Family Policy Resource - Advocating for Children and Families at the Utah Legislature 2017

Family Policy Resource Legislative Team 2017 -
McKayla Skinner, Rose Marie Murray, Miriam Merrill, Kadee Taylor, Laura Bunker

Miriam Merrill discussing our list of bills with Representative Lowry Snow

Kadee Taylor discussing our Fact Sheet on HB 141 Unborn Child Protection with Rep. Robert Spendlove

McKayla Skinner discussing our bill list with Representative Keven Stratton 

We had a great meeting with Attorney General Sean Reyes

FPR with Senator Jake Anderegg

Family Policy Resource Interns meeting with Senator Stuart Adams.

Interns Miriam and Kadee - after writing a record 128 green notes (to Representatives)
and 24 blue notes (to Senators) in one day!   (Yes, all hand-written notes!)

Deseret News My view: Change alcohol barrier? Utah shouldn’t mess with success

By Laura Bunker

For the Deseret News

Published: Feb. 28, 2017 
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674453/My-view-Change-alcohol-barrier-Utah-shouldn7t-mess-with-success.html 

The Utah Legislature is considering removing separate alcohol-preparation areas in restaurants in response to concerns that alcohol barriers are hurting business and tourism. In reality, Utah business and tourism are the envy of the nation.

For six of the last seven years, the state of Utah has been named by Forbes as the No. 1 best state for business. Fodor’s Travel, a leading travel authority for 80 years, recently named Utah as the No. 1 travel destination in the world. Utah’s underage drinking rate is the lowest in the nation and has dropped dramatically over the last decade. As David Jernigan, director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, Utah should not “mess with success.”

Utah has more children per capita than any other state. Our children are our most valuable resource and investment. In a culture where alcohol is consumed by adults, separate alcohol-preparation areas in restaurants are one way Utah puts children first. Alcohol-preparation barriers shield children from the glamour of bartending and help shape their perceptions of alcohol.

The alcohol barrier is the compromise for allowing bars in restaurants. It is a visual cue that teaches children that alcohol is different from soft drinks or coffee and must be treated with more care and caution. Children’s brains think concretely and 80 percent of their learning happens visually. A visual barrier creates context in real time, teaching children in precisely the way their brains are hard-wired to learn. The “Zion curtain” is not “quirky.” It is effective. Children learn how to treat alcohol by observing how adults treat alcohol.

Correct alcohol messaging is critical because the consequences of underage drinking are pervasive and devastating. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth.” Nationwide, more teens die from alcohol abuse than from all other illegal drugs combined. Over one-third of teen traffic deaths are alcohol-related. Study after study links underage drinking to brain damage, alcohol dependenceand illicit drug use.

Unlike adults, teens don’t drink socially; they binge drink. They drink to get drunk. Although Utah has fewer teen drinkers than in other states, those who do drink start drinking earlier and binge drink more than kids in other states. With about 38,000 underage users each year, alcohol is still the most abused substance by Utah teens.

In addition, alcohol is the most common date rape drug, putting youths at risk for sexual assault. When either the perpetrator or victim (or both) are intoxicated, sexual assault can be brutal and life-shattering. In a recent Utah legislative committee hearing, many young people told heart-wrenching stories of being sexually assaulted. The hearing was focused on sex education in schools, but many of the stories involved alcohol. One college freshman who had consumed alcohol at a fraternity party woke up the next day in pain, “beaten up badly” and raped.

Tragically, this student is not alone. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports, “perhaps greater than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year.” Clearly, if we want to address sexual assault we must address underage drinking. All the sex education in the world won’t protect young people from sexual assault when they are drunk.

The state of Utah is legally bound to “promote the reduction of the harmful effects of ... consumption of alcoholic products by minors.” We do that by either putting a fence at the top of the cliff or more ambulances at the bottom. Alcohol barriers in restaurants are part of our fence at the top of the cliff to prevent underage drinking and should not be removed without a compelling reason.

Utah, the state with the most children per capita, should maintain separate alcohol- preparation areas in restaurants as part of a culture that allows business and tourism to flourish while putting children first — making Utah the envy of the nation.

Laura Bunker lives in Lehi and is a co-director of Family Policy Resource.

Opposing Assisted Suicide

"Assisted suicide isn't 'choice;' it is the end of all choices. Doctor prescribed death is not 'death with dignity;' it is really the euthanasia of hope." - Wesley J Smith, JD

This past Thursday I was able to give a short presentation to Attorney General Sean Reyes about our position on assisted suicide. The assisted suicide bill - HB 76 this year - has failed for this session, but just as it has been presented the past few years, it will be back in subsequent years. We believe that assisted suicide is dangerous because it is a slippery slope that leads to unethical practices, it decreases a patient's choices, and it will have devastating effects on our suicide rates. 

