by Elizabeth Garbe
Public Policy Director
What a Week!
The bill United Way has been working on with Senator Osmond and Voices for Utah Children, SB71 Results-based Financing for Early Childhood Education, was introduced on Wednesday and successfully passed out of Committee on Friday! SB71 creates access to high-quality preschool for at-risk children and allows Utah to invest in prevention while continuing to meet current needs in our local schools. You can learn more about the bill and hearing by reading our fact sheet and this article in the Salt Lake Tribune.
There has been loud opposition to SB71, so it is important that legislators hear from supporters of early childhood education. Please take five minutes to respond to our action alert!
SB56, Utah 2-1-1 Information and Referral Network, passed unanimously out of the Senate today and is now headed to the House. The appropriations request for the bill was also added to the Retirement and Independent Entities priority list on Friday. Stay tuned for an action alert!
New revenue projections will be released this week and are expected to be lower than the December projections. These projections are one important factor in determining the 2014 budget. Another factor is what action Congress takes or does not take in relation to sequestration and the “fiscal cliff.” Congress’s decisions will have a significant impact on how much money Utah has to appropriate.
Day on the Hill is this Thursday. Our timing will be perfect to lobby for our top priorities. We hope you will be able to join us for a great day and informative discussion over lunch. RSVP today–seating is limited.
Remember to join the conversation on Twitter! Follow us @UWSL and use hashtags #utleg and #utpol.
See you on the Hill!
