Sen. Lee Reintroduces Silencers Helping Us Save Hearing Act
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), along with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY), James Risch (R-ID), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) reintroduced the Silencers Helping Us Save Hearing Act of 2019, a bill that would ensure the elimination of all federal regulations of suppressors.
“Suppressors can make shooting safer for the millions of hunters and sportsmen that exercise their constitutional right to use firearms every year,” Sen. Lee said. “The current process for obtaining a suppressor is far too expensive and burdensome. Our bill would remove these unnecessary federal regulations and make it easier for firearms users to protect themselves.”
Suppressors are a non-lethal firearm accessory that lower the sound of a rifle shot, which unsuppressed is as loud as the sound of a jet engine taking off, at about 150 decibels. Suppressors lower the sound to about 130 decibels at most, which is about the same sound level as a chainsaw.
The current process to purchase a suppressor includes petitioning the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) by filling out two copies of ATF Form 4, TF Form 5330.20, obtaining a certification from a local chief law enforcement officer, obtaining two copies of fingerprints, and mailing them all in with a $200 check. The approved form then will not come back for another nine to 12 months.
The bill, S. 202, would eliminate this onerous and unconstitutional process and provide reasonable hearing protection for sportsmen and citizens.
An online version of this release can be found here.
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Sens. Lee, Grassley Reintroduce Balanced Budget Amendment
WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) reintroduced an amendment to the United States Constitution that would require the federal government to balance its budget each year. This amendment would put a stop to the current “status quo” of Congress spending far more money than the federal government takes in and would place strict limitations on the federal government’s ability to increase taxes, raise the debt limit, and carry out other actions that threaten our long-term fiscal sustainability.
“For far too long, hardworking Americans have been forced to bear the burden of Congress’ inability and unwillingness to control federal overspending,” Lee said. “As our federal debt continues to rise at an alarming rate, the least we can do is require the federal government to not spend more money than it has at its disposal. We expect families, businesses, and state and local governments all to stick to their budgets and live within their means – there is no reason that the federal government should not have to follow the same set of rules.”
“It’s simple math: The federal government should not be spending more taxpayer money than it brings in. Families, farmers and businesses across my home state of Iowa and across the entire country make difficult decisions every day to balance the books. It’s the responsible thing to do. Almost every state has adopted some form of a balanced budget requirement, and it’s past time that the federal government follows suit,” Grassley said.
The proposed amendment, S.J. Res. 5, would require Congress to spend no more than it collects during any fiscal year, and limits spending to 18% of the gross national product, the 40-year historical average of total federal receipts. Congress can only run a deficit, raise taxes, or increase the debt limit if agreed to by two-thirds of both the House and Senate. Furthermore, the amendment gives standing to any member of Congress to seek judicial enforcement of the balanced budget requirement as long as they have been authorized to do so by a petition signed by one-third of either the House or the Senate.
Congress ought to waste no time in passing this amendment to take a positive, affirmative step towards fiscal responsibility.
An online version of this release can be found here.
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Utah Cultural Alliance Members offer free/discounted tickets to Furloughed Federal Employees
SLC, Ut. - In response to the longest government shutdown in history, Utah Cultural Alliance members are offering furloughed federal employees discounts and free tickets to shows, museums, and products. Such members include: Torrey House Press, Utah Film Center, Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, Davis Arts Council, Utah Presents, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, The Ogden Nature Center, and Odyssey Dance Theater. More are being added to the list daily and a complete listing can be found at www.nowplayingutah.com/discounts-for-furloughed-federal-employees/
“As the storytellers of life, the arts and humanities have lifted spirits and brightened days since the beginning of time. We hope that the opportunity to experience Utah’s wonderful humanities and arts offerings will help lift the burdens currently being experienced by furloughed federal workers in Utah.” Crystal Young-Otterstrom - Executive Director of Utah Cultural Alliance
Torrey House Press
Torrey House Press, Utah's only nonprofit literary press, offers a 40% discount to all furloughed federal employees through February 28, 2019.
Directions for how furloughed employees can receive their discount
Use code FEDERAL to get 40% off all books at the THP Store https://www.torreyhouse.org/all-books
Utah Film Center - 8th Annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival For Children and Youth
March 1-3 2019
Library Square Downtown SLC
Tumbleweeds features films from around the world and provides culturally-enriching, curated film, and media arts workshops for younger audiences. Founded in 2011, Tumbleweeds is the only film festival for children in the Intermountain West and has quickly become one of Utah’s premiere events.
