| It's interim day; Salt Lake City getting a permanent passport office after Romney push- woot woot! ð; and Willie Mays has died at age 93 ð¢ .png?width=1200&upscale=true&name=Utah_Policy_Logo_Email_Full%20(1).png) | 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 editor@utahpolicy.com. If you're a candidate in 2024 and want to advertise on UtahPolicy.com, contact Suzanne Benitez. | | |
Situational Analysis | June 19, 2024 It's Tuesday and today is Juneteenth! What you need to know - Juneteenth marks an important (and sad) moment when all slaves were finally freed (at least on paper). Texas was a hold out for nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the end of the Civil War. The emancipating of a quarter-million slaves in Texas had to be enforced by some 2000 Union troops arriving in Galveston on June 19, 1865. It became a national holiday in 2021.
Rapid relevance On the Hill Today | | |
 | Speak Up for the San Rafael Swell The San Rafael Swell is a treasured place to seek peace and quiet. But the Bureau of Land Management is under extraordinary pressure to expand damaging off-road vehicle use across on these remarkable public lands. Visit SUWA.org to speak up for the Swell. | | |
Utah Headlines Political news - Utah lawmakers, journalists screen footage of Hamas atrocities against Israelis on Oct. 7 (Deseret News)
- Utah legislative audit probes mineral royalty rates in extraction (Deseret News)
- Utah Rep. Maloy seeks to accelerate federal mine permitting process (Deseret News)
- How the Utah Legislature wants to push back against the Biden administration in a special session (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Will Utah lawmakers invoke new state law to avoid changes to Title IX? (Deseret News)
- Rep. Mike Petersen says legislative overreach on growth mandates adversely affects small towns (Cache Valley Daily)
Election news - Gov. Cox endorses Celeste Maloy (Deseret News)
- Nonprofit working to build trust in Utah elections (KSL Newsradio)
- Financial transparency key to trusting Congress, candidates say. Two Utah Republican Congressional candidates still havenât filed required disclosures. (Salt Lake Tribune)
- John Dougall rejects Donald Trump and MAGA. Will it lead to a 2024 congressional GOP primary win? (Salt Lake Tribune)
Juneteenth - The lessons of Juneteenth â then and now (Deseret News)
- How Juneteenth became a family holiday for us (Deseret News)
- Opinion: We need to celebrate Juneteenth â together (Deseret News)
- Americaâs long and uneven march from slavery to freedom (Washington Post)
- Juneteenth isnât just a Black holiday. Itâs for all Americans (NPR)
- Before Juneteenth (The Atlantic)
- Opinion: Juneteenth has a particularly poignant history in Utah. Itâs our responsibility to tell the story (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Opinion: Juneteenth is a reminder to cross divides for a better future (Salt Lake Tribune)
- On Juneteenth, freedom came with strings attached (New York Times)
- Condoleezza Rice: Juneteenth is our second Independence Day (The Free Press)
Utah news - Reese Witherspoon propels Utah author Ally Condie into the spotlight with book club pick (Deseret News)
- Utah immigration attorney breaks down Bidenâs executive action aimed to help immigrants (KSl Newsradio)
- Utah tells migrants seeking better prospects to stay away (Deseret News)
Olympic news - Jimmer Fredette will represent Utah at the Olympics in more ways than one (Deseret News)
Business - Report finds fewer Utah workers experiencing sexual harassment (KSL TV)
- Nvidia's ascent to most valuable company echoes dot-com boom (Wall Street Journal)
- J. Dawgs to celebrate 20th anniversary with free hot dogs on June 25 (ABC4)
Crime/Courts - DOJ says Utah violates civil rights by 'segregating' adults with intellectual disabilities (KSL)
- St. George Police Dept. looking for woman suspected of double homicide (KSL Newsradio)
Education - Rep. Joel K. Briscoe: The Utah Fits All Scholarship lacks educational accountability (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Dixie Tech and Snow College collaboration offers new associate degree pathway (St. George News)
- The water cycle is ânothing like the cartoonâ we learn in school. So BYU modernized it (KUER)
- USUâs new $7.2 million center brings digital accessibility closer (Cache Valley Daily)
Environment - Wildfire season has begun â hereâs how to stay updated (Deseret News)
- What progress is being made in the Colorado River Basin to help? (Deseret News)
- Uranium-bearing material from Japan has reached Utah. Is it radioactive waste or fuel for clean energy? (Salt Lake Tribune)
Family - Are twin births becoming more common? (Deseret News)
- Creative ways to keep the whole family active this summer (Deseret News)
- New Hurricane food bank opens to serve rural Washington County (UPR)
Health - 5 things that may make you feel worse during extreme heat (Washington Post)
Housing - Utah home prices see slower growth amid national affordability crisis (Deseret News)
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National Headlines General - Amazon fined $5.9 million for breaking labor law in California (Washington Post)
