Also, human remains found next to some of Brian Laundrie's belongings in Florida wilderness
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The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. Send news tips or feedback to editor@utahpolicy.com.

 

Situational Analysis | October 21, 2021

It's Thursday and International Nacho Day. Yum. 

Be in the Know

  1. “I believe there was fraud in the 2020 election. I can’t prove it," said Rep. Steve Christiansen. Some 200 people showed up for an interim committee meeting yesterday to promote their (unproven) claims that Utah's 2020 election had 'many' instances of fraud. (An election that Donald Trump and a super-majority of Republican legislators won.) Christiansen appeared on a podcast hosted by Steve Bannon to promote his 'election audit' and push for 'election reform' by doing away with vote-by-mail and voting machines. Governor Cox and Lt. Governor Henderson pushed back. "Make no mistake," they said. "There is absolutely no evidence of election fraud in Utah. No action was taken by the committee, but that doesn't mean there won't be legislation proposed when then 2022 session begins.

  2. Human remains have been found in the Florida wilderness where Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of murdered Gabby Petito, was believed to be hiding. The remains were found near a backpack and notebook belonging to Laundrie and formal identification will take some time but the Laundrie family attorney says there is a 'strong probability' that the remains are Brian's. 
 

FROM OUR SPONSOR

Utah's next legislative session and a heated Senate race

State legislators set the agenda for the general session while candidates line up for Utah’s contentious 2022 U.S. Senate race. Doug Wilks, Editor of DNews, Heidi Hatch, anchor with KUTV & Frank Pignanelli, partner at Foxley & Pignanelli, join Jason Perry on The Hinckley Report, Friday at 7:30 pm.

 

Utah Headlines

General

  • Opinion: Will the post-COVID battle of the sexes end in a parade of horribles, or something more hopeful? (Deseret News)
  • Search warrants detail 15-yr-old female student’s alleged bomb, shooting plot against Weber High School (Standard-Examiner)

Politics

  • Utah lawmaker Steve Christiansen fans flames, calls for audit of 2020 election. Will it catch fire or go up in smoke? (Deseret News)
  • Two Utah lawmakers want state to conduct an Arizona-style audit of the 2020 election (KUER)
  • Teachers angered by Utah lawmaker’s proposal to let parents vet social studies lessons in advance (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Republican lawmakers flush bill requiring low-flow plumbing fixtures (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Derek Miller: How Utah lawmakers made the state prosperous (Deseret News)
  • Evan McMullin: Why I am running to replace Sen. Mike Lee (Deseret News)

COVID Corner

  • 1410 new cases, 11 new deaths
  • COVID-19 and pregnancy: Women regret not getting the vaccine (KSL)
  • The F.D.A. authorized Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots, as well as a mix-and-match strategy. (New York Times)

Education

  • How $15 million gift will help University of Utah double high-demand computer science grads (Deseret News)
  • Lawmakers to create working group on classroom transparency standards (KUER)

Environment

  • Would an island development on Utah Lake help or hurt its fragile ecosystem? (Deseret News)
  • Extreme heat in cities a growing problem as climate warms, study finds (NBC News)
  • Coal and nuclear power plants are still needed (Deseret News)
  • California expands its state of emergency to deal with massive drought (Deseret News)
  • Power generation on the Colorado is drying up. Glen Canyon Dam produces just 70% of the power it normally does and may fall to zero if Lake Powell keeps dropping. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • USU researchers explore impact of climate change on Utah’s ski resorts (KUER)

National Headlines

General

  • Strong probability that the suspected remains found in a Florida park are Brian Laundrie's, family attorney says (CNN)
  • Researchers put a date on when the Vikings arrived in Canada: exactly 1,000 years ago (NPR)
  • Nadia Chaudhri was a neuroscientist with terminal ovarian cancer who used her final months to raise money for graduate students of diverse backgrounds and to educate the public about her disease. She has died at age 43. ðŸ˜¥(New York Times)
  • Facebook Oversight Board says company ‘failed to provide relevant information,’ issuing stern rebuke in first transparency reports (Washington Post)
  • A 30-year campaign to control drug prices faces yet another failure (New York Times)

Politics

  • Trump announces new social media network called 'TRUTH Social' (The Hill)
  • All eyes on Manchin after Republicans again block voting rights legislation (Washington Post)
  • Sinema blows up Dems' plans to tax high earners, corporations (Politico)

Immigration

  • ‘It should not have happened’: Asylum officers detail migrants’ accounts of abuse (New York Times)
  • A leaked US government report documents how children with 'crippled' legs and epilepsy were forced into the 'Remain in Mexico' program (Buzzfeed)
 

Policy News

Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson defend election integrity

Following testimony before the Judiciary Interim Committee by Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Gov. Spencer J. Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson issued the following joint statement:

“We are frustrated by the misinformation that was presented in the Judiciary Interim Committee today. Namely, that voting machines can be hacked, that there are more ballots than voters, that algorithms control voter registration, and other spurious claims made without evidence. All of these assertions are absolute falsehoods and run counter to Utah law and the foundation of our constitutional republic.  