Directions for how furloughed employees can arrange their tickets
Email info@utahfilmcenter.org with proof of Federal employment to obtain a code good for 4 tickets to their choice of film (s) at the 2019 Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Children & Youth. Use code at https://www.utahfilmcenter.org/twds2019/#FILMS to select tickets.
Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum
Free admission to Discovery Gateway Children's Museum for furloughed federal workers and their immediate family.
Directions for how furloughed employees can arrange their tickets
Check in at the front desk during business hours and show a valid government identification when picking up tickets.
Davis Arts Council Instrumental Music Concert
Location: Alpine Church, Layton
Time: 7:00pm
Join us for an hour-long instrumental music concert featuring phenomenal local artists. Artists names and information available at: davisarts.org/chamber-music-series/
Directions for how furloughed employees can arrange their tickets
Event is free and open to the public
UtahPresents
Four free tickets to all furloughed employees to any remaining performance on the UtahPresents season (excluding Banff Film Festival and At the Illusionist’s Table). See utahpresents.org
Directions for how furloughed employees can arrange their tickets
Call 801-581-7100 or visit the Kingsbury Hall box office and identify yourself as a federal employee to receive your tickets.
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is offering free admission to furloughed federal employees through the duration of the shutdown. Federal workers should identify themselves at the UMFA welcome desk--no advance tickets needed. For hours, directions, and more information, please visit https://umfa.utah.edu/visit
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
The Little Prince - Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman and librettist Nicholas Wright took Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved story, The Little Prince, and turned it into a magical opera. The Little Prince follows a story narrated by a stranded pilot who meets a young prince that has fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. As The Little Prince explores the Earth, he meets a number of colorful, and often puzzling, characters. Experience a night of magic and wonder the entire family will enjoy when Utah Opera unveils a new production of The Little Prince.
The 5 Browns - Experience a thrilling evening with the Billboard-topping siblings The 5 Browns as they share their fresh perspective on classical favorites featuring five pianos and a dynamic, energetic sound. With three #1 albums, these five Juilliard-trained siblings inspire audiences with their astounding caliber and genuine warmth.
Symphonie fantastique - Catch a glimpse into composer Berlioz’ life through Symphonie fantastique, a five-part, semi-autobiographical musical journey that resounds of his unrequited love for a Shakespearean actress of the time. Composed just three years after Beethoven’s death, the Romantic era has truly begun as Berlioz’ orchestral brilliance takes passion and drama to a whole new level. The program also showcases the completion of our cycle of Bach’s sublime baroque masterpieces, the Brandenburg Concertos.
Directions for how furloughed employees can arrange their tickets
Contact the USUO Box Office at 801-533-NOTE (6683). Tickets will be held in will call and you will need to show a valid government ID to pick up.
Ogden Nature Center
Free admissions on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Enjoy free Wild Wednesday programs each week at 2:45 pm, Wild Wednesdays are fun, informative programs that often feature live animals like our hawks, owls or eagles. Saturdays are great days to explore the trails and visit our live birds of prey on your own. For information on the Ogden Nature Center, visit www.ogdennaturecenter.org
Hours are Wednesdays 9am to 5pm, and Saturdays 9am to 4pm.
Directions for how furloughed employees can arrange their tickets
Furloughed employees must sign in at the Visitor Center upon arrival, and show their government identification to receive free admissions.
Odyssey Dance Theater - Shut Up & Dance Series
This popular Shut Up & Dance series—with three separate programs in repertory, is where the dancers have stretched their artistic muscle and created new, exciting works.
PROGRAM ONE: Chicago Nights – February 27, March 1, 7, 9 – 7:30 pm
PROGRAM TWO: Romeo+Juliet - February 28, March 2 – 7:30 pm, March 6, 8
PROGRAM THREE: Reflections – 25 Years of Odyssey Dance - March 2 & 9 – 2:00 pm, March 5 – 7:30 pm
Directions for how furloughed employees can arrange their tickets
Call the Kingsbury Hall Ticket Office at 801-581-7100 or go to the Ticket Office Window.
