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Politics
Lawmakers to take up UTA’s new commission, commercial licenses and lane filtering Oct. 21
The Transportation Interim Committee meets Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Its agenda includes a draft bill to end Utah’s non-domiciled commercial driver license program and a draft on the lane filtering sunset review, both open to public comment.
Grand County Commission candidates debate housing, tourism spending and jobs
Six candidates spoke at a Moab Chamber of Commerce debate Oct. 15 ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Lawmakers to review off-highway vehicle audit and Great Salt Lake projects Oct. 20
The Legislature’s natural resources budget subcommittee meets Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. An audit found OHV law enforcement costs up 185% over five years while trail maintenance spending held steady at about $4 million.
What Utah’s 2026 legislative ethics resolution changed
S.J.R. 16 ended the two-term limit on Independent Legislative Ethics Commission members, let the commission dismiss complaints after an agreed fix, and dropped explicit directions to make its recommendations public.
North Salt Lake puts Night Out cultural events on hold after council meeting
The city attorney is reviewing the resident-led events, and a resident has started a petition asking that they continue.
Three candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot for Utah House District 53
Incumbent Republican Kay J. Christofferson, Forward Party candidate John Boyd and Kevin R. Slater are on the ballot in the northern Utah County district.
Poll shows Moore at 39% and Crosby at 34% in Utah's 2nd District race
A prediction-market forecast gave Moore a 94.8% chance of winning in the Nov. 3 election.
Washington City voters to decide sales tax for emergency services
City leaders say the 0.67% tax would exclude fuel, medication and groceries and come with a cut to the city's share of property taxes.
Utah, Idaho and Wyoming governors tour TerraPower nuclear plant site in Wyoming
Gov. Spencer Cox and Sen. John Curtis joined the visit to TerraPower's Natrium plant in Kemmerer, which could start producing power in 2031.
Three candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot for Utah Senate District 21
Republican incumbent Brady Brammer faces Democrat Kandee Myers and Utah Forward Party candidate Wayne Woodfield.
Maloy and Melling lay out priorities in House District 52 race
Incumbent Rep. Cory Maloy and challenger Nicole Melling answered a joint newspaper questionnaire ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Expert says LDS Church's Idaho ballot donation unlikely to affect tax status
The Salt Lake Tribune explained the IRS rules on churches and ballot measures after the church gave $1 million to the group opposing an Idaho ballot measure on abortion access.
Utah early voting begins Oct. 20 as registration deadline approaches
County clerks must receive voter registrations by 5 p.m. Oct. 23 for the Nov. 3 general election.
WPA Architecture hired to design American Fork's $40 million public works complex
A five-member committee interviewed the two top-scoring of four firms and unanimously recommended WPA, whose fee was lower. The council approved the award 3-0. A construction manager is still to be chosen.
How Utah got a new congressional map, explained
A 2018 ballot initiative, a court fight that began in 2022 and a failed repeal drive produced the map Utah votes under on Nov. 3, including a Salt Lake County district that leans Democratic.
Half of this year's state school board races are already settled
Four of eight Utah State Board of Education seats are uncontested, guaranteeing at least three Democrats on the 15-member board in January.
Moore and Crosby debate tariffs, Iran war and solar in 2nd District debate
With a recent poll showing a five-point gap, Democratic challenger Peter Crosby said Republican Rep. Blake Moore is content with the status quo, and Moore pointed to his legislative record.
Brigham City Council wants operating costs before deciding on $10 million rec center
The council has not yet decided whether to spend $500,000 on design and engineering for the proposed indoor recreation building.
Utah House outlines data center rules as lawmakers weigh more limits
A Utah House post outlines laws on electricity costs, water reporting and tax incentives, and Speaker Mike Schultz says lawmakers 'do not want a state full of data centers.'
Amendments A and B ask Utah voters to change rules on public notice and tax initiatives
One measure would drop the newspaper publication rule for proposed amendments, while the other would require 60% voter approval for citizen initiatives that raise taxes.
Schultz says full repeal of 'preliminary municipality' law is on the table
The House speaker expects lawmakers to revisit SB258 in January after an uproar in Wasatch County, and Gov. Cox says he is open to changes.
UTA says it can't go fare-free as riders push back on $3 base fare
Public comments on the proposed increase repeatedly called for free transit, but the agency says fares still cover about 6% of its revenue and state law requires them.
Curtis among six senators calling Trump's Russian diesel move illegal
The bipartisan group says the administration skipped a required consultation with Congress before lifting sanctions on Russian diesel imports.
Logan drafts limits on size, water and power for data centers
Draft rules would confine data centers to industrial park zones, keep them 1,000 feet from homes and cap their water use at 10 million gallons a year.
Utah clerks from both parties defend vote-by-mail as ballots go out
Davis County's clerk detailed the chain-of-custody, signature checks and offline equipment that guard ballots, while clerks warned that national rhetoric is confusing voters.
Three 4th District challengers lay out positions in Tribune voter guide
Democrat Jonny Larsen, Libertarian Taylor Wright and unaffiliated candidate Steven Burt answered questions on affordability and water, and Republican Rep. Mike Kennedy did not respond.
Utah orders AI training and human oversight for state agencies
An October 6 executive order directs covered agencies to train employees, document public-facing AI uses and safeguard automated decisions.
American Fork council takes up FrontRunner, road deals and property sales
Agreements with UDOT on FrontRunner double tracking and the Pony Express Parkway corridor led the Oct. 13 agenda.
Federal disaster aid approved for Beaver, Piute counties after fire and floods
A joint assessment found at least $47 million in possibly eligible damage from the Cottonwood Fire and the flooding and mudslides that followed.
Utah updates public-fund depository list for the fourth quarter
The October 1 list updates institutional eligibility and limits for uninsured public deposits, with changes public treasurers need to check.
FTC, Utah and Nevada sue Lens.com over alleged hidden fees
The FTC and the Utah and Nevada attorneys general sued Lens.com on October 2 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Their complaint alleges that advertised contact-lens prices omit substantial mandatory checkout fees and that AutoRefill charges, cancellation instructions and cancellation deadlines were not clearly disclosed.
Curtis backs proposed protections for AI whistleblowers
Utah Senator John Curtis announced his support for the bipartisan AI Whistleblower Protection Act. His office says the proposal would protect covered disclosures involving federal-law violations, national security or public safety, prohibit retaliation and prevent nondisclosure agreements from blocking protected reports.