Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group • Rob Axson, Utah GOP Chair

Utah Legislative Session

Sen. Adams kills bill passed seconds after midnight

Last-minute signature removal law passed

Utahns for Representative Government gets signatures to put repeal of Prop 4 on the ballot

The petition to repeal Utah Proposition 4 ended up with nearly 166,000 verified signatures.

Signature removal deadline: April 23

Utah Congressional Races Shaping up

Utah CD1

Race shifting to the left.

A public town hall was held for the eight Democratic candidates running for Congress in Utah’s 1st District. Ben McAdams did not participate.

Utah CD2

Blake Moore, the 5th-ranked House Republican, is facing a primary challenge.

Karianne Lisonbee is serving her fourth term representing District 14. Before her election to the legislature, she served on the Syracuse City Council.

Utah CD3

Celeste Maloy, who won a hard-fought battle in the caucus convention, will face a challenger in Phil Lyman, who previously announced he would run for governor.

Utah CD4

Mike Kennedy has filed to run for re-election and already has two Republican primary challengers in the race.

Key Political Dates

• Caucus Night: Tuesday, March 17
• Utah Conventions: April 25

National Issues

What Americans think about the war in Iran, and whether it could affect the midterms.

Partial government shutdown continues nearly a month in, with Utah TSA workers going without pay.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

• Host Heidi Hatch
• Guests: Maura Carabello, John Dougall

State of the Union Hit or miss

• Senator Mike Lee’s SAVE America Act received a standing ovation.
• Congressman Blake Moore recognized in the third row (no name) for naming Trump accounts.
• Some Democrats held an alternate event outside in animal costumes.
• Democratic leadership had Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger deliver the rebuttal, focusing on affordability.

Proposition 4 Signature Verification

• Utah GOP has surpassed the statewide number needed to repeal Prop 4: 157,898 verified signatures.
• Congressman Blake Moore urges voters to let the process play out and stop attempting to remove signatures:

“As a former co-chair of Better Boundaries, I encourage them and all parties to stop trying to undo the petition to reconsider Proposition 4 by attempting to remove signatures.”

• Federal District Court and Utah Supreme Court dismiss redistricting lawsuits; GOP options limited unless they appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Utah Legislature Updates

• Bills Introduced: 1,019
• S.B. 308 – Judicial District Amendments: Will not move forward this session. Sen. Todd Weiler cited feedback from the Utah State Bar and legal community.
• HB88 – Immigrant Services Funding: Debate halted by Rep. Karen Peterson; bill sponsor Rep. Trevor Lee framed as protecting taxpayer money.
• Prediction Markets: Legislature advances ban on proposition betting; Attorney General warns online betting blurs legal lines.
• HB 423 – DUI and Hit-and-Run Amendments: Passed House committee and floor unanimously; Senate committee passed unanimously; now headed to full Senate vote. Closes gap where fleeing after seriously injuring/killing someone is only a third-degree felony.
• Secretary of State Proposal: House committee advances plan to amend Utah Constitution so Utahns elect a secretary of state in 2028 instead of the Lt. Governor overseeing elections.

Federal Election News

• U.S. Department of Justice sued Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey for failing to provide full voter rolls. Nationwide total now 29 states + D.C.
• AG Pam Bondi: “Accurate, well-maintained voter rolls are a requisite for the election integrity that the American people deserve.”
• Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson:

“Neither state nor federal law entitles the Department of Justice to collect private information on law-abiding American citizens… we will always follow the Constitution and the law.”

• Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King:

“This lawsuit is a blatant overreach and a threat to both Utah voters and our election process… it’s about control and interfering with the midterm election.”

Congressional Votes & SAVE Act

• Four Republican senators, including Sen. John Curtis, opposed ending the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act. Curtis warned he wouldn’t support tabling Democratic amendments if it meant “changing the Senate’s rules.”

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

• Sen. Mike Lee seeks to roll back Biden-era regulations, potentially expanding land use for grazing, mining, and other development.
• GAO opinion supports congressional review of the BLM plan; Rep. Celeste Maloy requested the review last year.
• Congress would have 60 legislative days to reject the rule; a simple majority vote would revert management to 2020 Trump-era rules.
• Supporters frame it as Congress reclaiming lawmaking authority from agencies rather than a state land control issue.

No podcast next Friday, but join us March 12th with Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson after the state verification process ends for the Prop 4 repeal effort

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Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group & John Dougall, Former State Auditor

Judge’s Ruling in Redistricting cases

Federal District Court

Utah Supreme Court

UFRG and Utah GOP surpass expectations, turn in 200K + signatures

Current verified signatures 117,114

HB 575, Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments, Rep. Cal Roberts, R-Salt Lake

New Gas Tax bill reduces rate by 6 cents a gallon, a 15.8% savings – well below below original 20 Cents a gallon

Presser expected Monday: State Leaders to Announce Major Oil and Gas Supply, Water, and Refining Agreements

HB 587, Income Tax Amendments, Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Salt Lake

The bill reduces both the corporate and individual income tax rates from 4.5% to 4.45%.

Immigration HB 88, Public Assistance Amendments, Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Davis

Would prohibit undocumented immigrants from accessing state- and local-funded programs: nonemergency medical health care, local- or state-administered health care or health insurance, housing assistance, food assistance, cash benefits, tuition assistance.

The bill also allows the public to sue state employees who intentionally ignore the law's requirement to present proof of lawful status to access certain services.

HB 294, Employer Verification Amendments, Rep Tiara Auxier, R-Morgan

Would require companies with 100 or more workers to use E-Verify (or similar programs) when hiring employees.

Current law applies to companies with 150 or more workers.

US conducts first air transport of nuclear microreactor in bid to show technology's viability

Arrived at Hill Air Force Base via three Air Force C-17s, then transported to Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County.

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Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; Curt Bramble, former Utah state senator

Happy Valentine’s Day. We’re halfway through the session, it’s Presidents' Day weekend, and it’s the anniversary of Utah women’s right to vote.

U.S. House approves the SAVE America Act as GOP makes election bill push

Utah Reps. Kennedy, Moore, Maloy, and Owens all voted in favor.

Sen. Mike Lee has 49 votes so far in the Senate.

UTAH LEGISLATURE

Utah lawmaker proposes HB 392, Unlicensed Driver Amendments, heads to the Senate.

As described by HB 136 sponsor Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, the bill is aimed at addressing the rising number of crashes caused by unlicensed drivers.

Utah wants to remove marriage tax penalties.

New bill would limit tax credits for unmarried individuals in an attempt to incentivize marriage.

Tax penalties present an obstacle to married households, which threatens the best foundation for kids to have good life outcomes, according to Rep. Melissa Ballard, R-North Salt Lake.

Should Utah third graders struggling with reading be held back a year?

‘Constitutional court’ three-judge panel bill takes on new amendments.

Utah’s digital ID program, “digital bill of rights,” could lead the nation in privacy framework.

Utah forces Chinese company to sell motorsports park in Tooele County.

SIGNATURE GATHERING WINS AND LOSSES

• Ben McAdams says he is the first to get the needed 7,000 signatures to make it on the ballot.

• Prop 4 repeal signature gathering in 11th hour. Signatures must be turned in by Sunday, Feb. 15.

• Salt Lake County tax referendum fails.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests:

• Maura Carabello, Exoro Group
• Rob Axson, Utah GOP Chair

NEW FEDERAL REDISTRICTING LAWSUIT

A new federal lawsuit has been filed by Congressmen Burgess Owens and Celeste Maloy, along with other elected officials, challenging Utah’s redistricting process.

“Today we took action. I, along with elected officials throughout our state, filed a federal lawsuit to defend the constitutional process by which Utah chooses its representatives. We can’t just sit idly by as our representative government is weakened. This lawsuit exists to restore proper constitutional balance.”

— Rep. Celeste Maloy

More information on the case: Powers-Gardner v. Henderson

Related developments with the lawsuit filed with the Utah Supreme Court:

• Utah Legislature asks the Utah Supreme Court to stay the redistricting ruling
• Utah County Clerk requests to join the case

PROP 4 REPEAL: FINAL DAYS

9 days remain in the Proposition 4 repeal signature-gathering effort, which officially ends Sunday, February 15.

• Signatures currently verified and submitted to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office: 52%
• Is a large final submission still coming? Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson offers insight
• Growing controversy surrounding the effort, including accusations of assaults on signature gatherers and complaints from voters who say they did not understand what they were signing

SIGNATURE GATHERING CONTROVERSY

Better Boundaries announces a targeted signature removal campaign following reports of deceptive signature-gathering practices related to the repeal of Utah’s anti-gerrymandering law.

• Better Boundaries says voters were misled by signature gatherers- our Take 2 guests argue this isn’t really an argument
• Utah County Attorney confirms a criminal investigation into potential signature-gathering fraud
• Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson flagged approximately 300 signatures

SAVE AMERICA ACT

The U.S. House is expected to vote next week on Sen. Mike Lee’s SAVE America Act, introduced with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas).

• The bill would require proof of citizenship to vote
• Measures include photo ID requirements and documentation compliant with REAL ID standards

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Guests: Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz; Maura Carabello, Exoro Group

Tax Cuts & Budget Cuts

Utah lawmakers advanced SB60, the proposed cut would reduce tax rates from 4.5% to 4.45%

Opponents argue that the reduction could be better allocated amid a projected $300 million revenue loss

Utah Majority

Family-focused legislation

The House Majority Caucus has made cost-of-living and strong families a priority for this session

Utah Gas Prices

Currently, Utah has a $0.385 tax rate per gallon for motor fuel sold at gas pumps in the state, but has an exemption for fuel exported out of state.

A draft bill is still in the works that would reassess the state’s gas tax structure

Refineries produce up to 220,000 barrels a day, but about 75,000 of those are shipped out of state to meet demand elsewhere in the West, pushing our prices higher here at home.

As of late January 2026, Utah's average gas prices for regular unleaded are around $2.68 per gallon 

Idaho Legislature is fighting Mad over Utah Legislations

Idaho House speaker calls Utah House Speaker's plan “Bull manure”, and Speaker Schultz had some choice words in return https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/HJM012.pdf

Sentencing Commission

The Speaker is sponsoring HB 274 to reconfigure the sentencing commission.

HB274, sponsored by House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, would change the makeup of the Utah Sentencing Commission by removing all defense lawyers from the commission and replacing them with more members from law enforcement. The Bar said it “strongly” opposes the bill because it “politicizes” the commission by restructuring it in a way that “favors law enforcement and partisan viewpoints.” https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0274.html

Utah won a $30 million bid for US Magnesium’s land, water rights, and mining agreements on Tuesday as part of a wider strategy to refill the shrinking Great Salt Lake

Utah purchased US Magnesium’s land, water rights, and mining agreements for $30 million to help

US Magnesium filed for bankruptcy in 2025, halting magnesium production.

Gov. Spencer Cox and Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Ferry say the move is critical for long-term lake health and air quality

Where is Utah’s Appeal to the Supreme Court on Redistricting?

Signature-gathering status: Will they need a miracle to get to the magic number by Feb. 14?

When it comes to redistricting, most Utah voters do not believe the state legislature should be solely responsible for the district boundaries because it favors the party in power

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; Nic Dunn, Sutherland Institute

Governor Spencer Cox — State of the State

Polling: Deseret News / Hinckley Institute

• One-third of Utah voters say affordable housing should be the Legislature’s top priority.
• Housing ranked twice as high as any other issue across all partisan and age groups.
• Utah Legislature's approval rating sits at 47% overall

Possible ICE Detention Center in Salt Lake County

• West-side Salt Lake City warehouse rumored as potential site
• Local city and county leaders appeared caught off guard, despite ICE’s two-year search for detention space statewide

Legislative Session Updates

• Utah Senate votes to expand the Utah Supreme Court from five to seven justices
• Sen. Nate Blouin’s ICE opt-out bill declared dead on arrival, killed in committee
• Bills to watch heading into Friday’s legislative deadline

BLM Approves Updated Northern Corridor Highway Plan

• Federal approval clears the way after years of debate and environmental review

Senator Mike Lee's Social Media Post Makes Headlines

• Reaction and political fallout discussed

Prop. 4 Repeal Effort

• Scott Presler returns to Utah for a second weekend of signature gathering to repeal Proposition 4

Coming Up Next Week

• Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz joins Take 2 Podcast

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Host: Heidi Hatch

Guests: State Sen. Jen Plumb, MD, State Rep. Ryan Wilcox

• MLK Day of Service highlights as the Utah legislative session begins
• Lawmakers kick off the session with a blood drive
• Minnesota facing growing tension amid an ICE surge
• Sen. Nate Blouin introduces a bill to block ICE from entering churches and hospitals and to ban agents from wearing masks
• Utah ICE detention center has been in planning for nearly two years, dating back to the Biden administration
• Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” and tightening budgets loom over legislative sessions across the West, reporting from Brigham Tomco
• Utah State School Board asked to cut $300 million, about 5% of its budget
• Bill filed to expand Utah Supreme Court justices from five to seven
• U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on state bans of transgender athletes in girls’ sports
• Conservative organizer Scott Presler in Utah gathering signatures to repeal Proposition 4

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Host: Heidi Hatch

Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; John Dougall, Former State Auditor

Happy New Year and America’s 250th anniversary year.

