YWCA Utah 2023 Legislative Recap

On March 31, 2023, we gathered to celebrate the end of the legislative session. Our host, Shireen Ghorbani, and guest panelists discussed policy wins for the year and how they impact our work and community. Disappointments were also discussed with optimism for the future. 

Representative Judkins spoke on the success of her bill, HB 314 Remedies for Victims of Domestic Violence Amendments. Mayra Sanchez, the executive director for Comunidad Materna en Utah and Representative Ashlee Matthews discussed the current state of and future plans for perinatal and maternal mental health policies in Utah. 

Senator Luz Escamilla was recognized with our Public Official of the Year award. This award is presented by the Public Policy Committee of the YWCA Utah Board of Directors to an outstanding public official who demonstrates commitment to advancing the well-being of Utahns and who champions racial and gender equity in the spirit of our mission and vision. In 2023, among 103 bills tracked, Senator Escamilla sponsored nine of the bills we supported based on our 2023 policy priorities. That is the highest number of supported bills from any single legislator this year. 

We concluded the evening by recognizing YWCA Utah’s policy staff. A video was presented featuring our Director of Public Policy, Gabriella Archuleta. Liz Owens, CEO of YWCA Utah, expressed her gratitude for the policy work that Gabriella does and spoke about the importance of policy to the values and mission of YWCA Utah. Finally, our 2023 legislative interns were recognized for the passionate work they put in during the 2023 session. 

The evening was a great success in helping us recover from this session and look forward to the next one. Huge thanks to everyone who showed up to the recap event and to those who work tirelessly throughout every session. We see you. 

Check out the photos from the event here.