Castle Country Radio has been conducting weekly Legislative updates with Representative Christine F. Watkins during the 2024 general session. She has taken time during the general session to speak over the telephone about the dealings taking place on the hill each week. She is now ready to look back on the entire general session to talk about some of the highlights.

“It was a good session and we were passing bills till midnight. We actually the last week, we stayed late two or three nights till about 10:00 pm, and then the last night we actually finished up all the Bills on the board that were ready to be voted on. So it was midnight,” said Representative Watkins. The general session started on Jan. 16 and wrapped up on Friday, Mar. 1.

The big thing that sticks out of this year’s session for Representative Watkins is the State’s purchase of the San Rafael Energy Research Center. “It took $3 million, $1 million will be for M&O operations, and then $2 million to buy it. Because we always work like six months ahead the money will not be available until July 1, that 2025 Fiscal Year, so I think by Fall the State will own it. We did make sure that it says Utah San Rafael Research Center because we did not want anybody to confuse it with anything in California,” stated Representative Watkins. This a great thing for not only Emery County but for entire the Castle Country area. This could bring in so many wonderful opportunities to the research center.

Another great win on the hill was for Public Education and how a Bill has been passed to assist student teachers, as Representative Watkins explains, “We also passed a Bill that will give teachers when they are doing their student teaching projects; that’s kind of the last thing you do before you become a teacher. We’ll give them a stipend or grant because we know they can’t work while they’re doing their student teaching and it will help these students get across that finish line so they can be ready to be in our schools.”