8 people shot, 2 killed outside LDS church in Salt Lake City neighborhood

Nationwide protests after fatal ICE agent shooting in Minneapolis

Newly elected municipal leaders sworn in

Utah Political Updates

Filing deadlines and races

• The filing deadline has come and gone.
• Rob Bishop is running for a seat after Utah Rep. Matthew Gwynn announced he will not seek re-election.
• Former Provo Mayor Kaufusi is running for county commission.
• GOP Rep. Trevor Lee faces a challenge from Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson in House District 16.
• Three Republican candidates have filed to challenge Utah Senate President Stuart Adams in Senate District 7.
• Sen. Dan McCay announced his re-election bid while Rep. Doug Fiefia filed to challenge him.
• Sen. Nate Blouin is running for Congress. Four Democrats have filed: Richard T. Whitney, Silvia Caten, Evan Done and Taylor J. Paden, with Colin Smith also in the mix.
• County clerk challenge in Utah County: incumbent Aaron Davidson vs. newcomer Corey Astille.

Legal & Legislative

• The Utah Legislature filed a notice to appeal Utah’s redistricting case with the Utah Supreme Court, seeking to keep the old maps in place.
• Congressional filing deadline is March. Another Democrat joined the congressional race, bringing the total to 10 listed on Ballotpedia, with Liban Mohamed as number 10.
• A state school board member announced she won’t seek re-election, citing what she called a “corrupt” system.
• GOP priorities for the legislative session include a bill to ban cell phone use in schools from bell to bell.

National & International

• ICE fatal shooting in Minnesota has led to nationwide protests, including in Salt Lake City.
• Nicolas Maduro captured (mention/source not verified in these notes — check if needed).
• Iran protests and internet shutdown.
• Trump administration weighing payments to Greenlanders to encourage closer ties with the U.S.
• Trump said his global power was limited only by his ‘own morality.’

New York Times interview: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/briefing/trump-interview-oval-office-apple-ceo.html?smid=url-share

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GUESTS: Maura Carabello Exoro Group, Rep Ryan Wilcox

Prop 4 is moving closer to the ballot as organizers report tens of thousands of signatures submitted to county clerks, even as another major policy fight begins to take shape. A newly filed effort to challenge Salt Lake County’s tax increase is now racing against a tight signature-gathering deadline, adding urgency to an already crowded political landscape. At the same time, unresolved court questions surrounding Prop 4 are keeping key decisions in limbo.

Did you catch the Variety White House Expose?

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1?srsltid=AfmBOopKq4pM-ka2qo47Cc-_KgQd8ZemDcDLj8JIfkSPGgD6Yg2yglP7

Salt Lake County Tax Referendum

Goud Maragani and others applied for the referendum on Monday, which if approved by clerk's office, gives them a chance to put the increase on next year's ballot.

They would need to get about 45,000 handwritten signatures in 45 days. They are using volunteers.

Prop 4 Signature Gathering

Rob Axson Utah GOP Chair reports an estimated 75k valid signatures gathered – first signatures turned in a week ago to county clerks.

Few Hundred paid gatherers- majority local Utah hires

Latest on Prop 4 Case appeal

In new court filings, the legislature is asking Third District Judge Dianna Gibson to issue a final judgment in the case so they can appeal it to the Utah Supreme Court, which the plaintiffs and Gibson say she can’t do yet because of unresolved claims.

3 Governors Take the Stage together

3 Utah governors say the country ‘desperately needs more of Utah’ ... in the White House?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/3-utah-governors-country-desperately-030000599.html

Bridger Bolinder

A leader in Utah’s House Republican caucus says he will not seek reelection next year, citing other commitments and responsibilities that require his attention.

House Majority Assistant Whip Bridger Bolinder, R-Grantsville, announced the decision this week. Bolinder was elected by his House colleagues to a leadership role over the summer, becoming one of the newest GOP leaders on Capitol Hill.

“Serving in the Utah House of Representatives has truly been the honor of a lifetime,” Bolinder said in a post on Instagram. “Representing the people of Tooele, Juab and Millard counties has meant more to me than I can put into words.”

Political and Religious Violence

Brown University Shooting/MIT Professor Shooting – person of interest found dead Salem New Hampshire

2 Students killed, 9 critically injured

MIT professor shot and killed at home

Bondi Beach Shooting

On Dec. 14, a mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach killed 15 people, including a child, and injured dozens. Australian authorities said two gunmen linked to the Islamic State opened fire on a crowd of about 1,000 people, with police killing one suspect and arresting the other, who was critically injured. Police later removed two homemade bombs from a car connected to the attackers.

Trump Gave himself a year in review in primetime address.

Border closed

Peaced Deal Gaza/Israel

Economy is awesome (Many would debate this)

Utah Year in Review Charlie Kirk shooting and Utah Congressional Maps biggest stories of the year

New Year New Documentary: Melania 

Exclusively in theaters Jan 30

https://x.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/2001266577077837917?s=20

“Hi, Mr. President, congratulations,” Melania Trump says on the phone, speaking from a golden bathroom in the first trailer for “Melania,” Amazon MGM Studio‘s upcoming documentary about the First Lady.

“Did you watch it?” Donald Trump asks on the other end of the call.

“I did not, I will see it on the news,” she replies.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; Nic Dunn, VP of Strategy, Sutherland Institute

Salt Lake County Approves Property Tax Increase

The Salt Lake County Council voted Tuesday night to approve a property tax increase of around 14%, lower than the originally proposed increase of nearly 20%.

Special Session: Gov. Cox Signs 3 Bills

• Repeals the new law that stripped power from public labor unions
• Changes the filing deadlines for Utah’s 2026 congressional races
• Clarifies the exclusive and original appellate jurisdiction of the Utah Supreme Court

Legislative Audits: District Attorney, Police and Criminal Justice System

• Salt Lake County District Attorney Audit
• Salt Lake City Police Department Audit

Welfare Reform

• Nic Dunn returns from meetings in Washington, D.C.
• Work disincentives built into the current system
• Utah as a national leader due to:

Health Care: Dueling Senate Bills Fail

As the deadline approaches for expiring enhanced ACA subsidies, the Senate rejected:

University of Utah Athletics: Private Equity Deal

• University of Utah unveils plan for a private equity partnership
• Otro Capital would become a minority owner in Utah Brands & Entertainment
• NCAA President warns schools to use caution with new forms of athletic equity financing

Public Lands Group Files Lawsuit Over New National Parks Pass Featuring Former President Donald Trump

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Signatures gathered- Rob Axson Utah GOP Chair reports healthy pace (tens of thousands) and growing momentum. None turned in yet.

           Utah GOP filed for a stay, no ruling yet

Sutherland Institute Survey: Utah voters think elected officials, not judges, should choose congressional maps

https://sutherlandinstitute.org/utah-redisticting-survey/

Do voters agree or disagree with the court-driven process produced by proponents of Proposition 4? Sutherland Institute recently commissioned Y2 Analytics to conduct a survey of Utah voters to investigate this question.

By a 63-point margin, Utah voters believe that the policymakers they elect should be making redistricting decisions over judges. A full 71% of Utah voters say that an elected body or elected official at the state or county levels ought to have primary responsibility to decide congressional maps, compared to 8% who say judges should be primarily responsible. A plurality of Utah voters say that a body elected by the people (e.g., the Utah Legislature or county council) should be making redistricting decisions, while 21% of voters say it should be a state-level elected official (e.g., the governor), and 15% say it should be a county-level elected official (e,g., a county mayor).

5 Democratic Candidates in the D1 2025 Race

• State Sen. Nate Blouin announced his candidacy Nov. 24- now backed by Bernie
• Newcomer Luis Villarreal entered the race
• 1st in Sen. Kathleen Riebe
• Former congressman Ben McAdams
• Former state Sen. Derek Kitchen.

REP. VERONA MAUGA looking to pass gun law change in upcoming session after shooting of Afa Ah Loo at No Kings Protest

• Drafting bill to keep long guns off the streets during protests
• Manslaughter charges filed this week against the “peace keeper”

Cox proposes $30.7B budget with funding for homeless campus, child tax credits

• Gov. Spencer Cox proposes a $30.7 billion budget prioritizing literacy, a homeless campus and child tax credits.
• The budget includes $20 million for reading support and $25 million for a homeless campus in Salt Lake City.
• Cox's proposal also allocates funds for school safety, technical colleges and outdoor recreation.
• fund a literacy public awareness campaign and invest tens of millions in "paraprofessionals" to help teachers give an extra hand to young students who are falling behind. That would include $20 million for reading support in elementary schools that fall below the statewide proficiency benchmark of 70% of third graders reading at grade level.
•  

How the Trump administration could make or break Utah Gov. Cox’s budget priorities

• Trump tax bill leads to projected $300 million decrease in state income tax revenue.
• Gov. Cox prioritizes $25 million in budget to finish construction of homeless campus.
• Cox not proposing income tax cuts like the ones he supported for five years in a row.

https://governor.utah.gov/press/gov-cox-releases-fy-2027-budget-proposal-focused-on-responsible-fiscal-management-strong-families-and-long-term-prosperity/

Rep. Blake Moore joins Pres. Trump to celebrate Michael and Susan Dell’s $6.25B investment in Trump Accounts

Congressman Blake Moore joined President Trump at the White House to celebrate Michael and Susan Dell’s monumental $6.25 billion investment in Trump Accounts for children. Congressman Moore introduced legislation in the House to establish these investment accounts, which was passed and signed into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4th, 2025.

U.S. pauses immigration applications from 19 countries after two National Guard members shot in DC

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• Speaker Mike Schultz on redistricting ruling

Says Judge Gibson’s late decision blocked any chance for an emergency appeal; calls timing “wrong” and says it cut the Legislature out of the court process.

• Rep. Burgess Owens letter

Accuses judge of overstepping and “imposing an outcome never chosen by the people.”

• Redistricting history with Curt Bramble

Utah missed a fourth seat by 856 people after the 2000 Census; Bramble helped draw the first four-district map.

• New map creates a safe blue district

Republicans now competing for three GOP seats; questions around whether 74-year-old Owens will retire.

• Candidates for Utah’s new Democratic district

Derek Kitchen joins Ben McAdams and Kathleen Riebe.

Others considering: Caroline Gleich, Kael Weston, Nate Blouin.

• Trump backs release of Epstein files

Bill requires AG to release unclassified DOJ records within 30 days, including names of officials and entities tied to Epstein.

• Utah birthrate continues to fall

Most counties still above replacement level, but two-thirds saw declines; shifts peak childbearing to ages 25–29.

• Juvenile aggravated murder bill

Would allow judges to send offenders convicted as adults directly to prison instead of secure care.

• Brigham City nuclear project

$750M investment under Gov. Cox’s “Operation Gigawatt,” creating Utah’s first full-scale nuclear ecosystem.

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Late-Night Ruling, Utah’s New Blue District, and the End of the Shutdown

Guests: Rob Axson, Utah GOP Chair | Rep. Doug Owens

• New Maps: Judge Gibson throws out Map C and approves Map 1 — minutes before the deadline.
• Blue District: New 1st District leans D+14, putting a GOP-held seat in play.
• Appeal Uncertain: Cox supports appealing, but none filed yet.
• Prop 4 Fight: GOP ballot initiative to repeal the independent redistricting law underway UFRG.org
• Who Draws the Lines? Debate over legislative authority vs. judicial oversight.
• Democrats Jump In: McAdams running; Riebe challenging; Blouin a possible contender.
• Impeachment Talk: Rep. MacPherson drafting a bill to impeach the judge.
• Shutdown Ends: Trump signs funding bill; agencies reopen; ACA tax credits could spark the next battle.

