Who should be steering Utah’s public education system? One proposed amendment to the state constitution would have the legislature take the reigns, while another would give that power to the governor. KCPW’S Whittney Evans reports.
Social service advocates gathered at the Utah Capitol’s dumpster Tuesday, hoping to send the message to lawmakers that there are no disposable members of society. The group held signs and handwritten letters protesting expected cuts to health and human services.
Delivering the annual State of the Judiciary Address to Utah lawmakers, Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court Christine Durham said any further budget reductions to the state’s third branch of government would halt progress that’s being made in the court system. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.
Cedar Hills residents who elected former State Representative Craig Frank before he discovered he lived in the wrong legislative district gathered at the capitol today, urging lawmakers to re-draw the legislative boundaries. Karen Herd said the right to vote is guaranteed by the state and U.S. constitutions.
State lawmakers are up to their knees in immigration-related bills to sift through as the legislative session kicks off today. But with a budget to balance as well, some feel the discussion on immigration will lead to procrastination. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.
Several experts came together at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute on Wednesday for a forum on ““Reaffirming Equal Opportunity — Should Utah’s Constitution be Amended?” KCPW’s Jeff Robinson moderated a panel discussion between Dr. Laurence Parker, Professor of Education Policy at the U of U, Jeanetta Williams, President of the NAACP Salt Lake Branch, and retired Utah Judge Jon Memmott.
Utah lawmakers are spending several hours today in budget meetings as they prepare for the legislative session, which begins Monday. Republicans foresee at least a 7 percent cut across the board, sharply differing from Governor Gary Herbert’s more optimistic budget proposal.
Former State Representative Craig Frank made his case to fellow lawmakers this afternoon that he is still a Utah legislator. He was recently disqualified from office when he discovered he doesn’t live inside his own district in Utah County.
A bill likely to be debated during this year’s legislative session could change the way condos and housing co-ops do business in the Beehive State. If passed, it would provide more oversight over homeowners associations and offer government help to resolve disputes. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports.
The State Board of Education has apparently earned the wrath of some Republican state lawmakers by adopting the Common Core Standards. It’s an initiative developed by several states to ensure students are learning language arts and math at the level they should be.
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