The 12 state coalition of Republican A.G.s claims Biden overstepped his authority.
(Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes joined a coalition of Republican attorneys general in suing the Biden administration over an executive order on climate change.
| March 9, 2021, 6:49 p.m.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes is joining a coalition of 11 other states to sue President Joe Biden over an executive order that seeks to establish the “social cost” of greenhouse gases. All of the states involved have Republican attorneys general.
The order directed a group of agencies to calculate the social cost of carbon emissions, which will assist the administration in determining the pros and cons of potential regulations of greenhouse gases. The Obama administration set that cost at $50 per metric ton, while the Trump administration dropped that to just $7 per metric ton. The Biden administration says it will temporarily return to the Obama administration’s
A bill regulating how social media companies moderate content squeaked through the Utah House on Thursday. Opponents and legislative attorneys warned the legislation may be constitutional.
| Updated: 7:12 p.m.
A massive new congressional report documents social media posts from Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Both Rep. Chris Stewart and Burgess Owens authored several posts before and after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that gave credence to the lie the election results were somehow fraudulent.
On Election Day, former President Donald Trump claimed he won despite some key states being too close to determine a winner. He continued to repeat that falsehood in the weeks after the election was called for now President Joe Biden. That campaign to overturn the results culminated in a mob of Trump supporters storming the Capitol in an attempted insurrection.
| Updated: 10:35 p.m.
Afraid that “party raiding” is interfering with Republicans’ selection of nominees in primary elections, the Utah Senate gave the final legislative stamp of approval to a bill limiting when voters can change their party affiliation.
Republican senators voted 22-3 mostly along party lines Wednesday to pass HB197, which would prevent a voter from switching parties for nearly three months ahead of a primary election. If a voter decides to change party registration after March 31 of an election year, that change wouldn’t become effective until after the late June primary.
Three Democrats present voted no and two others were absent. Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, was the only member of the minority to vote for the bill.
Legislative leaders nearing agreement on transportation funding
At issue is whether Utah should borrow more than $1 billion to fund infrastructure projects.
(Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo) Utah Transit Authority riders board the FrontRunner train in Ogden on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. Last week, House leaders introduced a massive $2.26 billion proposal to fund roads, transit and other infrastructure projects.
| March 2, 2021, 1:53 a.m.
As Utah lawmakers prepare to finish the budget for next year, the biggest sticking point is whether to borrow $1.4 billion to pay for several transportation and transit projects over the next few years. But, House and Senate leaders are close to breaking their impasse on the issue.