| BYU is done dancing this year; Sundance Film Festival is headed to Colorado in 2027; and Trump targets Smithsonian Museums .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. | | |
Situational Analysis | Mar. 28, 2025 It's Friday and National Back Forest Cake Day. ð Happy birthday to Rep. Nicholeen Peck on Saturday! ð ð ð What you need to know - Gov. Cox has finished taking action on all 582 bills of the Utah legislative session. He issued four additional vetoes, making 6 in total, let 3 bills pass into law without his signature, including the highly controversial flag bill, and issued two line item vetoes. He also expressed his concern (again) at the number of bills passed by the legislature. The 582 bills this year equaled 12,703 pages of new laws. In the last five years, the legislature has passed 646 education bills, or approximately 23% of all bills.
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Utah Headlines Political news - âHer name said it allâ: Lawmakers honor Mia Love in moment of silence on U.S. House floor (Deseret News)
- Utah senators Curtis and Lee want to give Bonneville Shoreline Trail national recognition (Deseret News)
- Mike Lee introduces bill to abolish the TSA (Deseret News)
- Deepfakes, policing, mental health and more: Utah lawmakers look to further regulate AI (Daily Herald)
- Pride flag ban: Utah becomes first state to outlaw pride flags in government buildings, schools (Salt Lake Tribune)
Municipal news - Layton officials balk at recycling mandate, file notice to leave waste district (KSL)
- âI want a safe cityâ: Salt Lake Cityâs new police chief outlines his goals, priorities (KSL TV)
Utah - Tom Holmoe reflects on faith, experiences after two decades as BYUâs athletic director (Deseret News)
- Scientists are pleading for more help at southern Utah fossil site. Hereâs what theyâve found so far. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Biz/Tech - Tariffs slam US airlines as travel demand falters (Reuters)
- Noted economist, Arthur Laffer, honored by Trump warns that 25% tariffs risk âirreparable damageâ to US automakers (AP)
Crime/Courts - Two arrested in major Springville theft, fraud bust; $50K forged check, stolen IDs seized (KUTV)
- Judge dismisses sexual assault lawsuit filed against U of U (ABC4)
- Former school counselor sentenced for decades of child sex abuse crimes in Washington County (St. George News)
- âRitualâ sex abuse case: Utah County Sheriffâs Office says a judgeâs dismissal of charges against a central suspect was âabhorrentâ (Salt Lake Tribune)
Culture - Utah leaders 'disappointed' by Sundance's exit, consider new festival (KSL)
- Colorado Senate committee advances bill to create tax credit in effort to attract Sundance (KUTV)
- How social media reacted to the news that Sundance is moving (Deseret News)
- What big shows are coming to Utah this year? Hereâs the latest (Deseret News)
- 10 questions with Abby Hornacek: What the Fox Nation personality says about national parks, her biggest fear and growing up with her famous dad (Deseret News)
- The unusual reason the Ark of the Covenant is trending (Deseret News)
Economy - US economic growth to slow in the next 30 years, fueled by debt and declining birth rates, CBO says (AP)
Education - K-12 - Eagle Mountain baseball coaches on leave after 'inappropriate behavior' on school trip (ABC4)
- How the Salt Lake City Police Explorer Program is opening doors for local teens (Fox13)
- Civil rights groups say push to dismantle Education Department will undo hard-won gains (AP)
Energy - Horse sense & electron trees: The U.S. energy landscape (Deseret News)
Environment - Rescuing the Great Salt Lake: Utahâs âmoonshotâ (Deseret News)
- Bureau of Land Management ends wild horse adoption program after legal challenge (UPR)
- Utahâs water supply faces challenges as snowpack peaks below normal (Cache Valley Daily)
Faith - The great awakening. Why younger generations are giving faith a chance (Deseret News)
- Perspective: Gen Z is starved for spirituality. Thatâs reason for hope (Deseret News)
- An inside view of how Latter-day Saint humanitarian aid spending happens and the impact it has (Deseret News)
Health - Monitoring devices can help avoid worst-case scenario after same-day ops, Intermountain study finds (KSL TV)
- HHS to cut 10,000 health-related jobs, close half of regional offices (Deseret News)
- Trump team revokes $11 billion in funding for addiction, mental health care (NPR)
- Is Utah making progress in the fight against opioid-related deaths? (Deseret News)
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National Headlines General - Widow of Fox News cameraman sues network over husbandâs death (Deseret News)
- Hawaii's erupting volcano provides stunning spectacle for curious onlookers (Reuters)
- What is âclassifiedâ information? What are âsecureâ communications? Hereâs a primer (AP)
Political news - David Carter: President Trump is destroying a non-partisan professional civil service that benefits all Americans (Deseret News)
- What foreign leaders think of Trumpâs auto tariffs (Hint: Not much) (Deseret News)
- A government for the people must include mothers (Deseret News)
- GOP leaders accused of making threats to block bill to let new moms vote remotely (NPR)
- Trump pulls Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination for ambassador to United Nations (Deseret News)
- Sen. Mark Kelly calls for Pete Hegseth to resign after Signal leak (NPR)
- Trump warned US automakers not to raise prices in response to tariffs (Wall Street Journal)
DOGE/Musk - Musk announces $1 million for Wisconsin voter in Supreme Court race. Opposition calls it âcorruptâ (AP)
