Occupy Salt Lake protesters made their way back into the spotlight Wednesday at the Utah Capitol, but didn’t draw much attention from lawmakers. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports on their Debutante Ball, a cross-gender theatrical production protestors used to demonstrate what they say is corporate control of the legislature.
Segment 1: Edward Abbey Edward Abbey, the environmental crusader and godfather of monkeywrenchers, was not a Utahn by birth, but he spent much time in the state and set his most famous writings here. So, in many ways, it’s fitting that a major collection of his work is coming to the University of Utah.…
For years Utah sportsmen, as well as the Division of Wildlife Resources, have expressed concern about declining deer numbers. Now, as KCPW’s Eric Ray explains, lawmakers are considering a proposal that puts a bounty on predators, namely coyotes, in an effort to revive the state’s mule deer herds:
Small business owner and retired two-star General Peter Cooke became the first Democrat to enter the race for Utah Governor this morning, announcing his bid against Republican incumbent Gary Herbert. In his speech at the Fort Douglas Museum on the University of Utah campus, Cooke said the common good is losing out, being shoved aside by one-party rule.
Free college credit for qualifying high school students may be a thing of the past. Concurrent enrollment courses, which are available at most high schools across the state, are seeing large budget cuts, and one lawmaker says the solution is to start charging students who want to receive the credit. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on what critics are saying about the measure.
A bill restricting the use of tanning beds by minors will soon be on Governor Gary Herbert’s desk, after the Utah House of Representatives approved it this morning following a passionate discussion. Fifth Substitute Senate Bill 41 would require those under 18 years old to have a parent with them to give consent every time they tan, or a written order from a physician.
Should members of the Utah legislature be required to learn more about the changing demographics of the state and how to be more sensitive? A bill that would have required such training failed in a Senate committee Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Ross Romero says his bill would have required new members of the legislature to go through a short class.
Condo owners looking for more help from the state in settling disputes with their HOA boards will have to wait another year. Tuesday, a bill that would have expanded the Utah Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman to help handle a growing number of disagreements failed in committee, but as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, the bill sponsor says he is not giving up.
Enough is enough. That’s what some in Utah’s LGBT community are saying after a nondiscrimination bill considered by the state legislature failed to make it to the floor of the Senate or House for the fifth year in a row. And today, they’re taking their message to the state capitol, holding a Human Dignity Rally.
Cities across the country and Utah are opting to bury their power lines instead of stringing them overhead, and one Democratic state lawmaker wants to help them pay for it. House Bill 291, sponsored by Representative Joel Briscoe, allows city councils to approve a tenth of a cent sales tax hike to be used solely for burying utility lines. He says there are many good reasons to halt the construction of new above-ground lines, aside from saving trees.
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