1. Assisted Suicide is a Slippery Slope

As written, the current Utah bill requires eligible patients to have a terminal illness with six months or less to live. These safeguards have been put into place to protect both patients and physicians, but other places that have legalized the treatment aren't able to maintain them. Let's look at the Netherlands. Just 15 years ago, assisted suicide became legal in that country with similar safeguards. Now, the law includes those with chronic illness, depression, and even totally healthy adults that just feel they are finished with life. In Belgium, assisted suicide and euthanasia go hand-in-hand. There, those with autism, eating disorders, chronic fatigue, and even minors are being euthanized. Safeguards are useful only if they work. History shows that once the door to assisted suicide is cracked open, it seems almost impossible to contain it as initially intended. We can only expect the same fate for our country if the practice is legalized. 

2. Assisted Suicide will Negatively Effect Suicide Rates

In Utah, suicide is the leading cause of death among teenagers. Our suicide rate is 60% higher than national averages. As this remains a grave concern among state residents, the government must not do anything to sanction the act of taking one's life. Many believe that if someone is already planning on committing suicide, it is humane to give them a "cleaner" option like assisted suicide. However, research shows that this is not the case. In states that have legalized assisted suicide, there has been an increase of total suicides and no decrease in non-assisted suicides as well. This means that legalizing assisted suicide doesn't decrease or even stabilize the suicide rate; It increases it. If like me, you believe our state can't afford an increased suicide rate, please join me in opposing this legislation. 

3. Assisted Suicide Decreases a Patient's Choices

Insurance options are already being limited underneath legalized suicide. In California, a woman in her mid-thirties was diagnosed with cancer. Her insurance provider denied coverage to her chemotherapy treatment, but offered the lethal dose of sedatives used in assisted suicide for just a copay of $1.20. There are multiple stories out there similar to this one. As devastating it is to many families including my own, it is not illegal to die. Assisted suicide doesn't give patients a right to die, it gives doctors permission to kill.

- Miriam Merrill

My Reflections on Utah’s Capitol Hill - Light on the Hill -McKayla

As a little girl, I remember traveling back and forth from my Grandmother’s house at night and noticing all the beautiful city lights. One of the buildings would always catch my eye. Its peculiar yellow light and dome shaped top, stood apart from the rest of the downtown city buildings. Never could I imagine that one day that I would be working there as an intern!

My first day at the Utah Capitol was awe inspiring. I got there early enough to have time to explore the building while it was still quiet, so that I could soak it in. I discovered the agenda board for the bills that were going to be discussed and wrote down the bills that I thought would be interesting to learn more about. Soon I met up with the team from Family Policy Resource and we dove right into the work, discussing current legislation on physician assisted suicide.

We spent the day meeting Senators and Representatives, and I could not help but be inspired by the purpose that each person came to the Capitol with. There were so many different individuals and groups all gathered to participate in the political process and share their resources with citizens, representatives, and as coalitions. This was encouraging, and continues to be encouraging to me as I meet like-minded people, as well as learn to understand people and ideas that I have never considered before.

If you like asking questions, discussing great ideas, and assisting in coming up with solutions, the Capitol is the place to be.  The Capitol light is beautiful and awe inspiring, but it is truly lit by those who bring their own light and purpose to it.

-McKayla Skinner

My Reflections on Capitol Hill: A Person is a Person No Matter How Tall - Kadee

There are not words to describe how nervous I was to start work on Capitol Hill. I have done a many things that others might consider scary. I've served a mission, lived in China and have even been accepted into a graduate program in International Social Change & Policy at the University of Sheffield. Those experiences seemed to pale in comparison to the Mount Everest that was before me: Capitol Hill. I had made it clear to myself and others that “I couldn’t possibly work with legislators! I don’t know enough! I don’t have enough experience!” It was all apparently too intimidating. That was my story and I was sticking to it. 

Looking back, three weeks since then, I’m shocked at the mental growth I seem to have achieved. What I’d made into mountains now appear as molehills. Sending in green notes, lobbying bills and setting appointments with legislators are all part of the routine these days. I’ve learned that I don’t need to be perfect to try, and that people are people, no matter how “tall”.  Some of the biggest mountains we climb may be the ones inside our heads. 

You are more than capable of defending the family in any capacity that you choose. If you feel a call to do the work, rise to the occasion. I promise that the doubts will fall behind you as you blaze forward defending what you hold dear. At the end of the day, liberals, legislators and lobbyists are still just people. We’re all working hard to defend what we love, and we each need each other to get the job done.

