After some dog breeders vented their frustration with a new Salt Lake County ordinance aimed at irresponsible breeding, the county council voted to change the regulations this week. The ordinance initially passed in December required breeders to pay for a license each year with no exemptions.
Lawmakers, community leaders and media representatives from across the state met for the first time Wednesday to discuss HB 477, the controversial bill that restricts public access to government records. They’re working on a compromise to come up with a new proposal if and when HB 477 is repealed. But as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, some aren’t happy with how the group was set up.
A preview of Salt Lake City’s 2012 budget shows a slight increase in revenue, but the bright spots are being overshadowed by rising health insurance and skyrocketing fuel costs. The city will likely budget for a modest increase in sales tax revenue, and more revenue from commercial permits, but Mayor Ralph Becker says it will take a lot more to bring the city back to pre-recession numbers.
Salt Lake City’s “Complete Streets” efforts are coming into focus. The city council last night discussed some specific initiatives for making city streets bike, pedestrian and driver friendly. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.
With four days’ notice, the state legislature has been asked to reconvene at the state capitol this Friday for a special session called by Governor Gary Herbert. But as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, some think the call for a special session was just as rushed as the passage of the controversial HB 477, and want the Governor to hold off until a replacement for the bill can be drafted.
Utahns for Ethical Government is suing the Lieutenant Governor for not releasing the signature count on an ethics initiative petition they submitted last year, and failing to give them 12 months to gather signatures. But as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the Lieutenant Governor’s office says the group still hasn’t met the requirements to get their initiative on the ballot.
State lawmakers will be back to work this Friday. Last night, Governor Gary Herbert called the legislature into a special session to repeal HB 477, the controversial bill restricting access to many government records. Jeff Hunt, attorney for the Utah Media Coalition, was one of many people chosen to sit on a working committee to offer input to future changes to Utah’s public records law.
Less than two weeks after signing House Bill 477 into law, Utah Governor Gary Herbert issued a statement Monday calling for the controversial open records restrictions to be repealed and replaced. And lawmakers agree with the plan. But as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, House Republicans aren’t apologizing for their role in passing the divisive law.
The Salt Lake City Planning Commission wants to ban electronic billboards in the city, as part of the city’s efforts to eventually eliminate billboards altogether. Right now there are six electronic billboards in Salt Lake City, three of which Planning Commission Chairman Michael Fife says the city contends are illegal, because they were erected during an electronic billboard moratorium that was implemented last fall. He says billboards are not something the city wants to promote.
While a heated debate over access to public records rages on in the state legislature, Utah’s second-largest city wants you to know where it stands on transparency. Yesterday, West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder joined the city council in announcing a new transparency standard. Regardless of what Utah lawmakers do, it means that you’ll continue to have access to text messages and other forms of electronic communication sent or received by city officials.
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