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Heidi Hatch with South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey & Exoro Group’s Maura Carabello

Utah Primaries

• Turnout: 30% statewide (Piute 63%, Salt Lake 23%)
• Tight mayoral races across the Wasatch Front
• Utah County incumbents trailing Provo Mayor concedes
• Cottonwood Heights: Mike Weichers concedes to Gay Lynn Bennion (57%-42%)
• Salt Lake City Council unchanged
• Southern Utah new Mayors

Government Shutdown

• FAA cutting flights 10%, Salt Lake Intl. among 40 airports hit
• Judge orders Trump to fund SNAP; Utah missed first payments Nov. 6
• Utah Senate Democrats push to cover SNAP benefits

Politics & Redistricting

• Utah’s new congressional map expected next week
• Ben McAdams likely to announce run after approval
• Utah GOP holding hearings on redistricting repeal (Nov. 3 & 10)

Davis County Taxes

• Property tax hike trimmed from 30% to 15%

Salt Lake County Council

• GOP members vote to cut childcare at rec centers and senior center to cut budget

 National Election 2025

• Democrats sweep key races in NY, VA, NJ
• Moderates win VA & NJ governorships
• Socialist Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayor race over Andrew Cuomo
• California voters approve Prop 50, allowing new redistricting
• Young voters, women key blocks heading into 2026 midterms

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Before the interview, Curtis voted for the 12th time to reopen the government with a continuing resolution that failed 54-46, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Three Democrats voted with Republicans, but no additional Democrats crossed the aisle.

At 22 days, the shutdown is now the second-longest funding lapse in modern history, surpassed only by the 35-day shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019.

Curtis said a short-term continuing resolution may be necessary to get the government reopened, but it’s not a long-term solution.

“It doesn’t make sense to keep the government closed when the very people we’re trying to help with high premiums are also the ones losing SNAP benefits,” he said.

He noted that since 1974, Congress has only passed a budget on time four times, often relying on continuing resolutions or shutdowns that end in massive omnibus spending bills. Curtis is pushing a new approach modeled after Utah’s baseline budget system, where prior-year funding automatically carries over until new appropriations are passed.

“Instead of a shutdown, an omnibus, or a CR, we’d simply stay on the previous appropriation,” he said, calling it a plan that promotes fiscal responsibility.

Still, Curtis said Washington has grown accustomed to crisis politics.

“Both Republicans and Democrats are part of the problem,” he said. “It’s a fair accusation.”

While he said he understands the frustration of families facing higher health premiums, Curtis believes tying those costs to shutdown negotiations is inappropriate.

On federal subsidies, he added, “People like free things once we give them free things. It’s near impossible to undo that. Do people at 400% of poverty really need zero premium? Maybe they need some help, but certainly not zero premium — and yet, how do you take that back?”

As the Senate remains gridlocked and the House out of session, Curtis warned the shutdown could last “a long time” unless public pressure builds. He outlined potential off-ramps and pointed to his own proposals — such as a baseline budget bill and an automatic spending cut plan — as ways to prevent future shutdowns.

Hatch also asked Curtis about rising beef prices and President Trump’s plan to import beef from Argentina, pressing whether the move could help or hurt Utah ranchers.

Curtis also discusses his new bill on forest fire mitigation, the East Wing Ballroom renovation, energy prices, and the future of energy in Utah.

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Host: Heidi Hatch

Guests: Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz and Rep. Doug Owens

Episode Rundown:

• Holy War Weekend: BYU and Utah face off again, but let’s keep the rivalry friendly — not a real war.
• Politics and Polarization: Noble Analytics polling shows rising concern about political violence. Is that tension spilling over into sports and daily life?
• Prop 4 Battle: The Utah GOP moves to overturn the voter-approved independent redistricting measure, reigniting debate over fair maps and political power.
• Judicial Appointments: The public comment period opens for Utah’s newest judicial nominee.
• Government Shutdown: The standoff drags on in Washington as healthcare subsidies remain the sticking point.
• Middle East Update: President Trump returns from a historic peace deal signing in Israel.
• Utah Legislature: Lawmakers discuss new funding for career and technical education programs.
• Gas Prices: A proposed tax exemption change could save Utah drivers 10 to 20 cents a gallon.

🎧 Stream the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hosts: Heidi Hatch

Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; Trent Staggs, Riverton Mayor and Small Business Administrator

_____

ISRAEL–HAMAS PEACE DEAL MOVES FORWARD

President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a peace framework that would allow for the swift release of all hostages.

Still missing from the plan are key details on Hamas’s disarmament and who will govern Gaza once the deal moves ahead. Those issues are expected to be part of later negotiations.

_____

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN – DAY 9

The federal government shutdown has entered its ninth day, with Affordable Care Act subsidies still a sticking point for Democrats.

Republicans have centered their messaging around health care for migrants, pushing for limits on taxpayer-funded benefits.

In Utah, undocumented migrants can access emergency medical care, and some coverage is available for children.

_____

NEW NUMBERS – UTAH RANKS 3RD IN MIGRANT ARRIVALS

Salt Lake City is now one of the nation’s fastest-growing destinations for migrants, according to new data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Between May 2023 and January 2025, nearly 2.5 million migrants who entered the U.S. — either illegally or through legal protection under the CBP One app — reported where they planned to live.

Miami led with 2,191 arrivals per 100,000 residents, followed by Fort Myers, Florida, at 1,782. Salt Lake City ranked third with 1,685, just ahead of Denver and New York.

AP Source

_____

NEW ICE DIRECTOR – AGREEMENTS WITH UTAH CITIES AND COUNTIES

The new ICE director is expanding partnerships with Utah law enforcement under three models:

• Task Force Model – Local officers working directly with federal agents.
• Jail Enforcement Model – ICE cooperation within county jails.
• Warrant Service Officer Model – Deputized officers allowed to serve immigration-related warrants.

_____

UTAH SPECIAL SESSION

Lawmakers passed and the governor signed Map C, the new congressional redistricting plan. The map now heads to a judge for approval.

With the new boundaries, Utah could see as many as two competitive races in the 2026 election cycle.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Note: Scott Howell joined late after being held up in a meeting at the State Capitol.

Topics This Week:

• The death of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson, with President Dallin H. Oaks next in line. Will a change in leadership shape Utah policy, and has it in the past?
• The church responds to injuries and a death following a shooting and fire at the Grand Blanc meetinghouse.
• Turning Point USA continues its campus tour with a stop at Utah State University, just three weeks after the death of Charlie Kirk.
• Day two of the government shutdown, including discussion around the Department of Defense and war meetings.
• Utah redistricting maps gain backing from both parties.
• Sen. Dan McCay says he will not run for re-election if his wife wins the Riverton mayoral race.

Opinions Featured:

• Free speech belongs to all Americans — not just to Charlie Kirk by Scott Howell
• Read here
• Lessons from Middle Earth — the danger of unchecked power by John Dougal
• Read here

Coming Up:

• Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs joins next week
• Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz on Oct. 16

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Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025

Guests: Heidi Hatch, Maura Carabello (Exoro Group), Sen. Daniel McCay

Redistricting New Maps

• Public comment period runs for 10 days, through Oct. 5
• Feedback can be submitted at redistricting.utah.gov
• Special session scheduled for Oct. 6 to vote on the new map
• Final maps will be submitted to the courts for approval

Great Salt Lake Water Woes

• Gov. Spencer Cox launches GSL 2034, a public-private charter urging all Utahns to help restore the lake
• Comes with a $200 million pledge, half already committed by Ducks Unlimited over 10 years
• New philanthropic coalition Great Salt Lake Rising aims to raise an additional $100 million within a year, led by Josh Romney
• Cox wants lake elevation back to 4,198 feet by the 2034 Winter Olympics (currently at 4,191 feet)

Charlie Kirk Monument at UVU

• Petition supporting memorial: 20,000 signatures
• Petition opposing memorial: 13,000 signatures
• UVU announced creation of a Memorial Committee, co-chaired by Scott M. Smith (UVU Board of Trustees, Qualtrics co-founder) and Amanda Covington (Utah Board of Higher Education chair)
• Committee will include students, political leaders, and other stakeholders

USU Turning Point Event – Tuesday, Sept. 30

• Featured guests: Gov. Spencer Cox, Sen. Mike Lee, Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz
• Some surprise at Cox’s participation after past criticism from Charlie Kirk in 2022
• Still unclear if the format will be a panel or Q&A

Sutherland Institute Transition

• Rick Larsen to step down as CEO on Jan. 1, 2026, and become president emeritus

One Week Out from Possible Government Shutdown

• Federal government faces shutdown if Congress fails to pass spending bill by Oct. 1
• Republicans and Democrats remain divided, particularly over extending enhanced ACA premium subsidies

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On this week’s Take 2 Podcast, we look at the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem. Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson, a friend of Kirk, and Maura Carabello of the Exoro Group join the discussion on the political and emotional fallout one week later.

Topics this week:

Charlie Kirk assassination at UVU

• George Zinn, known in political circles, diverted police attention and was arrested on child pornography charges
• 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the accused shooter, faces the death penalty
• Utah released Robinson’s mugshot despite state law prohibiting it
• A Pennsylvania man was arrested in Utah after posting an online threat against UVU
• Debate over university security and whether DPS or local law enforcement should step in
• Businesses and universities firing employees over online comments after the assassination

Utah’s special session pushed back to Oct. 6

Utah Legislature releases list of lawmakers who will oversee redistricting

Two weeks until Congress faces its budget deadline

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September 4, 2025

Hosts: Heidi Hatch

Guests: Maura Carabello (Exoro Group), Liddy Huntsman (Salt Lake City Council Candidate, District 3)

Episode Rundown:

• New 1,300-bed homeless services campus
• Opening in 2027 on a 16-acre parcel at 2520 North and 2200 West off I-215 in Salt Lake City
• Room to expand to 40 acres for a 50–100 year plan
• Core services: recovery, employment, housing and criminal justice assistance
• Annual operations expected to cost more than $30 million
• $75 million needed for infrastructure, excluding land purchase
•  
• Homelessness in Utah up 18%
• Children experiencing homelessness increased 12% (589 to 662)
• Seniors rose 42% (251 to 356)
• Veterans increased 36% (121 to 165)
• More than 10,000 Utahns experienced homelessness for the first time in 2024, a 5% rise
• Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall called the report a “battle cry” for the Legislature to provide more funding
•  
• Redistricting and the 2026 midterms
• Judge Dianna Gibson ruled current congressional maps unconstitutional and denied lawmakers’ request to pause her order
• Ruling restores the intent of Proposition 4, the independent redistricting commission voters approved in 2018
• Utah Republican Party Chairman Robert Axson called the decision “judicial activism”

• Congress back in session
• Epstein victims pressed lawmakers to release the full Justice Department investigation files
• Looming Sept. 30 deadline for government funding raises threat of a shutdown
• A stopgap bill is likely, but Republicans need Democratic votes and Democrats are expected to push for concessions

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Guests: Maura Carabello Exoro Group and John Dougal Former State Auditor

Utah’s Death Penalty Front and Center:

• Friday – Accused Tremonton Shooter makes 1st court appearance with face death penalty after shooting and killing 2 Tremonton Officers
• Utah Supreme Court heard last Ralph Menzies Appeal – Menzies is scheduled to die September 5th just after midnight
• Firing Squad Execution after 38 years of appeals -Sentenced to die by firing squad for the 1986 kidnapping and murder of 26-year-old Maurine Hunsaker
• Should Utah keep the death penalty when cases drag on for decades

Texas House approves new GOP congressional maps after 2-week delay

• This comes after Utah Dems Join Texas Dems protesting redistricting at Legislative conference

https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-democrats-join-texas-lawmakers-in-redistricting-protest

• Utah awaits state Court ruling on Utah redistricting fight

Newsom Signs California Redistricting Plan to Counter Texas Republicans

• Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic state lawmakers moved quickly to create new districts that could help their party flip five congressional seats. Their plan still requires voter approval. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/california-newsom-redistricting-texas.html

Calls for Utah Senate President to Resign for personal influence over sexual assault bill passed in 2024

                Calls for change, but what change

               Should legislators disclose or not to disclose reason for backing and running bills

https://kutv.com/news/politics/governor-spencer-cox-defends-senate-president-adams-amid-calls-for-resignation#

Trump to Sign Mail-in Ballots Executive Order

• Mike Lee backs the idea “As President Trump has made clear, it’s time to end mail-in voting Utah should lead the way on this Other states will follow” https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1957913877494288666

Utah Primary Municipal Election

• HB300 unintended consequences signatures and ID digits

 DC is now under Federal control for policing

• John Curtis –“Sadly, during my time in office, I’ve seen growing violence and a troubling decline in public safety for both my staff and visitors. I’m hopeful that new measures will help restore safety, respect, and accountability — building a community where families can thrive and everyone can walk its streets without fear.”

Utah Sheriff’s concerned about ICE luring away their deputies with big bonuses

• Sheriffs across the State of Utah are concerned about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)'s latest recruitment tactic of sending letters to deputies and others who have trained with ICE under local agreements—seemingly trying to poach local law enforcement.
• Kane County Sheriff Tracy Glover, the president of the Utah Sheriffs Association, said ICE is trying to convince deputies to work for the agency using signing bonuses and other incentives.
• After multiple departments entered into agreements with ICE to work more closely together under the 287(G) program, deputies began receiving recruitment letters in their inboxes, something local departments did not appreciate. https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-sheriffs-criticize-ice-for-classless-recruitment-of-local-deputies

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello (Exoro Group)

Greg Hughes (KNRS, former House Speaker)

Israel Strikes Iran

• Israeli military launches targeted strike on Iranian facilities.
• U.S. not involved but on alert for retaliation.

