It's Day 36 of 45. Also in committee today: a big overhaul of Utah's cosmetology licensing; and another public unions bill | | | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. We scour the news so you don't have to! Send news tips or feedback to Holly Richardson at [email protected]. | | |
| | Pass Senate Bill 142, The App Store Accountability Act, to Protect Kids Online! 78% of Utah parents support requiring app stores to obtain parental approval for children to download apps. Passing Senate Bill 142, the App Store Accountability Act, will put parents back in control. Tell your legislator today to VOTE YES on Senate Bill 142 to protect Utah kids online! | | |
Utah Headlines Legislative session Delicious is served! Utah State students hand out iconic ice cream to excited lawmakers (Deseret News) Utah Legislature considers religious freedom resolution (Deseret News) Business and Labor Lawmakers push for tougher oversight after several deaths in Utah teen treatment centers (KSL TV) 'Open on Sunday' mandate reaches showdown stage with Utah franchise owners (Fox13) Energy Utah eyes like-minded Idaho and Wyoming for a tri-state energy compact (KUER) Government Operations Vote-by-mail reform passes Utah House with requirements for photo ID (Deseret News) Universal vote by mail is popular in Utah. GOP lawmakers continue to move away from it in a revised bill. (Salt Lake Tribune) Is Salt Lake County getting too big? One lawmaker wants to streamline the process to split it (KSL Newsradio) Health and Human Services Opinion: Utah must lead on welfare reform to address benefits cliffs (Deseret News) Cancer is a leading cause of death for firefighters: What are Utah lawmakers doing about it? (Deseret News) Sen. Escamillaâs bill would expand Medicaid to fund doulas (Deseret News) New bill would provide extra support for Utah foster children (Deseret News) Utahâs medical cannabis expansion was nearly snuffed out by opposition. A budding coalition is helping it pass. (Salt Lake Tribune) Housing Is requiring buyers to live in the homes they purchase a solution to Utahâs housing issues? Lawmakers don't think so (Deseret News) Judiciary How lawmakers are proposing to reshape Utah's court system (KSL) Despite expertsâ warnings, bill to give Utah lawmakers a say in judge elections advances (Standard-Examiner) Revenue and Taxation Utah Legislature advances nearly $100M cut to state income taxes (KSL) Infrastructure, tax bill tied to the 2034 Olympics is unveiled (Fox13) Other Utah News Politics Sen. Curtis discusses concern over US vote against UN resolution condemning Russia (KSL Newsradio) Before vote by mail, some local elections saw single-digit turnout. Looming reforms worry cities. (Salt Lake Tribune) US Rep. Blake Moore âfrustratedâ with DOGEâs treatment of federal workers, he tells constituents (Standard-Examiner) Utah A tiny Utah family business delivered custom work. Trumpâs freeze means the federal government isnât paying up. (Salt Lake Tribune) Biz/Tech Egg prices expected to rise 20% in 2025, affecting Utah families and businesses (KUTV) Crime/Courts Julia Reaganâs husband sues University of Utah Hospital over âwrongful deathâ claim (ABC4) Sandy mom with 3 kids in SUV arrested for DUI with blood alcohol level 7 times legal limit (Fox13) Culture After decades of change, the U.S. religious landscape has stabilized. Will it last? (Deseret News) Economy U.S. consumer confidence drops sharply amid 'sticker shock' (Deseret News) Education The question Yuval Levin said each person must answer to resolve Americaâs social crisis while speaking at BYU (Deseret News) New teen center at North Sanpete High School strives to boost student engagement (KSL Newsradio) U of U researchers discover more than 2,500 black holes (ABC4) Environment Donât pull on Eurasian watermilfoil, Bear Lake officials say - it makes it expand (KSL Newsradio) Utah Lake opens the gates to send nearly 23B gallons of water to the Great Salt Lake (ABC4) | | |
National Headlines General Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona deserts make off with $2M worth of Nikes (AP) US consumer confidence plummets in February, biggest monthly decline since 2021 (ABC News) Political news House GOP pushes âbigâ budget resolution to passage, a crucial step toward delivering Trumpâs agenda (AP) 21 DOGE staffers resign, saying they won't help 'dismantle' public services (NPR) Judge temporarily blocks Trump attempt to stop refugee admissions (Washington Post) Trump floats $5 million 'gold card' as a route to US citizenship (Reuters) Judge orders Trump administration to pay millions in USAID funds by midnight on Wednesday (Washington Post) White House will decide which journalists get access to it in an unprecedented step. Journalists and media critics warned that White House control of the press pool threatens the foundations of a free press. (Washington Post) Invasive frisks, suicide attempts: Three migrants describe Guantánamo detention (Washington Post) Trump allies circulate mass deportation plan calling for âprocessing campsâ and a private citizen âarmyâ (Politico) Elon Muskâs business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding (Washington Post) Ukraine and Russia US, Ukraine agree to terms of critical minerals deal (Reuters) Ukraine and U.S. agree to framework for minerals deal, Ukrainian official says (Washington Post) Israel and Gaza Israeli warplanes strike south of Damascus (Reuters) Hamas agrees to proceed with releasing four dead hostages on Thursday (Wall Street Journal) Trump shares AI video envisioning Gaza luxury development with gold statue of president (The Hill) | | |
