Congrats to WSU on their big football win; best dates to see fall leaves; a key intersection by the Utah Capitol will be closed for months. | | | 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 | Sept. 24, 2024 It's Tuesday and National Horchata Day! A very happy birthday to Rep. Rosemary Lesser! ð ð ð There are 42 days until Election Day. What you need to know Mitt Romney, just three months from exiting the U.S. Senate, is maintaining a low profile. Trump, for months, has sworn âretributionâ for his political opponents. McKay Coppins interviewed Romney earlier this and asked about potential retribution against Romney and his family members. âI think he has shown by his prior actions that you can take him at his word,â he told Coppins. âSo I would take him at his word.â Rapid relevance Congrats to Weber State on their big football win this weekend; best dates to see the fall leaves in Utah; and a key intersection by the Utah Capitol will be closed for months. ð³ | | |
Utah Headlines Political news Rep. Burgess Owensâ new bill would prohibit college accreditors from requiring DEI, CRT (Deseret News) House spending deal excludes voting provision sponsored by Utah Sen. Mike Lee (KSL) Election news Sen. Mike Lee says Kamala Harris poses âsevere threatâ to religious liberty (Deseret News) Salt Lake County voters to weigh in on renewing tax for zoo, arts and parks program (KSL) Judge to hear lawsuit against Amendment A on Wednesday (KSL Newsradio) How to register to vote in Utah in time for the Nov. 5, 2024 general election (ABC4) Public education funding disputed during recent Chamber of Commerce leadership forum in Cache County (Cache Valley Daily) Nearly all Utah voters use mail-in ballots. Hereâs how we know. (Salt Lake Tribune) Municipal news Lehi staff âdisheartenedâ by reaction to new playground after slew of break-ins; vandalism (KSL TV) Provo celebrates grand opening of new 100-acre sports park (Daily Herald) Utah âThe roof blew offâ â Utah Hockey Club wins its first-ever home game (Deseret News) Utah State reportedly accepts offer to join Pac-12 Conference (Deseret News) âYoung and diverse.â A look into the second largest racial, ethnic group in Utah (Deseret News) Biz/Tech What is a companyâs obligation to customers when its AI chatbot makes a promise that canât be kept? (KSL TV) Name revealed for new fantasy-themed venue at former Evermore Park property (ABC4) Publication recognizes McKay-Dee as a top hospital in US (Standard-Examiner) Crime/Courts Kouri Richins' attorney requests bail, change of venue for trial (KUTV) Culture Perspective: What makes sacred space sacred? (Deseret News) Need a break from politics? Comfort food for the brain is back as The Great British Baking Show begins streaming on Friday (Deseret News) Education Consistent Trump critic, religious freedom expert David French to speak Tuesday at BYU forum (Deseret News) Utah kindergarteners show reading proficiency gains, education board says (KSL TV) Bella Vista Elementary earns National Blue Ribbon (KSL Newsradio) Alpine School District considers closing two elementary schools (KSL Newsradio) Environment UDOT installs fencing at I-80/I-84 junction to prevent car-wildlife crashes with more in the works (KSL) From June to September, Utahâs summer was hot to go (KUER) New solar energy park in Emery County could power 88,000 homes (UPR) Family Family members concerned as Summit County's only assisted living facility possibly closing (Fox13) Health Watch live: Closing the Womenâs Health Gap â A Spotlight on Migraine (The Hill) | | |
National Headlines General Legalizing sports gambling was a huge mistake. The evidence is convincing: The betting industry is ruining lives (The Atlantic) Gunman who killed 10 at a Colorado supermarket is sentenced to life in prison (AP) Pennsylvania college investigates swim team after racial slur is carved on student (NPR) Political news Prosecutors say suspect in Trump shooting attempt wrote a letter detailing his plans (NPR) âOne pistol clip can change the balance of powerâ: Congress is wholly unprepared for a mass casualty event (Politico) Election news A state senator has thwarted a GOP effort to lock down all of Nebraskaâs electoral votes for Trump (AP) Harris is more popular than Trump among AAPI voters, a new APIA Vote/AAPI Data survey finds (AP) Trump in Pa.: Digressions, threats and vows to be âprotectorâ of women (Washington Post) Trump threatens John Deere with 200 percent tariff if it outsources manufacturing (The Hill) WSJ editorial board whacks Trumpâs newest economic proposal (Politico) Ukraine ðºð¦ Zelenskyy holds flurry of bilateral meetings at UN to shore up support for Ukraine (Reuters) Israel and Gaza Israel and Hezbollah carry out new attacks amid fears of wider conflict (Reuters) US is sending more troops to the Middle East as violence rises between Israel and Hezbollah (AP) IDF says it hit 1500 more Hezbollah targets in Lebanon; almost 600 dead (Washington Post) World news Exclusive: US to donate 1 million mpox vaccine doses to halt outbreak in Africa (Reuters) Top economist in China vanishes after private WeChat comments (Wall Street Journal) | | |
