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An "urgent" focus Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall spoke about during her state of the city address was the issue of safety, Emma Pitts reported.

She referred to the recently announced public safety plan that seeks to address homelessness and crime in the city.

"We will arrest those who are breaking the law. We will hold ourselves accountable for our parts of the system, and we will be up front about the systemic gaps that fail to hold people accountable and provide the assistance to stability that many need."

Here are three quotes from Mendenhall's address:

Read more about Mendenhall's state of the city address.

More in Politics

‘It’s a shock’: Utah Senate leaders respond to Trump funding freeze (Deseret News)

Trump executive order spurs changes to Google Maps (Deseret News)

Quakers cite religious liberty in lawsuit against immigration raids on churches (Deseret News)

Utah House approves bill limiting transgender access to college dorm rooms (KSL)

Now that Utah has the 2034 Winter Games, here’s what lawmakers want to do (Deseret News)

Envision Utah, Utah Workforce Housing Advocacy report highlights path forward for addressing the Utah housing crisis (Utah Policy)

Should school lunch be free for all Utah K-12 students — even if they can pay?

A new bill seeks to ensure that every Utah child is ready to learn because their bellies are full.

Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla introduced a bill that calls for free school meals for all students enrolled in Utah's public schools — regardless of financial need, Jason Swensen reported.

An opt-out approach

Escamilla wants the state to follow an opt-out approach, allowing students to bring meals from home or opt out if they don't want the breakfast or lunch.

“We should have a more honest and transparent conversation about what it costs to have the quality of life that we want for all children, and not exclude some," Escamilla said. "And I think breakfast and lunch at school, as part of their education journey, should be one of those costs.”

How much would the bill cost?

The bill is estimated to cost around $100 million. If the bill passes, funding would come via a restricted account of legislative appropriations, federal grants, private contributions and other sources, Jason Swensen reported.

Read more about the bill.

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The Expanded Second Edition of 'Emotional Black Holes' is Now Available

Award-winning LDS author Grant Hallstrom ‘s inspiring book, "Emotional Black Holes," is now available in an expanded second edition. Readers said, “Grant turns each page into a personal conversation. Many times I felt as if the words on the page were meant just for me” "This is one book that stayed with me long after I finished turning the last page." Read more.

Utah

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The U.S. and The World

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