Read personal messages from the senators to their interns on Facebook.

Photo by Flawur Media

Photography by Flor Olivo of Flawur Media.

We were excited to host our first Utah Senate Democrats Lunch Winners on March 1 at the Capitol. We were thrilled both parties were represented!

More than 100 people entered the contest via social media within three weeks. We had a great conversation with the winners over chicken mole enchiladas and chiles rellenos catered by Rico Foods. We discussed education, health care and our own families, among other topics.

The winners were:
• Carlos Vasques of Fruit Heights, Davis County.
• Sarah Al-Obaydi of Salt Lake City.
• Jahn Curran of Salt Lake City, Rose Park.
• Michael Christensen of West Valley City.
• Julie Dole of West Jordan and Salt Lake County Republican Party Chair.

Senator Karen Mayne held a press conference on February 28 to address legislation in regards to workplace safety, including a measure that designates June 23-29, 2013, as Workplace Safety Week in Utah.

Senator Mayne continues to push workplace safety legislation each year. She is working with several companies, agencies and organizations to create legislation to promote safety in the workplace.

Here are some of her proposals for the 2013 Legislative Session:
• Concurrent Resolution Designating a Week to Recognize Workplace Safety, SCR9:
Designates June 23-29, 2013, as Workplace Safety Week in Utah. This resolution is to encourage Utahns to participate in activities that recognize the importance of safety in the workplace, on the road and when using public transportation.
• Concurrent Resolution Recognizing Workers’ Compensation Fund for Workplace Safety, SCR2: Recognizes the Workers Compensation Fund and its role in promoting workplace safety and helping injured workers.
• Substitute Joint Resolution Concerning Railroad and Railroad Crossing Safety, SJR8: Encourages Utah Driver License Division to include testing and education on safe motor vehicle operation in and around rail lines and railroad crossings.
2012 Legislative Session
• Transportation Safety Revisions, SB195: Made laws regarding railroad crossing and automobile traffic uniform.

Supporters of legislation:
• AFL-CIO
• Union Pacific Railway
• Railway Users
• Associated General Contractors
• Home Builders Association
• Associated Building Contractors
• Utah Trucking Association
• Utah Mining Association
• Utah Petroleum Association
• Utah Department of Transportation
• Unified Police
• Retailers Association

Read press release here.

The 2012 wildland fire season was the busiest we have seen in several years.  In terms of numbers of fires, it was the busiest on record.  Lower than average snow back, along with a dry spring, resulted in unseasonably early fire conditions.  By the time the official fire season started, Utah was experiencing the driest May and June in 30 years.  An unprecedented number of large fires occurred during a two-week period during this time.  Utah averaged a large fire every other day during this period.  A number of records were set this season.  The number of fires was the most on record (1,528 fires) and the number of acres burned (413,626 acres) was well above the ten-year average.  There was a record number of large fires, and a higher than average number of those fires occurred on state and private lands.  (Source Utah Department of Natural Resources)

Today Senator Karen Mayne recognized students and faculty from Salt Lake Community College’s Culinary Arts Program.  For more than 25 years, the Culinary Arts Program at SLCC has been preparing students for careers as chefs or food and beverage supervisors in a wide range of industries.

For the past three years, through a strong and unique partnership between the SLCC Culinary Institute and the Capitol Preservation Board, these students have been preparing and serving food on Capitol Hill.  They handle the catering for many of the meals served across the Capitol complex, both during the legislative session and throughout the year.

These students are working to earn an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts.  As part of their requirements to graduate, students must have 1,500 hours of on-the-job training in addition to their two years of classroom instruction.  Working on Capitol Hill provides these students with the opportunity to earn 1,000 of those required hours.

During the legislative session, the students will prepare and serve more than 30,000 meals utilizing 2,100 pounds of tater tots, 1,500 pounds of chicken, 500 pounds of cheese, 450 pizzas, and 60 gallons of fry sauce.

Thank you SLCC culinary students and good luck in your future careers!