Judge: Trump Acted Illegally

• Court rules Trump’s National Guard deployment to LA was unconstitutional.
• National Guard Troop control must return to Gov. Newsom.
• Newsom: “Democracy is next.”

Protests in Utah

• Anti-ICE protest happening now in Salt Lake City.
• Statewide rallies expected for “No Kings Day” on Saturday.
• Gov. Cox, Mayor Mendenhall warn against violence but support peaceful protest.
• Flashback: 2020 protest fallout resurfaces—Sim Gill questioned SLC’s lack of police response in 2020.

SLC Council Race Heats Up

• Liddy Huntsman, daughter of former Gov. Jon Huntsman, joins the race.

AI Moratorium Fight

• Utah lawmakers oppose pause on AI development in the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
• Concerns over innovation and economic growth raised.

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The Trump–Musk Bromance Ends

What began as a mutual admiration between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has unraveled in public view. Musk recently criticized the federal deficit, saying, “We have a $2 trillion deficit. It keeps growing. Our interest payments are higher than our defense department budget.” That didn’t sit well with Trump. While the split has sparked national chatter, Utah Sen. Mike Lee tried to play peacemaker, saying simply, “But I really like both of them.”

New Leadership in Utah’s House GOP

Following a special election, Utah House Republicans selected a new leadership team:

• Speaker: Mike Schultz
• Majority Leader: Casey Snider
• Majority Whip: Candice Pierucci
• Assistant Whip: Bridger Bolinder

Utah Democrats Elect New Party Leaders

Roughly 1,400 delegates, both in person and remote, participated in the Utah Democratic Party’s convention over the weekend. Former lawmaker and 2024 gubernatorial candidate Brian King was elected party chair. Other leadership includes:

• Vice Chair: Susan Merrill
• Secretary: Brad Dickter
• Treasurer: Catherine Voutaz

King, who spent 16 years in the Utah Legislature, will now steer the party into 2026 and beyond.

GOP Lawmakers Threaten Legislation Over Pride Month

Utah Jazz and the Utah Mammoth celebrating Pride Month sparked pushback from some Republican lawmakers. Rep. Trevor Lee posted on X, “Nothing makes Utahns more mad when political ideologies get pushed into their lives Watch for some significant legislation this next session that pushes back onto these woke groups!” The debate centers on whether tax dollars should support private entities that publicly support LGBTQ+ causes.

Cox Appoints Former Reyes Aide to Lead Records Office

Gov. Spencer Cox named Lonny Pehrson to lead Utah’s new Government Records Office. Pehrson previously served in the Attorney General’s Office and was involved in efforts to keep AG Sean Reyes’ calendar from public disclosure, raising concerns from transparency advocates.

Utah Supreme Court Justice to Step Down

Justice John Pearce will leave the bench in December after a decade on the state’s high court. In his resignation, Pearce said he plans to return to private practice and continue teaching at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law. Cox will appoint a replacement from a list of seven candidates provided by the Appellate Nominating Commission. Senate confirmation is required.

ATVs Return to Glen Canyon

Off-road vehicles are officially back at Glen Canyon after former President Trump signed a resolution overturning a National Park Service rule. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Celeste Maloy and Sens. John Curtis and Mike Lee, restores ATV access to 24 miles of park roads.

Phil Lyman Teases 'Major Announcement'

Utah Rep. Phil Lyman hinted at a big development as a public interest group from the East Coast plans to file a lawsuit in the state.

Listen to the full episode of the Take 2 Podcast for in-depth commentary from Heidi, Maura, and Greg.

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The two shared a wide-ranging discussion on trade, immigration, and global power dynamics.

The invite-only event, sponsored by Zions Bank and World Trade Center Utah, focused heavily on international trade and ongoing tariff negotiations with the Trump White House. Leaders from around the globe gathered in Salt Lake City to explore Utah’s growing influence on the international stage.

Pompeo, who supports President Donald Trump, said he remains concerned about the long-term impact of tariffs.

“President Trump hasn’t been clear about his overall strategic objective here,” he said, referring to the escalating trade measures involving nearly every major economy.

Herbert said Utah is well-positioned to navigate trade challenges on a state level, but acknowledged the uncertainty is troubling.

He also touched on divisions within the Republican Party, especially over trade, noting there are many in the GOP who support Trump but disagree with some of his economic policies.

Herbert said his conversation with Pompeo also included discussions on Israel, Russia, China, and other global powers. The two also shared perspectives on U.S. immigration policy, an issue Herbert says Congress has failed to seriously address.

“What happens, unfortunately, in my view, is we have too many in Congress setting aside solving a problem as a top priority to getting re-elected as the number one priority — and then they get re-elected, but the people suffer,” Herbert said.

On border security, Herbert stressed the need for a “working door” to allow legal entry after the border is secured. He also defended Utah’s reputation as a welcoming state, referencing the Utah Compact, a set of principles focused on humane and practical immigration reform.

When asked directly whether Utah has become a sanctuary state, Herbert was clear: “Utah is not a sanctuary state.”

The former governor also highlighted the work of the Herbert Institute, which is currently focused on researching the use of artificial intelligence in Utah businesses.

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Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; Greg Hughes, Former House Speaker/KNRS

Special guest: Former SLCPD Chief Chris Burbank

• Kamala Harris weighs run for governor or another presidential bid
• National Security Advisor Mike Waltz out – nominated to represent the US at the United Nations
• Utah GOP Leadership Elections coming up in a couple weeks
• United Utah, Forward Party merge
• 146,000+ signatures verified for the referendum to overturn a Utah bill restricting bargaining rights for unions
• USU Pres. Cantwell spent $660K on new cars, SLC apt., office bidet per SLTRIB reporting  
• Governors of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming sign tri-state agreement to strengthen regional energy collaboration
• Trump’s first 100 days
• Border Security, drug/human/oil flow, and cartels with Special guest Former SLCPD Police Chief Chris Burbank

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GUESTS: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group and Greg Hughes, Former House Speaker/KNRS

Judge rules Utah Fits All scholarship unconstitutional

• Governor Cox appeals

• Wednesday, the Judge rules that the program can continue while the court case plays out – teachers keep their raises

Former Speaker of the House Brad Wilson Named 47G Board Chair

RFK bans food dyes will phase out in US over the next two years.

House Speaker Mike Schultz was at the FDA announcement with a Utah Delegation

USU first to list program cuts after Utah Legislature cuts funding

https://www.usu.edu/president/reinvestment/programs.cfm

Trump Approval Ratings Dropping

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/04/23/trumps-job-rating-drops-key-policies-draw-majority-disapproval-as-he-nears-100-days/

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Host: Heidi Hatch

Guests: Maura Carabello, Greg Hughes

Utah Unions turn in 320k signatures

Bernie Sanders and AOC rally gets crowd of 20k – Why does Utah tend to lean hard left and hard right?

Utah named state with the best economic outlook for 18th straight year

Rich States Poor States Report https://www.richstatespoorstates.org/states/UT/

Utah domestic violence shelters face funding crisis amid rising demand

Deportation war rages in DC over flights sent to El Salvador and Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Columbia and Harvard respond to Trump funding cuts

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Heidi Hatch 

Maura Carabello, Exoro Group

John Dougall, Former State Auditor

• Signature gathering deadline looms for effort to overturn HB 267
• Trump crashes the stock market and brings it back to life
• Art of the deal or cleaning up the mess he made?
• Universities in Utah reporting student visas being revoked - many without notice
• University of Utah Faculty Losing power after legislative session
• Bernie and AOC will be in Utah this Sunday “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour stops
• RFK JR. stops in Utah
• EPA’s Lee Zeldin met with Utah leaders on transportation and air quality issues
• Trump’s tax plan uncertain as House delays vote
• US HOUSE passed Senator Mike Lee’s SAVE ACT
• Judge restores White House access for The Associated Press

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rob Axson Utah GOP Chair

A note to listeners, due to technical difficulties the podcast stopped abruptly twice during recording. The segments were restarted and edited together so there are a couple abrupt stops and restarts.

Utah's 2025 Legislative session nears end after more than 900 bills in 45 days

Collective Bargaining Referendum

SB142: Groundbreaking App Store Accountability Act

UTAH LEGISLATURE APPROVES TAX CUTS

• Income Tax: Reducing income tax rate to 4.5% from 4.55%.
• Social Security Tax: Eliminating social security tax for those earning up to $90,000 previously $75,000.
• Child Tax Credit: Expanding the child tax credit by two years up to 5 years old.

Legislature announces an agreement with Judiciary on proposed legislation

Utah Fits All Scholarship Program Amendments signed by the Governor

Food additives prohibited in Utah Schools HB 402 

Bill to keep Pride flags from classrooms clears Utah Senate HB 77

Utah’s first female State Auditor sent packing from the Capitol building

Trump Joint session of Congress address

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Friday Feb 28, 2025

Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

John Dougall – AG Office Admin former State Auditor

Fighting words in the oval office with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy

Utah Legislative session- 1 week to go

• State leaders announce $1,500 pay raise for teachers
• Utah student cellphone ban heads to the governor for approval
• Bill removing Fluoride From water heads to the Governor’s desk
• New Bill: Speaker Schultz just dropped a bill which would change the responsibility for writing the ballot language BACK to legislative counsel. (17:00)
• Election law amendments pass the House after House and Senate negotiate a new version (21:00)
• Debate Commission overhaul Bill
• Judicial retention recommendations on ballots (35:00)
• Gun Education in schools (41:00)
• HB100 School lunch bill passes House
• Utah bill would create tax zones to fund Olympic-related infrastructure
• Bill dies trying to give force homeowners to sell to families before investors

National News

• US House Passes a budget proposal – All four Utah Reps voted in favor (March deadline looming)
• Judge finds mass firings of federal probationary workers to likely be unlawful

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Feb. 21, 2025

Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

John Dougall AG Administrator

SLC Mayor named her pick for Chief, 8 days after firing Chief Mike Brown

• No national search
• Brian Redd will go up for a vote March 4th
• Was appointed to DOC by Cox in May 2023

https://kutv.com/news/local/salt-lake-city-mayor-to-announce-recommendation-for-new-chief-of-police#

Concerns raised over decision to join SEC 504 lawsuit that could remove disability protections

• Last May, the Biden administration added "gender dysphoria" as a disability, and now the states are suing to find out if it was constitutional.
• Section 504 protects people with disabilities, including children who need accommodation in school. Children like Richardson’s son.

Senate panel advances major change to Utah public records law - out of committee 6-2 vote 

• SB277 proposed to disband a volunteer committee that decides disputes over access to government records.
• The revised bill would eliminate a key test for determining whether records are public or private.
• A Senate committee advanced the legislation despite strong opposition from Utahns.
• State and legislative audits found that few cases in the past few years were resolved within the 73 days the law requires and last year the average time was 156 days, he said.

https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/02/18/utah-public-records-law-sunshine-act-grama-legislature/

Utah Legislature considers tougher rules for ballot initiative

A proposed Utah bill that would make it harder for Utahns to bring issues directly to the ballot is stirring up debate in the Legislature.

Senate Bill 73, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, would require sponsors of initiative petitions to publish the full text of their proposed initiative in newspapers across the state for two months leading up to the election. If sponsors failed to do so, the initiative would become invalid — meaning that votes cast for or against the initiative would not be counted, and the proposed law would not be presented to voters.

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2025-02-20/utah-legislature-considers-tougher-rules-for-ballot-initiatives

Clock runs out on bill that would eliminate Daylight Saving Time in Utah (we will Spring forward 3/9)

A legislative panel on Wednesday voted to "table" HB 120, signaling state senators' lack of desire to spend more time talking about time--and effectively killing time for this session.

