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Public record appeals stall as State Records Committee disbanded; more women in UT's workforce now;we’re in a toxic relationship w spring 😂
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The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. We scour the news so you don't have to! Send news tips or feedback to Holly Richardson at editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | May 5, 2025
It's Monday and Cinco de Mayo!
And happy birthday to Sen. Todd Weiler yesterday, Sunday, May 4th. 🎉 🎂 🎈
What you need to know
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Sen. Curtis is preparing to deliver his maiden floor speech. Before he does on May 14, he will be visiting four significant spots to learn and reflect: the Holocaust Museum, The National Museum of African American History and Culture, Arlington National Cemetery, and Ensign Peak in Utah. He is also inviting Utahns to share, via email, personal experiences at those four places. You can send those experiences to experience@curtis.senate.gov and help shape the speech he will give
Rapid Relevance
On the Hill
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Tickets on sale now for Envision Utah’s Annual Spring Breakfast!
When all eyes are on us for the 2034 Olympic Games, what should Utah show the world? Join us for a conversation between Governor Mike Leavitt and 2034 Games CEO Brad Wilson to talk about lessons from 2002 and how we can prepare Utah for 2034. Tickets on sale at envisionutah.org. | | |
Utah Headlines
Political news
- Following new Utah legislation, Sen. Mike Lee sponsors bill to protect kids online (Deseret News)
- Utah governor, state courts hit with lawsuit over new disability law (St. George News)
- Sen. Mike Lee wants to slash federal food stamp money. Utahns could see the second-largest loss of help in a recession. (Salt Lake Tribune)
- 'Save Our Land, Save Our Parks' protest at Utah State Capitol highlights indigenous voices (Fox13)
Municipal news
- Davis County traffic is a mess, but UDOT says you will be grateful — eventually (Deseret News)
- New police chief sends a message: ‘You don’t come to Salt Lake City to deal drugs and use drugs’ (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Despite some fear, Cinco de Mayo celebration brings joy to downtown Ogden (KUER)
Utah
- Perspective: Not your father’s Deseret News (Deseret News)
- Utah trauma doc gets national honor (Deseret News)
- Home cooking — and a few prayers — help LPGA golfer win first Black Desert Championship (Salt Lake Tribune)
Biz/Tech
- New study shows more women are in Utah’s workforce than ever before (KSL Newsradio)
- Disease stole his voice, but Elon Musk’s technology returned it (Deseret News)
- ‘Nowhere to turn': Small businesses dependent on imports from China are feeling more desperate (AP)
Crime/Courts
- Elizabeth Smart kidnapper Wanda Barzee arrested for violating sex offender terms, police say (KSL)
- More than 650 people caught driving distracted during week of ramped-up enforcement (KSL Newsradio)
Culture/Community
- ‘Latter-day Saint women are incredible,’ says Elder Quentin L. Cook at BYU Women’s Conference (Deseret News)
Economy
- U.S. job growth in April outpaced expectations despite tariff uncertainty (Deseret News)
- Warren Buffett announces his retirement and warns the trade war will hurt America (NPR)
Education - K-12
- Sandy elementary school becomes steward of NASA moon tree (Deseret News)
Education - Higher
- Lassonde family donates $25 million — again — to advance entrepreneurship at the University of Utah (Deseret News)
- This Navajo student is likely the first-ever Native speaker at a University of Utah graduation. Here’s what she said. (Salt Lake Tribune)
- Overcoming self-doubt: Perseverance and resilience pay off for first-generation 2025 UVU graduate (Daily Herald)
- Utah Tech graduates speak of future plans at split ceremonies (St. George News)
- Voices: Our class may be small, but our impact is enormous in Utah and beyond. We shouldn’t be on the chopping block. (Salt Lake Tribune)
- A ‘new era’: Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine celebrates its inaugural class of medical students in graduation ceremony (Daily Herald)
Energy
- Is this the ‘energy decade’? Why energy is so hot right now (Deseret News)
Environment
- Utah’s snowpack melting faster than normal (KSL Newsradio)
- Utah is producing more oil than ever. Even more could be on its way if a controversial railway gets built. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Family
- What to do if you think your child has a learning disorder (Deseret News)
- Perspective: Marry early and flourish together (Deseret News)
Health
- Opinion: Utah must lead the legal fight to protect our health privacy (Deseret News)
- Beauty filters can do damage to your mental health, Utah college students say (Salt Lake Tribune)
- NIH cuts its baby 'Safe to Sleep' team. Here's what parents should know (NPR)
- More babies are being admitted to NICUs (Washington Post)
Housing
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National Headlines
General
- 7 people dead after collision between a tour van and pickup truck near Yellowstone (Deseret News)
Political news
- Democrats are trying out new ways to grab voters’ attention. Is it working? (Deseret News)
- Trump on ‘Meet the Press’: The economy, a third term and how he wants to change the White House (Deseret News)
- Why Americans won’t stop debating the separation of church and state (Deseret News)
- Trump says he’ll reopen Alcatraz prison for ‘America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders’ (AP)
- Trump, in a new interview, says he doesn’t know if he backs due process rights (AP)
- Does a president need to uphold the Constitution? Trump says 'I don't know' (NPR)
Immigration/Deportation
- Rwanda in talks to receive migrants deported from US, foreign minister says (Reuters)
- Trump’s immigration ‘shock and awe’ is losing in the court of law (Politico)
Tariffs
- How the tariffs stole Christmas (Deseret News)
- Trump orders 100% tariff on foreign-made movies to save 'dying' Hollywood (Reuters)
DOGE/Musk
- A peek into DOGE’s weekly 10 p.m. meeting, led by Elon Musk (Deseret News)
- Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems (AP)
Ukraine/Russia
- Ukraine says it shot down 42 drones from Russia but two regions hit (Reuters)
Israel, Gaza, Syria
- Israel plans to capture all of Gaza under new plan, officials say (AP)
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Number of the Day
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Guest opinion: An open letter to Utah senators
by Jonathan Spira
As your constituent and a fellow Utahn, I am writing to express my deep concern about your silence in the face of increasing government overreach and apparent violations of constitutional rights by the current administration, including violations of the First Amendment, the targeting of individuals based on political speech, the circumvention of legislative and judicial checks on executive authority, and the erosion of due process protections.
