While women continue to face a disproportionate effect of the COVID-19 economic crisis, The Salt Lake Tribune sent a survey earlier this month to each of Utah’s 104 state legislators, asking: What are you doing to help women who Does the Beehive State intend to successfully emerge from the coronavirus pandemic?
Lawmakers had a week to respond, and the Tribune heard the response from 24 lawmakers, which is about a quarter of the total members. Sixteen Democrats and eight Republicans, or 14 women and 10 men, completed the survey.
If your deputy or senator is not on this list, it means that he had not responded by Thursday afternoon. Tribune will continue to update this report online.
With a week left for the general session, here’s what the 24 lawmakers said they were working on. Their responses have been condensed and edited for clarity.
Rep. Cheryl Acton, R-West Jordan: Sponsoring HB219, which limits phone charges for county prisons. “I talked to many wives and mothers of inmates who can barely communicate with their spouses / children,” she said.
“This project is controversial, but important to preserve women’s sports, which have made great strides throughout my life,” according to Acton.
Rep. Stewart Barlow, R-Fruit Heights: “I am the sponsor of the SB41 Chamber … which aims to improve access to mental health through telehealth services, ”he said.
Gay Rep Lynn Bennion, D-Cottonwood Heights: Sponsoring HB268, which addresses how much notice a landlord must give before entering the tenant’s residence. “Most of the stories that come to me are about women who did not feel safe in their apartments due to maintenance, repairs or owners who entered without notice,” she said.
Bennion said she is focused on housing and homelessness. “I am concerned that the high housing costs will have a negative impact on all of us, but especially on low-income individuals and families.”
Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City: “As a member of the housing accessibility committee, I support the request … to allocate $ 15 million to the Olene Walker Housing Trust Fund for affordable housing. “
Rep. Clare Collard, D-Magna: Sponsoring HB284, which would gradually raise the minimum wage in Utah to $ 15 by 2026. Briscoe also said he supports this.
Collard also sponsored the HB351, which offers paid leave to civil servants after the birth or adoption of a child.
Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City: Sponsoring the HB304, which increases broadband infrastructure, digital access and digital heritage. This “will ensure better remote employment opportunities for women, who often also need to balance work at home during the pandemic, combined with supporting online learning for their children,” she said.
Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City: “I am implementing legislation and (a) request for funding to address some of the gaps and issues that directly affect women. As co-chair of the Women in Economy Commission, I’m working all year on issues that impact women and the economy, ”she said.
Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City: “I continue to support and defend policies and bills that increase opportunities for women, including equal pay, greater political, educational and employment opportunities, as well as accessible childcare. One of the projects I am most proud of over the years is to allow campaign contributions to be used for day care while a political candidate is campaigning. “
Representative Suzanne Harrison, D-Draper: “Child care is increasingly unavailable and inaccessible to families. … I am a co-sponsor of the legislation to expand the eligibility of state daycare assistance. … In the last session, I sponsored two accounts to encourage companies to help pay daycare costs for employees. These projects faced significant opposition throughout the process, despite the support of the … business community. I also advocate greater support for our public schools and affordable health care, which are essential for women’s success. “
Sen. Jani Iwamoto, D-Holladay: Sponsoring SB10, which would create a model that would streamline the process for indigenous tribes or other members of the community to petition the U.S. Geographic Names Council to change the names of places. “This bill started with the name ‘squaw’, which is offensive” and used against women, she said.
She also executed SB64, which increases the penalty for repeat offenders of domestic violence, and SB163, which shares data about crimes on campus with students in an easily accessible way.
And Iwamoto has been working with “my black colleagues to ensure that testing, funding and other needs are available” served for communities affected disproportionately by COVID-19.
Rep. Marsha Judkins, R-Provo: Sponsoring HB68, which would require homeowners to identify all fees for which renters would be responsible before signing the contract. “I think this bill will result in more stable housing, which is crucial for maintaining jobs for women and better educational outcomes for children,” she said.