DOGE cuts continue

• Utah cuts at Federal parks
• Federal employees cut at IRS
• Congressman Mike Kennedy suggests Utah fill positions if the cut is too deep at our National Parks

DEA DHS ICE arrest 13 people for deportation, 4 are members of Tren De Aragua

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• -Adjusting to voting and acting in Congress
• -IRS and Federal layoffs including here in Utah
• -Congressional Budget
• -DOGE CUTS
• -Ukraine Negotiations
• -Border and immigration issues
• -Federal Lands
• -Senate Confirmations
• -UT may need to fill void in National Parks with cuts

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Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rob Axson Utah GOP chair

Utah Legislature

• FUN FACT: Utah’s population reached 3,506,838 on July 1, 2024, where is the growth happening
• SLCPD Chief will step down at the end of the month and retire, Mayor today saying she fired Chief Mike Brown
• Rep. Casey Snider says HB465 Allows DPS to step in where there are safety concerns alluding to SLC
• Salt Lake County Council approves new sales tax to fund jail, transportation improvements
• Utah House votes to streamline deportations of immigrants convicted of crimes HB 226
• Utah lawmakers halt 2 housing bills aimed at allowing smaller homes
• School cellphone, smartwatch ban clears Utah Senate SB 178

National headlines

• Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr sworn in
• Trump called Putin – Rubio on his way to negotiate with Ukraine
• Nearly a dozen lawsuits currently holding up Trump action

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Maura Carabello: Exoro Group

Dave Alvord: Former SoJo Mayor/SL County Council District 2

TRUMP WEEK 3

• USAID: Your taxpayer dollars
• Trump Floats the US rebuilding GAZA strip – Impeachment articles file because of it
• Trump signs Executive Order banning trans athletes from Women’s and girls’ sports. NCAA agrees to comply.
• Federal judge puts hold on Federal employee buyouts, hearing on Monday – funding not in place

UTAH LEGISLATVIE SESSION

• HB81: Fluoride In Utah’s water, keep it or kill it
• HB 288, Health Care Malpractice Amendments on statute of limitations in malpractice
• HB 267: Utah bill to end collective bargaining for public workers passes heads to Cox
• HB267 prohibits collective bargaining across all government organizations, including public schools, law enforcement and fire
• HB 312: Lisonbee's "Jail must not release" bill. “Salt Lake County jail is releasing ~4000 inmates per year due to overcrowding??! That’s over 10 per day. We are the only county in Utah that overcrowd releases (OCR) from our jail. This is NOT okay.”
• HB300: Voter ID bill

The Sutherland Institute’s poll after 2024 election: Released Jan 15, 2025

• 74% of Utah voters prefer to have the person overseeing elections be elected by voters, rather than appointed by elected officials.
• 87% of Utah voters are confident that ballots in Utah are counted accurately, while 69% are confident that ballots in the United States as a whole are counted accurately.

HB 120, Daylight Saving is back again

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GUESTS: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; Trent Staggs, Riverton Mayor

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST WEEKS IN OFFICE

• DC Air tragedy and response
• Federal workers have until Feb. 6 to return to work
• Opt out package
• ICE deportations: Schools and churches no longer off limits for arrests; in Trump's first week in office, there were 5,500 ICE arrests from Jan, 20-26; in comparison to FY 2024 the Biden administration averaged 5,206 arrests per week or 743 a day.

CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

• RFKJ - HHS
• Tulsi Gabbard – Director of National Intelligence
• Kash Patel – FBI Director

UTAH LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• Labor Union vote on hold with new version after large response against the bill
• Senator Todd Weiler's bill would allow sex offenders to plead their case to get off the sex offender registry
• A new bill would make election day a holiday
• Montana vehicle Tax Evasion bill
• Governor joins Trump in speaking out against DEI

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Scott Howell -Former Utah Senate minority leader and a Harris surrogate

Jeff Stenquist – Former Republican Legislator

STATE OF THE STATE PROPOSALS: “We must build”

Housing attainability

Energy abundance

Infrastructure and permitting reform

Community safety and support

homeless initiatives

Utah Legislative Session Underway

Nuclear powered future

Organized crime bill -polygamy connection

Utah Election Changes

End collective bargaining for public employees

TRUMP FIRST WEEK

J6 releases

Illegal Immigrant ICE arrest underway

Signed order to release JFK, RFK and MLK assassination files

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Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Mike Schultz House Speaker

• Inauguration Day moved inside
• Tik Tok Ban

Supreme court:

• Denies Utah case to control public lands
• Denies Lyman V Cox 

Utah Legislative session gets underway next week:

• Birkeland seat filled in last minute election House District 4 Tiara Auxier
• Priorities Energy, K-12 Education, Higher Ed, Public Safety
• Election reforms on the table?
• Salt Lake Homeless Plan

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• Senate Confirmation Hearings
• Pam Bondi questioned on weaponization of DOJ
• Joni Ernst a possible holdout says she’ll vote to confirm Pete Hegseth
• Cabinet picks, Kristi Noem, Doug Bergum, and Tulsi Gabbard confirmation hearings postponed
• Hamas Israel Cease fire deal
• President Biden working overtime in final weeks
• SCOTUS denied Utah case to grant rights to the state over federal lands

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Maura Carabello

Jeff Stenquist

New Year, New Podcast

• Fire politics in LA after 10,000 + homes and businesses burned at least 6 dead in historic wildfires are their lessons to be learned
• Cox and newly elected Utah leaders sworn in with fireworks and cannon salute at inaugural party
• Cox has said his second term will focus on increasing the number of starter homes by 35,000 units and doubling the state’s energy production
• Cox met with Trump Thursday night at Mara Lago with GOP Governors
• New Utah AG Derek Brown
• Phil Lyman SCOTUS case
• Social Security Taxes in Utah could be axed this session
• Legislative Session- talk behind the scenes of getting rid of Caucus and Conventions
• NY congresswoman floats withholding funds from states like Utah giving noncitizens driver's licenses or identification cards

Next week on Take 2 – Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz joins us ahead of the Start of the Utah Legislative Session

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rep. Jeff Stenquist

Continuing resolution vote in congress or government shut down?

Plan B failed in the House Thursday night with Curtis and Moore voting No.

Lee said he would vote no if debt ceiling is removed without spending reforms

Trump and Vance call for getting rid of the debt ceiling

Lee Introduces America First Act to Remove Federal Benefits from Illegal Immigrants

Utah’s governor doubles down on support for Trump mass deportations

Utah’s Delegation gets 3 bills through Congress before the end of the year

Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act

Expands the Central Utah Project Completion Act’s water conservation program to include the entire Great Salt Lake drainage basin.

The legislation unlocks tens of millions of dollars in unexpended budget authority to be used for conservation efforts critical to restoring the lake’s declining water levels.  

Mountain View Corridor Completion Act

Transfers over 200 acres of federally owned land to the State of Utah to enable the completion of the Mountain View Corridor, a vital highway project near Camp Williams.

Utah State Parks Adjustment Act

Transfers parcels of federally owned land adjacent to Antelope Island, Fremont Indian, and Wasatch Mountain State Parks to the State of Utah.

These adjustments will consolidate ownership, streamline land management, and enhance public access to these popular destinations.  

President Biden calls for gun control after school shooting, but no such call after United CEO shot and killed with ghost gun

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Plan B CR backed by Trump

Trump backs raising debt Ceiling, Lee will not unless reforms are made

 Lee Introduces America First Act to Remove Federal Benefits from Illegal Immigrants

President Trump’s Cabinet Picks

 Utah Centric Bills headed to the President’s Desk

 Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act

 Mountain View Corridor Completion Act

           Utah State Parks Adjustment Act

 Two Utah Bills that have passed the Senate and are headed to the House

 S.2151 - Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act

S. 5000 – Addressing Glen Canyon Dam Hydropower and Environmental Impacts

 National Guard Funding for states

Wall Street Journal reaction, “How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge”

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Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rep. Mike Schultz Utah House Speaker 

• Mike and Maura make good on their Presidential Election bet with a MAGA hat, and bedazzled Jewels.

Trump won, so Carabello had to wear a MAGA hat for the day, with Schultz refusing to offer clemency during her meetings at the Utah State Capitol

• Alliance for a Better Utah files a campaign finance complaint against Stuart Adams.
• Utah legislative Election Audit
• Speaker Schultz questions future of vote by mail following legislative audit reports
• House Speaker Mike Schultz gave $120,000 to Preserving Utah Values PAC
• Women’s SLC Republican drama with leadership election: https://x.com/highergroundUT/status/1867289487858102612
• Salt Lake City and Millers reach MLB deal before losing control
• Trump is TIME’s Person of the year
• Biden Commutes record 1500 sentences
• Trump saying he will pardon Jan 6th defendants
• Trump wants to end Birthright citizenship – Mike Lee agrees

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rob Axson Utah Gop Chair

• Governor Cox lays out his budget proposal “Where we’ve been and where we’re going”

$1,000 in tax relief to 150,000 Utahns receiving Social Security benefits

Open to reducing income tax

Higher Education changes

Nuclear power $20 million

• Governor Cox Will help Trump with deportations

• Biden Pardon’s son Hunter Biden 

• Blake Moore DOGE Caucus Co-chair

• Mitt Romney gave his farewell address to the Senate: What will his legacy be

• Blake Moore DOGE Caucus Co-chair

• Senator Mike lee on Pete Hegseth nomination

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Maura Carabello, Exoro Group

Rep. Ryan Wilcox Utah Legislator

• Trump Cabinet Picks the good, the bad and the MAHA
• Utah Elections wrap up: Flipped Legislative seats
• Utah’s vote counting, is it too slow?
• The winning Utah candidate for Wasatch School Board disqualified 9 days after election
• Phil Lyman keeps court filings going – after filing 501C4
• USU Joins lawsuit filed by women’s volleyball captain against the Mountain West Conf.
• Big news for Utah: Mike Lee to head Senate energy, natural resources committee
• Utah Legislative Session 60 days away
• Bills focusing on child abuse: Ritualistic sex abuse bill and False Child abuse claims charges
• Legislative work on school security
• Utah police move to encrypt their radio from public scanners: Is this good for transparency?

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Speaker Mike Schultz -home from celebrating at Mara Lago

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

WINNERS AND LOSERS 2024

• Red Wave sweeps the Country

• Exit polls show Mormons vote 64% for Trump

• Trump support among Hispanic voters and young men up

• Utahns who might serve in Trump cabinet

• Abortion measures passed in 7 states expanding access

• Long lines across Utah on election Night -turnout at 73%

• Utah Congressional Races- clean sweep for Republicans

• Utah Governor’s Race

• Salt Lake County Council races undecided

• Utah’s Constitutional Amendments Pass by large margins

• Salt Lake county Jail Bond is currently failing

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rob Axson Utah GOP Chair

• Utah Voter turnout
• New Gubernatorial Poll
• Phil Lyman using video of Cox to “prove” why he should be on the November ballot- we add context and State law which Trumps private party rules
• https://x.com/phil_lyman/status/1851783821076632025
• Utah’s 2014 County My Vote Law: Dual path to the ballot and Utah primaries https://countmyvoteutah.org/overview
• Utah County Attorney’s office investigating Utah County Clerk
• Atlas polls most accurate in 2020 presidential race out with latest swing state poll
• Will Outreach to LDS voters in Nevada and Arizona help either campaign?
• Political “Garbage” drama in final days of Presidential election

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Campbell has run for office before, but as a Republican. Campbell is a CPA, with a master’s degree in business administration from Utah State University.

• Economy
• Inflation
• Continuing resolution
• Energy
• Social Security
• Immigration
• Ukraine/Israel Funding

Candidates:

• Republican Blake Moore https://blakemoore.house.gov/
• Democrat Bill Campbell https://www.bill4u.org/meetbill
• Libertarian Daniel Cottam

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rep. Tyler Clancy

• Rich Lyman drops out of Governor’s Race, retains and attorney after Phil Lyman sues him
• Utah Voter Turnout 16% statewide
• Republican Early Voter turnout for Republicans up in Battleground States
• You can now get text updates to track your ballot
• Washington County making an effort to make sure ballots are postmarked properly
• New Poll numbers looking at Utah voters, Governor Cox approval
• 51% of voters polled believe Utah is headed in the wrong direction
• October Surprises
• US Senate/US House could make history and flip control
• What’s old is new again in Utah: New Homeless 1,200 bed homeless center in the works after Rio Grande shut down

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Heidi Hatch interviewed the Congressman and candidate on October 23, 2024.

• Economy
• Continuing resolution
• Social Security
• Debt: $35 trillion
• Immigration
• Ukraine/Israel Funding

Republican Blake Moore https://blakemoore.house.gov/

Democrat Bill Campbell will join Heidi Hatch for an interview October 28, 2024 https://www.bill4u.org/meetbill

Libertarian Daniel Cottam

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Utah State Senator Mike Kennedy, Republican Candidate for Utah Congressional District 3. Kennedy is a family practice doctor, attorney, and business owner. Heidi Hatch interviewed the candidate on October 22, 2024, two weeks before the Election

• Healthcare
• Economy
• Debt: $35 trillion
• Ukraine/Israel Funding
• Legislative Funding lessons for Federal gov
• Social Security
• Immigration and Border Issues

Glenn Wright (Democrat) https://wrightforutahcongressionaldis...

