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Heidi Hatch, Greg Hughes, and Maura Carabello are back this week to review the political news you might’ve missed — and they’ve got a few things on their minds.
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Utah’s two senators cast opposing votes on Friday regarding a proposed commission to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The first Republican challenger, Becky Edwards, has announced a run to unseat Sen. Mike Lee. And President Joe Biden wants to know whether COVID-19 could have started in a lab in Wuhan.
Heidi Hatch is joined by Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello to discuss these developments and other Utah political news you might have missed this week.
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Heidi Hatch hosts guests Maura Carabello and Greg Hughes to talk politics and events with viewpoints from both sides including:
https://kutv.com/news/local/cox-says-no-to-critical-race-theory-in-k-12-education-yes-for-higher-ed
Utah Board of Education has been tasked with looking at CRT
First ever joint interview with Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney:
You can now watch the full 42 minute interview online.
https://kutv.com/news/local/full-interview-sens-lee-romney-talk-about-issues-impacting-utah
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Heidi Hatch, Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello are ready to de-brief after another week of news.
Gov. Spencer Cox: Masks can be ditched the last week of school: He said schools will still have the option to require masks during the last week, but the state will no longer mandate the rule.
Cox wants to give away millions to encourage more Utahns to get vaccinated: Is this legal and is it a good idea? The announcement comes a day after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine established a lottery system to give five people $1 million each as a vaccination incentive.
“There is no amount of money that is too much to help us get an extra 5% or 10% of people vaccinated,” Cox said.
CDC says vaccinated can toss the mask: Why Now? In a move to send the country back toward pre-pandemic life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places.
The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
Liz Cheney voted out of House leadership: Rep. Blake Moore voted to keep her, Owens did not vote, Curtis and Stewart voted for change.
Sen. Mitt Romney backed Cheney, Lee would not weigh in on the issue because it was in the House.
Plus, Heidi’s whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C. for an exclusive sit down with Utah’s Senators, in the same room at the same time. Watch 2 News at 10 on Thursday, May 20.
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Host Heidi Hatch welcome guests Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello, from different sides of the political spectrum to talk about the top issues.
This week on the Take 2 Podcast, they did into Utah’s COVID-19 restrictions that are largely gone, except masks in K – 12 schools with a look at parents protesting at a school board meeting demanding an end to the mandate in schools.
As part of the discussion, Utah businesses are deciding the next best step. Hale Centre Theater welcomes masks but does not require them while the Bayou Bar won’t let you in unless you have a vaccine card. A bar across the street is going the opposite direction. No masks, everyone welcome.
Also part of the discussion:
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What Utah political news did you miss this week? Heidi Hatch, Greg Hughes, and Maura Carabello are back to fill you in.
The rundown:
Utah Republican Party convention this Saturday includes a vote to censure Mitt Romney.
Where is Utah at with redistricting?
Utah is the fastest-growing state, according to 2020 Census data. What does that mean for the future?
First Lady Abby Cox launches her “Show Up Utah” initiative to combat what she’s calling an “empathy crisis.”
Joe Biden celebrates 100 days in office, but Utah Republicans don’t appear to be celebrating with him.
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Host Heidi Hatch hosts guests Maura Carabello from the Exoro Group and state auditor John Dougal to talk about a wide range of political news this week including the trail of Derek Chauvin, the former officer now convicted of killing George Floyd.
UTAH VACCINE APPOINTMENTS ARE SLOWING DOWN
With the demand for vaccines against COVID-19 in Utah now slowing or falling behind supply, some have wondered if the state can reach herd immunity, especially in a state with so many children. Are people vaccine hesitant? Is the pause in Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine making people nervous?
There has been no link made but a woman in Oregon died this week after getting a vaccine. Should herd immunity include those who have already tested positive, along with those who had the virus but were never tested? https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lasting-immunity-found-after-recovery-covid-19
RANKED CHOICE VOTING
Salt Lake City voted 6 to 1 in favor of ranked choice voting during the November municipal election and North Logan is considering it too while Draper will move to it this fall.
CAN AND SHOULD STATES REIN IN SOCIAL MEDIA?
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams wants to rein in the power of social media companies to decide what can or cannot be posted. He is the newly elected president of the American Legislative Exchange Council, called ALEC. It is a conservative group that proposes legislation.