- Musk promises to go to Wisconsin to personally deliver $2 million to voters in Supreme Court race (AP)
- Sen. Mike Leeâs Reorganizing Government Act passes committee. It could help DOGE efforts (Deseret News)
Ukraine/Russia - Ukrainians in front line regions reel from losses, but say hope dies last for them (NPR)
- White House makes fresh economic demands of Ukraine as Russia talks stall (Wall Street Journal)
Israel, Gaza, Syria - Israel supplied intelligence in airstrike discussed in Signal chat (Wall Street Journal)
- Militants warn against helping Israel with Gaza protests (Reuters)
World news - Greenland agrees to form broad government in shadow of Trump pressure, local media reports (Reuters)
- Record 28 million people face acute hunger in conflict-ravaged Congo (Reuters)
- At least 6 dead after submarine carrying tourists on a reef tour in Red Sea sinks off Egypt (AP)
- Powerful 7.7 earthquake hits Myanmar, rocking Bangkok hundreds of miles away (Wall Street Journal)
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Number of the Day 
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 | News Releases Salt Lake County celebrates grand opening of Featherstone Boarding Home, providing critical mental health support Salt Lake County officials, the Utah Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), mental health advocates, and community partners gathered today to celebrate the grand opening of Clinical Consultants Featherstone Boarding Home, a new 30-unit residence dedicated to individuals with severe mental illness. This vital facility provides intensive, on-site support and is a key component of Salt Lake Countyâs Five-Year Human Services, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Action Plan. Featherstone has been a partnership between the state of Utah, DHHS, and the County. (Read More)
Salt Lake County mayor on the Sundance Film Festival In response to Sundance Film Festivalâs decision to leave Utah, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson issued the following statement: âThis is the end of an era. An era that I know well, as I was one of the original Sundance Institute employees. In the late 70âs and early 80âs, Bob Redford acted on a vision to nurture independent film and filmmakers and established the Sundance Institute and Film Festival in Utah. He chose Utah as he recognized the power of its land and people. Our economy, local residents, and the broader film community benefited. I am deeply saddened and disappointed by the Sundance Institute Boardâs decision to leave Redfordâs home. Unfortunately, the current leadership has lost sight of the legacy and spirit that has been a staple of the organization for nearly 50 years.â
Utah House Democrats express disappointment over Sundance Film Festivalâs departure The Utah House Democrats released the following statement after Sundance Film Festivalâs announcement to relocate to Boulder, Colorado: âWe are disappointed by the Sundance Film Festivalâs departure from Utah. For 40 years, Sundance has been more than just a film festivalâit has been a driving force in our stateâs economy and culture. This loss will impact countless local businesses, artists, and film enthusiasts who have benefited from the festivalâs presence for decades. (Read More) | | |
Tweet of the Day  | | |
Upcoming - Apr 7 â Funeral for Mia Love, 10:00 am, Institute Building at the University of Utah
- Apr 7 â Pillars of the Valley Elder Matthew S. and Paige Holland, with the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, 7:00-9:00 pm, Register here
- Apr 24 â Giant in Our City with the Salt Lake Chamber, 6:00-9:00 pm, Register here
- May 1 â High school writing contest deadline with The Rostra: Applying the wisdom of the past to the problems of today. More info here
- Aug 7 â Titan of Public Service, Sen. Tom Cotton, with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Grand America Hotel
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On This Day In History - 1774 - British Parliament adopts the Coercive Acts in response to the Boston Tea Party
- 1834 - President Andrew Jackson is censured by Congress for refusing to turn over documents. Jackson was the first president to suffer this formal disapproval from Congress.
- 1885 - US Salvation Army officially organized
- 1895 - Spencer W. Kimball, 12th president of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, is born in Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1899 - Harold B. Lee, 11th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is born in Clifton, Idaho
- 1930 - Turkish cities Constantinople and Angora change their names to Istanbul and Ankara
- 1949 - British mathematician and astronomer, Fred Hoyle, coined the term âbig bangâ in an attempt to dispute the theory that all matter was created from one giant explosion.
- 1969 - Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th US President (R, 1953-61) and WWII general, dies of congestive heart failure at 78.
- 1972 - Senator Barbara Jordan becomes the first Black woman to preside over a US legislature when she was elected president pro tem of the Texas Senate
- 1979 - Americaâs worst nuclear accident occurs at Three Mile Island when a pressure valve in the Unit-2 reactor fails to close.
- 2020 - US President Donald Trump makes projection that 240,000 American could die from COVID-19, even with restrictions in place. That number ended up being 1,219,038.
Quote of the Day "A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." âDwight D. Eisenhower, Inaugural Address, 1953
On the Punny Side So you mean to tell me a stress ball is not for throwing at people who stress you out? | | |
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