Mike Kennedy (Republican) https://mikekennedyforutah.com/

Utah voter information found here: https://vote.utah.gov/

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Congressman John Curtis currently representing Utah’s CD3 is the Republican Candidate for US Senate. Curtis serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee including as Vice-Chair of the Energy, Climate and Grid Security Subcommittee and a member of the Communications & Technology Subcommittee. Heidi Hatch interviewed the candidate on October 22, 2024, two weeks before the Election

• Economy
• Clean energy
• Debt: $35 trillion
• Ukraine/Israel Funding
• Immigration and Border Issues 
• Continuing Resolution Vote
• Social Security solvency
• Home Ownership, Mortgage, and Equity Savings (HOMES)

Utah U.S. Senate Candidates Caroline Gleich Democrat https://www.carolineforutah.com/about

John Curtis Republican https://www.johncurtis.org/

Carlton Bowen Independent https://www.carlton4ussenate.com/

Utah voter information https://vote.utah.gov/

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• Appeal to LDS voters Arizona 5-7% - campaigning for down-ballot races
• Border security
• Congressional Deal
• Israel
• Ukraine
• Economy
• FEMA
• Funding Bill pushed to December
• Social Security, innovation to solve

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Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Speaker Mike Schultz Utah Legislature

• Amendment A Voided (Following amendment D)
• NEW Gubernatorial Poll
• Poll Finds Harris Rising as She Challenges Trump on Change
• Religion and Politics
• Utah Hockey launched this week SLC Council passes .5% tax increase
• Utah Debate Commission Senate Debate Thursday night

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rep Ryan Wilcox Utah Leg.

• Dock workers Strike Suspended: Tentative deal 62% wage increase over 6-year contract
• Consumer Sentiment in Utah is down
• SUU and USU cancel matches with San Jose State Volleyball:
• Lt Governor calls on Utahns to trust Utah Elections and the election process Thursday
• DEBATE WINNERS AND LOSERS
• VP Debate Vance and Walz largely Civil
•  
• Utah AG Debate – Hosted By Maura at SUU
•  
• Salt Lake County Mayoral Debate.
• Salt Lake City Approves 0.5% sales tax increase for entertainment district approves IHC Hospital

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Wright calls himself a modern family man as an adoptive parent with multiracial and LGBTQ+ identifying family members. Wright is an aerospace engineering graduate, Vietnam combat veteran, and pilot. “My time serving my country has made me a loyal supporter of the Constitution, a fair democracy, and the new American Dream. But as each year passes, I witness the American Dream of my childhood slip further and further away.”

https://x.com/SummitCoDem/status/1819566644940747030

Glenn Wright (Democrat) https://wrightforutahcongressionaldistrict3.com/

Mike Kennedy (Republican) https://mikekennedyforutah.com/

Utah voter information found here.

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rep. Jeff Stenquist Utah House

• GOV COX HELD A THE ANNUAL GOVERNOR’S GALA AND FUNDRAISER
• VP HARRIS— the ‘sweariest’ politician?
• UTAH SUPREME COURT RULES AMENDMENT D VOID:
• AMENDMENT A HANGS IN THE BALANCE – NEXT COURT DATE OCT. 15
• UTAH AG DEBATE 4 CANDIDATES QUALIFIED
• UTAH HOUSING CRISIS: Can ADU’s help?
• CONTINUING RESOLUTION PASSES IN CONGRESS: Next funding deadline December 20th

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Heidi Hatch interviewed the candidate on September 24th ahead of the November election.

• Spending Bills deal more money Secret Service
• Economy
• Social security
• Energy/Fracking
• Immigration US Mexico border
• Israel/Hamas
• Ukraine

Katrina Fallick-Wane Democrat  https://katrinaforcongress.us/

Burgess Owens Republican https://burgess4utah.com/

Vaugh Cook United Utah  https://www.votevaughncook.com/

M Evan Bullard Unaffiliated https://vote.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2024/06/M.-Evan-Bullard-CD4.pdf

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

John Dougall State Auditor

• Hezbollah Pager targeted Attack
• Phil Lyman cries “cover up” after audit shows Spencer Cox had the signatures needed to get on the ballot
• State Auditor John Dougall takes us through his process
• Letter with White Substance mailed to Utah Lt. Gov intercepted by FBI
• President Trump 2nd assassination attempt
• UEA is now asking a judge to void Amendment A following in the footsteps of Amendment D
• GOP lawmakers refuse hearing on Utah's presidential caucus
• Mike Kennedy announced his resignation for Utah Sen. District 21
• Senator Jeff Flake to head up Utah World Trade Center

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Heidi Hatch

Rob Axson Utah GOP Chair

Thom DeSirant Exec. Director Utah Democratic Party

• Judge rules Amendment D “Void”
• Trump fundraiser in Salt Lake City Saturday September 14th
• Presidential Debate: Performance, moderators
• Utah Gubernatorial Debate: Governor Spencer Cox, Biran King, Libertarian Robert Latham

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Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rep. Tyler Clancy Utah Legislature

• BREAKING TODAY: New pushback on Constitutional Amendment D
• Second Lyman ticket for Governor in the Write-In column
• State Signature Audit Complete
• Governor Cox redirects $1.2 million from American Rescue Plan into a new school lunch debt grant program.
• State School Board and Utah Legislator Tyler Clancy- looking at budget option to expand free school lunch
• Trump Fundraiser Back on next Saturday in SLC
• Presidential Debate next week Sept. 10

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Rep. Celeste Maloy – Republican nominee spoke to Heidi Hatch on September 4, 2024.

Issues

• Reaction to Georgia School Shooting
• Border Policy
• Ukraine Aid/Congressional Trip/Accountability on spending aid $
• Israel/6 Hostages murdered/Congressional trip Met with Goldberg-Polin family
• Utah Landmark lawsuit on public lands over control of “unappropriated land”
• Spending Bill “SAVE ACT”
• Economy

U.S. House District 2

Rep. Celeste Maloy https://maloy.house.gov/

Maloy for Utah https://www.celesteforutah.com/

Nathaniel Woodward: Democratic Candidate https://www.woodwardforutah.com/about

Tyler Murset: Unaffiliated Candidate 

Cassie Easley: Constitution Candidate https://cassieforcongress.com/

Utah voter information https://vote.utah.gov/

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Caroline Gleich – Democratic nominee spoke to Heidi Hatch on September 3, 2024.

Gleich is a professional ski mountaineer, activist, and US Senate candidate.

• Economy
• Energy/Fracking
• Israel/Hamas
• Ukraine
• Spending Bills
• Social Security

Utah U.S. Senate Candidates

Caroline Gleich Democrat https://www.carolineforutah.com/about

John Curtis Republican https://www.johncurtis.org/

Carlton Bowen Independent https://www.carlton4ussenate.com/

Utah voter information https://vote.utah.gov/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rob Axson Chairman Utah Republican Party

• Harris Walz sit for first interview: Joint on CNN

• Utah Democrats Donating to Harris that did not donate to Biden- does this mean new excitement for the party in Utah?

• Governor Cox joins Trump at Arlington for 3rd Anniversary wreath laying honoring 13 US Service members

• Cox support of Trump: A majority of Utah voters said they

• How will Phil Lyman write-in candidacy shake up the race or will it?

• RFK jr. Joins forces with Trump: Who will this help and hurt?

• RFK remains on Utah ballot as a non-swing state - Michigan/Wisconsin vote to keep RFK Jr's name on the ballot against his will

• Utah lawmakers want voters to give them the power to change ballot measures once they’ve passed

NEXT WEEK We will discuss Congress returns after the summer break and need to pass a spending bill

Will Republicans push for the SAVE ACT and push the government into a shutdown?

Majority of registered voters, 75%, oppose noncitizens voting in U.S. elections and favor policies making it harder for them to vote, according to new polls released by Napolitan News Service.

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Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group

John Dougall, State Auditor

75 days until the November Election

• Legislature calls “Emergency” special session to override Utah Supreme Court ruling on citizen initiatives
• Utah suing federal government to gain control of millions of acres of public lands
• 2 Audits of Davis County Clerk’s Office signature validation process: State Auditor John Dougall/Utah State Legislature audit
• Utah Supreme Court dismisses Lyman Case to kick Cox out of office and take him off the Novemberballot: Lyman will run as a write-in and made and ad with Democratic candidate Brian King
• Utah Supreme Court dismisses Jenkins Case: Celeste Maloy Declared winner
• Democratic National Convention, Biden bumped out of prime-time slot made it on stage 11:30 ET.
• Trump Live interview on X with Elon Musk – hit or miss?
• RFK Jr. may drop out and back Trump
• Utah Supreme Court dismisses Jenkins Case: Celeste Maloy Declared winner

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Guests: Maura Carabello with Exoro Group and Mike Schultz, Utah House Speaker

After a July break we return to a whole new political world: Less than 4 weeks since an assassination attempt at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person dead, 2 seriously injured, Trump escapes with his life -grazed by a bullet. The RNC energized in a way not seen in years. The high-pressure campaign to get President Biden to step down successful. Within Hours VP Harris had her parties backing with no competition and record-breaking fundraising. Minnesota Governor Walz backed by Bernie Sanders chosen. The stock market jittery amid recession concerns as the world watches the Israel and Iran as an all at war in the middle East looms.

At Home- Greg Hughes Leaving the Take 2 Podcast after 5 years to Host afternoons on KNRS with Rod Arquette. Thanks for the memories

Utah Executes Taberon Honie – 8th death row inmate since 1976

• Schultz witnessed
• Will the execution bring the issue back to the Legislature?

87 Days until November Election – Ballots in mailboxes in two months while Utah’s Primary Election is still getting hashed out in the courts

• Maloy wins after recount: Utah CD2 Recount ends with 176 votes between the two
• Technical Issues with the recount, questions about Iron and Washington County ballots postmarked in Las Vegas
• Utah Supreme Court will hold a hearing for Colby Jenkins’ election contest tomorrow at 9:30 am over uncounted ballots not post marked in time
• Phil Lyman for Governor keeps Fighting and suing- Lyman lawsuit calls for removal of Gov., LG, and demands he be put on ballot

Biden out Harris in

• Harris picks Walz as running mate- Shapiro passed over
• Harris seeing a big bump with fundraising and enthusiasm when just two weeks ago she was an unpopular VP.
• Harris Fundraising, Black Women, Black men, white women, white dudes, LDs for Harris

Biden out of sight out of mind:

               Is the President fit to serve his term

Trump assassination Attempt already old news

• Both sides promised a kinder gentler election after the shooting-
• RNC seems like a year ago – How is JD Vance performing?
• Security concerns after Secret Service failure, arrest this week of Iran backed
• Both Harris and Trump have agreed to Sept 10 ABC debate – Trump wants two more debates

Trump visit to Utah this month to fundraise- will he hold public rally?

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https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1815080881981190320

Moore had two concerns with President Joe Biden stepping down with less than four months before the November election.

“Millions and millions of people just voted for him, and they are going to disregard all of that – what was it good for?” Moore said that Democrats are going to disregard that and instead turn to “back-room negotiations that are not transparent and disrespecting the democratic process.”

In Utah’s Presidential primary, Biden secured 88% of the votes.

Moore believes Sunday’s announcement was part of a larger plan that started in the Spring when the historically early June debate was scheduled between Biden and Trump.

“In my opinion has been the plan since they pushed for an early primary June debate -it’s an early timeline and never been done to my knowledge.”

“ I believe party bosses and leadership in the DNC knew he would not be fit to run and here we are.”

After the debate, Moore said the “media was ready to pounce” and the backdoor negotiations started in earnest to get the President to withdraw.

“It’s played out predictably and is disappointing.”

Moore, just home from the Republican National Convention also discussed the Convention and the attempted assasination of former President Donald Trump.

https://x.com/ElectBlakeMoore/status/1814041253174206940

On the day of the Butler Rally and assasination attempt Moore said, “This attack and likely assassination attempt against President Trump, and the political violence toward his supporters, is sickening. My prayers are with President Trump, his team, and Pennsylvanians this evening.”

https://x.com/RepBlakeMoore/status/1812273483797397593

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Guest: Utah Sen. Mike Lee

• Attempted Assassination
• Secret Service Protocol Investigations
• Has Congress been Briefed
• Has Lee met with Former President Trump?
• Senator Lee spoke to Donald Trump Jr. Tuesday after speaking at a Western States Conference
• JD Vance Pick as VP
• Why he supports Vance
• Should voters be concerned that Vance once called Trump Hitler
• Lee supported Ted Cruz and worked against Trump at RNC in 2016- what changed?
• Will he speak at RNC?
• Does Senator Mike Lee want a job in the Trump admin if he is reelected?
• SAVE ACT – only American Citizens can vote in Federal elections

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello

• Kamala Harris in Utah to fundraise
• Presidential debate discussion
• 25th amendment
• Utah primary election
• Supreme Court rulings

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Guests: Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello

• Joel Searby arrest
• Supreme Court rulings on domestic abusers and guns
• Utah's special legislative session
• Lyman vs. Cox ads and complaints

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Guests: Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Trump Trial: Guilty on all counts
• Less than One month to June Primaries
• Utah teachers’ union sues over state’s $82 million school voucher program.

