West-side activist Michael Clara has launched his third bid for the Salt Lake City Council, once again challenging Van Turner. Clara touts his experience fighting Union Pacific railroad cars through the neighborhood and efforts to crack down on gangs. He joined us in the studio to make his case for this year’s election.
The Utah Board of Education is thinking of ways to get more ways to get students thinking about going to college. One idea that’s emerged is making it mandatory for all students to take the ACT college entrance exam. It could also mean giving well performing students a separate diploma that indicates they are “college and career ready.”
Many in the Utah Republican Party are unhappy with the state’s current leadership, with several GOP delegates letting Governor Gary Herbert know in no uncertain terms they’re mad over his decision to sign a guest worker permit bill into law. Does this indicate a significant rift within the party? Utah Republican Party Chairman Thomas Wright joined us in the studio.
Charlie Luke has many years of experience managing campaigns for political candidates. Now, he’s a candidate himself, challenging J.T. Martin for his seat on the Salt Lake City Council, representing District Six on the east side. What experience does he bring to the table, what ideas and vision does he have for the district, and how does he plan to beat the incumbent?
When you think of a dysfunctional family, the Bundys from the television show “Married with Children” might be the first thing that comes to mind. But what about Utah’s own congressional delegation, where a 77-year-old senator is at war with a 44-year-old Congressman who is eyeing his job? 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.
With summer finally arriving, ozone will contribute to Utah’s air quality problems. But there are also ongoing concerns about fine particle pollution, with the Environmental Protection Agency telling the state it had better clean it up. We were joined by Bryce Bird, Director of the Utah Division of Air Quality.
With chairman Wayne Holland stepping down, a middle school teacher is one of two candidates vying to be the next head of the Utah Democratic Party. Robert Comstock describes himself as a political activist for more than 35 years. His goals include returning the party to its core Democratic values and opening the doors to everyone who wants to become a candidate.
With an agreement being debated by Congress, we discussed free trade with former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who was in town to speak at the Zions Bank Trade & Business Conference. We also spoke with Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Rebecca Blank with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Salt Lake City Library Board is looking to improve transparency and involve the public more in its operations. We talked with board members Mark Alvarez and Ella Olsen about that and new libraries slated for the Glendale and Marmalade neighborhoods.
First elected in 1999, Van Turner has represented much of Salt Lake City’s west side for more than a decade. The longtime businessman says in that time, more resources have been directed toward the area, and crime has gone down. We talked with Turner about his accomplishments and why he’s looking for a fourth term in this year’s election.
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