PRIVACY COMMISSION
The Utah Legislature created a privacy commission but what do the new privacy officers do? MORE: kutv.com/news/local/banjo-halts-data-collection-in-utah-after-reports-of-ceos-neo-nazi-past
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Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello join 2News anchor Heidi Hatch to review this week in Utah politics.
They’ll review Gov. Spencer Cox’s first 100 days in office, the ongoing mask debate in Utah, Republicans’ opposition to President Joe Biden’s definition of “infrastructure,” and a war of words between Salt Lake Tribune cartoonist Pat Bagley and Utah’s congressional delegation over a cartoon criticism of Rep. Burgess Owens’ speech at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Take 2 host Heidi Datch welcomes guests Scott Howell and Greg Hughes to talk about recent issues in Utah and Utah politics. The trio discusses public lands after federal and local officials visited Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments. They ask talk about possible gun reforms after more mass shootings in the United States. Utah’s mask mandate is also a topic and the U.S. border with Mexico.
PUBLIC LANDS: Interior Secretary Haaland in Southern Utah touring Bears Ears and Grand Stair Case with the Governor and Congressional leaders. Her visit comes after President Biden signed and order on his first day in office to change boundaries and cut off fracking, drilling in the area.
Is this visit just for show? Or do we think there are real conversations happening. Secretary Deb Haaland is the 1st Native American to serve in the position. She Is a member of the Pueblo tribe and 35th generation New Mexican.
GUN REFORM: 2 Mass shootings Thursday in the US on Thursday.
One in Texas where an employee of a company shot 5 people, killing one- 4 critically injured. Then shot a trooper who was in pursuit of him.
In South Carolina: Former NFL player Phillip Adams fatally shot five people including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren before later killing himself, authorities said Thursday.
That morning President Biden signed executive action to start the process of enacting new gun laws. “He pushed back against arguments that these executive actions would infringe upon the right to bear arms. The changes include reviewing federal policy surrounding ghost guns — handmade or self-assembled firearms that don’t include serial numbers — and the use of stabilizing braces on pistols, a modification that turns the weapon into a short-barreled rifle.” – CBS
UTAH’S MASK MADATE ENDS ON SATURDAY:
Salt Lake City Mayor used executive powers to keep the mask mandate in place. Even adding possible $1000 fine and up to 6 months in jail if you refuse to wear a mask.
Salt Lake County Health Dept. Did not recommend a mandate. County buildings and parks require masks. Is the park mandate good policy for sports like softball and baseball?
Grand County keeps the Mandate through June 15th.
Will there be confusion and nastiness?
Masks are still required in schools- and where businesses ask that patrons where a mask.
BORDER:
Mike Lee visited last week
Burgess Owens was there this week
What is the best way forward? Can we all admit there is a problem?
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Host Heidi Hatch welcomes former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes and from the other side of the aisle, Maura Carabello.
Utah’s newly elected Gov. Spencer Cox signed 464 bills but vetoed one titled “Electronics Free Speech Amendments.”
Final Bills
Gov. Cox signed these four bills:
● HB 220 Pretrial Detention Amendments. Schultz, M. (A win for Greg Hughes)
● HB 294 Pandemic Emergency Powers Amendments. Ray, P
● SB 107 In-person Instruction Prioritization. Weller, T.
● SB 195 Emergency Response Amendments. Vickers, E.
Gov. Cox vetoed these three bills:
● HB 98 Local Government Building Regulation Amendments. Ray, P.
● SB 39 Hemp Regulation Amendments. Hinkins, D.
● SB 187 Local Education Agency Policies Amendments. Winterton, R.
Gov. Cox allowed these three bills to become law without his signature:
● HB 197 Voter Affiliation Amendments. Teuscher, J.
● SB 104 Tax Levy for Animal Control. Weller, T
● SB 167 Utah Film Economic Incentives. Winterton, R
Our trio also discusses gun controls after a supermarket shooting in Colorado. President Joe Biden called for a ban on assault weapons and background check legislation.
The crisis on the border: Who is at fault anyway? There could be selective outrage depending on who is president.
According to statistics published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, authorities encountered 9,457 children without a parent in February, a 61% increase from January, not 28%. The numbers of unaccompanied children did rise 31% between January 2019 and February 2019.