefore the need to redistrict. To meet constitutional requirements and ensure fair representation, officeholders must be elected from districts that have an approximately equal population.
The Legislative Redistricting Committee will travel the state in September and October to gather input, listen to feedback and review public maps. You can stay up-to-date by following the Legislative Redistricting Committee on social media (Twitter & Facebook) and visiting redistrict.utah.gov.
Read more about the Legislature’s commitment to ensure that redistricting is fair and transparent by clicking here or by watching a short video from the Speaker found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ-TKOQKIRY – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ-TKOQKIRY
Also, be sure to submit your own maps for consideration using the state-of-the-art map drawing tool found https://redistricting.utah.gov/maps/
*The Legislative Redistricting Committee is coming to our area! This is a great opportunity to share your opinion and voice feedback. The public hearings in District 70 will be on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. at Richfield High School and Thursday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. at USU Eastern in Price as well as in Moab at the Grand Center on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. District 70, as well as most rural districts, is short in numbers per the new census. District 70 will need to increase by approximately 6,500 in population, which means the existing District 70 will grow to include more counties or portions thereof. I am serving on this committee. Please call me with questions.
Local Government Grant Program
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed by President Biden in February, appropriated $1.4 billion to the state of Utah and $1.1 billion to local governments in Utah through the state and local fiscal recovery fund. To help maintain our state’s long history of effectively managing government finances as we spend these dollars, the legislature passed HB 1004 during the special session, appropriating $50 million of these funds to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget (GOPB) to administer a local matching grant program.
This program will help local governments spend their ARPA funds prudently and encourage proactive, collaborative and regional planning to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent on projects that make the most difference for our communities. Local governments can apply for the funds at gopb.utah.gov/localmatch. I am also serving on this grant committee. Please call with questions.
Utah Students Engage in the Legislative Process
Fifth graders from Saratoga Springs joined Rep. Jefferson Moss at the Capitol to learn about the legislative process. The Utah House Majority Caucus began the program in June to help young students engage in civics and learn about state government. Contact your elected representative to get involved!
State Institutional Trust Lands (SITLA)
See attached listing of funding received from, SITLA in District 70. This trust fund contributed $92.8 million to Utah Schools this year. The Trust Fund now has a $3.1 billion value.
September Interim Meeting
Lawmakers will meet together Sept. 14-15 for appropriations and interim meetings at the State Capitol. These meetings are open to the public and are a great way to learn about policy that impacts you. Visit le.utah.gov for more details or to participate virtually.
Honoring Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover
Hundreds of Utahns gathered at the Utah State Capitol to pay tribute to Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover. State leaders, family and friends of the fallen Marine, fellow servicemen, and several others attended the vigil and participated in a moment of silence.
We grieve the loss of Utah Marine Staff Sergeant, Taylor Hoover, along with the 12 other servicemen and women, who paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan last week. We honor their selflessness and courage and send our love and prayers to their loved ones. See the article at https://www.ksl.com/article/50231259/hundreds-pay-respects-to-fallen-utah-marine-in-state-capitol-vigil – https://www.ksl.com/article/50231259/hundreds-pay-respects-to-fallen-utah-marine-in-state-capitol-vigil
20th Anniversary of 9/11
The Major Brent Taylor Foundation presents an interactive commemorative museum experience highlighting the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The event will run from Sept. 9-11 and will be held at the Weber County Fairgrounds. The goal of the event is to serve as an educational gathering location that respectfully honors the events of 9/11 and subsequent sacrifices for and contributions to fighting terrorism. Click here to learn more.
Podcast
Head over to our Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen to the Utah House Majority’s recent podcast, covering topics from legislative audits to redistricting.
Upcoming Statewide Events
Utah State Fair Sept 9-19
Brigham City Peach Days Sept 10-11
Dreamscapes- Immersive Art Exhibit (Salt Lake) Now until December Thursday-Sunday
Cedar Saturday Market (Cedar City) Every Saturday
Tuacahn Saturday Market Every Saturday
Tuacahn Amphitheater (St. George) Outdoor theatre shows now until Oct. 21
Downtown Farmers Market (Salt Lake City) Saturday’s June- October
Provo Farmers Market Saturday’s now-October
Park City Farmers Market Wednesday’s now-October
Utah Shakespeare Festival (Cedar City) now-October
Redistricting Public Hearings Dates and Times
Grantsville
Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021
6 p.m.
Grantsville High School 155 Cherry Street, Grantsville, UT 84029
Ogden
Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021
2 p.m.
Ogden Station Browning Theater 2501 Wall Avenue, Ogden, UT 84401
Logan
Thursday, September 9, 2021
7:00 P.M.
Mount Logan Middle School 857 N 200 E, Logan, UT 84321
Orem
Monday, Sept. 13, 2021
6 p.m.
Utah Valley University – Grande Ballroom 800 W University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058
Rose Park
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021
7 p.m.
North Star Elementary 1545 Morton Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Cedar City
Friday, Sept. 24, 2021
1 p.m.
Southern Utah University – Church Auditorium 351 W University Blvd, Cedar City, UT 84720
St. George
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021
10 a.m.
Dixie State University – Zion Room 225 S University Avenue, St. George, UT 84770
Richfield
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021
10 a.m.
Richfield High School 495 W Center St. Richfield, UT 84701
Moab
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021
6 p.m.
Grand Convention Center 182 N 500 W, Moab, UT 84532
Price
Thursday, October 7, 2021
1:00 P.M.
Utah State University – Eastern 300 E 500 N, Price, UT 84501
Vernal
Friday, Oct. 8, 2021
10 a.m.
Uintah Conference Center – Flaming Gorge Ballroom 313 E 200 S, Vernal, UT 84078
Park City
Friday, Oct. 8, 2021
6 p.m.
Ecker Hill Middle School 1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060
Clearfield
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021
6 p.m.
Clearfield High School 931 S 1000 E, Clearfield, UT 84015
Utah State Capitol
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021
6 p.m.
30 House Building
Utah State Capitol
Monday, Nov. 1, 2021
6 p.m.
30 House Building
Utah State Capitol
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021
9 a.m.
30 House Building
Utah State Capitol
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021
9 a.m.
30 House Building
As always, thank you for the opportunity to represent you in the Utah House of Representatives. Please contact me with any questions or concerns by calling or texting me at (435) 979-6578 or contacting me by email at carlalbrecht@le.utah.gov.