| | News Releases Guest opinion: Funding â or defunding â schools by Deborah Gatrell Itâs that time of year again! Property taxes are coming due and itâs clear that the largest chunk of these taxes goes to local school districts for our local public schools. Why are our taxes increasing and what can we do about it? Itâs actually the state legislatureâs job to fund our local schools â Utahâs state constitution clearly states âThe Legislature shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of the stateâs school systemsâ (italics added). But the Legislature has the power to create and use additional funding streams, and they do. Funding for local public and charter schools currently comes from Federal funds (~12%), state funds (~64%), and local funds (~24%) and this balance has shifted â local funding only provided 12% of the Basic School Program cost in 2015. For about 75 years, the Legislature has used Income Tax almost exclusively to fund Education. When the Income Tax was created in 1931, it was a progressive tax with higher rates for higher earners until 2007 when Utah switched to a single-rate Flat Tax of 5%. According to a 2016 Utah Foundation study, Utah Education loses out on more than $1 billion each year due to tax changes like this. Since 2007, the Legislature has championed multiple âYear(s) of the Tax Cut.â When Income Taxes are cut, there is less money available for public education. At the same time, the Legislature passes more than 100 Education bills each year, many of which are unfunded or insufficiently funded mandates. Who gets left holding the tax bag? Our local school districts. And you. (Read More) Nationally recognized female leaders to address impact of religion and peacebuilding on community and international relations In partnership with Bellwether International, Utah Global Diplomacy will convene local, state, and national leaders and advocates to discuss the vital contributions women make in peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue at its Bridging Religious Divides Symposium. The all-day event will feature remarks from 11 high-profile female thought leaders representing a variety of approaches to this critical topic. Attendees will explore how women shape efforts to overcome societal divides rooted in religion and polarization. The event will be held Thursday, Sept. 26, from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley, (Read More) Utah kindergarteners show significant reading gains The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is pleased to announce that Utahâs kindergarten students are demonstrating remarkable improvements in reading proficiency, according to the latest Acadience Reading data. The Acadience Reading assessment measures basic early literacy skills and is a valuable tool for tracking student progress and identifying areas for improvement. Currently, 93 schools, representing 22 districts and three charter schools, have 70 percent or more kindergarteners at the âabove benchmarkâ level. Scoring âabove benchmarkâ means a student has a 90-99 percent chance of meeting subsequent literacy benchmarks and may benefit from instruction on more advanced skills. âAt benchmarkâ means that a student has a 70-85 percent chance of achieving future literacy goals and is likely to make adequate progress with effective core instruction. (Read More) Romney, Hassan, Warner, Ernst introduce bipartisan legislation to fight pandemic relief fraud U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Subcommittee Chair, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) today introduced the COVID Spending Transparency Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation that would extend the term of the Treasury Departmentâs Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR)âcurrently scheduled to sunset at the end of March 2025âfor another five years. (Read More) | | |
Upcoming Oct. 1 â Attorney General Debate, UT Debate Commission, 6:00 pm Oct. 4 â Conservative Climate Summit, 7:30 am - 3:00 pm, UVU, Register here Oct. 4 â Hatch Foundation hosts Civil Dialogue Symposium with Dana Perino, 2:00 pm, USU, Register here Oct. 7-9 â One Utah Summit, SUU, Register here Oct. 8 â CD1 Debate, UT Debate Commission, 6:00 pm Oct. 10 â US Senate Debate, UT Debate Commission, 6:00 pm Oct. 14 â CD2 Debate, UT Debate Commission, 6:00 pm Oct. 15-16 â Interim Days Oct. 17 â CD3 Debate, UT Debate Commission, 6:00 pm Oct. 24 â CD4 Debate, UT Debate Commission, 6:00 pm Nov. 5 â Election Day! Nov. 15 â Women & Business Conference & ATHENA Awards Luncheon with the Salt Lake Chamber, Grand America Hotel, Register here Nov. 19-20 â Interim Days Jan. 9 â Whatâs Up Down South Economic Summit. St. George. Register here Jan. 10 â Rural Utah Data Symposium. St. George. Register here | | |
On This Day In History 1789 - The first US Supreme Court is established. Originally made up of 6 justices, President Washington nominated John Jay to preside as chief justice, and John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, Robert Harrison and James Wilson to be associate justices. 1906 - Devilâs Tower is named the first national monument in the United States. The Antiquities Act passed in June of the same year paved the way for President Theodore Roosevelt to begin declaring national monuments. Throughout his term as president, he would declare 17 more national monuments. 1916 - Ruth Amonette is born. At the age of 27, she became the first woman executive vice president of IBM. 1941 - Japanese gather preliminary data on Pearl Harbor 1950 - Operation Magic Carpet concludes after having transported 45,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel 1952 - KFC opens its first franchise in Salt Lake City 1964 - The Warren Commission report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is delivered to President Lyndon B. Johnson 1968 - The first episode of â60 Minutesâ airs 1991 - Dr. Seuss [Theodor Geisel] dies of cancer at 87 1996 - U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the United Nations. 2015 - Pope Francis becomes the 1st pope to address the US Congress. He names Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day as his American heroes. Quote of the Day "You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child."
âDr. Seuss On the Punny Side Fun fact: Koi fish always travel in groups of 4. If attacked koi A B and C will scatter leaving behind the D koi. | | |
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