“We recognize some voters have legitimate questions about our elections and we invite all citizens to be involved in our local elections to see the process first-hand. But make no mistake: There is absolutely no evidence of election fraud in Utah. Utah has long been a model to the nation when it comes to voting and voter security. County clerks and local election offices execute their duties with accuracy and integrity. Utah follows the law.” 


Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Henderson release One Utah Roadmap update

With the completion of some of the goals outlined in the One Utah Roadmap, the Cox-Henderson administration has refined and reset priorities for the next 250 days and beyond.

Version 2 of the One Utah Roadmap hones in on the administration’s top priorities that will be managed by the Governor’s Office. These six key areas continue to revolve around economic opportunity, education, rural, health, equity and opportunity, and streamlined government. The Roadmap also includes an addendum with Version 1 goals that have either been accomplished or will now be spearheaded by state agencies. 

“It’s great to see so much progress in such a short time, but our work is far from finished,” Gov. Cox said. “Roadmap Version 2 will keep us moving forward in ways that are both ambitious and accountable. As leaders, we’ll continue to think big and innovate for the benefit of all Utahns.”  (Read More)


Kids are back in school as Utah public schools add 8,638 students in 2021

Utah public schools added 8,638 students this fall for a growth rate of 1.3 percent, bringing the total number of students to 675,247, according to October 1 enrollment data released today by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE).

Kindergarten enrollment, which had dropped by more than 1,500 students in the fall of 2020 rebounded this year to levels higher than in 2019, USBE noted. Student transfers from public school to homeschooling grew from 914 in the fall of 2019 to 3,375 in 2020. That number fell to 1,227 this year, USBE reported. Enrollment in online-only public schools remained virtually unchanged: 26,605 students in 2020 and 26,711 this year. (Read More)


WGU launches partnership with Alpine School District

Western Governors University (WGU) and the Alpine School District announced a partnership to encourage faculty and staff to pursue high-quality, respected credentials through the nonprofit, online university. The benefits to district employees include fee waivers and exclusive scholarship opportunities.

Together, WGU and the Alpine School District have established the Pathway to Become a Teacher Scholarship. Valued up to $5,000, as many as 10 Alpine employees will be selected to receive that award – to be applied to an approved, WGU bachelor’s or master’s degree program. Additionally, Alpine employees are eligible to apply for the $2,500 WGU K-12 Partner Scholarship. Both scholarships are intended to lower the financial barrier to a university degree and reward current and prospective teachers for their commitment to educating young people. (Read More)


Utah Treasurer Marlo M. Oaks announces record-breaking Permanent State School Fund distribution to Utah schools

Funds go to schools for programs chosen by parents, teachers and principals at no cost to taxpayers

Utah Treasurer Marlo M. Oaks today announced that the Permanent State School Fund will make the largest-ever distribution to Utah schools next year.

Schools are slated to receive a record $95.85 million from the Permanent State School Fund in July 2022 – a 3.2% increase from this year’s distribution of $92.84 million and a 7.9% increase from last year’s distribution of $88.83 million. (Read More)

 
 

Upcoming

  • Hatch Center Symposium with U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) â€”  Oct. 29, Noon, Salt Lake City. Space is limited. Register here.
  • Utah Business Economic Summit – Nov 5, 8:00 am - 4 pm Register here
  • Growth, Grit and Grace - SLC Chamber's Women & Business Conference and ATHENA awards – Nov 19, 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Register here
 

On This Day In History

From History.com

  • 1805 - Battle of Trafalgar, one of the most decisive naval battles in history is fought on this day. Horatio Nelson led the British fleet to victory but also died in battle..
  • 1833 -  Alfred Nobel is born. The Swedish chemist invented dynamite and later founded the Nobel Prizes
  • 1854 - Florence Nightingale with a staff of 38 nurses is sent to the Crimean War
  • 1879 - After 1200 unsuccessful experiments, Thomas Edison demonstrated the first lasting electric light bulb. 
  • 1921 - President Warren G. Harding publicly condemns lynching
  • 1949 - Author of "Brave New World" Aldous Huxley writes to congratulate George Orwell on his new novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four"
  • 1955 - Mary Louise Smith, age 18, is arrested for refusing to give up her seat in the “whites only” section of a Montgomery city bus.
  • 1966 - A landslide sent 140,000 cubic yards of coal waste in a tidal wave 40-feet high hurtling down the mountainside and crashes into a small Welsh mining village, killing 116 children and 28 adults. The Aberfan disaster left just five survivors.
  • 1967 - Nearly 100,000 gather in Washington, D.C. to protest the Vietnam war.

Wise Words

“Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.”
―
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World”


Lighter Side

The website will still be Facebook but the company is going to have a new name. And I don’t know if this is a good idea. I mean, Facebook is one of those iconic brands like Hiroshima and Ted Bundy — do you really want to lose that name recognition?” 

— TREVOR NOAH

 

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