- Kadee Taylor

Intense Week at the Utah Legislature

February 13, 2017
Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

Last week (week three) of the Utah Legislative Session was very intense.  Several major bills came to committee, including comprehensive sex education, sexual abuse prevention education, assisted suicide, and abortion.  We have been working hard to make sure the legislators have accurate information to vote in the way that would best protect and strengthen families. 

We invite you to read our short summary of what happened to the bills, actions needed, and full report of the committee meetings. Please take a minute to look at the “Actions Needed” section to see what you can do.  Utah legislators really do listen to citizens. 

Warmest Regards, 

Laura Bunker and Rose Marie Murray 
Family Policy Resource

SHORT SUMMARY OF BILLS:

HB 215 REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION AND SERVICES Rep Brian King. This bill would have replaced Utah’s current “abstinence based sex education” with “comprehensive sex education.”  Thanks to your many concerned emails, the bill was defeated in the House Education Committee 12-2.  

HB 137 PUBLIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS  Rep Keven Stratton. This bill would have encouraged more parental involvement and accountability in “sexual abuse education” programs in schools. No vote was taken on this bill, and the door is still open for it to come back again this session.

HB 76 END OF LIFE OPTIONS ACT Rep Rebecca Chavez-Houck. This bill would have legalized assisted suicide in Utah by giving doctors the right to prescribe a lethal drug that a person would take to end their life. The bill was tabled 9-3, and failed for this session. 

HB 141 UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION AMENDMENTS Rep Keven J Stratton. This bill would require the medical provider to tell the woman that if she takes the first does of the “abortion pill,” but does not take the second dose, her pregnancy could still progress.  This bill passed the House Judiciary Committee 9-2 with 1 absent. It will now go before the body of the House of Representatives.  

ACTIONS NEEDED:  

Please contact your Representative to support HB 141 UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION AMENDMENTS.  This bill gives women who regret taking the abortion pill, a second chance to save their baby. As you can see from our report below, many pro-abortion women are fighting against this bill. 

Please send a thank you email to the House Education Committee members who voted against the comprehensive sex-ed bill.

Please send a thank you email to the House Health and Human Services Committee who voted against the assisted suicide bill.

FULL REPORT: 

HB 215 REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION AND SERVICES Rep Brian King

The four-hour House Education committee meeting (which ended after 8 pm Monday, Feb. 6) was standing room only, with others in an overflow room.  Dozens of Utah citizens stood in line for over an hour to have one minute to speak for or against the bill.  The bill sponsor, Rep Brian King introduced his bill by saying, “Utahns want more comprehensive sex ed.”  

However, when it came to voting time, most of the Representatives disagreed. Rep. Francis Gibson explained his “no” vote by saying, “I don’t think I can support this bill as is because I don’t see how it can control consistency of message, and I worry about the graphic manner it could be taught. Who’s teaching it?  What’s “appropriate” to one teacher may not be appropriate to another teacher.”

Rep. LaVar Christensen also voted against the bill and commented, “We are not putting our head in the sand, we are not in denial.  There is only so much that you can do in the school, but the school isn’t the exclusive voice for any and all subject matters. I received a note from a high school student that says, “As a high school student, I ask that you please vote against HB215. Most students agree with me that we don’t like it, we don’t want it, we don’t need it, and we are the ones who are affected by it.” 

We agree with both of these legislators’ assessments, and are grateful the bill failed. To see how each committee member voted, click here. To listen to the House Education Committee hearing on this bill, click here.

HB 137 PUBLIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS  Rep Keven Stratton 

This bill was heard in the same committee meeting as HB 57 comprehensive sex-education bill. 

After a 2014 bill passed, approving a new course called “sexual abuse prevention,” for all Utah elementary schools, many Utah citizens were concerned about the seemingly loose parameters of this new curriculum for children as young as kindergarteners. We all want to protect children, but we need to do it right. Many of these “self-protection” programs can be fairly effective in helping children learn personal safety skills, studies show that they are most effective when they maximize parental support and involvement. HB 137 would have encouraged more accountability to parents by requiring any changes in the curriculum to be reported to the Legislature, and encouraged more parental involvement by allowing any school district the option to use the current “opt-out” permission slip or change it to an “opt-in.”  

No vote was taken on this bill, and the door is still open for it to come back again this session.  To listen to the House Education Committee hearing on this bill click here. 

HB 76 END OF LIFE OPTIONS ACT Rep Rebecca Chavez-Houck.   

We worked hard to oppose this dangerous bill that would have given doctors the right to prescribe a lethal drug that a person would take to end their life. Legalizing assisted suicide does not remain limited to terminally ill adults, negatively impacts current suicide rates, and limits patient choice by denying coverage for valuable medical treatments. 