“A high priority for me this session has been the increase in wages for [Division of Child and Family Services] social workers, most of whom are women. Women can remain in the labor market if their wages are sufficient to support themselves and their families. For many civil servants, especially in social services, this is unfortunately not the case. The long hours working to earn wages below the poverty line pushes many women out of work, ”he added.
Representative Brian King, D-Salt Lake City: Sponsoring HB205, which requires a background check for firearms sales. “By conducting background checks on all transfers of firearms, we can keep weapons out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them, as domestic aggressors,” and King said that “would ease the burden currently felt by women in situations of abuse, and can save lives not just for victims of abuse, but for all Utahns. “
“Another project that I hope will positively affect women and girls in the future is HB93,” he said, which “would simplify and strengthen state programs to prevent youth suicide in public schools.”
Sen. Derek Kitchen, D-Salt Lake City: Sponsoring SB128, which would allow more Utahns to access family planning services through Medicaid.
“A recovery that does not support women equally is not a recovery at all,” he said. “… I will continue to push for access to accessible daycare centers, resources for reproductive health and economic development initiatives that elevate women and the LGBTQ + community.”
Rep. Rosemary Lesser, D-Ogden: It supports bills that raise the minimum wage and increase eligibility for childcare.
“As soon as the legislative session is over, I will resume my role as a volunteer at the Medical Reserve Corps, giving vaccines in Weber County. The successful emergence of this pandemic will require the effort of all of us on many levels, ”she said.
Rep. Ashlee Matthews, D-West Jordan: Sponsoring HB277, which continues the expanded access to childcare grants Utah implemented last year with federal money for emergency aid. Several lawmakers who responded to the survey said they are co-sponsors and support this project.
Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman: Sponsoring HB301, which offers training in assessing domestic violence and lethality for police officers.
“With schools closed and victims staying at home with the abuser, it is more difficult for them to get the help and resources they need,” she said. Women are also unemployed at higher rates than men, which she said “shows the importance of daycare opportunities and economic recovery”.
Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights: Sponsoring SJR8, which would have Utah ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
Riebe is also “raising and supporting any legislation that highlights the situation of women”, and she is “witnessing the teachers’ struggles … to navigate and juggle to get back to school, but stay safe and mitigate daycare needs. “
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay: “Although I do not have legislation that specifically deals with women, my team and I help women with issues related to eviction, unemployment, rent assistance and job loss. “
Rep. Jeff Stenquist, R-Draper: Sponsoring HB148, which deals with the financing of an educational campaign on the dangers of drinking during pregnancy.
Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy: “My background is in criminal justice, so I try to focus heavily on domestic violence and sexual assault policy. I tried to increase protection for victims, which is especially important this year, as rates of domestic violence have increased and resources are more difficult to obtain. I also supported bills that deal with small businesses and day care centers, because women and small minority-owned businesses have been hardest hit. “
Rep. Raymond Ward, R-Bountiful: Sponsoring HB164, which he said made “a small change to the state’s abortion laws, allowing women to view the abortion information module on the Utah Department of Health website before a face-to-face visit, rather than having to go to a clinic first.
He also sponsored HB363, which would “ensure that women who take Medicaid during pregnancy do not lose coverage in the postpartum period,” when a mother may be dealing with mental health problems, he said.
Elizabeth Weight Rep., D-West Valley City: “I am helping to raise awareness about various situations that impacted and continue to impact women exclusively during the pandemic, even when she is entering the vaccination phase. The women in my neighborhood were primarily responsible for numerous nuclear and extended family needs, as well as for supporting spouses during the period when one or both worked at home. Even the conversations helped other women and me to realize and understand the ‘essential’ nature of so many jobs normally filled by women. “
Representative Mark Wheatley, D-Murray: “I will again draft legislation to address equal pay for equal work.”
Representative Mike Winder, R-West Valley City: Sponsoring HB56, which adds minority representation to the Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Committee. “Some of the women most affected by the pandemic are women of color,” he said.
Becky Jacobs is a Report for America member of the body and writes about the situation of women in Utah for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA scholarship helps keep you writing stories like this; consider making a tax-deductible donation of any amount today by clicking on here.
