State of Utah
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Spencer J. Cox
Lieutenant Governor
*attached contains the following:
Contacts:
Kirsten Rappleye
Chief of Staff, Office of the Lt. Governor
801-505-1457
Justin Lee
Director of Elections
801-928-6948
Utah Elections Office announces procedural updates regarding 2020 gubernatorial race
SALT LAKE CITY (June 19, 2019) – The Utah Elections Office has announced procedural updates to the process of handling complaints made against campaigns or candidates who enter the 2020 gubernatorial race.
The announced changes were made under the direction of Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox as a safeguard to ensure the integrity of the Elections Office in light of the announcement that he will seek the office of governor for the term beginning January 2021.
Beginning immediately, if an election controversy arises that has an inherent connection to the Cox campaign, the gubernatorial race, or Spencer Cox as a candidate, the Lt. Governor will not consult directly with his staff about the matter in the first instance. Instead, in some cases, the staff will defer questions to a neutral third party who will review the matter and make a public recommendation to the Lt. Governor for his action.
“The Lt. Governor has statutory duties which he cannot legally abdicate, but he also has the ability to defer to a neutral third party for an objective recommendation,” said Justin Lee, director of elections. “Our first priority in the Elections Office is to ensure that all elections are run freely and fairly and to maintain public trust in the administration and outcome of each election. We believe these updates will allow everyone to continue to be treated impartially and with respect.”
The Elections Office announced that former Utah Lt. Governor Gayle F. McKeachnie has agreed to act as the neutral third party to work with the office should need arise.
“We have seen controversies arise in other states when the top elections official runs for office. The Office of Lt. Governor belongs to the people of Utah — not to me — and Utahns need to have assurances that I will never use my position to benefit my own campaign,” said Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox. “Former Lt. Governor Gayle McKeachnie is well respected and brings years of wisdom and experience, including having served as Utah’s chief election officer himself. I appreciate his willingness to step into this crucial advisory role. I believe that these new procedures will help the Elections Office to maintain public confidence, and more importantly, ensure the integrity of our elections.”
While Mr. McKeachnie is not being hired or paid by the office, should the Elections Office need his services, he may be reimbursed for travel or other related expenses.
The full memo, released to staff last month, may be accessed here.
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USDA Radio Newsline
Wednesday, June 19th Stories:
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There is so much happening in the political arena right now that impacts not only the humanities and arts but YOUR wallet as a taxpayer. Please take a minute to review. We have a few action requests below in regards to:
1. Sales Tax
2. Municipal Elections
3. Online Marketing Course
4. Economic Impact of the Arts and Humanities
Tax Reform & Member Survey
The legislature is reforming the state tax code and it WILL impact all tax payers, creative industry for-profits, and cultural nonprofits.
The legislative tax reform special task force embarks on a statewide tour Monday. We invite all to attend these hearings and talk about how possible tax changes impact YOU.
IMMEDIATE RESPONSE NEEDED: As the advocate for Utah's humanities and arts sector, I need to know what members prioritize when it comes to tax reform. There are some COMPETING NEEDS when it comes to our nonprofit and for-profit members. To help prioritize please take this quick 10 minute survey. It is imperative that I hear from members NOW because tax reform will conclude by the end of this summer.
Tax Survey (must be member to see)
2019 Municipal Election
UCA is working hard to survey the arts and humanities platforms of candidates across the state. Stay tuned for results and our endorsements!
Because SLC is the capital city and hosts many cultural nonprofits, we've arranged a number of one-on-one roundtables with the mayoral candidates. Members are invited to attend and share what they need from the mayor.
Schedule (we've already met with Stan Penfold, see our social media pages for his arts platform):
Mayor Roundtable Sign Ups (must be member to see)
Last Call: Take the NPU Survey
8 Week Online Marketing Course
Not too late to learn from one of Utah's leading online marketers who is also a professor at BYU: William Arnett, CEO of Theatrisoft!
This online webinar for UCA members will feature instruction in the following:
Week 1 - Google Grant + Adwords
Week 2 - Google Analytics + Conversion Tracking
Week 3 - Facebook + Remarketing
Week 4 - Email Marketing
Week 5 - Influencer Marketing (Instagram and Facebook)
Week 6 - Website Construction / Hotjar / A/B Testing
Week 7 - Display Network + Youtube
Week 8 - Search Engine Optimization
The webinar will be available on a computer near you at 2pm on the following dates: May 22, June 5, June 19, July 10, July 17, August 7, August 21.
Each webinar is recorded and available for UCA members to reference if they cannot make any of the dates. You may also register at any time within the 8 week course and can review the prior classes on the members-only section of the UCA page.
Those who are NOT members of UCA may pay $250 to take the course.
Join us on Facebook Live for the release of the State of the Utah Culture Report June 20th 10:00 AM -- TOMORROW!
The wait is over! The State of Utah Culture Report is here. Join us on Facebook Live as we release it for public viewing and go through the economic impact of the Cultural Sector in Utah June 20th at 10:00 AM!
ArtsVote 2020 with Ben Folds Podcast Series
Americans for the Arts is excited to announce that renowned musician and arts advocate Ben Folds will serve as Chair of ArtsVote 2020 on behalf of the Arts Action Fund. Ben is generously donating his time and energy to spearhead a new podcast series on arts and politics calledArtsVote 2020 with Ben Folds.
Make it a great week!
Crystal Young-Otterstrom
Executive Director
Utah Cultural Alliance // Utah Cultural Advocacy Alliance
cyo@utculture.org
801.652.0737
