Guest Opinion: Evan McMullin should not use campaign funds to pay past debts By Kimball Dean Parker There have been rumblings lately that Evan McMullin could use funds from his senate campaign against Mike Lee to pay debts from his failed presidential campaign. Although itâs difficult to ascertain McMullinâs motives, the law would allow him to transfer any excess funds from his senate run to pay his past campaign debts. He must publicly vow not to do so. While running for president in 2016, Evan McMullin amassed nearly $670,000 in debt. He failed to pay a variety of vendors, including a Utah-based signature-gathering firm, which âsolicited signatures to get McMullin on the ballot in five states.â The owner of that business stated that McMullinâs team âtold me they cannot pay us what they oweâ and he complained of the financial âstingâ that caused his company. McMullinâs most prominent debt is $500,000 to a Florida law firm that helped during his presidential run. At the time, McMullinâs campaign vowed that â[w]e are working hard to do what we can within the law to retire as much debt as possible.â But a recent FEC filing shows he still owes the debt. In fact, itâs not clear heâs paid any of the amount he incurred over five years ago. Evan McMullin has raised over $1,000,000 in the first three months of his campaign. And he continues to aggressively seek donations. If he does not spend all of that money on his current run against Mike Lee, he could transfer the funds to his presidential campaign to pay the debts he owes. Surely, people are not giving money to McMullin so he can pay for the profligate spending of his last failed campaign. They are donating because they think McMullin has a chance to unseat Mike Lee as Utahâs senator. Donors and Utah residents need assurances from McMullin that he will not use his senate funds to pay his previous campaign debts. Until then, people who want to support a candidate against Mike Lee should look to other principled options. (Read More) News Releases First WGU, Alpine School District scholarship presented to ASD paraeducator Local leaders from Western Governors University (WGU) and the Alpine School District surprised Tristan Chile with the first Pathway to Become a Teacher Scholarship in her classroom Friday morning. A paraeducator at Barratt Elementary, Chile is pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education after seeing a poster in the faculty lounge promoting the scholarship. âI was quite worried about the cost of going back to school and incurring debt, but I knew that with a scholarship, it may be feasible,â Chile said. âWithout having to earn another bachelorâs degree, I wanted to find a masterâs program where I could gain strong, research-based pedagogical knowledge. I am ready to begin training for a career in teaching.â (Read More) Utahâs consumer and executive confidence dips due to economic uncertainty with inflation and workforce services The Salt Lake Chamberâs Roadmap to Prosperity Coalition, in partnership with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, has updated the Economic Dashboard for February to help business leaders know where Utah stands in the overall recovery. This tool tracks the stateâs path to a complete economic recovery from the pandemic recession and provides actionable context for decision-makers. âUtahâs economic engine continues to expand, reaching near our employment limits,â said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. âThe dashboard now shows we have reached our lowest ever recorded unemployment rate while at the same time consumer confidence taking a hit due to national challenges. Executive confidence has slipped with the broader concerns of persistent inflation and hampered supply chains. Notwithstanding these challenges, Utahâs growth leads the nation with construction, business services, trade, and transportation pushing our economy upwards.â (Read More) Governorâs Office and legislature release updated budget estimates The Governorâs Office, Utah Senate and House of Representatives released revenue numbers for state fiscal year (FY) 2022-23. Utah is leading the nation in economic performance and continues to exceed expectations. Though Utahâs economy is strong, there are significant factors, including federal stimulus wind down, that may dampen revenue gains. Updated budget estimates indicate an additional $432 million in one-time revenue in FY22 and an additional $383 million in ongoing funds in FY23. Of the newly projected available ongoing revenues, about 70% are in the Education Fund, and 30% are in the General Fund. The strong economy is the reason for the increase in revenue though there is still heightened uncertainty regarding the future. (Read More) Romney, colleagues lead effort to ensure proper implementation of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and more than half of the Republican conference in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg regarding the Federal Highway Administrationâs (FHWA) December 16, 2021 memorandum, âPolicy on Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Resources to Build a Better America.â In the letter, the senators request that Secretary Buttigieg direct FHWA to rescind or substantially revise the memorandum to ensure the agency intends proper implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) as enacted. (Read More) Romney, Hickenlooper bill would protect endangered native fish species, help maintain river ecosystems U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act to continue protecting four threatened and endangered native fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins. The legislation would extend current conservation programs by one year and allow Upper Basin communities the time to develop a long-term management plan. âIâm proud to team up with my colleague from Colorado to support Utahâs efforts to continue the recovery of the threatened and endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan Rivers. This program has broad buy in from stakeholders in the eastern part of our state and represents an example of what successfully recovering endangered species looks like,âsaid Senator Romney. (Read More) Gov. Spencer J. Cox names David Johnson to the Third District Juvenile Court Gov. Spencer J. Cox has named David Johnson as the Third District Juvenile Court appointee filling Judge Mark Mayâs vacancy. The governorâs nominations are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate. âDavid Johnson has a track record of excellence as a guardian ad litem, juvenile defense attorney and assistant attorney general,â Gov. Cox said. âI have every confidence that he will continue to serve Utahns fairly and honorably.â Johnson is currently an assistant attorney general, serving as general counsel to the Utah Department of Human Services. (Read More) Tina Cannon announces run for Utahâs First Congressional District Tina Cannon has announced the launch of her campaign for Congressional District 1 (CD1) in the United States House of Representatives. As a former Morgan County councilmember and local small business owner, Cannon devoted her entire life to serving her community and aims to bring her extensive experience and forward-thinking leadership to Capitol Hill in representing CD1 constituents in Washington D.C. (Read More) Flags to be lowered in honor of Col. Gail Halvorsen Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has ordered the lowering of the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the state of Utah on all state facilities in recognition of the life and legacy of Col. Gail S. Halvorsen, whose courage and compassion inspired generations both across the United States and abroad. Flags should be lowered to half-staff on the day of Col. Halvorsenâs funeral, which will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. Private citizens and businesses are encouraged to participate as well. | 