| The Deseret News wants to know what you think; the National Ability Center is hosting Summit Challenge and monsoonal storms are returning .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 | Aug. 22, 2024 It's Thursday and National Burger Day! ð What you need to know - Voters will have their say on the initiative process come November after the Utah legislature passed a bill yesterday calling for changes to the Utah Constitution. Proponents say it protects the initiative process by prohibiting foreign money from influencing the process. Opponents call it a power grab by Republican legislators by allowing them to amend or repeal ballot initiatives, including retroactively on previously-passed initiatives.
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.jpg?width=1200&upscale=true&name=12824-8_PLPCO_DesNews_Photo%20(1).jpg) | Stand for Our Land Recently, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has significantly restricted access to Utah public lands and continues to restrict access. We need you to get involved. Learn how your access is being affected and voice your concerns to the BLM. Your input will help shape the future of Utah. | | |
Utah Headlines Political news - Rocky Mountain Power seeks 30% rate increase; Utah legislators want a company restructure (KSL)
- N. Jeffrey Baker: I witnessed firsthand how the Utah Legislature works to undermine citizen initiatives (Salt Lake Tribune)
- 'Power grab' or good policy, two views on Utah's emergency special legislative session (KUTV)
- He won Olympic gold for Pakistan. He got $1 million. And ... a buffalo!?! (NPR)
- Utah beauty experts fighting proposed cosmetology changes, citing safety, business concerns (KSL Newsradio)
Election news - Utah delegation chooses Neon Trees at the DNC (Deseret News)
- Utah delegates are energized and hopeful during Democratic National Convention (Daily Herald)
Utah - Support rolls in for Box Elder County fair director after fire burns through home (KSL TV)
- Former Utah State football coach Blake Anderson preparing legal action (KSL TV)
- Utah woman dies while hiking Delicate Arch trail near Moab (KSL TV)
- Fast-acting dispatcher helps track down missing St. George mother, children (Fox13)
Business/Tech Crime/Courts - Woman in 70s sexually assaulted on walking path along Virgin River in St. George (KUTV)
- âI just want him to rot in Hellâ: Victimâs mother speaks about Jonathan Dunnâs life sentence (ABC4)
- âInvesting in kidsâ: Dozens gather in Enoch to celebrate opening of Iron County Childrenâs Justice Center (St. George News)
Culture - Fall comes to Utah Starbucks locations with the return of Pumpkin Spice Lattes (ABC4)
Education - Unique Herriman elementary school welcomes first students (Fox13)
- Why USU researchers are putting invasive insects inside a wind turbine (UPR)
Environment - BLM proposed geothermal power project open for public comment (KSL Newsradio)
- US Forest Service expects future challenges in recruiting wildland fire crews (KUTV)
Family Health - Long COVID in kids: Symptoms vary by age, differ some from adults (Deseret News)
- Alzheimer's cases increasing in Utah, study shows (KSL Newsradio)
- U.S. government report says fluoride at twice the recommended limit is linked to lower IQ in kids (AP)
- How to avoid the worst of jet lag and maximize your travel time (AP)
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National Headlines General - Michael Oher says lawsuit against the Tuohy family is about reclaiming his image (Deseret News)
- U.S. added fewer jobs in the past year than initially reported (NPR)
- At M.I.T., Black and Latino enrollment drops sharply after affirmative action ban (New York Times)
Political news - Former Oath Keepers lawyer pleads guilty to tampering with Jan. 6 evidence (New York Times)
- In this Arizona town, the border crisis hasnât slowed down, itâs sped up (Deseret News)
Election news - âThatâs my dad!â Gus Walz charms crowd as father Tim accepts VP nomination (Washington Post)
- At DNC, influencers battle journalists for space and access (Reuters)
- Who would religious Americans vote for if the 2024 election were held today? (Deseret News)
- Editorial Board: Candidates must confront military challenges (Deseret News)
- RFK Jr. to speak Friday, fueling speculation he could drop out and support Trump (AP)
- At a rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump continued to sow doubts about the integrity of the November election. (New York Times)
- Harris builds 13-point lead over Trump with women: Poll (The Hill)
- Party elders pass the torch (Politico)
- We dug into the 2024 polling crosstabs. What we found was stunning (Politico)
- Trump has far less campaign money and infrastructure than Harris (Politico)
- Gov. Tim Walz officially accepts Democratic VP nomination (Deseret News)
Ukraine ðºð¦ - Ukraine attacks Moscow in one of largest ever drone strikes on Russian capital (Reuters)
Israel and Gaza - Biden, in call with Netanyahu, stresses urgency of Gaza ceasefire (Reuters)
World news - Divers recover 5 bodies from wrecked superyacht off Sicily; 1 still missing (AP)
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 | News Releases Utah Senate Democrats oppose special session and defend Constitutional balance Today, the Utah Legislature unnecessarily convened in a special sessionâ intended to address state emergenciesâto push through reactionary bills that undermine the voice of Utahâs voters. These bills propose a ballot measure, which will be on the ballot in November, that would codify in the Constitution the Legislatureâs ability to repeal and replace citizen initiatives...Instead of respecting the Courtâs ruling and the checks and balances essential to a healthy democracy, the Legislature is now attempting to sidestep these protections by embedding its power into the Constitution, granting disproportionate authority to lawmakers over the will of the people. This undermines the democratic processes that empower Utahns to address the issues that matter most in their communities. (Read More)
Utah House Democratic Leader on the 2024 4th Special Session Utah House Democratic Leader Angela Romero released the following statement in response to the 2024 4th Special Session: As a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, I am fully engaged in the democratic process, representing Utah on the national stage. However, I am deeply frustrated that I canât be in Utah for this unnecessary special session. This session is not an emergency; itâs a blatant overreach by the Republican supermajority. The Utah Supreme Court recently reaffirmed that the power to reform our government belongs to the people, and itâs crucial that we protect this right. Although the Republican supermajority claims theyâre âletting the people decide,â Utahns have consistently shown they value the ability to shape the laws that govern them. The Legislature should respect that right, not try to override it. If voters reject this amendment in November, I sincerely hope the Republican supermajority will respect that decision, though their track record suggests otherwise.
