Utah Legislature prepares for coronavirus special session

Utah Capitol, Salt Lake City, Utah, date unspecified. | Photo by AndreyKrav/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature is expected to meet in a special session soon, where lawmakers will deal with more issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this Jan. 27, 2020, file photo, lawmakers conduct business on the floor of the Utah House of Representatives in Salt Lake City.  | Photo by Rick Bowmer, Associated Press, St. George News

“Never in my lifetime have we experienced such a critical time,” Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said in an interview with Fox13now.com. “Both health-wise and economically.”

As the number of positive cases continues to grow in Utah, so does unemployment as businesses close and people are furloughed. Legislative leaders tell FOX 13 the public health response remains the top priority, but they are also looking at ways to keep Utah’s economy afloat.

“We know this will end. We know we will get back to life as usual at some point,” House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, told FOX 13. “We want to make sure there’s jobs for people to come back to.”

In the final days of the 2020 legislative session that ended in mid-March, lawmakers set aside $24 million for COVID-19 response efforts just as the virus was starting to emerge in Utah.

Read the full story here:  Fox13Now.com

Written by BEN WINSLOW, Fox13Now.com

COVID-19 information resources

Southern Utah coronavirus count (as of Sunday)

Positive COVID-19 tests: 40, including 1 death and 11 recoveries.

  • Washington County: 24
  • Iron County: 13
  • Garfield County: 2
  • Kane County: 1
  • Beaver County: 0
  • Visitors: 7

Hospitalized: 3 

 

Copyright 2019, KSTU. A Tribune broadcasting station

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!