Strategy and Teamwork - Week Six of the 2019 Utah Legislative Session

Following bills has been ongoing since the 2019 Utah legislative session began, but they are coming more fast and furious now that the three weeks of appropriations committee meetings have concluded.

On behalf of Southern Utah University, intern Alexandra and I attended every meeting of Higher Ed Appropriations regarding our overall budget issues; Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations regarding our building needs; and Business, Economic Development and Labor Appropriations regarding ongoing funding for the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games.

In a single day, we had three presentations within a period of 30 minutes in two different committees in two different buildings. I got a lot of extra steps in that day.

In all three of the committees, SUU did as well as we expected to. There is still work to do regarding designated funding for the 3-year degree and getting our TED building prioritized by the next group of decision makers, the Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC).

Our strategy included meeting with members of the EAC as early as November when we knew who the elected and appointment members of the committee would be. President Scott L Wyatt is well-respected by this group of lawmakers so we have been able to have honest, candid, and positive conversations for the last three months, not waiting to have these conversations during the fervor of the seven-week session.

If you’re interested in learning more, Senator Don Ipson and Representative Brad Last wrote an excellent article for The Spectrum on the budget process for legislators. We look forward to the remainder of the session and all that it may bring to our university.