The Utah Legislation has been in session just over a week and Castle Country Radio was able to speak over the telephone with Representative Christine Watkins about what this year’s session entails both security-wise and about some upcoming bills she’s keeping her eye on.

There are a few restrictions that the legislation is following due to the COVID pandemic.  “Of course, everyone is wearing masks. The interns get tested every day for COVID. We get tested at least twice a week. I go in and get tested Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and so far so good. We’ve had some interns test positive; we’ve had some senators test positive. So I just am very vigilant, I wear my mask,” said Representative Watkins. There have been partitions installed at each of the desks to help with social distancing. The may priority is safety and keeping the legislation in session.

One of the bills that Representative Watkins is keeping an eye on is a bill that deals with social security. “We have a bill that would say that if you are a certain income level, retired, take any social security that you would not have to pay state income tax on that and I think that’s really important for some of our lower income senior citizens. It would just really make money go a little bit further for them,” said Representative Watkins. She is in favor of the bill and hopes that it will pass when it comes time to vote on it but she will us posted as the bill goes through the motions.

Appropriations Committees have been busy restoring funding to an agency that had the budgets cut last year. “In our Appropriations Committees now we’re having those agencies come to us and say, ok we did this, this is what happened to us because of the cuts, instead of just asking for more money, if you’ll just restore what we had and make us whole we’ll be able to operate and do the services for the people that we did,” stated Representative Watkins. The legislation is working hard to restore those funds so that agencies can begin to offer services to their communities again.