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Host: Heidi Hatch
Guests: State Auditor John Dougall & Maura Carabello from the Exoro Group
Student Loan Forgiveness:
- What it does: President Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for other student loan holders. Payment pauses continues until end of year.
- Is it Legal? Last summer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said President Biden does not have executive authority to issue “debt forgiveness” saying the action would be illegal and it would need an act of Congress.
- Democrat Chris Pappas of New Hampshire said Wednesday the plan “sidesteps Congress and our oversight and fiscal responsibilities.”
- Is it fair? Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) called the order a “scheme” that “forces blue-collar workers to subsidize white-collar graduate students.”
- Does this fix the higher ed cost problem? Will Universities jack up prices hoping more money is on the way.
- Will this fan and feed inflation: More money flowing with 40-year high inflation
- Will this change any votes for the midterm? A blue wave in thanks to Democrats and Biden fulfilling a campaign promise.
Bears Ears Lawsuit: The state is suing the Biden administration over the President’s restoration of the original boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments. The monuments were downsized by former President Trump in 2017.
Lieutenant governor will not remove state lawmaker from ballot: Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said she will not remove the newly named head of the Department of Natural Resources from the ballot where he remains a candidate for the House of Representatives.
In a letter Wednesday, Henderson told attorneys for the Utah Democratic Party and legislative candidate Josh Hardy there is “no statutory basis” for removing Rep. Joel Ferry (R-Brigham City) from the ballot in the House District 1 race.
“At this time,” Henderson wrote, “whether or not Mr. Ferry remains on the ballot is entirely up to him.”
Utah Gerrymander lawsuit moves forward: State attorneys sought delay until the Supreme Court decides if states can hear such challenges.
Senate Debate Mike Lee Evan McMullin: McMullin says Lee will not debate. Lee says he is working on his schedule.