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Judge Shauna Graves Robinson tells Utah senators to consider the poor and disenfranchised as session opens
Summary
At the Utah Senate’s opening session, Judge Shauna Graves Robinson delivered a Martin Luther King Jr. Commission keynote urging lawmakers to craft laws that help disadvantaged children and to support alternatives in the justice system; lawmakers and committee chairs flagged education proposals aimed at struggling schools.
Salt Lake City — Judge Shauna Graves Robinson, presiding judge of the Salt Lake County Justice Court, told members of the Utah State Senate on opening day that her life exemplifies Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream and urged them to consider how legislation will affect the state’s poorest and most disenfranchised residents.
"I am the realization of the dream," Robinson said, recounting how community mentors and public programs helped her become the judge she is today. She asked senators to ask themselves "how will the decisions I make today affect the poor, the disenfranchised, and youth?" and pressed lawmakers to consider whether education, health care, housing, and criminal-justice policies provide a 'hand up, not a handout.'
Robinson spoke as part of a presentation by the Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission, now housed in the State Office of Ethnic Affairs. Luz Robles, director of the State Office of Ethnic Affairs, introduced Phyllis Carruth, chair of the commission, and noted the commission’s work to promote inclusiveness, equality and awareness around King's legacy.
Senator Howard Stevenson, chairing the public education appropriations subcommittee, responded to Robinson’s challenge by outlining education measures planned for the session. Stevenson described legislation from Representative Karen Morgan that would require students in kindergarten through third grade to demonstrate reading proficiency before automatic promotion, and said the session will pursue targeted investments to bring 'the best teachers back to the highly impacted schools' and offer bonus pay tied to measurable student gains. In describing the proposal to place high-performing teachers in Title I schools he said those teachers could be paid bonuses for raising students more than one year academically within a single year.
Senators praised Robinson’s remarks and moved to have her text spread upon the Senate Journal. The commission’s appearance came during the Committee of the Whole session the Senate convened to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day and to hear the commission’s message ahead of the 2006 legislative work.
The presentation and the ensuing remarks framed the Senate’s opening-day debate over education priorities and equity as lawmakers filed bills and prepared committee work for the coming 45-day session.
