Senator Ron Winterton addressed a variety of current topics on the Newstalk AM 920 104.5 FM radio forum on Monday evening. When asked about the rumor that the Governor can withhold funding from schools that do not enforce his mask mandate, Winterton shared that that was never part of the discussions of the state appropriations committee which he serves on and that the Governor is not who issues the funding, that’s the legislature’s job. Winterton acknowledged that there are varying views in the Uintah Basin about how to mitigate risk of COVID-19 in the public schools and that he personally worries that the mask mandate is not what is best for kids and their education. Still he said that it’s important to find a happy medium and create a game plan to help teachers who are worried about the risk. Senator Winterton also talked about SB6004 ‘Regulatory Certainty Amendments’ which he is sponsoring. The bill addresses a moratorium on rulemaking and fee changes in support of industry and other businesses struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Winterton shared that industry was greatly affected when COVID hit and there is a cloud hanging over many companies so it is not the time to be changing the rules or increasing fees. “It puts a pause on all that until July next year,” explains Winterton. “…It sends a message to industry that Utah is still open for business.” Winterton also commented on other legislation and topics relative to the Uintah Basin. Listen to the full interview by visiting the Public Affairs section on www.BasinNow.com under the Community tab.