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Guests: Greg Hughes, Former State House Speaker & Scott Howell, Former State Senate Minority Leader

The bathroom bill wreaked havoc in the State Auditor’s office with 12,000 + bogus complaints.

40 days until the June Primaries – which campaigns have the strongest ground games?

US Senate Endorsements rolling in

Trent Staggs: Trump, Former Utah JAZZ star John Stockton

Brad Wilson: Governor Cox backing former House Speaker

Latest Poll: Curtis - 41.%

Trent Staggs – 14.5 %

Brad Wilson - 9%

Jason Walton - 1.5%

Undecided - 33%

It’s a Miracle! Biden and Trump will debate.

Bad News: Utah’s October Presidential debate likely won’t happen: Is the presidential debate commission a thing of the past?

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KUTV’s Heidi Hatch is joined by Maura Carabello of the Exoro Group and former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes.

The air crackles with tension on college campuses across the country and Utah is no longer the outlier with the war between Israel and Hamas taking center stage amid graduation ceremonies.

At the University of Utah, the fervor spills onto the streets as students rally for the institution to sever ties with Israel. With nineteen arrests, including a university employee and four students, the protests made headlines. Chris Nelson, a university spokesperson, acknowledges the complexity of the situation, hinting at the tangled web of political and financial considerations.

Nationally, Mayor Adams of NYC rebukes the display of foreign flags stirs controversy amid protests on New York College campuses including Columbia, where Pro-Palestinian protestors turned violent taking over a building on campus.

Why the photo of frat bros in North Carolina went viral and has raised half a million dollars along the way?

https://x.com/tvheidihatch/status/1785863003084046408

At the Utah GOP Convention, anti-incumbency sentiments brew, shaking up the political landscape. From congressional primaries to gubernatorial nominations, the convention delivers surprises and challenges the status quo.

Join us on Take 2 Podcast now on YouTube, iTunes  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-2/id1451416369 and Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/5bSGiqPyKPUQixCumlvocm as we dissect the complexities of campus protests, political maneuvering, and the fight for principles in a rapidly changing landscape.

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Guests: Maura Carabello from the Exoro Group, and Greg Hughes, former Utah Speaker of the House

Utah State GOP Convention:

• Rep. Celeste Maloy could lose her CD 2 seat at convention with an 11th hour endorsement from Senator Mike Lee who is backing challenger Colby Jenkins. " “TOO MANY REPUBLICANS HAVE VOTED TO EXPAND THE SIZE, SOPE AND COST OF THE FEDERAL GOVENRMENT."
• Governor Spencer Cox will likely leave the Utah State GOP convention with a primary challenger.
• The Utah Senate race has 3 guaranteed candidates through signatures- will there be a 4th candidate on the ballot to fill the seat vacated by Senator Mitt Romney?
• With Congressman John Curtis running for Senate- his CD 3 seat is wide open and with a crowded race- 4 candidates have the signatures to make it to the primary- will delegates pick a 5th to head to the primary?

June 25th is the Primary Election.

Brian King, touting he outraised Governor Cox in the first quarter.

Congress passed the $95 billion dollar aid bill Ukraine/Israel/Indo

The bill signed by the President also bans TikTok if it is not sold to a US buyer in the next year.

While Congress funds Israel: Universities are closed as Palestinian Protests take over campuses: Utah college campuses are the exception.

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Guests: Maura Carabello- Exoro Group and Dan McCay- Utah Senator (Sponsored NHL Bill)

Ryan and Ashley Smith bought an NHL team:

Utah NHL What we know:

• UTAH will be on the front of the jerseys next season.
• The team will take its time to determine its name, logos and colors.
• The Delta Center will be renovated into a dual sport arena- is this where the Legislative bill and funds will be spent, or will it be spent on the surrounding area and eventual new arena?
• (Should taxpayers fund stadiums?)
• First priority now is to set up the team players/execs in Utah.

Salt Lake County Convention:

Embattled state school board member Natalie Cline’s reelection bid is over.

The Utah Legislature Censured Cline but did not go as far as impeaching and taking away ability to run- was this the right call?

State Convention Saturday:

Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney voted to hear impeachment case against Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

Governor Spencer Cox Gave a Ted Talk- encouraging Americans to follow 4 steps

1. Spend less time with polarizing headlines that pit one side of the country against the other.
2. Spend more time with people who think differently than you because it is “harder to hate up close.”
3. Expend more effort serving and giving back to society.
4. Attempt to develop “the classical political virtues of humility, patience and moderation.”

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Guest: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

• State Conventions approaching April 27: Endorsements, who has gathered signatures.
• Former SLC Mayor Ted Wilson Dies, 84 years old (Congestive Heart Failure/Parkinson’s)
• Most likely to make you a Trump or Biden Voter?
• Arizona Coyotes could move to Utah

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Guest: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

• Governor finishes signing bills/vetoes
• Utah Foundation Survey
• Congress spending package
• Bloomberg report: Mike Lee potential pick for Trump AG

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Final GOP caucus results
• Where will Haley voters go in November
• No Labels announced they are moving forward with picking a candidate
• November ballot measure: Utah Constitutional amendment SJR 10
• TikTok ban bill in Congress

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• State of the Union: Hits and Misses - Tone
• Republican Response
• Primary Election: Trump and Biden Win in Utah
• GOP Caucus Chaos: Are Caucuses Serving Voters Well?
• Legislative Session Wrapped Up
• Official Campaign Season in Full Swing: Who Should We Watch?
• Conventions 7 Weeks Away

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Wilson was not surprised by Mondays Supreme Court ruling that would keep former President Donald Trump on the ballot in all 50 states.

"I'm really glad they ruled the way we did. I expected they would rule the way they did," remarked Wilson. "Voters should be the ones to make this decision about who gets to be our next president, not activists in liberal states, not even activist judges in liberal states. And so, I think it's a good thing so that the American people get to make this decision."

Wilson's remarks underscore a prevailing sentiment among many Utah Republicans, who have long advocated for preserving the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring that voters have the final say.

The discussion comes on the eve of Super Tuesday and Utah’s Presidential Preference Poll, where Utahns will have the opportunity to cast their votes and voice their preferences for the next President of the United States in neighborhood caucuses.

Utah has 40 delegates at stake in the Presidential primary that will be divided amongst the candidates garnering votes Tuesday night.

15 states and one US Territory will vote on Tuesday, Mar. 5 — doling out one third of the delegates needed to win.

Registered Utah Republicans can get ready for caucus night by finding a location and registering.

Utah Democrats should have received a ballot to vote and will also have an opportunity to caucus and pick delegates for state and county convention.

Utah Election Information 

Highlights on important issues for Utah voters from Wilson’s interview:

RULING THAT PUTS TRUMP BACK ON THE BALLOT

“I'm really glad they ruled the way we did. I expected they would rule the way they did. I mean, voters should be the ones to make this decision about who gets to be our next president, not activists in liberal states, not even activist judges in liberal states. And so, I think it's a good thing so that the American people get to make this decision.

WILSON BACKING TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT

I endorsed Donald Trump a few months ago. I that it was very clear that he was going to be the next nominee, and I believe he'll be the next president of the United States, and we need to unify the Republican party around him. And we're doing that right now. We've seen that happen over and over and over again and get the country back on track, uh, with his leadership. So, I'm excited. Um, Mm-Hmm. that, uh, we're heading that direction.

WILL TRUMP DEBATE ON THE STAGE HERE IN UTAH?

I hope that they choose to participate. I think it's good for the American people to hear, uh, both presidential nominees discuss the issues, learn from them what their opinions are, but, you know, and that's a long way off in politics and we'll see what, uh, what happens. But isn't it great that Utah Yeah. Has been chosen to be one of the hosts? And I, we did such a great job with the vice-presidential debate a few years ago that they wanted to bring it back here. It's just amazing.

WHY SHOW UP TO CAUCUS?

Well, it's a great opportunity and a great way to go out and meet your neighbors. Go out Mm-Hmm. into your precinct, and you just get in a room, and you, uh, will decide who you want to support for the president. You'll also decide who you want to send to be state delegates to the state convention and county delegates, to your county convention, and who's going to run the precinct for the next couple of years. And it's really the grassroots of politics in Utah. And it's, uh, served us really well for a long time. I think it's going to continue to serve us well in the future. So, I've been doing this for probably almost 40 years. Yeah. And it's a great experience if you go out and do it.

BORDER CRISIS

Well, Congress has the ability, uh, to solve this issue if they want, but quite frankly, Joe Biden has the ability to close the border down right now. It's why you saw Border Patrol agents supporting Donald Trump, because they're so frustrated right now that the president who opened up the border when he became president, has done very little to try to close things down. The tools are there, there are resources there. The political will and the leadership are not there. People are frustrated. Now, Congress can do more, and I think they should do more. And I think you'll see them leaning into this issue, uh, in the near future. But we must secure our border. You know, Heidi, we know that the border crisis right now in America is costing every single taxpayer, uh, 1200, $1,300 a year by the time you look at the burden. This is placing on our criminal justice system, on our schools, on our healthcare system. The list goes on and on. Americans are frustrated, they're angry, they should be. And, and the, the fact of the matter is, Joe Biden is the one to blame right now for this issue. We need to get this solved.

UKRAINE AND ISRAEL AID TIED TO BORDER

Over the course of the next few months, you've got all these different issues both domestically and internationally that Congress is trying to wrestle to the ground. I believe we need to support our ally Israel, um, in defending themselves and dealing with Hamas that needs to be done in a surgical way. And, uh, we're going to continue to support them I'm sure, as a country with the aid that they need. We've supported Israel for years. Yeah. I mean, they've been a great ally. And without them in the Middle East, uh, we would see a lot of problems I think that, uh, we don't have right now. So, uh, I'm very supportive of what's happening there With Ukraine. Uh, people are frustrated. Uh, Americans are frustrated. There's been a hundred plus billion dollars of, of American taxpayer dollars sent there.

ECONOMY AND INFLATION

Utah families do feel like they've been pushed to the brink. Mm-Hmm. And, and you said the word economy, but I'll just kind of maybe peel the layer back one additional level, which is what they really feel right now is this incredible inflation. Mm-Hmm. that's hurt them. And we know in the last three years since Biden became president, the average Utah family has seen their cost-of-living increase by about $8,000 a year, Heidi. And that is real money. Everything is costing Utah so much more money, whether it's cars or housing or fuel or food. Yeah. Uh, food right now is costing as much for a Utah family as a percentage of their household budget as it did when I was in high school. I mean, that's how much Utah families are spending on food. They are frustrated, but it's inflation that they're frustrated with.

HOW TO FIX INFLATION?

The reason we have all this inflation is because the White House and Congress has spent so much money, and we don't have fiscal discipline in Washington, DC and you ask about the solution. Mm-Hmm., the solution is for Congress to start spending less. And in fact, spending what they generate, they're going to spend almost $2 trillion more this year back in Washington than they're generating. In what world does that make sense? That we can spend that much more money than we're generating in Washington DC and then the American people, American families are the ones that are paying the price for it. There needs to be some fiscal discipline in Washington. And here's what's great about what's happening right now in Utah. We know how to do that as Speaker of the house. Not only did I balance our budget, but I balanced our budget and cut taxes three different times for the biggest tax cuts in the history of Utah. Now, that's the kind of leadership we need in Washington is how do you balance a budget? How do you actually cut taxes? And by the way, that doesn't create the kind of inflation, uh, that you're seeing in, in Washington.

SPENDING OVERRUNS COME FROM BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS- HOW WILL YOU MAKE A DENT IN THE MASSIVE DEBT?

Well, it shouldn't be about campaign promises. Uh, this should be about what's right for the American people. Uh, this should be about what's right in terms of spending and controlling spending. And you've got to change the system in Washington. We've got to either pass a balance budget amendment, or we've got to do something legislatively that says Congress can't spend more money, uh, than they're taking it. And we need some people back there that have actually done the work, that have balanced budgets at a state level and have cut taxes at the same time. Utah's very unique in the sense that we have done that, but until you change the system, the only way you're going to change the system is change the people we send back there, you're going to continue to have this problem. And this is the number one issue I hear from Utahans, whether I'm up in Tremont or I'm down in St. George and everywhere in between, they want Congress to finally get their act together and start spending less money.

HOME BUYING

At the end of the day, it's supply and demand, but the other thing that's changed so dramatically for people is just what a house payment costs them. Yeah. And that's a function of inflation and interest rates. And that's a function of all the spending in Washington. Until we get spending under control in Washington, you're likely to see interest rates stay high, and you're likely to see housing be unaffordable for Utah families. And, and I do worry about the next generation. I mean, like you Heidi, I have kids that are launching in the world, and they are looking at their future, and they want to know that someday they'll be able to live the American dream of owning their own home. And we want to help them as parents, but we need leaders, uh, back in Washington, uh, and here in the state that are going to lean into this issue. You have seen a lot more done at a state level. Uh, we have done more here to help Utah families, uh, get into their first home than Washington's ever, ever thought of. Uh, all Washington's made the problem worse. Utah leaders have tried to make the problem easier to solve.

