National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

"Saturday, April 27th is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. This one small step is the best thing you can do to protect your loved ones from drug addiction."

Many people do not recognize it but the misuse of legal prescription drugs is the #1 reason people become addicts. For nearly 2 years now I have been working on and supporting Operation Rio Grande. As lawmakers and law enforcement have worked together, we sought out ways to combat the drug and homeless problem in Salt Lake’s Rio Grande Neighborhood. As we were in the process of helping those who were addicted, obtain the resources they needed to get clean, the vast majority of them told us that their addiction started with prescription drugs that were prescribed to them by a doctor or that they stole them from a family member.

The purpose of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is to help prevent addiction from ruining more lives and families. As I have worked to enact legislation to help individuals with drug addiction, get treatment and get their lives back, and it has become very clear that the most effective way to combat this epidemic is to prevent it from ever starting in the first place.

That is why I am encouraging you to take a minute and gather up all the old, unused and unneeded prescription drugs in your home and to find a collection site near you and go safely get them out of your home and off the streets. In fact, encourage your friends and family to do the same. This is not merely will help prevent possible addictions, but it will remind all of us the danger of prescription drug abuse and the importance of disposing of them in a responsible way.

You can take these unsafe drugs back to any pharmacy or local police station, or you can acquire all the information you need and a local site to take them to at http://utahtakeback.org/ 

Please take this small step to help make our community a safer and healthier place.

To Stacey.... Happy Anniversary and Thank You!

It's pretty obvious that as a legislator a lot of my time is taken up doing things outside of my regular job and that takes away from my family but what many people don't understand is just how big a sacrifice it can be on other members of the family. Especially my wife. It's interesting that again we are celebrating our anniversary on the last day of the session which has happened on many many years during my service in the legislature. I really need to take a moment and just express how grateful I am to have a wife who is not only smarter than me and more talented than me but that supports me in these types of efforts to try and make the world a little bit better place. The time and effort and sacrifice that she has put into all of this goes almost completely unnoticed and uncelebrated. I get little thank you cards here and there when people shake my hand and tell me to thank you for the work that I do now and then but she never gets that so I want this to be that little moment where.

I reach out and expressed to her the immense gratitude that I have for all that she does to support the work that changes lives and helps make the world a better place. Of the thousands of little things that she has to do that no one else will ever know about but to me they mean the world. Thank you, Stacey, I love you always and forever.

H.B. 90 Occupational Licensing Modifications

As I have worked collaboratively with Utah’s criminal justice, I have made it a goal to make sure Utah provides a path for those who have been successful in different rehabilitation services and now desire to reenter society. During this Legislative session, I have passed a bill through the House that will reinforce this commitment.

Many individuals who have completed rehabilitation and are working to reenter society possess a desire to go to college and get a degree in counseling or therapy and support other individuals who are on the similar path they were on. However, it’s not until after they’ve attained their degree that they find out that they cannot obtain a license in their chosen field of work because of their criminal history.  H.B. 90 allows the Utah Division of Occupational & Professional Licensing (DOPL) to inform individuals if they can obtain a specific license before they go to college to get their degree. It, in addition, gives DOPL the resources to establish a process into place to determine how many years after a person gets released from incarceration and/or rehabilitation can they obtain a specific license.

Our goal with this legislation is to provide individuals with the tools they need to rebuild their lives after serving their time and trying to rehabilitate into society. We should be a state that provides every opportunity and assistance to those who gain a sincere desire to reform and transform their lives. I know this legislation preserves that Utah legacy.

Town Hall with Senator Mayne

Too frequently there is a belief that Republicans and Democrats can’t work together. If you are looking at Washington D.C., then that notion is probably correct. However, here in the Utah Legislature, it is nothing further from the truth. Of course, we have different philosophies on how to govern, but we celebrate and encourage the best ideas for the state, no matter what political party you belong to.

On Wednesday, February 27, at 7:00 p.m., I will be joining Senator Karen Mayne at a Legislative Town Hall at the Kearns Senior Center. Not only do we get along, but we work collaboratively throughout the session to pass common-sense legislation for our community. This Town Hall will be an opportunity to be a part of the conversation and learn about how we are representing you at the Capitol.

