With only 45 days to debate and pass hundreds of bills, every day is important and full of meaningful deliberation. Stay up-to-date and watch committee meetings or floor time at https://le.utah.gov/.
Bill report
This was a busy week for the legislature. More than 20 more bills have been passed in the House this week.
This session, I’m excited to sponsor several important pieces of legislation. Five of my bills have made it out of committee and are on their way to the House floor:
HB184 Veterinarian Education Loan Repayment Program
HB114 Theft Defense Amendments
HB33 Water Related Liability Amendments
HB93 Outdoor Recreation Modifications
HB237 Hunting Mentoring Amendments
Two of my bills have passed on the House floor and will be heard in the Senate:
HB55 Off-highway Vehicle Registration Requirements
HB112 State Fish Hatchery Maintenance Account Amendments
You can read about and track the status of all of my bills at https://le.utah.gov/tracking/tracking.jsp/.
Representative Albrecht is requesting eight Requests for Appropriations in the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee and two in the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee this Session.

Base budget
Balancing the state budget is one of the most important constitutional responsibilities given to lawmakers. Utah is actually the only state in the nation that allows all lawmakers to be a part of the budgeting process. All 104 lawmakers sit on an appropriation subcommittee, and this week, the House and Senate passed the base budget, which will help fund key areas in our state. My colleagues and I will continue to make adjustments to the state budget over the next several weeks.

Weekly newsletters
If you would like to join my email list for weekly newsletters, enter your email at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UTHOUSER/signup/32064, or send an email to my intern, Tabitha Anderson, at tanderson@le.utah.gov.

Water Week: Jan 30- Feb 3
Next week is #WaterWeek, and we’ll be talking about preserving, conserving, and optimizing Utah’s water all week long.

Utah broadband
A good internet connection is not available to all Utahns, and we want to change that. As a state, we are using a multi-factor approach to get broadband to as many people as possible. But we need your help. By filling out the Connecting Utah High-Speed Internet Survey, you can help provide essential information as we apply for federal funding to bolster our efforts.

Red Acres Farm/small farms
I met and spoke to the co-owners of Red Acres Farm and all their small farms membership about the importance of what they do for the rural community. I appreciate all that they do to educate about and advocate for our small Utah farms.

Stewardship: Safeguarding our natural resources
The House podcast is a great way to learn more about specific issues that are being debated during this session! In the latest episode, Rep. Walt Brooks discusses stewardship of our natural resources and what that means for Utah. You can find all the episodes at https://open.spotify.com/show/29iEqsEpMk05buAF2hgGv.

Beaver County youth
Thursday morning I had the privilege of meeting with the Beaver and Milford High Schools Youth Coalition along with Commissioner Pearson and school advisors to speak about the legalization of mini bottles in the state of Utah, and the potential impact it may have on teenagers. I am impressed with their initiative and involvement in the state’s politics and wellbeing of their peers. The future of our state is in great hands with youth like this!

Contact
As always, please contact my intern, Tabitha Anderson, with your comments, questions, and concerns. You can contact her by email at tanderson@le.utah.gov, or by call or text at (385)-420-3096. You may contact me at my email carlalbrecht@le.utah.gov. We value your opinions and appreciate your concerns for rural Utah.