Leaders extend emergency declaration, approve funds for cleanup

Listen live at 11:35 a.m.: Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson shares his thoughts on the newly-approved emergency funding for Utah.

 

SALT LAKE CITY — During Wednesday’s Special Session of the Utah Legislature, lawmakers voted to extend a flooding emergency declaration.

Instead of it ending Thursday, Gov. Spencer Cox’s emergency declaration will now extend into mid-August. 

Rep. Mike Shultz (R-Hooper) says this will ensure communities will have resources when flooding hits its peak later this summer. 

“We’re in uncharted territory, Mr. Speaker,” Shultz said. “We’ve never measured this much snow in Utah mountains.”

Also on Wednesday, the legislature also approved $40 million in flood response and cleanup. Some of the money will be used to reimburse agencies such as the Utah Department of Transportation, who had to clean the constant snow and now the mud.

Sen. President Stuart Adams (R-Layton) tells KSL NewsRadio that he isn’t sure if that amount is even going to be enough.

“We manage our affairs very, very well in Utah,” he said to Dave & Dujanovic. “We have lots of money put away and rainy day funds.”

He says these additional funds will help communities that are experiencing flooding.

State leaders got the business at hand completed in less than an hour.

“We got excited about passing bills and getting home,” House Speaker Brad Wilson (R-Kaysville) joked.

Mark Jones contributed to this article.

Read more:

• Firefighter death benefits added to special session of the Utah Legislature
• Why you should care about the interim meetings of the Utah legislature
• President Adams previews special session of Utah legislature

 

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