February 5, 2021
Dear Constituents, Today is President Ronald Reagan’s birthday. Take a minute to watch his speech, A Time for Choosing, and eat some jelly beans to celebrate. (President Reagan always had jelly beans to share, read more here) You can watch his speech here. LEGISLATION I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS WEEK: HB 161: Military Retirement Tax Exemptions Did you know Utah is one of just four states that still fully taxes military retirement? 21 states exempt military retirement pay completely from state income tax, while 16 states have a partial exemption. This week, I presented my bill, HB 161: Military Retirement Tax Amendments, in the House Revenue and Tax Committee. It passed out of the committee with a unanimous vote. This bill exempts military retirement income and survivor benefits from state income tax. The exemption only applies to their military retirement pay; they still have to pay full state income tax on additional incomes that they earn. We owe it to our men and women who serve in our military to do the right thing and join the majority of the nation in recognizing their dedicated service and countless sacrifices. Passing this bill sends a message of gratitude and makes Utah an even more attractive place for military retirees to live, raise their families, and work a second career, after their service to our country. I am also the co-sponsor on HB 86 Social Security Amendments, to provide a tax credit for social security benefits and the Dependent Tax Credit Amendment to work towards restoring the child dependent tax credit. HJR8: House Joint Resolution to Protect Utah’s Institutions of Higher Education from Chinese Communist Party influence Last August the United States Department of State issued a warning regarding Confucius Institutes because of the threat they pose to U.S. national security. Confucius Institutes are organizations primarily located on U.S. college and university campuses that push out skewed Chinese language and cultural training for U.S. students as part of Beijing’s multifaceted propaganda efforts. The Chinese government partially funds these programs, under guidance from the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department. We have two Confucius Institutes in Utah. In addition to the State Department, the American Association of University Professors has decried the threat Confucius Institutes pose to academic freedom and the Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division has warned of Communist China's efforts to conduct espionage through Confucius Institutes. The National Association of Scholars has stated that Confucius Institutes “avoid Chinese political history and human rights abuses, portray Taiwan and Tibet as undisputed territories of China, and educate a generation of American students to know nothing more of China than the regime’s official history.” Due to the clear threat Confucius Institutes pose to American students and U.S. national security, 45 American universities from 30 different states have already shut down their Confucius Institutes since 2014. It is essential for students on Utah's campuses to have access to language and cultural offerings free from manipulation of the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies. I've introduced a joint resolution calling for the closure of the two Confucius Institutes in Utah. You can read the resolution here. Fox 13 did a story on this resolution, you can watch the clip here. Reigning in Executive Powers: Limiting No-Bid Contracts This week I presented HB 43: Emergency Procurement Declaration Modifications on the House Floor. It passed unanimously and is onto the Senate. This bill puts caps on the length of emergency no-bid contracts and requires a reporting process to require transparency and accountability I the process. Ben Winslow with Fox 13 reported on my bill this week, you can watch the clip here. I do my best to be responsive to constituents during the session! Please feel free to email me at cpierucci@le.utah.gov or text me at 385-414-1488. Due to the volume of emails I receive during the session, be sure to include your address or zip code so I can prioritize responding to you as a constituent. Sincerely, Candice Pierucci State Representative for House District 52
Bills Passed This Week As of Thursday, February 4, the House has passed 124 bills. Here are the bills that passed this week: H.B. 17 Utility Permitting Amendments H.B. 20 Driving Under the Influence Sentencing Amendments H.B. 37 Child Protection Unit Amendments H.B. 43 Emergency Procurement Declaration Modifications H.B. 53 Meteorological Evaluation Tower Marking H.B. 63 Impact Fees Amendments H.B. 67 Juvenile Sentencing Amendments H.B. 69 Traffic Code Amendments H.B. 70 Ballot Tracking Amendments H.B. 79 Mineral and Rock Amendments H.B. 85 Controlled Substance Database Access Amendments H.B. 86 Social Security Tax Amendments H.B. 88 Diversion Fees Amendments H.B. 96 Emergency Management Amendments H.B. 100 Postconviction Remedies Act Amendments H.B. 102 Contraception for Inmates H.B. 108 Vital Records Amendments H.B. 110 Health Care Payment Amendments H.B. 111 Off-highway Vehicle Amendments H.B. 113 Shared Medical Costs H.B. 120 Unemployment Insurance Amendments H.B. 121 Local District Amendments H.B. 128 Local Accumulated Fund Balance Amendments H.B. 138 Post Council Membership Amendments H.B. 139 Competency-based Hiring Amendments H.B. 142 Cyclist Traffic Amendments H.B. 143 Driver License Suspension Amendments H.B. 167 HIV Testing Amendments H.B. 171 Agricultural Land Use Regulation H.B. 173 Vote Reporting Requirements H.B. 176 Revisor's Technical Corrections to Utah Code H.B. 180 Lieutenant Governor Conflict of Interest Amendments H.B. 196 Ballot Amendments H.B. 199 Pawnshop and Secondhand Merchandise Transaction Information Act Amendments H.B. 201 Tolling Amendments H.B. 202 Health Care Consumer Protection Act H.B. 206 Epinephrine Auto-injector Access Amendments H.B. 208 Water Quality Act Amendments H.B. 213 Canine Injury Amendments H.B. 221 Property Tax Records H.C.R. 1 Concurrent Resolution Encouraging a Balanced Approach to the Release of Water from Flaming Gorge H.C.R. 6 Concurrent Resolution Recognizing COVID-19 Efforts S.B. 14 Driver License and State Identification Card Amendments S.B. 20 Air Quality Policy Advisory Board S.B. 21 Federal Land Application Advisory Committee Sunset Extension S.B. 22 Compliance Advisory Panel Repeal Date S.B. 29 Hotel Impact Mitigation Fund Sunset Extension S.B. 31 Condominium and Community Association Regulation Amendments S.B. 43 Residential Mortgage Regulatory Commission Amendments S.B. 45 Higher Education Classes for Veterans S.B. 54 Kurt Oscarson Children’s Organ Transplant Coordinating Committee Extension S.B. 55 Rural Online Initiative Sunset Amendments S.B. 56 State Weed Committee Sunset Extension S.B. 82 Road Usage Charge Program Special Revenue Fund S.J.R. 2 Retirement and Independent Entities Committee Amendments