- The Utah Senate minority caucus says it will prioritize dignity and fairness while legislating for Utahns, according to its leader.
- Democrats aim to tackle children's health care, food insecurity and educational support.
- Sen. Luz Escamilla says the caucus plans to push back against bills attacking underserved communities.
State senators in Utah’s minority caucus say they want to focus on the welfare of children, the safety of communities and residents’ quality of life, adopting the theme “for the love of Utah” for this year’s legislative session.
“Love means making sure every Utahn is treated with dignity and fairness and that our policies reflect the reality of the people who live here,” said Sen. Karen Kwan, D-Murray.
In a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon at the statehouse, the Senate Democrats shared their priorities and plans for this session.
“Policies rooted in fear and exclusion don’t reflect who we are as a state. ‘For the love of Utah’ means we remember Utah’s full history and we act with responsibility in the present,” Kwan said.
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said the goal of the group’s policies this year is to keep Utahns safe.
“All of our policies are about the quality of life for all incomes and the integrity of people’s lives. That starts with our children,” she added.
How Senate Democrats plan to play offense this session
Sen. Jen Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, said that even though the caucus is a “super minority” they still “have the ability to move forward on offense for good policy.”
While the Democrats will be playing defense and pushing back against a number of bills from the majority, they said they are also working to take their own steps forward on issues they believe in.
“Policy should be about people, not about power,” Plumb said.
Escamilla shared that she is focusing on taking care of Utah’s children, making sure they have access to health care and oral health care. She also highlighted food insecurity, especially in children, and ensuring families have access to safe, affordable child care and support from schools.
Plumb highlighted issues such as the opioid crisis and providing vitamin K for infants. Multiple senators talked about dyslexia, and Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, already has a bill filed that would add dyslexia screening in schools.
Other members of the caucus talked about having independent courts, addressing homelessness and stewardship over Utah’s resources such as the Great Salt Lake.
“These priorities are about stability now and a livable Utah for the next generation,” said Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City.
Blouin has filed a bill that would prohibit local and state law enforcement officers from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in certain spaces.
How Senate Democrats plan to push back against the majority
Members of the caucus spoke about different bills coming from the majority that they plan to push back against.
“We know there are some really difficult, some might even say horrifying, bills that are coming out,” Plumb said.
She continued: “To me, those feel like distractions from the real issues at hand for our communities. We want to focus on those real issues.”
Escamilla said that there are a number of bills that “attack” underserved communities in the state such as refugees, immigrants, transgender people and other members of the LGBTQ community. She said these pieces of legislation are “just mean.”
The caucus pointed out that there have been bills about transgender issues for five years in a row. Plumb said that these bills don’t make sense to her.
Riebe also talked about how the majority wants to pass another income-tax cut, and said that they need to make sure they are still taking care of everyone in Utah.
On the housing side of things, Escamilla said the caucus supports an bill from Rep. Calvin Roberts, R-Draper, that will help get infrastructure in place so more houses can be built at a quicker rate. She added that while building houses and making housing more affordable is important, they also need to focus on unsheltered people as well.
The group also spoke on the majority’s desire to expand the state Supreme Court. The caucus members said they aren’t against that idea, but they don’t agree with how it is happening and added that the lower courts need more support as well.
Kwan said that amid all the division that often comes with politics these days, their caucus wants to be the “caucus of decorum.”