Bishop Receives Western Big Hat Award
Rep. Bishop with staff and supporters at the
2019 presentation of the Western Big Hat Award
OGDEN, UT – The Top of Utah Military Affairs Executive Committee has presented Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) with the Western Big Hat Award. The Big Hat award has been awarded since 1948 when it was first given to Admiral Chester Nimitz. The award is given to those who have demonstrated outstanding service to the community.
In conjunction with the presentation of the Big Hat Award, the Davis and Weber County Commissioners proclaimed October 11, 2019 as “Congressman Rob Bishop Day.” The proclamation states:
“Congressman Rob Bishop has spent his entire adult life as a highly respected parent, educator, Utah state elected official and member of the United States Congress, serving the needs of his children, his students, his state and his nation with humility, dedication, and exceptional ability.”
Rep. Bishop and Davis County Commissioner,
Bob Stevenson
Past recipients include:
Congressman James V. Hansen
US Senator & astronaut Jake Garn
CLICK HERE for complete list
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For Immediate Release
October 18, 2019
Contacts
Aundrea Peterson | Utah Senate
801-791-3365 | aundreapeterson@le.utah.gov
Jon Ammons | Utah House of Representatives
801-380-1018 | jammons@le.utah.gov
Restructuring and Equalization Task Force to Begin Recommendation Phase
Co-chairs Encourage Utahns to Continue to Provide Feedback
SALT LAKE CITY – The Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force traveled the state to hold eight town halls during a listening tour to hear directly from Utahns about the state's tax structure during the summer. The public engagement was unprecedented. Approximately 1,500 people attended. More than 540 individuals shared their feedback by commenting online, submitting comment cards and providing public input at town halls.
Over the past two months, during the study phase, the task force has been reviewing possible solutions and analyzing opportunities to adequately fund transportation and education using revenue sources that will grow with the population and the economy. The task force has also been seeking measures to decrease the overall tax burden on Utahns.
Next week, the task force will begin the recommendation phase, during which they will begin to discuss various policy proposals. Sen. Lyle Hillyard and Rep. Francis Gibson, co-chairs of the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force, are sharing their initial draft proposal in advance of the meeting so citizens, business owners and stakeholders have ample time to review it and provide input.
“Tax policy can be complicated with unintended consequences, the task force process enables us to have public input to help anticipate and resolve concerns,” said Sen. Hillyard. “I’m glad to have this initial proposal public now so we can begin to scrutinize and find areas of concern. Our guiding principles have been and continue to be to find the best tax policy structure to support our growing economy for years to come.”
Throughout the recommendation phase, proposals will continue to be refined. The task force will hold additional meetings as they continue to fine-tune a recommendation to present to the full legislature.
“Our main goal through the entire tax reform process is to restructure our complex tax system to fit into our modern economy in order to be able to provide Utahns in all socioeconomic statuses a substantial tax break,” said Rep. Gibson. “This initial proposal does just that and I’m looking forward to presenting it to the public and to receive feedback.”
The Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force will hold meetings at the Utah State Capitol on the following dates:
The co-chairs appreciate the robust public involvement throughout all phases and encourage Utahns to continue to engage in this process. The upcoming meetings will be live streamed on le.utah.gov. Public input can be provided at the meeting or online at StrongerFutures.utah.gov.
Access the co-chairs draft proposal here.
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Sens. Lee, Romney Welcome Advancement of Utah Judicial Nominee
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) today released the following statement after David B. Barlow of South Jordan, nominee to serve as United States District Judge for the District of Utah, was successfully reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His nomination now heads to the full Senate. In July, Romney and Lee introduced Barlow at his nomination hearing before the Judiciary Committee.
“We have full confidence that David will serve Utah and the country with honor and integrity, faithfully applying the law and our Constitution to all matters and parties that come before him. We urge our colleagues to enthusiastically support his confirmation when he comes before the Senate for a vote.”
An online version of this release can be found here.
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Sen. Lee Reintroduces the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) re-introduced the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act Thursday, a bill designed to repeal the wage subsidy law requiring all federally-funded projects worth more than $2,000 to pay workers the “prevailing wage” rate on non-federal projects in the same locality.
“The Davis Bacon Act exemplifies how big government hurts the people it purports to help, gives unfair advantages to favored special interests, and squeezes the middle class,” Sen. Lee said. “The Davis-Bacon Repeal Act would remove these government-imposed obstacles to economic opportunity facing low-skilled workers, and return wasted taxpayer dollars back into the hands of the American people.”
Joining Senator Lee in support of the “Davis-Bacon Repeal Act” are six original cosponsors: Sens. Perdue (R-GA), Cruz (R-TX), Johnson (R-WI), Cornyn (R-TX), Blackburn (R-TN) and Scott (R-SC).
An online version of this release can be found here.
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Legal Services Corporation Honors Utah Attorneys for Pro Bono Service
SALT LAKE CITY – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Board of Directors will present Pro Bono Service Awards on Monday, October 21, to five Utah attorneys in recognition of their extraordinary commitment to equal justice. The LSC Pro Bono Service Award Reception will be held in conjunction with the LSC Board of Directors’ quarterly meeting. The reception will take place at 5:00 p.m. at Zions Bank, One South Main Street.
Utah Bar Foundation President Lori W. Nelson will deliver opening remarks. She is a shareholder with the Salt Lake City-based law firm Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough PC. She will be joined by Dean D. Gordon Smith, Woodruff J. Deem Professor of Law, Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, and Dean Elizabeth Kronk Warner, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. Peggy Hunt, Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, and LSC Board Chair John G. Levi will also offer remarks.