You are members of one of the most exclusive and august legislative bodies in the world. The U.S. Senate is held in the highest regard internationally—not simply because of its power, but because of its historic role in advancing and protecting democratic ideals. That legacy is now under direct threat, and I am urging you — as individuals who swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution — to stand up and be counted.
As a Jewish American whose parents fled Austria and Berlin in the 1930s to escape the Nazi regime’s sudden and total consolidation of its authoritarian power, I am especially appalled by the parallels I see today. In one of the clearest echoes of that era, former President Trump has now twice invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act — most recently in March 2024 — declaring a fabricated “foreign invasion” by gangs like MS-13 to justify stripping noncitizens of habeas corpus, due process, and basic civil liberties. This is not speculative: it is a deliberate and active abuse of executive power. I am particularly appalled at the Senate’s complicity in the executive branch’s subordination of its two co-equal branches of government: the legislature and the judiciary. The parallels are deeply disturbing. Silence and inaction from our elected representatives in the face of authoritarian behavior are not only dangerous but historically damning. (Read More)
News Releases
Gov. Spencer Cox appoints Tony F. Graf to the Fourth District Court
Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Tony F. Graf to the Fourth District Court, filling a vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Robert Lunnen. Judicial appointments are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate. Graf currently serves as a Deputy County Attorney for Davis County, where he prosecutes physical and sexual abuse cases. He previously led the Special Victims Unit for the Utah County Attorney’s Office and served as a Deputy District Attorney in Salt Lake County. His diverse experience also includes roles as an Assistant Attorney General in American Samoa, Deputy District Attorney in Lincoln County, Nevada, and Special Assistant United States Attorney in Washington, D.C. (Read More)
Utah Senate requests public comment on 4th District appointee
The Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee is seeking public comment on Tony F. Graf. He was appointed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox to serve as a judge in the 4th District.
Those who desire to comment should contact the Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee electronically or by mail at the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel by 5:00 p.m. Friday, May 16, 2025. Electronic comments can be emailed to senatejudicialnominees@le.utah.gov. Written comments can be mailed to the Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee at the Utah State Capitol, Suite W210, PO Box 145210, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5210. All statements should include the individual’s name, telephone number and mailing address. (Read More)
GOEO announces departure of Executive Director Ryan Starks
Today, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) announced the departure of its Executive Director, Ryan Starks. He is leaving to pursue other professional endeavors. Starks’ tenure at GOEO includes significant achievements, including the successful recruitment of major investments from companies like Texas Instruments (in Feb. 2023, the company announced an $11 billion investment in Utah — the largest in state history), the strategic expansion of economic opportunities in rural Utah through the Rural Economic Development Tax Increment Financing (REDTIF) program, and the establishment of the innovative Startup State Initiative to bolster Utah’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. His collaborative approach fostered strong partnerships with communities and organizations across the state, contributing to Utah’s consistently top-ranked economy and quality of life. (Read More)
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Tweet of the Day
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Upcoming
- May 6 — "State AG Offices and the New Administration" webinar hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, 10:00 am MDT, Register here
- May 12 — Utah Taxes Now Conference with the Utah Taxpayers Association, Grand America Hotel, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, Register here
- May 17 — Utah GOP Organizing Convention, at UVU’s UCCU Center.
- May 20-22 — Interim Days
- May 31 — Utah Democratic Party Organizing Convention, Ogden High School
- Aug 7 — Titan of Public Service gala with Sen. Tom Cotton hosted by the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation at the Grand America Hotel. More Information Here
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On This Day In History
- 1809 - Mary Kies becomes the first woman to receive a US patent for her method of weaving straw with silk to create women’s hats.
- 1813 - Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher, is born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- 1821 - Napoleon dies in exile on Saint Helena.
- 1862 - An outnumbered Mexican army defeats a powerful French army at the Battle of Puebla, giving us the Cinco de Mayo celebration.
- 1864 - Elizabeth Seaman, aka Nellie Bly is born. She became an investigative journalist who wrote an expose of mental asylums in 1887. She also set a record for circling the world in 72 days in 1890.
- 1925 - John T. Scopes arrested for teaching evolution in Tennessee
- 1938 - Dr. Dorothy H. Andersen presents results of her medical research identifying the disease cystic fibrosis at a meeting of the American Pediatric Association.
- 1961 - Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.
- 2021 - Evidence of Africa's earliest burial, a three-year-old boy who died 78,000 years ago, is published
Quote of the Day
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”
― Soren Kierkegaard
On the Punny Side
I was sitting here eating lunch when I realized: cottage cheese is not actually a cheese.
It's just a curd to me.
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