Members of the Utah Association of Counties convened in November.
Summit County Council Members heard last week that the conference events included an honor for their own County Attorney. They also got details of the upcoming Utah Legislature.
The UAC affiliate group representing the 29 County and District Attorneys gave their County Attorney of the Year honor to Margaret Olson.
Olson told KPCW that she was humbled to be recognized by her peers. She said she didn’t know exactly why she was honored, but noted she was President of the group the past year, and has convened them several times to discuss pandemic responses and other common legal issues.
Council Member Glenn Wright also briefed his colleagues on the upcoming legislative session, which will start in early January and will be under Covid limitations.
“There will be no on-site meetings at the Legislature this year. Everything UAC does will be via Zoom. If you go to the Capitol, you’re gonna have to get a Covid test before you go in. You will not have any green notes to get to a legislator for lobbying. You have to have a pre-scheduled meeting if you choose to go there. Committee meetings will be distanced with few attendees. The Legislature will start early January rather than late January, because there was a Constitutional amendment passed. Bill prioritization—House members have four bills, Senate five. If we have anything that we want, we have to get a bill drafted right now, and it must be a priority bill for that particular legislator. Budget will be flat. UAC priorities are considered to be jail funding, roads and water infrastructure. Incoming governor Cox’s priorities are anticipated to be road, rail and recreational infrastructure. There’s likely to be a restructure of GOED and Health and Human Services, that might affect behavioral health and Medicaid."
County Council Member Glenn Wright.