Utah House Democratic Caucus on the passage of constitutional amendment legislation The Utah House Democratic Caucus released the following statement at the conclusion of the 2024 4th Special Session: Tonight, the Utah Legislature pushed through a bill to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. If approved, this amendment would give the Legislature unprecedented power to amend, enact, or repeal laws established by citizen initiatives or referendums. This power grab is a direct response to the Utah Supreme Courtâs ruling that limited the Legislatureâs ability to interfere with voter-approved initiatives. (Read More)
UVU receives $1.9 million grant to support underrepresented STEM students Utah Valley Universityâs (UVU) College of Science has been awarded a $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundationâs Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. The grant will support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students pursuing STEM degrees at UVU. (Read More)
Salt Lake Chamber statement on constitutional amendment The Salt Lake Chamber supports the foundational principle of respecting the will of the people in lawmaking processes, whether through their duly elected representatives or constitutional ballot initiatives. To that end, we support the Utah Legislature placing a constitutional amendment before the voters that: - Restores certainty, predictability and balance between legislative and initiative lawmaking processes;
- Upholds the integrity of democratic rights by prohibiting foreign influence, support and funds for initiatives and referendums; and
- Protects Utahâs best-in-class economy and avoids Utah becoming a state that is governed by unfettered, unlimited and unchangeable ballot initiatives.
Utah Senate confirms Vic Hockett to GOEO board The Governorâs Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) is pleased to announce Vic Hockett as Utahâs newest board member. The Utah Senate confirmed him as an official member of the board on Aug. 21, 2024. The GOEO Board consists of up to nine members appointed to four-year terms by Gov. Cox, featuring members with expertise in rural Utah, entrepreneurship, higher education, and key industries driving Utahâs growth. (Read More) | | |
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Upcoming - September 17-18 â Interim Days
- October 4 â Conservative Climate Summit, 7:30 am - 3:00 pm, UVU, Register here
- October 4 â Hatch Foundation hosts Civil Dialogue Symposium with Dana Perino, 2:00 pm, USU, Register here
- October 7-9 â One Utah Summit, SUU, Register here
- October 15-16 â Interim Day
- November 15 â Women & Business Conference & ATHENA Awards Luncheon with the Salt Lake Chamber, Grand America Hotel, Register here
- November 19-20 â Interim Days
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On This Day In History - 1485 - Richard III, King of England (1483-85), is killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field at age 32. His remains were discovered under a parking lot in 2012.
- 1775 - King George III proclaims colonies to be in open rebellion
- 1847 - The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square held its first ever performance.
- 1864 - The International Red Cross is founded.
- 1864 - The first Geneva Convention is adopted in Geneva "for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field" signed by 12 nations
- 1883 - Ruth Underhill is born. An anthropologist and professor, she studied with Ruth Benedict who encouraged traveling with native women to learn their history, wrote of the Papago Native American culture, and taught in the Bureau of Indian Affairs schools.
- 1912 - Cornelia âCoyaâ Knutson is born. She became the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress from Minnesota (1955-1959) and was the first woman on the Agriculture Committee. She wa defeated after an infamous âCome Home Coyaâ letter supposedly written by her estranged husband
- 1921 - J. Edgar Hoover becomes Assistant Director of the FBI
- 1933 - Cedar Breaks is declared a national monument.
- 1950 - Althea Gibson becomes the first African American on U.S. tennis tour
- 1990 - US President George H. W. Bush calls up military reserves
Quote of the Day âLet us choose truth, let us choose honour, let us choose joy, because that is the best of America.â âOprah Winfrey, speaking at the DNC
On the Punny Side Why don't scientists trust atoms? 'Cause they make up everything! | | |
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