In the third week of the Utah Legislative Session, lawmakers passed a controversial bill that bars public employee unions from collective bargaining. Debate over the proposed legislation had been extensive, with union members negotiating behind the scenes for a better version of the bill. But in the end, the original bill passed the Utah House and Senate. Advocates are now urging Governor Spencer Cox to veto the measure. Our expert panel discusses whether we could see that happen, and whether or not union organziers will launch a referendum campaign to let Utah voters decide the bill's fate.
Utah lawmakers are also considering bills to reform elections in the Beehive State. One proposal would require most voters to turn in mail-in ballots in person and show ID when doing so. Opponents of the measure worry this will disenfranchise voters in rural Utah, older Utahns, and people with disabilities from engaging in the democratic process. We evaluate the likelihood of this bill passing, and whether it has support in both chambers of the legislature.
Plus, with Pres. Donald Trump issuing numerous executive orders dealing with immigration, some Utah lawmakers are seizing the opportunity to enact reforms here at home as well. We discuss some of those proposals, and the significance of Utah's newly elected Attorney General wading into the debate over birthright citizenship.
Host Jason Perry is joined by Representative Steve Eliason, a Republican from Sandy and Parliamentarian in the Utah House — Senator Jen Plumb, a Democrat from Salt Lake City and Minority Assistant Whip in the Utah Senate — and Robert Gehrke, a reporter with The Salt Lake Tribune.
Funding for The Hinckley Report is made possible in part by Merit Medical and by the financial contributions of PBS Utah members. If you would like to support the work we do, please visit https://pbsutah.org/supporthinckley
Election season is off and running. Utah elects delegates as the court upholds signature gathering. Candidate filings rise; only a handful of incumbents will...
The 2022 Legislative Session is only just beginning, and COVID-19 is already the big story. Our panel explains how lawmakers are handling the current...
Candidates for Utah's open U.S. Senate seat seem to be courting high-profile endorsements. Our panel discusses what impact this could have on the race....