Also, state sovereignty in pandemic or endemic declarations; and creating a "Code Red" for high temperatures | | | 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 | Jan. 30, 2025 It's Thursday and National Croissant Day! ð¥ There are 512 bills available. Happy birthday to Rep. Nelson Abbott! ð ð ð Three things today: Rep. Jordan Teuscher is running a bill that would send primary election races to a runoff if no candidate gets more than 50%. The runoff between the top two vote-getters would be held 35 days after the primary. This bill would make Utah the tenth state to use a runoff in a primary. HB231 will be heard in the House Government Operations Committee at 2:00 p.m. Rep. Lisa Shepherd is running a state sovereignty bill that would prohibit Utah from recognizing a pandemic or endemic declaration if the United Nations, the World Health Organization or the World Economic Forum declares a state of emergency that includes Utah. This bill would apply to the governor, county executives and mayors. HB158 will be heard in House Government Operations at 2:00 pm. Just as Utah has a "Code Blue" for when cold temperatures become dangerous for the stateâs homeless population, Sen. Todd Weiler wants the state to also create a "Code Red" for dangerously high temperatures. SB182 will be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee at 2:00 pm. On the Hill Today, Day 10 of 45 8:00 am: Economic and Community Development Appropriations; Transportation & Infrastructure Appropriations; Public Education Appropriations; General Government Appropriations 11:00 - 11:50: Senate floor time 11:00 - 12:00: House floor time 2:00 pm: House Public Utilities & Energy; House Government Operations; House Political Subdivisions; House Revenue & Taxation; Senate Business & Labor; Senate Education; Senate Health & Human Services | | |
| | A strong community begins with opportunity. At SLCC, we offer students the chance to create bright futures filled with promise and prosperity. By providing affordable education and career training in high-demand fields, we help build a skilled workforce that Utahâs employers rely on. SLCC students are the future leaders, innovators, and workforce of our community. | | |
Utah Headlines Legislative session Are lawmakers trying to balance lawmaking power with the voters â or take it away? (Deseret News) Criminal Justice Utahâs battle against fentanyl: Legislation targets traffickers (Deseret News) Education University of Utah president talks budgets, housing and âSputnik momentsâ with lawmakers (Deseret News) New school safety plan consists of bullet-proof glass, cameras, cybersecurity (KUTV) Health and Human Services Utah lawmakers want to raise the standards for freestanding emergency rooms around Utah (Deseret News) Bill to remove fluoride from Utahâs water passes House committee, moves to floor vote (ABC4) Amid reported disruptions, briefing says Medicaid spending in Utah tops $5 billion (KUTV) Revenue and Taxation Bill to ban public sector collective bargaining has one step left in the Utah Legislature (Deseret News) A Utah lawmaker has proposed expanding Utahâs child tax credit (Deseret News) Utah lawmakers are again debating a higher bar on ballot initiatives that raise taxes (KUER) Other Utah News Politics Utah refugee group reacts to Trumpâs executive order halting refugee admissions (Deseret News) Utah judge requests more info to help decide if state school voucher program is constitutional (The Salt Lake Tribune) How Trump's spending actions could impact Utah's budget (KSL) Utah news Utah County pledges $78 million to help fund next phase of Provo Airport expansion (Daily Herald) Imprisoned Franke, Hildebrandt sued for alleged âracketeeringâ abuse scheme (ABC4) After months of train horns, people from Salt Lake to Ogden are still waiting for quiet (KUTV) 'Beyond our boundaries': Provo mayor focuses on lifting others in annual city address (KSL) Smithâs Ballpark redevelopment plans announced (KSL News Radio) Education Utahâs 8th grade reading scores took a hit on the Nationâs Report Card (KUER) Opponents want a timeout on forcing kids into padded rooms in Utah schools (FOX13) Environment Shipments of uranium ore can resume under agreement reached with the Navajo Nation (The Associated Press) Utah farmers in the fight of our lives over water usage (FOX13) Focused on forest health: Utah Forest Restoration Institute names executive director (St. George News) Housing Where is Salt Lake City's affordable housing? New dashboard provides insights (KSL) New study says Salt Lake City is among the most affordable cities to rent (KUTV) | | |
National Headlines General FAA: Passenger jet and Blackhawk helicopter collided by Washington airport. See video (Deseret News) Meta agrees to pay $25 million to settle lawsuit from Trump after Jan. 6 suspension (The Associated Press) Political news Trump signs executive order preparing facility in Cuba for 30,000 âcriminal illegal aliensâ (Deseret News) Trumpâs refugee ban leaves Afghan allies abandoned (Deseret News) Hereâs why a 6-year-old deadly measles outbreak in Samoa came up in RFK Jr. hearing (Deseret News) Trump White House rescinds memo freezing federal money after widespread confusion (The Associated Press) Judge sentences former Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years (Politico) Hegseth touts Guantánamo Bay as âperfect spotâ to house migrants (The Hill) Ukraine and Russia Zelenskyy accuses Putin of being 'afraid' of peace talks (NBC) Ukraine reels from âworst-case scenarioâ suspension of US foreign aid (The Guardian) Russia Seizes Another Ukrainian Town in Push to Take All of Donetsk (The New York Times) Israel and Gaza Three Israelis and five Thai hostages expected to be freed next by Hamas (BBC) Fear hits east Jerusalem as Israel moves to close UN Palestinian refugee agency (The Associated Press) Other world news India orders probe into Kumbh festival stampede that killed dozens (Reuters) Ahmed al-Sharaa, who toppled Assad, is named Syria's interim president (NPR) | | |
Upcoming Feb 3 â Building Bridges: Leading as Women in Local Government with the Utah Women and Leadership Project, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Register here Feb 5 â Women and Policy, Strategy, Politics, and Change with UWLP, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Register here Feb 10 â Gail Miller: Making a Difference with UWLP, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Register here Feb 11 â "Heart on the Hill" Day with the American Heart Association, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm, Copper Room in the Senate Building Feb 12 â Navigating the 2025 Tax Reconciliation Bill webinar with the Hatch Center, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, MST, Register here Feb 12 â Crossing the Divide: Making an Impact in Career and Community with UWLP, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Register here Feb 20 â BioHive Live, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, Hale Centre Theater, Sandy, Register here Mar. 7 â Utah legislative session ends | | |
On This Day In History 1781 - Maryland becomes the 13th and final state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, almost 3 years after the official deadline. 1815 - The burned U.S. Library of Congress is re-established with Thomas Jeffersonâs 6,500 volumes. 1835 - Andrew Jackson narrowly escaped assassination, the first attempted assassination on a U.S. President. 1912 - Barbara Tuchman is born. The American historian and best selling author won Pulitzer Prizes for her historical account of the first 30 days of World War I in Guns of August 1913 - Ida B. Wells forms the Alpha Suffrage Club. 1933 - Hitler named chancellor of Germany. 1948 - Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated. 1956 - Martin Luther King, Jr.âs home is bombed. 1973 - Jury finds Watergate defendants Liddy and McCord guilty on all counts. 1976 - George H. W. Bush becomes 11th director of CIA. 1982 - The first computer virus is released. âElk Clonerâ was created by Richard Skrenta as a practical joke. 2002 - Karl Malone becomes 2nd player in NBA history to register 34,000 career points. 2020 - The World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern at a meeting in Geneva. Quote of the Day "Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment." âMahatma Gandhi On the Punny Side For my next trick, I will push a bunch of percussion instruments down a hill. Drum roll, please. | | |
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