Utah and National Updates

Elections, Politics, & Government

Steve Contorno and Kit Maher, CNN

DeSantis ends 2024 presidential campaign and endorses Trump

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Sunday that he is ending his 2024 presidential bid.
3 years ago
Democratic Party credits mail-in voting...
Don Brinkerhoff

Proposed bill would change mail-in ballots, Salt Lake County Clerk says ‘there’s no need to change’

Utah lawmakers are considering a bill that would require voters to ask to receive mail-in ballots. The Salt Lake County Clerk is not so sure.
3 years ago
Gov. Spenser Cox...
Jessica Lowell

Gov. Cox signs first bill of Utah’s 2024 legislative session

Gov. Cox signed the first bill of Utah's 2024 legislative session Friday night.
3 years ago
Snow blankets Big Cottonwood Canyon on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)...
Adam Small

Rep. John Curtis wants to prevent Wall Street from buying Utah land

Utah Rep. John Curtis has introduced a bill in the U.S. House that would prevent Natural Asset Companies from buying and controlling public lands in Utah.
3 years ago
Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, listens to public comment during a hearing committee on HB0257 Sex-b...
KSL NewsRadio

Utah bill targeting bathroom use and gender passed by Utah House

The transgender bathroom bill bars people from gender-specific facilities in government buildings if it doesn't match a birth certificate.
3 years ago
With President Donald Trump moving to abolish the Department of Education, how will it affect Utah'...
Allessandra Harris Gurr

Talk of some political beliefs in Utah schools limited with this proposed bill

Utah Rep. Jeffrey Stenquist, R-Salt Lake, is sponsoring HB 303, which would prohibit school officials from discussing political beliefs. 
3 years ago
Sean Oliver speaks with Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden, after her anti-DEI bill passed out of a comm...
Hugo Rikard-Bell

Bill to replace DEI offices in Utah government, schools passes out of Senate

The bill moves on to the Senate. The bill has implications for Utah diversity, equity and inclusion programs, DEI, at its eight universities.
3 years ago
Gov. Spenser Cox...
Larry D. Curtis

Gov. Cox praises Utah, urges it to ‘stay weird’ in State of The State Address

Gov. Cox praised the state for a list of accomplishments, discussed some controversy and urged it to “stay weird.”
3 years ago
Rep. Candice Pierucci , who is sponsoring the school choice bill, is pictured...
Emma Keddington

Utah lawmaker wants to lower required age to run for state office

The youngest woman elected into the Utah legislature is proposing a resolution to lower the required age to run for state office.
3 years ago
Police maintain a presence after responding to false threats of shots fired at Ogden High School in...
Eric Cabrera

Utah bill targets adults and students who swat public schools

Utah's School Threat Penalty Assessments bill would elevate the offense of 'swatting' a school to a second-degree felony.
3 years ago
A gavel sits in front of a book....
Alexandrea Bonilla

Proposed bill would require public schools to display The 10 Commandments

Rep Mike Peterson's bill requires Utah public schools to display The 10 Commandments in a prominent location. 
3 years ago
voter affidavit ballot signature line...
Becky Bruce

On the first day of the Utah legislative session, talk of changes to mail-in ballots

Among the hustle and bustle of the first day of the Utah legislative session was talk about changing the deadline for mail-in ballots.
3 years ago
A car travels the Morgan-Parleys Scenic Byway between Salt Lake and Morgan counties on Sept. 23, 20...
Carter Williams

Bill to extend Utah’s scenic byway program causes stir over billboard provision

Leaders of the nonprofit Scenic Utah argue that changing an oversite committee will threaten the purpose of the scenic byway program.
3 years ago
Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden, on the House floor on Jan. 26, 2022. She points to certain postings ...
Adam Small

Lawmakers propose bill to eliminate diversity statements

Two Utah lawmakers have proposed a bill that would eliminate diversity statements from university applications.
3 years ago
senate chamber, 2024 legislative session starts today...
Adam Small

2024 legislative session kicks off in Utah

Lawmakers kick off the 2024 Legislative Session. The 45-day session will see over 400 proposed bills for lawmakers to review.
3 years ago
Utah capitol shown, 2024 legislative session kicks off tomorrow...
Sam Herrera

LISTEN: Looking ahead to Utah’s 2024 legislative session

The 2024 Legislative Session in Utah kicks off on Tuesday and there's a lot to know.
3 years ago
Gregory Krieg and Steve Contorno, CNN

Trump wins Iowa Republican caucuses

The Iowa results are just the first in what will be a monthslong effort for Trump to secure the GOP nomination a third consecutive time.
3 years ago
Aimee Cobabe

Iowa caucuses kick off amid freezing temperatures

Despite the Iowa caucuses taking place amid sub-zero temperatures, Utah GOP Chair Robert Axson is still optimistic about turnout.
3 years ago
Road rage bill Utah...
Adam Small

Utah lawmakers introduce bill targeting road rage

Utah lawmakers are proposing a bill that would impose harsher chargers on road rage drivers. If passed, the law would take effect in July.
3 years ago
Iowa Caucus...
Will Mullery and Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

2024 voting is about to begin. Do you know what a caucus is?

Iowa caucuses will help determine the Republican Party’s choice for a presidential candidate but how do they work?
3 years ago
The State Auditor has found just five viable complaints, out of thousands, related to the state’s...
Aimee Cobabe and Hugo Rikard-Bell

Proposed Utah bill mandates who can use what public bathroom

A proposed bill would require that people use public bathrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates.
3 years ago
Curt Gresseth

Can Utah afford to lose state income-tax revenue? No, but…

Could Utah afford to lose its income tax? No, so how would that lost revenue be offset?
3 years ago
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks to the media during a campaign stop at the...
By Alayna Treene, Kylie Atwood, Kit Maher, Aaron Pellish, Monica Garrett and Brandon Miller, CNN

2024 Republicans worry that subzero temperatures could scramble caucus turnout

The 2024 Republican presidential contenders are growing increasingly concerned about the dangerously frigid weather that Iowans will be confronted with when they head to the polls on caucus day.
3 years ago
The US military has launched strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of ...
Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky, Natasha Bertrand, Alex Marquardt and Jennifer Hansler, CNN

US and UK carry out airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen

The US military has launched strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, a US official told CNN.
3 years ago