During the 2018 General Session, Senator Iwamoto sponsored SB 57 to increase the penalty for killing a K9 police officer. These heroes are an essential component of law enforcement. For the 2019 Primary Children's Hospital Festival of Trees, a tree will be decorated in honor of all our fallen K9 police officers, who have died in the line duty. Senator Iwamoto is grateful for the opportunity to help support the memory of these heroes through participation in the festival. Bidd

Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne's SB175 Gang Awareness Week passed the Senate today and moves to the house. The bill creates an annual Utah Gang Awareness Week the third week of September. “These officers need to be celebrated for their efforts to help cut the often-generational gang life cycle,” said Senator Mayne. “They’re helping young men and women escape gang life, bringing them together for activities such as team sports, support cl

Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne​​ Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne presented SB175 Thursday to the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee to create a Gang Prevention Awareness Week the third week of September to honor those officers whom she calls “soldiers of the streets,” dedicated to seeking out gang members in an effort to rescue them from gang life. Several gang units from area law enforcement agencies attended the presentation to support

Today, the Utah House of Representatives passed S.B. 57 - Police Service Animal Amendments sponsored by Senator Jani Iwamoto. This bill increases the penalties for knowingly and intentionally killing a police service animal from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony. The House passed the bill with a 43-24 vote. The Senate passed the bill 20-6. This bill addresses an inconsistency in Utah Law that makes the penalty for stealing a police service animal greater than t

Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis and House Minority Leader Brian S. King lay out the Democratic agenda for the 2018 legislative session. #Workers #Retirement #PublicSafety #Education #Democrats #AirQuality

Today, the Senate passed S.B. 21 - Public Safety and Firefighter Retirement Death Benefit Amendments, sponsored by Senator Karen Mayne. Under current law, if a firefighter or public safety employee who has accrued 20 years of service, but has not yet retired dies while off duty, their surviving spouse receives a reduced death benefit. This legislation changes the law to so that these employees are treated as if they have already retired, giving their spouses an appropriate de