Representative Christine Watkins (right) with students from Utah State University.
By Representative Christine Watkins, District 69
The legislature forged ahead last week. We finished up all of the Sub-Appropriation Committee meetings and got everything prioritized and ready to present to the Executive Appropriation Committee on Friday. The Executive Appropriation Committee will make their recommendations and we will all vote to approve or disapprove the final choices.
My request for appropriation for a Housing Pilot Program is still there and I am working hard to keep it “above the line” so it can get funded. My other request was for the Transitional Housing Project here in Price. The local committee was told in the fall that they would for sure receive three million for that project. Obviously, that committee chair forgot his promise and it will not get funded. I will rework that request next year and possibly do a bill to go along with it.
My exciting win was the passage of H.B.129 Natural Gas Amendments. This bill changes the law so that Dominion Energy can acquire, expand and extend natural gas to remote areas of Utah. This bill is truly a game changer for so many remote areas of Utah. Green River City will be one of those cities.
Green River is perfectly located for commerce, but because of their lack of natural gas, companies who would like to locate there just walk away. This bill passed through the House and Senate unanimously. I am asking for a special signing event with the governor for this historic bill.
Before the session started, a couple of legislative drafting attorneys left, leaving the department shorthanded. We were all asked to abandon bills that could wait for another year or just possibly not survive. I abandoned all but the most important to HD69, as did other legislators.
Having said that, there are still plenty of bills being debated. One interesting bill is S.B.110. This bill would order the state to develop a pilot program for electronic driver licenses. We can put credit cards on our phones, insurance card, sports tickets etc., and many want to add electronic drivers’ licenses.
The big question is how it is to be funded. There are a number of states who already allow these types of licenses, so this pilot program can hopefully figure out the best way to fund this new type of license.
Friday, I received several phone messages from constituents who were dismayed by the Proposition 4 news. This proposition is designed to create a committee to oversee the redistricting process and prevent Gerrymandering. Apparently, House and Senate leadership members have been working with a group of members from the Better Boundaries group trying to set up rules for the process.
The negotiations broke down and as Senator Evan Vickers said, the Better Boundaries people went “a little bit nuclear.” The vast majority of the senators and representatives are not involved in these negotiations and, quite frankly, we don’t even know negotiations are going on.
I was on the redistricting committee 10 years ago and back then I was on the minority side. From my perspective, I felt that the process was good and as fair as possible. Technology has really advanced and I am going to a national legislative mini conference on redistricting in May. I would like to be appointed to this committee to represent our part of rural Utah.
Thanks again for the privilege to serve District 69. Email: christinewatkins@le.utah.gov Cell: (435) 650-1969 Facebook: Representative Christine Watkins – District 69
