Bill allowing mother-in-law apartments, with some restrictions, slips through Utah House
Proponents say short-term rentals are an effective tool to fight Utah’s affordable housing shortage
(Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo) Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful, is the sponsor of HB82, which would allow homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, sometimes known as mother-in-law apartments, as a solution to Utah s affordable housing crisis.
| Feb. 19, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
The Utah House erupted into a lengthy debate Thursday over whether the newest version of a bill freeing up homeowners to establish accessory dwelling units, also known as mother-in-law apartments, gave too much power to cities that might seek to block the housing units. Others argued the bill would not do much to fix the state’s affordable housing crunch.
Also: Utah lawmakers seek to rein in the governorâs authority during a long-term emergency.
(Scott Sommerdorf | Tribune file photo) Former presidential candidate Evan McMullin joins the Utah Politics podcast to discuss the future of the GOP and the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
  | Feb. 19, 2021, 1:04 p.m.
On this weekâs episode, weâre joined by former presidential candidate Evan McMullin to discuss the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the backlash from Sen. Mitt Romneyâs vote to convict former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial and the future of the Republican Party.
New revenue projections show Utah will have more than $1.5 billion in extra money to spend on next year's budget. Lawmakers have already spent more than $650 million on public education, and are now targeting infrastructure and tax cuts.
Some lawmakers say their constituents were angered by claims of election fraud.
(Rick Egan | Tribune file photo) Heather Jones drops her ballot at the drop-off location in Lehi, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Utah lawmakers watered down a resolution praising Utah s 2020 election results, removing references to vote-by-mail.
| Feb. 16, 2021, 11:52 p.m.
Lingering upset over the 2020 election leaked onto the Utah House floor Tuesday afternoon as Republicans watered down a resolution seeking to recognize the success of the 2020 election, removing a section praising the use of mail-in ballots in Utah.
The original version of HCR11 from Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City, touted the highest voter turnout in recent Utah election history and gave much of the credit to the use of mail-in balloting, which has been the norm in Utah for several elections.