(KCPW News) A month after the interim session commenced, it was part two of interim committee meetings in the Utah legislature on Wednesday. Lawmakers convened to discuss a number of topics, such as water quality, the state fairpark, and affordable housing. One topic, however, has been on the minds of many state legislators for a…
The 2013 legislative session kicked off Monday; and Utah lawmakers are already discussing what the next 45 day session will look like. House Speaker Becky Lockhart helped set the tone with a speech about what Utah must do to be less reliant on the Federal Government. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on what she is urging lawmakers to do.
Liquor sales could begin funding public education, at least if one Utah lawmaker has his way. Republican Representative Jim Bird plans to run a bill in the upcoming legislative session that takes 10 percent of liquor sales to improve schools. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on reaction to his plan.
A Utah lawmaker wants to free up dozens of liquor licenses using the state’s hotels. Republican Senator John Valentine is drafting a bill that would create a master license for hotels, which would free up licenses currently required to run the bars, restaurants and catering services inside hotels. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on the proposed bill.
“We cannot have the best school system in the country and be the lowest in the country in funding.” State Superintendent Larry Shumway had that blunt message for the Utah Legislature as he delivered his final State of Utah Education Address last night at The Open Classroom, a public charter school in Salt Lake City.
Progressive public policy is the goal of Democratic State Representative Rebecca Chavez-Houck. The Salt Lake City lawmaker has served in the legislature since 2008, contributing significantly in the debates over LGBT rights, immigration, social justice and ballot issues. We talked with her, followed by Alan Matheson, Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s senior adviser on environmental matters.
Today on the show, we talked with State Rep. Kraig Powell of Heber City about his effort’s to open up caucus meetings in the Utah Legislature to the public, and interviewed Democratic Treasurer candidate Christopher Stout.
A bill passed by Utah lawmakers earlier this year puts new requirements on smoke shops statewide, limiting where they can operate within cities. Now, Centerville’s City Council has passed an ordinance banning all smoke shops within the city. KCPW’s Charlotte Duren has more.
After a year-long effort to make the legislature’s 2011 redistricting records public, the Utah Democratic Party presented its case to the state’s Legislative Records Committee Monday, asking for the records to be released and for much of their $14,000 in fees to be waived. KCPW’s Charlotte Duren has more on the appeal.
A performance audit of the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, or UTOPIA was presented to state lawmakers Wednesday at the Capitol. KCPW’s Charlotte Duren has more on the problems auditors found with the municipal network, and why UTOPIA still plans to move forward.
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