- National debt will exceed $50 trillion by 2034, budget watchdog estimates (Washington Post)
- Texas megachurch pastor resigns after sexual abuse allegations (New York Times)
Political news - House Ethics Committee expands probe into Matt Gaetz (Washington Post)
- Video of 8-foot-tall barricades at the Supreme Court is from 2022, not this week (AP)
Election news - Trumpâs bid to oust Good ends in nailbiter: 5 takeaways from Tuesdayâs primaries (The Hill)
Ukraine ðºð¦ - North Koreaâs Kim declares âfull supportâ for Russian war in Ukraine (Washington Post)
- Ukraine launches a national sexual assault registry for victims of Russian forces (AP)
Israel and Gaza World news - Putin and Kim at official welcome in North Korea, vow new multipolar world (Reuters)
- Refugees coming of age in Kenya camp think about their future (Washington Post)
- China cultivated high-rolling crime families before turning on them (Washington Post)
- Hundreds die of extreme heat on haj pilgrimage, reports say (Reuters)
- A massacre threatens Darfur. Again. (New York Times)
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 | News Releases Gov. Cox endorses Congresswoman Celeste Maloy Governor Spencer Cox has endorsed Congresswoman Celeste Maloy for re-election in Utahâs 2nd Congressional District. âUtahns are tired of politicians bickering while our country faces big challenges at home and abroad that we need to solve,â said Governor Cox. âWe donât want more Washington in Utah; we need to send more of Utah to Washington. Thatâs why I stand with Celeste Maloy. She shows up for Utah, fighting to protect our border and stop the reckless spending that is driving up the cost of everything from gas to groceries and even housing costs." (Read More)
Utah Taxpayers Association releases 2024 recreation center report This one-time report from the Utah Taxpayers Association studies the operating costs of six public recreation centers in the state: three run by a recreation district, and three run by cities. The data shows that, for the most part, recreation centers are not profitable, but rather cost taxpayers significant amounts of money every year in operational subsidies and bond payments. The fact that recreation centers can rely on public funds for support may disincentivize taking tough steps to run them profitably. (Read More)
Romney, colleagues introduce bipartisan bill to extend Colorado River Conservation Program U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today introduced the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act, bipartisan legislation to extend the System Conservation Pilot Program, which was created to test voluntary water conservation measures to manage severe drought in the Colorado River Basin. (Read More)
UVU Museum of Art presents âThrough the Eyes of a Childâ exhibit Artist and sculptor Dennis Smith will showcase his thought-provoking artwork at the UVU Museum of Art at Lakemount from now to October 12. Smithâs exhibition, titled âThrough The Eyes of a Child,â uses an impressionistic style to depict families, mothers, and children with the exuberance and hope of youth. Admission to the exhibit is free. (Read More) | | |
Tweet of the Day 
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Upcoming - June 18-19 â Interim Days
- June 25 â Primary Election Day
- August 14 â Hatch Foundation "Titan of Public Service" recognizing Sen. John Thune, Grand America
- August 20-21 â Interim Days
- September 17-18 â Interim Days
- October 15-16 â Interim Day
- November 19-20 â Interim Days
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On This Day In History - 1778 - George Washington's Continental Army troops finally leave Valley Forge, their winter encampment
- 1846 - The first modern baseball game is played between the New York Knickerbockers and the New York Nine. Using an established set of rules to define the game, the Nine defeated the Knickerbockers 23-1.
- 1865 - The first âJuneteenthâ as the abolition of slavery is announced in Texas as Union soldiers arrive in Galveston with the news that the Civil War is over and slavery is abolished, even though the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued 2 ½ years earlier.
- 1898 - A fire turns Park City into a âfiery furnace,â burning 119 buildings and almost completely destroying the city.
- 1941 - US President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Two Ocean Navy Expansion Act - increases the size of US Navy by 70%
- 1953 - Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are executed for treason.
- 1964 - The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passes 73-27.
- 2013 - Jerry Sloan returns to the Utah Jazz as an adviser and scouting consultant
Quote of the Day "I will celebrate Juneteenth. I will think about my ancestors and what they must have felt when they were liberated from slavery. And I will give thanks for being born in a country where such moral progress is possible." âCondoleeza Rice
On the Punny Side Last night I had a nightmare that disco was making a comeback. At first I was afraid. I was petrified... | | |
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