Gov. Herbert to kick-off clean air rebate program
What: Gov. Gary R. Herbert will announce a UCAIR partnership which will help homeowners replace old wood stoves with cleaner gas stoves. The program is voluntary, and is funded through private sponsorships.
Who:
Gov. Gary R. Herbert
Thom Carter, UCAIR Executive Director
Mitra Kashanchi, Chevron Salt Lake Refinery General Manager
Bob Weldzious, Andeavor Vice President and Refinery Manager
Representatives from partner organizations
UCAIR board members
When:
Wed., Nov. 1, 2017 at 10:35 a.m.
Where:
Utah Capitol, Rotunda
350 N. State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114
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Feds approve Utah’s Medicaid waiver
SALT LAKE CITY (Nov. 1, 2017) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced its approval of a 2016 request from the state of Utah to expand Medicaid services to 4,000 - 6,000 Utah adults without dependent children. The approval also includes authority to use federal funds to provide residential substance abuse treatment services to Medicaid recipients.
This limited expansion of Medicaid is a critical element of Operation Rio Grande, as many of the newly eligible recipients will be members of the homeless population. Phase two of the operation focuses on bringing additional treatment beds into the system to support individuals in recovery. The waiver approval will encourage treatment centers to begin offering services for Medicaid members. In anticipation of this waiver approval, multiple centers are planning to add roughly 180 beds within the next year.
“We are excited to announce approval of Utah’s waiver that will expand access to Substance Use Disorder treatment,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “I applaud Gov. Herbert for taking this critical step to address the opioid crisis and look forward to continuing to support the Utah in their efforts.”
The program will begin enrolling newly eligible members immediately.
“I've always said that the federal government should give states the flexibility to innovate in how they operate their Medicaid programs,” explained Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “Nobody knows how to address the unique challenges we face as a state better than we do. Today's announcement allows us to address the specific challenge of extending health care coverage — including substance abuse and mental health services — to the homeless population. I commend the Trump administration for approving our waiver request, and look forward to providing these critical services.”
"The approval of this waiver is significant for the most vulnerable people in our communities,” said Senate President Wayne Niederhauser. “It will empower more effective solutions to help those experiencing poverty and homelessness. I appreciate the current administration for recognizing the merits of our objectives."
In order to be eligible, individuals may not earn more than five percent of the federal poverty level and must be “chronically” homeless or involved in the justice system through probation, parole, or court-ordered substance abuse or mental health treatment.
Historically, substance abuse treatment through Medicaid was limited to facilities with 16 beds or fewer. Under the waiver, the bed capacity limit will be lifted allowing more treatment centers the ability to provide care to Medicaid members with substance use disorders.
“We appreciate the Trump administration’s effort to approve these waivers based on our requested timeline,” said Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes. “In all our conversations, they have recognized our needs and the importance of this critical step to help the neediest in our society. These waivers will help further our execution of Operation Rio Grande and the implementation of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. I’m proud of the unprecedented partnerships we have formed through our multi-jurisdictional effort and look forward to our continued collaboration and success in changing people’s lives by giving them a hand up.”
The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) submitted the waiver for CMS consideration on July 1, 2016. Elements of the request were outlined in legislation sponsored by Rep. Jim Dunnigan and passed during the 2016 legislative session.
“After working on this issue for the past several years, I'm excited for CMS to have finally signed off on our plan,” said Rep. Dunnigan. “This was a bipartisan effort, and there was broad support for the legislation that lead us here today. I look forward to continuing to work with all the parties involved to now implement this important program.”
This waiver approval does not include the proposed amendments that were submitted to CMS in August 2017 which included a work requirement and limitation on eligible months of coverage. The Utah Department of Health will continue to work with CMS to obtain authorization for these additional flexibilities in order to ensure expansion efforts are sustainable. ======================
State leaders to discuss Medicaid waiver with media
What: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced its approval of a 2016 request from the state of Utah to expand Medicaid services to 4,000 - 6,000 Utah adults without dependent children. The approval also includes authority to use federal funds to provide residential substance abuse treatment services to Medicaid recipients.
