Responding to concerns about the cost and resources it would take to enforce his anti-illegal immigration bill, Republican Representative Stephen Sandstrom unveiled major changes to it yesterday at the State Capitol. It still requires officers to verify the immigration status of anyone suspected of a Class A misdemeanor or felony, when there is “reasonable suspicion” the person is in the country illegally.
A vote to re-authorize parts of the PATRIOT Act split Utah’s congressional delegation this week. Representative Rob Bishop voted no, while both Congressmen Jim Matheson and Jason Chaffetz said yes. Since then, Chaffetz, who has previously fought against excessive domestic surveillance, has caught flack from his supporters. 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.
A new analysis from the Utah Legislature estimates a bill aimed at catching undocumented immigrants would cost local cities and counties in Utah between $5 and $11 million per year. KCPW’s Jeff Robinson spoke with Salt Lake City Councilman Carlton Christensen about his concerns.
The Utah House of Representatives delivered good news today for unincorporated Salt Lake County residents who are sick of paying a fee for police services. Lawmakers approved a bill that would prevent the Unified Police District from imposing that fee. Taylorsville Representative Jim Dunnigan said about half his district is in unincorporated Salt Lake County.
While the federal health reform law’s mandate to purchase health insurance may be getting the most attention, some Utah lawmakers are focusing on another aspect of it: expanding eligibility for Medicaid, the government-funded health program for low-income Americans. Hoping to get ahead of this, Republican State Senator Dan Liljenquist, who spearheaded major reforms to Utah’s public pension system last year, is proposing changes to how Medicaid providers are compensated.
Republican Senator Howard Stephenson claimed that the University of Utah and other public colleges and universities are handing out “degrees to nowhere,” unless they’re in science, math and engineering. We talked about that and budget cuts with Dave Buhler, Associate Commissioner for Public Affairs with the Utah System of Higher Education.
A GOP state lawmaker has enraged LGBT advocates by proposing a “family policy” for the state, and other bills they fear will lead to discrimination. We got the reaction of University of Utah Law Professor and Equality Utah board member Cliff Rosky.
After a judicial victory in Florida for conservatives who oppose the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff now says it can’t be enforced in Utah. But the governor isn’t sure yet where to go on this issue. We talked with Chief Deputy Attorney General John Swallow about what this ruling means.
If former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman intends to run for President now that he’s stepping down as Ambassador to China, he’ll most certainly need lots and lots of money. So who will help him raise it? Every week, we speak with Thomas Burr, Washington Correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune and author of Political Cornflakes, a daily, online round-up of Utah politics.
A fight between gun rights and property rights took place in the Utah House of Representatives this morning. And in a rare occurrence for the conservative Utah Legislature, a pro-gun bill was rejected by lawmakers. KCPW’s Jeff Robinson reports.
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