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Salt Lake Chamber pushing DC lawmakers for immigration, permitting reform

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Salt Lake Chamber pushing DC lawmakers for immigration, permitting reform


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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s business community has identified immigration and permitting reform has some of its top priorities.

The Salt Lake Chamber is pushing for the issues during an upcoming trip to lobby Utah’s congressional delegates in Washington, D.C. The chamber is the state’s largest business association, with members in all 29 counties.

“The Salt Lake Chamber and its members are committed to sustaining Utah’s strong economy and the prosperity of its people,” Chamber President and CEO Derek Miller said in a statement. “Immigration and permitting reform are just two of our priorities, emphasizing the necessity to modernize and streamline our nation’s permitting process for economic growth and to establish an immigration system that is fair and supports our state’s workforce needs.”

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The chamber’s focus is part of a heightened interest in immigration’s role in the state’s economy and workforce. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has been vocal on the national stage in his calls for immigration reform.

“Our economy is demanding that we need more workforce, and we just can’t find more workforce here,” Cox said during his monthly news conference in April. “So, this isn’t about taking jobs away from Americans; it’s about helping create new jobs and more jobs and helping our economy to continue to grow.”

Data seems to support those claims. A recent report from the American Immigration Council shows immigrants are playing a crucial role in addressing Utah’s health care labor shortages. Likewise, a 2022 report showed the number of immigrants is increasing at a higher rate in Utah than nationwide and that they are overrepresented in a number of fields.

Utah has also received both national and international attention from immigrant workers after it passed a set of laws making it easier for those with foreign credentials to become licensed in hundreds of professions in the state.

The chamber’s trip to Washington, D.C., next week will include a number of business executives and community leaders, including some from AT&T, Deseret Digital Media — which owns KSL.com — and the Larry H. Miller Company.

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The coalition also hopes to discuss other issues, including incentivizing domestic manufacturing and partnerships with international allies, reducing federal regulatory burdens, investing in grid resiliency, increasing flights between D.C. and Utah, and ensuring Utah receives its fair share of water from the Colorado River.

“The Chamber is championing big-picture issues that shape the economic landscape,” Miller said. “The trip will provide an opportunity for Utah business leaders to network, learn and be involved in policy discussions that affect not only Utahns, but are instrumental to ensure a strong and vibrant national economy.”

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Sydnee Gonzalez is a multicultural reporter for KSL.com covering the diversity of Utah’s people and communities. Se habla español. You can find Sydnee at @sydnee_gonzalez on Twitter.

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Washington, D.C

Amtrak trains delayed along Northeast Corridor from D.C. to Boston, officials say – The Boston Globe

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Amtrak trains delayed along Northeast Corridor from D.C. to Boston, officials say – The Boston Globe


Amtrak passengers faced delays of 30 to 60 minutes Sunday night because of power line issues along the Northeast Corridor, which provides service between Washington, D.C., and Boston, according to a statement released by the rail service.

Downed overhead wires affected trains operating from Washington’s Union Station to Boston’s South Station, according to Amtrak. Residual delays could occur due to crew shortages, Amtrak said in the statement.

The issues began earlier Sunday, when service was suspended on four tracks shuttling passengers between Pennsylvania Station in New York and William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia because of power issues, according to previous statements from Amtrak. As of 7 p.m., service on one of the four tracks was fully restored, while two tracks were operating at reduced speeds, and one remained out of service.

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Amtrak customers with reservations on affected trains will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or on another day, according to the statement. Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling the line’s reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL.


Collin Robisheaux can be reached at collin.robisheaux@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ColRobisheaux.





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D.C. Age Debate Reignites After Rep Found at Old Folks’ Home

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D.C. Age Debate Reignites After Rep Found at Old Folks’ Home


Politics

Rep. Kay Granger was found to be residing at an independent living facility in Texas following a six-month, unexplained absence from the Capitol.

Tom Williams/Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Yasmeen Hamadeh

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Mayor Bowser, Commanders' Josh Harris, and other local leaders react to RFK Stadium deal

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Mayor Bowser, Commanders' Josh Harris, and other local leaders react to RFK Stadium deal


After years of debate, false starts, and controversy, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act was passed in the Senate with unanimous consent, paving the way for the Washington Commanders to return to D.C.

Now, local leaders are speaking about the benefits, and potential drawbacks, of a new football stadium in the city.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

D.C. has scored a victory in its fight for self-determination just in time for the holidays. When the bill is signed into law by President Biden, D.C. will get to decide for itself what to do with the largest unused tract of land remaining in the District. I look forward to seeing the site transformed from crumbling blight to a productive and bustling complex that will generate significant revenue for the nation’s capital.

Throughout my career in Congress, I’ve prioritized transferring unused federal land to D.C. or the private sector, enabling the redevelopment of neighborhoods, generating tax revenue and bringing much-needed space to the District.

Maryland U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen

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Maryland has been the proud home of the Commanders for over two decades and we continue to believe that this partnership should continue long into the future. After working to level the financial playing field, and receiving assurances that should the team move they will redevelop the existing site in a manner that meets the needs of the community, tonight we supported the proposed land transfer legislation. We have always supported the District’s effort to control its own land, and through regional discussions and cooperation, our concerns with this proposal have been addressed.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser

Josh Harris, Managing Partner of the Washington Commanders

We are extremely grateful that our elected officials have come together on a bipartisan basis to give Washington D.C. the opportunity to decide on the future of the RFK stadium site. This bill will create an equal playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans.

Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Md)

Maryland should have the chance to compete to keep the Commanders here.

I opposed this bill in the House, and I oppose it today, because federal taxpayers should not be required to subsidize an NFL stadium by offering a 99-year lease of the RFK campus for free. That’s not fair to the taxpayers, and it’s not fair to Maryland because it undermines Maryland’s chance to compete on a level playing field.

But we can still win. Our site offers two nearby Metro stations, superior highway access, and a larger campus for parking. Now that the Dan Snyder era is over and the Harris team has brought winning football back to the DMV, a state-of-the-art indoor stadium would jumpstart redevelopment in the area and trigger property appreciation in short order. In addition to the ten games or so the Commanders play, the stadium could be used year-round for events like the Final Four and music concerts. Working closely with the Harris team–which owns much of the land around the stadium–we could create an economic win-win that would benefit the community, the region, the team, and the fans.

Maryland looks forward to working with the Harris team to make that vision a reality.

DC Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie

DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson

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We are grateful the legislation passed and that this large tract will not continue to deteriorate with a crumbling stadium on it.

At the same time, it is unfortunate that the Senate found unanimous consent to move the legislation concerning RFK, but is leaving untouched ten judicial vacancies. This continues to be a setback to the District’s public safety ecosystem. I would also be remiss to not emphasize that the continuing resolution underfunds, our police by $10 million.



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