Big changes to Utah’s liquor laws begin Friday. A new law going into effect shifts the time liquor and beer can be served, eliminates happy hours and drink specials, and wipes out mini-kegs in Utah liquor stores. KCPW’s Jessica Gail spoke with local bar owners about what the changes mean for them.
Talk about being caught on camera. He might have been wearing sunglasses, but that didn’t stop former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s son, Will, from being spotted at a Salt Lake City rally for his dad’s rival, Mitt Romney. Every Friday, we talk with Thomas Burr, Washington Correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune and author of Political Cornflakes, a daily, online round-up of Utah politics.
Salt Lake County voters will have one more year to decide whether to vote “yes” on a $110 million dollar parks bond. The county council has decided to wait to bring the issue to the ballot box. And as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, the holdup could also mean a delay for Salt Lake City’s future soccer complex.
While Utah Governor Gary Herbert has insisted the recent firing of three state archaeologists was only a cost-cutting move, that’s not placating the preservation community. A recent op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune by the heads of three archaeological organizations says the layoffs leave the state unable to perform its critical and legal duties in preserving Utah’s historical past.
You’ll soon have another option besides a car to get between Salt Lake City and Park City. Utah Transit Authority Spokesman Gerry Carpenter notes there’s been interest in a bus route between the two for years. But it couldn’t happen until a state law was passed this year allowing UTA to make an agreement with Park City, which is outside the agency’s service area. If it’s approved, the route would start in October.
It’s already widely known that Utah spends the least amount of money per student in K-12 public education. But a new report from the Utah Foundation says on top of that, the effort put into public education funding has declined significantly since 1995. KCPW’s Jeff Robinson spoke with Steve Kroes, President of the Utah Foundation, about the report’s findings.
While the Utah legislature’s redistricting committee has been getting input from residents across the state, one Utahn who’s not hesitant to weigh in on the process is Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson. It’s widely believed the last Congressional redistricting a decade ago was a partisan gerrymander to make sure he couldn’t win re-election, and Matheson says he’s seen nothing that makes him believe this time will be any different.
Utahns could be voting in two primary elections in 2012, if the legislature is willing to spend the money. Lt. Governor Greg Bell says he wants the state to have a more active role in the Republican presidential nomination process, which is why he’s suggested bumping the state’s presidential primary up by a few months. But as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, that move would cost tax payers millions.
Former Utah Governor and Presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman made a campaign stop in Taylorsville Tuesday afternoon to tour the labs of a life sciences company and tout the economic policies the company benefitted from during his time leading the state. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, Huntsman told reporters he could ensure the same economic success across the country.
West Valley City is considering a property tax increase of more than 18 percent to balance its 2012 budget. Earlier this year, the city forecast a $7.5 million budget gap, but was able to shrink it down to $3.5 million through budget cuts and hiring freezes. Mayor Mike Winder says he hates tax increases, and knows it’s going to be a hard sell to residents.
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