Recipients of LSC’s Pro Bono Service Awards were nominated by LSC grantee Utah Legal Services. The recipients are:
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation provides funding to 132 independent non-profit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
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October 18, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Carl Rauscher
202-295-1615
rauscherc@lsc.gov
Utah Chief Justice Durrant Joins Leaders from the Legal Community for Legal Services Corporation's Access to Justice Forum
SALT LAKE CITY – Distinguished jurists and leaders from government and legal aid will gather on Monday, October 21, for the Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) Forum on Increasing Access to Justice. LSC is hosting the event in conjunction with its Board of Directors’ quarterly meeting.
Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, Utah Supreme Court, will provide opening remarks. He will be joined by LSC Board Chair John G. Levi.
The first panel, “Regional Efforts in Managing Statewide Legal Services Programs in the Mountain West,” will feature a discussion among four legal aid leaders on meeting the civil legal services needs of low-income individuals in this region. The speakers will include Jim Cook, Executive Director, Idaho Legal Services; Annamarie Johnson, Executive Director, Nevada Legal Services; Eric Mittelstadt, Deputy Director, Utah Legal Services; and Alison Paul, Executive Director, Montana Legal Services. LSC President Jim Sandman will moderate the panel.
The second panel, “Civil Legal Services and Native American Communities,” will highlight the unique challenges of providing access to justice to these communities. The panelists will include Judge Dustin Jansen, Tribal Court of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Tribe; Bertie Kee Lopez, Tribal Legal Advocate, Utah Legal Services; and Honor Keeler, Assistant Director, Utah Diné Bikéyah. LSC Board Member Gloria Valencia Weber, Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico School of Law, will serve as the moderator. She is an expert on Indian Law and a member of the Southwest Intertribal Court of Appeals.
Prior to the forum, Former Utah Chief Justice Christine Durham, Appellate Attorney with Zimmerman Booher, will speak at a luncheon on the importance of ensuring access to justice.
The forum will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse for the District of Utah, 351 S West Temple. Members of the press are invited to attend.
The entire event will also be livestreamed via Facebook Live. To view it, visit LSC’s Facebook page, or follow the conversation on Twitter at #LSCforum.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation provides funding to 132 independent non-profit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
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ADHD AWARENESS MONTH WEBINAR NEXT WEEK
Win with ADHD:
The Best Life Hacks for Adults and Kids
with Michele Novotni, Ph.D.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 @ 1pm Eastern Time (find it in your time zone >)
Can't attend the live webinar?
Register now anyway and we'll email you the replay link
Do you feel exhausted before you even head out the door in the morning? You are not alone! Adults and children with ADHD face unique daily challenges. The good news is that there are proven strategies to help you meet these challenges and live happily. In this webinar, learn how to be on time, stay on task, build solid relationships, and much more.
When adults bully adults, kids suffer
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. “Every day thousands of young people experience bullying from their peers while at school, after school in their neighborhoods, and even when they are at home, through social media and texts,” PACER points out. Founded in 2006, PACER is a National Bullying Prevention Center. wwwpacer.org.
But, here’s my question. How do we as adults hope to prevent bullying among our youth when adults can be some of the vilest verbal word-villains?
A 2019 article in The Chicago Tribune tells the snarly story. An Illinois freelance writer Melissa Blake wrote a recent anti-Trump op-ed piece for CNN. A mob of mean mug-thugs hurled hurtful names: fat, potato, blobfish.
Blake tweeted back with such dignity and grace—she’s my new heroine. She showed 3 happy selfie pics and educated the mug-thugs about Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, a genetic bone and muscular disorder. She’s experienced 26 surgeries. Say howdy to her at melissablakeblog.com.
I’ll admit that I wanted to smear Gorilla Glue Epoxy on the cyber-bully’s malicious lips. And dip their foul fingertips in battery acid.
“Most of us encounter adult bullies at certain points in our lives. An adult bully can be an intimidating boss or colleague, a controlling romantic partner, an unruly neighbor, a high-pressure sales/business representative, a condescending family member, a shaming social acquaintance, or other types of abusive relationships,” surmised a 2016 online article at Psychology Today.
An adult bully can also be a president, a politician, a professor, a physician, a police officer, a TV producer, preacher, a parent, a partner, or a peer. A bully likes power and control. “It’s my way or the highway.” Bullies can often be found in positions of power.
Being bullied goes right to our core and we feel disrespected and treated unfairly. We expect adults to act and react with maturity not with a total toxic tongue. Bullying behavior is a consistent and intentional pattern of intimidation, harassment, or aggression.
In a 2018 article on the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center website, Ken Yeager, Ph.D., reported, “Adults are being bullied at levels similar to adolescents, according to a 2017 survey conducted on behalf of the American Osteopathic Association. The online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults found that 31 percent of Americans have been bullied as an adult. The survey defined bullying as being subjected to repeated, negative behavior intended to harm or intimidate.”
Again, I ask the same question. How do we as adults hope to prevent bullying among our youth when adults can be belligerent bullies?
And reality TV shows are ripe with bullying behaviors. It appears that competition can bring out the snarky, nasty, and ghastly: threats, personal attacks, manipulation. Pathetic producers pander the performance drama for ratings. Folks, just change the channel.
Bill O'Reilly, former Fox News Host, was finally fired—he reigns as the classic bully of the on-air culture of a host bullying guests.
“Simple peck-order bullying is only the beginning of the kind of hierarchical behavior that can lead to racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, classism, and all the other 'isms' that cause so much suffering in the world,” surmised Octavia Butler.
As adults we must continue to role model and teach the Golden Rule to our children. I ask another question. Can we create a world without bullying?
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio.
