SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) – A number of newcomers to Utah have had to take their first steps since being appointed last year or being elected in November to prepare for their first term in January. Aside from some guidance and mentoring from seasoned lawmakers, there isn’t much that could help lawmakers in the first year when they started drafting their first bills, writing their first-floor speeches, and attending their first group of committee meetings .
10 of Utahs spoke about bills in the 2021 legislature
The 45 days in the legislature can be intense with crowded schedules. Legislators typically receive endless requests from constituents, other lawmakers, and the media to meet and talk about the bills they are or could potentially be sponsoring. When away, they usually attend meetings, may spend time reviewing or revising laws, just trying to catch up on their emails.
The Utah Legislature is holding a special session focused on COVID-19 relief and the general election
Two of the state’s newest lawmakers, Rep. Nelson Abbott of Orem and Rep. Kera Birkeland of Morgan, joined ABC4’s Rosie Nguyen on the CW30 News at 7 p.m. for a panel discussion on how their experience of navigation is were in their freshman year on Capitol Hill. especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. They shared what they expected, what surprised them, and what lay ahead as they concluded this session and prepared for the next.
IN FOCUS Discussion: Transgender athletes in female university sports
Click the video at the top of the article to see the full IN FOCUS discussion with Rep. Abbott and Rep. Birkeland.
Catch the IN FOCUS discussion with Rosie Nguyen of ABC4 on the 7pm CW30 news
Rosie Nguyen is an award-winning journalist who joined the ABC4 News team as a reporter in January 2018. In September 2020, at 7 p.m., she started a new journey as an anchor for the CW30 News. She continues her passion for social justice and community issues through the nightly In Focus discussions.
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