This limited expansion of Medicaid is a critical element of Operation Rio Grande, as many of the newly eligible recipients will be members of the homeless population. Phase two of the operation focuses on bringing additional treatment beds into the system to support individuals in recovery. The waiver approval will encourage treatment centers to begin offering services for Medicaid members.
State leaders will provide brief remarks on the approval and take questions from credentialed members of the media.
Who:
Gov. Gary R. Herbert
Lt. Gov. Spencer J. Cox
President Wayne Niederhauser
Speaker Greg Hughes
Representative James A. Dunnigan
Mayor Ben McAdams
Utah Department of Health
Utah Department of Workforce Services
Representatives from Odyssey House
Representatives from First Step House
When:
Wed., Nov. 1, 2017 at 11:05 a.m.
Where:
Utah Capitol, Gold Room
350 N. State Street
==================Gov. Herbert appoints Paige Petersen to the Utah Supreme Court
SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 31, 2017) - Gov. Gary R. Herbert has appointed Judge Paige Petersen to serve as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court. If confirmed Judge Petersen will fill the vacancy created by Justice Christine Durham, who will retire on Nov. 15, 2017.
“The judicial appointments I make are among the most significant and enduring things I will do as governor,” said Gov. Herbert. “This is particularly true with appointments to Utah’s Supreme Court. I am very pleased to appoint Judge Petersen to the Utah Supreme Court. Judge Petersen has served with distinction and earned a reputation as a thoughtful, deliberative, prepared jurist who has demonstrated a dedication to the rule of law above all. Her intellect and her calm, confidence-instilling demeanor will serve this state well.”
Petersen was raised in Emery County, Utah. She is a graduate of Carbon High School, the College of Eastern Utah, the University of Utah and Yale Law School.
Petersen has served as a judge of the Utah Third Judicial District Court since 2015. In her current capacity, she handles a full civil caseload in Salt Lake County. From May 2015 to May 2017, Petersen oversaw a combined civil and criminal caseload, which included a civil calendar in Salt Lake County, the entire criminal docket in Summit County and the Summit County Drug Court. Petersen chairs the Pretrial Release and Monitoring Committee, and serves on the Ethics Advisory Opinion Committee of the Utah State Bar.
“It has been my honor to serve the people of Utah as a district court judge,” Petersen said. “I am deeply grateful to Gov. Herbert for the confidence he has placed in me. If confirmed, I will work hard, and interpret the laws of Utah with fidelity.”
From 2012 to 2015, Petersen was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Violent Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, where she prosecuted violent crimes including bank robberies, child pornography, gun crimes and sexual abuse, domestic violence and aggravated assault cases. In this capacity, she briefed and argued a case before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Petersen was a legal officer in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at the Hague in the Netherlands from 2009 to 2011. While serving in the Netherlands, Petersen served as a trial attorney on Prosecutor v. Vlastimir Dordevic, the successful prosecution of the former Serbian chief of police for committing crimes against humanity in Kosovo. Petersen also conducted direct and cross-examination of witnesses as trial, including the cross-examination of several former Yugoslav Army generals.
From 2003 to 2008, Petersen was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Organized Crime Section, Narcotics Section and General Crimes Section for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Petersen handled all phases of litigation, including discovery, written and oral motion practice, all court appearances, evidentiary hearings, trial, sentencing hearings and appeals. She briefed and argued numerous cases before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. As an assistant U.S. attorney, Petersen worked in concert with federal agents on criminal investigations and served as a lead and co-counsel in numerous complex criminal litigations such as U.S. v. Pizzonia, et al., U.S. v. Peter Gotti, U.S. v. Khan, U.S. v. Adams, et al., U.S. v. Bouloute, and U.S. v. Uvino, et al.
Prior to her service for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Petersen was a litigation associate with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York, New York from 2001-2003. From 1999 to 2001, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Susan Dlott in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
Judge Peterson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Utah in political science and english. She received her Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School.
The governor’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.==