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About Utah Cultural Alliance: Founded in 1980, Utah Cultural Alliance is the statewide advocate for Utah's arts, humanities, and cultural businesses. UCA represents over 300 arts & humanities member organizations who collectively employ around 128,000 Utahns. In addition to advocacy, they work to amplify culture’s contributions to Utah's economic, family, and community life and collect economic data, manage nowplayingutah.com (the statewide events calendar of everything to see and do in the state of Utah), and are also hosts to the statewide Cultural Asset Map. www.utculture.org
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Crystal Young-Otterstrom
http://www.utahculturalalliance.org/
Utah Cultural Alliance · 254 W 400 S Suite 302, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, United States
This email was sent to mgeditor@sentinelnews.net. To stop receiving emails, click here.
You can also keep up with Crystal Young-Otterstrom on Twitter.
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Local company invests to keep Utah national parks welcoming and clean
SALT LAKE CITY – As an unprecedented national government shutdown continues, Utah achieved its own national precedent Thursday: a single private sector company, Alsco Inc., is stepping up to keep the national parks open through at least President’s Day weekend.
Alsco, a Utah based linen and uniform rental company, donated $100,000 Thursday to underwrite expanded visitor and custodial services at Zion, Bryce and Arches national parks. By expanding on the skeleton services that have been provided to date, Alsco’s investment creates a welcoming and pristine experience for national park visitors. Expanded assistance is needed as the parks go into their busy season.
Alsco’s contribution will ensure visitor and custodial services are provided at Zion from February 5 through March 9th, Bryce and Arches through Presidents’ Day weekend. The dates differ park by park because Alsco is extending custom agreements with multiple partners at each park to create seamless underwriting.
Since the start of the federal shutdown on Dec. 22, several public and non-profit partners have worked together to underwrite costs for skeleton crews at the parks. Partners include three national parks foundations, the city of St. George, Washington County and the Utah Office of Tourism. Alsco is the first private sector partner to underwrite the parks in Utah and may be the only business in the country underwriting operations at three national parks.
The Alsco/Utah partnership was inspired when Bob Steiner, co-CEO, read about the national park support being provided during the shutdown by foundations, the city of St. George, Washington County and the Utah Office of Tourism.
“I was inspired when I heard about how our state is stepping up to protect these natural resources. The senior management at Alsco discussed the idea and we decided we wanted to do our part.” Steiner said. “Alsco is a Utah based company whose employees are inspired by local patriotism and pride in Utah’s natural treasures. Our contribution is intended to help out visitors who have planned their vacations to these beautiful parks and to also ensure the businesses and residents that rely on tourism in these areas are supported.”
Alsco worked in collaboration with Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, and the Utah Office of Tourism to define a plan that would best protect the visitor experience and natural environment. McCay said the public-private partnership was the reasonable next step in the shutdown.
“Days like this make me proud to be a Utahn,” McCay said. “We are taking a different path than most other states by bringing public and private partners together to solve a hard problem – a problem that is big enough to see and small enough to solve. Our parks will continue to be welcoming to visitors through Alsco’s contribution.”
The $100,000 contribution is being allocated to three foundations that support the national parks, and is distributed according to the projected February visitation of the parks. The largest allocation, $62,300, goes to the Zion Forever Project, supporting Zion National Park. Canyonlands Natural History Association, which supports Arches National Park, receives $19,600. Bryce Canyon Natural History Association will receive $18,100. February 2018 visitation was 127,790 at Zion, 40,325 at Arches and 37,132 at Bryce Canyon.
If the federal government shutdown ends before the money is used, Alsco will work with the natural history foundations to apply the remaining funds toward high-priority park programs.
Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches are part of what is known as Utah’s Mighty Five national parks. The other two national parks, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, are not currently being underwritten because their seasonal visitation projections are much lower than Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches.
“Many times, people only look to the government or the state to solve issues,” Senate President-elect Stuart Adams said. “In Utah, we have people who step forward to help solve problems. I want to express my gratitude and thank Bob and Kevin Steiner for being part of the solution. The Steiner family and other families like them make me proud to live in Utah. I'm grateful for how people in our state step up to get things done.”
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About Alsco
Alsco is a fourth-generation family owned and operated business, founded in 1889, that was recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the linen and uniform rental industry. Celebrating 130 years of business,
Alsco provides linen and workwear rental services to customers that include restaurants, healthcare, automotive industry and industrial facilities. With over 180 locations and more than 20,000 employees, Alsco provides world-class service to over 355,000 customers in 14 countries. Learn more at www.alsco.com.