| | Guest opinion: RFK Jr. will transform Utahâs healthcare accessibility for the better by Jared Whitley Utahâs population has grown beyond 3.5 million residents, reflecting an almost 20% increase since 2010. This growth brings both opportunities and challenges, particularly in healthcare. The escalating costs of prescription medications have become a pressing concern for many Utahns, especially for those residing in the more rural areas of the state, where access to affordable healthcare is far more limited. In this context, Utahns should be incredibly grateful that both Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis voted on Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, the federal governmentâs top healthcare position. Kennedy was confirmed on by partisan, razor-thin margin â so small that even just one of Utahâs two senators voting no could have prevented him from taking the post. Thank heavens they chose to move Kennedyâs nomination forward because the high-profile nephew of Pres. JFK has proven to address the healthcare concerns that are at the top of Utahnsâ minds... Kennedy wants to see an end to the days where healthcare policy is so seemingly coin-operated in Washington, D.C. This goal resonates deeply with many Utahns who have experienced the burden of high medication costs, such as the stateâs 30% of adults who report not taking their prescribed medication due to cost concerns. This staggering statistic highlights the necessity of having a leader like Kennedy who is committed to standing up against pharmaceutical price gouging. (Read More) News Releases Utah State Bar: Legislature wants its thumb on the scale in judicial retention elections Following Mondayâs House Judiciary Standing Committeeâs 7-2 vote on House Bill 512 â Judicial Retention Changes, the Utah State Bar is strengthening its opposition in a not-so-veiled attempt by the Legislature to put its thumb on the scale in judicial retention elections. The billâs sponsor, House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, said in the meeting before the committee vote that candidates are identified with political affiliations to inform voters in their decision making and that âjudges should, too.â However, the information that voters would get comes from the billâs proposed politically driven Joint Legislative Committee on Judicial Performance. This new committee, composed solely of nine legislators, would override the established Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC), which the legislature created in 2008 to provide a balanced, transparent, and data-driven evaluation of judges. Unlike JPEC, which evaluates judges based on well-defined criteriaâincluding courtroom management, judicial temperament, integrity, legal ability, and caseload managementâthe proposed legislative committee could base its recommendations on subjective opinions and political biases. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Mar 7 â Utah legislative session ends Mar 15 â Utah Women Run annual training, 8:00 am - 2:30 pm, Hinckley Institute of Politics, Register here Mar 22 â MWEG annual conference with plenary speaker Sharon Eubank, UVU, Register here Apr 24 â Giant in Our City with the Salt Lake Chamber, 6:00-9:00 pm, Register here May 1 â High school writing contest deadline with The Rostra: Applying the wisdom of the past to the problems of today. More info here Aug 7 â Titan of Public Service, Sen. Tom Cotton, with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Grand America Hotel | | |
On This Day In History 1869 - The 15th Amendment, guaranteeing the right for men to vote, is sent to the states for ratification. 1919 - Grand Canyon National Park is established. 1929 - Grand Teton National Park is established. 1935 - Hitler signs a secret decree authorizing the founding of the Reich Luftwaffe. 1958 - Susan Helms is born. In 2001, she became the first military woman in space and performed the longest spacewalk with astronaut James Voss. 1962 - US Supreme court disallows race separation on public transportation 1993 - World Trade Center is bombed. 2012 - 17-year old Trayvon Martin is shot and killed while wearing a hoodie. Quote of the Day "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." âElie Wiesel On the Punny Side My husband scheduled his dentist appointment for 2:30. I cry-laughed for 20 minutes. | | |
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