Senator Mayne and I may come from different political parties, but we recognize the potential of working together to get things done. The late Senator Ed Mayne once related to me that an idea is great no matter who came up with it. It is in that spirit that I hope you join us and bring your ideas and thoughts on how we make Utah better for our families and community.

Honoring Women Leaders of Utah

This week marks 149 years since Seraph Young became the first woman in Utah and the United States to vote. To celebrate this occasion, it was announced that Ben Hammond will sculpt the statue of Martha Hughes Cannon that will be sent to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Cannon is known for being a suffragist, a doctor, and the first female state senator in the nation.

Descendants of Martha Hughes Cannon were present at the capitol to honor this event, and it was a moment where we could celebrate the progress of women in public service. The amount of progress that has been made since Seraph Young and Martha Hughes Cannon is monumental. Twenty-five women presently serve in the Utah Legislature which is a 20% increase from last year. For Utah, this historic number is based on the legacy that Martha Hughes Cannon started when she entered the Senate chambers for the first time in 1897. I was honored to be a part of this special celebration today. To celebrate the achievement of women in Utah politics, public service, business, and leadership isn’t just a celebration of women, but it is a celebration for all Utahns. I hope that every time my daughters come see me at the Capitol that they take note of the caliber of women leading the state of Utah into the twenty-first century.

These twenty-five current female lawmakers are paving the way for generations of Utah daughters to be State Representatives, State Senators, Governors, Congresswomen, US Senators, and Presidents of the United States.149 years ago, Seraph Young cast a single vote. That one vote changed the course of our state’s and nation’s history. Seraph Young was only one person, but it merely takes one to transform a nation into its God-given potential.

A "Pioneer Trail" for Salt Lake City

Walking the streets of Salt Lake City, you glimpse the historical to the modern. From the Utah State Capitol and the Cathedral of to City Creek and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art; the offerings of our capital are vast and outstanding. Individuals come all over the world to see the majestic city in the Mountain West. However, due to the city’s numerous places to explore, it is hard for many tourists and even locals to see all Salt Lake City has to offer. This is why I am working with my groups to develop a “Pioneer Trail” that will connect historical sites, monuments, parks, food and entertainment venues, museums, and much more.

The inspiration behind this is from the Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts. When you visit Boston, it’s hard to not take notice of the vibrant history that surrounds you. One of the ways to see the historical sites is to follow the Freedom Trail. This trail transports you past historical sites, museums, monuments, and more. It is a highlight of any visit to New England and is an example of how to show off a magnificent city. With this example, I feel Salt Lake deserves and needs a trail like this.

Salt Lake’s “Pioneer Trail” will be for the tourist, the local, families, and school groups. It will allow individuals to experience our famed city in an efficient and unique way. Not only will it connect the historical sites, but it will highlight many commercial venues. This will connect the city in a way that will heighten the appeal of visiting Utah’s grand capital city.

As Salt Lake continues to welcomes the world to Utah, we must be ever diligent in preserving the greatest of this city. I know this “Pioneer Trail” will only add to the legacy of Salt Lake and will encourage many to visit for years to come.

Teachers: The Defenders of the American Dream

It’s remarkable to consider this but our future scientists, lawyers, doctors, Supreme Court Justices, and even Presidents are sitting in classrooms at this time preparing to inherit the leadership of this country. As much as we can hope and pray that these future leaders are paying attention, we can rest assured they are in the hands of generation makers also known as teachers. Teachers remain the most overlooked heroes of our society. Most can think back to times when they were in elementary or high school and remember when a teacher inspired them to dream. Teachers comprise the first line of defense in making sure our nation survives long after we’re gone.

For many who know a teacher outside of a classroom, you know how much they give to this job. Teachers come home daily telling about successes their students to their families, but they also come home in tears asking if they are making a difference. To many teachers, they consider their students their children. The love they have for each child can sustain a lifelong friendship. 

My wife has been an educator and has shown me the power of a teacher and how they can transform a life. These individuals who chose to educate see the peer pressure, the bullying, the anxiety, and stresses of being in school. Therefore, they resolve each day to reach our children in academics, arts, and sciences. To teach is to give it all for the rising generation. My hope is we can sustain these benevolent individuals to teach, empower, and encourage our children to dream!