During the emotional hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee on Thursday Feb. 9, many people urged the legislature to give them or their loved one the chance to die on “my time, my terms.”  After listening to many testimonies on both sides, the committee members tabled the bill, 9-3, and it has failed for this session. 

Rep. Redd explained his support for tabling the bill “Where you’re telling physicians they can help a person take their own life, you’re promoting a change in culture, a paradigm shift, and a change in the way the government intervenes.  If we offer this to people who can make decisions for themselves, why are we not going to offer this for loving caregivers who are taking care of somebody with terminal dementia? This is about a major change in ethics.  As a hospice provider, I’ve been with at the bedside of hundreds of patients during their last days, although I can never guarantee anyone with a peaceful death, as a physician, I’ve gone way out of my way to make sure they’re comfortable during their last 2-3 weeks.  I think we should focus on improving the competence of hospice care, and making sure that people in these heart-rending experiences that many of you have talked about [are comfortable].  This will raise a new generation of health care providers who are going to have a different focus, and that has potential long-term consequences.” 

Chairman Daw also explained his vote to table the bill by telling the story of a “passenger airliner that got one degree off course, and that one degree course change, over a thousand mile journey, ended up with that airliner - when it was too late to do anything about it - crashing into the side of a mountain where all the people were lost.  What may be portrayed her today as a small change, will ultimately down the road result in, I believe a future legislator looking at what happened, and asking, “How could you possibly do this?”  The reason I support tabling the bill. . . despite that there was some intimation that if we could just tweak the policy slightly, it would be okay, is I don’t want to send that message.  The message I want to send very clearly to Utah is this is the wrong policy for Utah. This is that one degree change that we do not want to make.” 

Rep. Miles concurred by saying, “I still can’t get the past the fact that you’re providing Utahns to legalize others to provide assistance to end a life. As I’ve discussed this with others and constituents, the overwhelming response that I’ve gotten is that they don’t want to authorize or legalize having someone else provide the assistance to end life.” 

Rep. Ray summed his motion to table the bill by saying, “This is a very fresh thing for me. I lost my mother 7 hours ago, to cancer.  This is not done out of spite or out of not having been through it, I’m living through it right now, and this is where my heart is.” 

We and our interns, Kadee, Miriam, and McKayla were greatly moved by everything we had heard during this committee meeting, and were very grateful this bill was defeated. To see how each committee member voted, click here.  To listen to the House Judiciary Committee hearing on the assisted suicide bill click here. For media coverage of the meeting, click here.

HB 141 UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION AMENDMENTS Rep Keven J Stratton 

This bill was heard in the House Judiciary Committee on FRIDAY Feb. 10. Hours before the meeting began, the room was nearly filled with women holding signs such as “I had an abortion,” and “I do not regret my abortion.” They were poised for a fight, and we could feel the tension in the room when we arrived.  

HB 141 would require a medical provider to inform a woman seeking an abortion of the “options and consequences of a medication-induced abortion” (abortion pill).  This means that the doctor must tell the woman that if she only takes the first of the two drugs involved (mifepristone) her pregnancy could still progress.  

The bill also requires the informational brochure currently given to women to include the statement, "Research indicates that mifepristone alone is not always effective in ending a pregnancy. You may still have a viable pregnancy after taking mifepristone. If you have taken mifepristone but have not yet taken the second drug and have questions regarding the health of your fetus or are questioning your decision to terminate your pregnancy, you should consult a physician immediately."

We testified in favor of this bill because it could help women who is having second thoughts about completing the abortion. If she does decide to halt the abortion, she can see her doctor immediately, who may be able to help her baby survive. Because the first abortion pill (mifepristone) does not cause birth defects, she can proceed with hope. Every patient deserves to know all of the options regarding their potential medical treatment, and giving a woman all of her options will help her to make the most informed choice for her and her baby.

This committee meeting was passionate and intense. At one point during our testimony in favor of the bill, the women who were opposed began yelling and “boo-ing” in protest. As we were returning to our seats, one woman told us angrily, “I don’t regret any of my abortions!” 

We appreciated Rep Lisonbee and Rep Coleman, both women, speaking out in support of the bill.  Rep. Lisonbee said this bill “could potentially save some women from experiencing the regret of a terminated pregnancy. "If there is a chance to alleviate suffering in one woman by adding this language to informed consent then I am for this bill.” 

HB 141 bill passed the House Judiciary Committee 9-2 with 1 absent. To see how each committee member voted, click here.  To listen to the House Judiciary Committee hearing click here.  For media coverage of the meeting, click here.