Utah Congressman Jim Matheson was one of just five Democrats in the House of Representatives to join Republicans in voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act this afternoon.
More than $111 million is spent each year treating high blood pressure in Utah, according to a new report from the Utah Department of Health. That makes it the second-most costly chronic illness in the state behind diabetes. Athena Carolan with the health department’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program notes it’s one of the leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke, two of the top leading causes of death in Utah.
Mark Crockett is officially the Republican nominee for Salt Lake County Mayor. After beating West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder by only 239 votes on primary election night, the former county councilman’s lead increased to 1,019 votes Tuesday after the final count, including absentee ballots and mail-in votes, was released by the clerk’s office. Crockett says his GOP opponent ran an amazingly good race.
New research from Brigham Young University’s Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy indicates opposition to same-sex marriage and civil unions has significantly dropped in Utah since 2004, when voters passed Constitutional Amendment 3, banning same-sex marriage and legal recognition for gay couples. BYU Political Science Professor Kelly Patterson says the abruptness of the shift is notable.
Residents and business owners in the area surrounding Salt Lake City’s North Temple street continue to endure heavy construction as the thoroughfare is upgraded, not only to accommodate a new TRAX line to the airport, but bike lanes and pedestrian improvements. Now, a University of Utah study will look at just how much these long-awaited upgrades make the neighborhood healthier.
Salt Lake City is expanding a program aimed at increasing use of alternative transportation and making residents more confident in it. Sustainability and Environment Director Vicki Bennett says the city’s SmartTrips pilot program launched in the East Liberty Park neighborhood has been a success, with residents taking advantage of free seven-day bus passes, kits with pedometers and bicycle tail lights, and customized biking and transit maps.
Equality Utah has released its list of endorsed candidates for statewide office, Congress, the legislature and local races based on their views on LGBT issues and their viability as candidates. Executive Director Brandie Balken says the organization sent out surveys after the parties held their political conventions, adding that more candidates continue to participate in their endorsement process.
Constitutional lawyer Merrill Nelson is looking to make a comeback to the Utah Legislature. After serving in the early 1990s, he’s running again to represent Tooele County and other rural areas. We also spoke with Democratic Salt Lake County Council Candidate Sam Granato.
While the more than half a dozen wildfires burning across Utah certainly have an immediate impact on the nearest residents and the environmental landscape, they also could have a political impact this election year. 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.
The Quail Fire burning in Alpine has scorched just under 2,000 acres as of Wednesday evening and is 5 percent contained, according to the Bureau of Land Management’s Cami Lee. She says it’s not yet clear when the fire will be fully under control.
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