WHAT SETS HIM APART?

We need more people in Washington DC that have been in the trenches at a state level solving problems and have seen, uh, from a front row seat the problems in dysfunction that's created in Washington. And that's what's really unique about my candidacy. I mean, I'm the only person, uh, that is running in this race that has a record of the biggest tax cuts in the history of the state. Uh, I'm the only person running in this race that has helped initiate suits against the federal government because of all the problems that they have caused, whether it's on energy policy or public lands or other issues. And having someone that's actually lived the problems that the federal government's created, go back to Washington and prevent problems from happening and fix the problems that are already there is a unique opportunity for Utahans. And that's part of the reason I'm running.

CROWDED RACE

Governor Cox is supporting my candidacy. And so, no one has the grassroots support that we have, and no one also has the support of elected officials, including sixty plus mayors from across the state and some of our biggest cities. And here is why. All these people, Heidi are wanting me to get elected to the US Senate. They know I am going to fight for Utah. They know I have got the experience to do this, and they know what this country needs. What Utah needs is to have someone that has actually done the work before.

Utah U.S. Senate Candidates:

• John Curtis, Republican
• Brad Reed Wilson, Republican
• Trent Staggs, Republican
• Brent Orrin Hatch, Republican
• Carolyn Phippen, Republican
• Clark S. White, Republican
• Chandler H. Tanner, Republican
• Josh Randall, Republican
• Jeremy Lewis Friedbaum, Republican
• Brian Earl Jenkins, Republican
• Jason J. Walton, Republican
• Caroline Gleich, Democratic
• Archie A. Williams III, Democratic
• Laird Fetzer Hamblin, Democratic
• Robert Newcomb, Independent American
• Carlton E. Bowen, Independent American

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

LEGISLATIVE SESSION FINAL DAY

• Legislative Session Final Day
• Leadership promotes win Column
• Rep. Dan Johnson Returns to Legislature After Medical Incident on Monday
• Bill Keeping Calendars Private Passes, Immediately Signed by Governor
• Utah House Kills Bill Banning LGBTQ+ Pride Flags and Political Views from Classrooms
• Utah Legislature Approves Allowing More Children at Unlicensed Day Care Facilities
• Utah Senate Passes NBA NHL Arena Bill, House Passes MLB Stadium Bill
• Improving the Juvenile Justice System
• Water and Power Bills
• Nikki Haley in Utah: Pushing Through Super Tuesday After Losing in Her Home State of South Carolina
• Biden and Trump Both on the Southern Border

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Utah Legislature heads into final week
• Elected officials’ calendars.
• Should Utahn’s foot the bill for new stadiums with new taxes while legislators are trying to create tax cuts?
• MLB - HB562, Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District, Ryan Wilcox (R-Weber)
• NHL - SB272, Capital City Reinvestment Zone Amendments, Dan McCay (R-Salt Lake)
• Income Tax reduction bill – how much would you get of the $170 million
• Alcohol Bill looking to create more liquor licenses pushing threshold from one per 10.2 k to 7.2k.
• Nikki Haley in Utah Wednesday for event at UVU ahead of March 5th GOP Presidential Caucus
• Democratic primary
• Check in on Primary races and 2024 signatures.
• Natalie Cline still making headlines- US Senate Candidate Carolyn Phippen joins the conversation

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Guests: Maura Carabello Exoro Group & Dave Alvord Salt Lake County Council

• Governor Cox sends Utah National Guard and State Resources to border.
• US Senate Kills Bipartisan Border/Ukraine/Israel Bill: Is this Trump’s fault? Needs to be split from aid deals.
• Natalie Cline Re-posts photo of girl on High School Basketball team insinuating she is transgender.
• No criminal charges recommended over Biden's handling of classified documents.
• The Supreme Court seems poised to reject attempts to kick former President Donald Trump off the 2024 ballot.
• Clancy Taxation Bill Utah Legislature
• Utah Legislature looking at bill that would make AI Child porn illegal.
• Equine owners say Salt Lake County aims to kill their ‘Western’ way of life.

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

Utah Legislature:

Gov. Spencer Cox signs 2 controversial Bills (quick mentions)

● HB 257 Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying, and Women’s Opportunities

● HB 261 Equal Opportunity Initiatives

• Teen Driver changes: HB351
• Harsher Penalties for DUI:
• Favorite Bills of the week, bad books, childcare costs, state lottery
• CPAC UTAH SPEAKERS:
• Tim Ballard : Ballard is facing multiple civil suits alleging sexual assault
• Former US Attorney Brett Tolman: Has put is name out as possible AG if Trump elected
• Utah Presidential and US Senate Polls

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

• US BORDER Mexico Border
• Texas Governor backed by 25 Republican Governors
• Congressional border deal
• Utah Legislature Bill on Fentanyl
• DEI Bill Passes
• Utah County will no longer pay return postage on ballots.
• Transgender bathroom bill passes.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• State of the State
• Legislative Session Underway
• SLCPD could lose patrol of the airport to DPS
• Trans Bathroom Bill
• Bill Requiring classrooms to post the 10 Commandments.
• Proposed resolution calls on federal govt. to fix illegal immigration or let Utah do it.
• Bills we are watching.
• Iowa Caucus Results
• New Hampshire Primary
• Congress Passed another stop-gap measure

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

• Utah Election Filings close end of business Monday — we go through the filings office by office looking at the primary races and the new competition.
• Supreme Court taking on Colorado ruling that forces Trump off the Ballot.
• University of Utah to eliminate 'diversity questions or statements' from hiring process.
• Utah Legislative Session gets underway January 16 — what we are watching.

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Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group & Utah Rep. Tyler Clancy

• Lt. Ridge Alkonis released from Japanese to Us Custody under international prisoner transfer agreement
• Biden Impeachment Inquiry: All four Utah Reps voted in favor of moving forward
• Utah AG Sean Reyes Calendar: Should it be released?
• Utah democrats are calling on Reyes to resign
• Derek Brown officially running to replace Reyes
• FISA vote
• Legislative season is just around the corner

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Jon Huntsman Jr. calls for U Penn President to step down after congressional hearings.
• Gov. Cox on college campus speech
• Reyes will not run for re-election
• Presidential Debate with slimmed down candidate pool – winners and losers? Iowa 6 weeks away.
• Governor Cox new budget
• Christmas songs and politics
• RFK Jr. wins lawsuit to extend filing deadline- pushes date for unaffiliated candidates to March 5th.
• Hunter Biden tax Charges CA
• Mike Lee Defund UN Bill

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Guests: Greg Hughes Former Utah House Speaker & Scott Howell Former State Senate Minority Leader

• SLC 2034 Olympics “Preferred host”
• RFK JR. Holds 2024 Presidential rally in SLC
• Presidential Polls show RFK could be a disrupter.
• The Great Blue and Red State Debate Newsom V DeSantis
• Celeste Maloy wins- sworn in a week after election.
• Mayor Mendenhall gets a 2nd term.
• Rep George Santos expelled.

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Guests: Maura Carabello Exoro Group & John Dougall State Auditor

• Legislative Audit of AG Sean Reyes Office
• Former Utah GOP chair Derek Brown is exploring to run for attorney general as audit of Reyes begins.
• New Legislative Leadership
• The legislature is looking at bill to put “School Guardians” into every Utah School
• Fentanyl Free Elections
• Voter turnout one week out from election day In Utah’s CD2 22%
• Congress passed a continuing resolution that gets us through to the new year

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Guest: Congressional District 2 Republican Candidate Celeste Maloy

Heidi Hatch sat down with Republican Candidate Celeste Maloy on Nov. 10, 2023, ahead of the Nov. 21 election.

They discussed infighting in the Republican party in Congress and newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson.

A looming government shut down and whether funding for the war in Ukraine and The war in Israel should be included.

There is talk of including funding for the US Mexico border in any deal that funds the war in Ukraine, where she stands on combining vastly different issues in the same bill.

Social Security according to the Congressional Budget office won’t be solvent I the next 10 years, how can the program be saved?

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are still at the top of their tickets, will they be a year from now?

What has Maloy been hearing on the campaign trail about energy costs and inflation?

The special election will be held Nov. 21.

To read more about Republican Candidate Celeste Maloy.

To read more about Democratic Candidate Kathleen Riebe’s Campaign and issues, visit her Riebe For Congress website.

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Guests: Greg Hughes& Maura Carabello

• National Election Day: solid wins for democrats
• SLC Mayoral Race: New off brand endorsement
• Rep John Curtis may still run for US Senate
• Looking ahead one election cycle: 2 New 2024 gubernatorial candidates
• Blake Moore elected as Vice Chair of House GOP- House Speaker Johnson’s former role.
• Full Day Kindergarten recently funded by the Legislature is a BIG hit.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Election Charges
• Utah CD2
• US Senate: NEW Nov 1 Carolyn Phippen is in
• New US House Speaker Mike Johnson
• Romney Book debuts at #3 on NYT Best Sellers list
• Utah Legislature - Brad Wilson replacement

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Hear where she stands on the economy, funding Ukraine, Israel, how to fix Social Security, energy and who she supports for President.

Riebe on X formerly Twitter said “Celeste Maloy would cut Social Security and Medicare - and just reminded Utah voters. I will defend the public, earned benefits that Utahns and Americans have spent their lives working for.”

We asked her about the issue of social security, which according to the Congressional Budget Office will be insolvent in the next decade. If nothing is done, Social Security checks will be cut by 25% in a decade.

On the podcast, Riebe said “I haven’t said that I wouldn’t touch it. I said that I wouldn’t get rid of it.”

So what will she do if elected?

“We have a cap of how high your salary has to be and then you stop contributing at the same amount. I would raise that amount of money.”

“There’s also a bunch of solutions that they have on the federal website they talk about if you were at a higher percentage of earners, you start to receive less money.”

“We need to start making a situation for the most vulnerable to have that safety net work when you think about the death benefit that’s been a survivor benefit for families are really struggling that’s a huge amount of money for someone who doesn’t have a caretaker in their lives or to caretakers in your life.

I think there’s room for those algorithms and equations to be tweaked so that the people that need it can get more in the people that don’t need it still can get out what they put into it.”

The special election will be held Nov. 21.

To read more about Riebe’s Campaign and issues, visit her Riebe For Congress website.

Republican Candidate Celeste Maloy has been invited to join the podcast for the upcoming general election.

Maloy sat down with Heid Hatch in August during the primary election.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• US House still without a leader.
• Israel Hamas war
• Utah AG Sean Reyes under new scrutiny
• Senator Mike McKell says its time the AG office become an appointed position not elected.
• Utah lawmakers looking to move road rage bill to priority in upcoming legislative session.
• New CD2 poll
• Chuck Feeney, the Billionaire who you don’t know by name, but gave away all his wealth.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Speaker Of the House- McCarthy Out- Republicans in a mess with budget clock ticking
• “Wholesale the whole group.” Greg Hughes on Congressional members including Utah’s Representatives after the vote to oust Speaker McCarthy.
• Biden is Building the Wall: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday there is an "acute and immediate need" to build border wall in southern Texas.
• Sharp pivot from what Joe Biden said in August of 2020 during his campaign: "There will not be another foot of wall constructed on my administration.
• Riverton Mayor and US Senate Candidate says Utah is now a “Sanctuary State” after the Salt Lake ICE field office designated it as such.
• Was Staggs used as a political pawn?
• Immigration will likely be a campaign theme in the U.S. presidential race with a majority of Americans - 54% - agreeing with the statement that "immigration is making life harder for native-born Americans," a September Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Senator Diane Feinstein dead at the age of 90
• Government shutdown looms
• Utah will keep National Parks open and Pay WIC benefits.
• Legislative members call on AG Reyes to comment on Tim Ballard accusations.
• US Senate Seat: Brad Wilson Officially in, Josh Romney out, Congressman John Curtis in or out?
• GOP Debate- did anyone inspire?

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Guests: Maura Carabello Exoro Group & Mike Schultz House Majority Leader

• US Senate Candidates: Who is in, out and the news surrounding potential candidate Tim Ballard
• New Utah House Speaker Race
• Former SLC Mayor Ralph Becker Endorsed Erin Mendenhall for Mayor
• Utah Taxpayers pay above national average.
• Trump UAW

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Special Guest Kelsey Berg: Political Director for Romney Senate Campaign and Romney Deputy Chief of Staff for 4.5 years.

• Berg left Romney’s office in May to work for the Miller Group as VP of Government relations.
• Her insight into Romney’s decision to run for Senate after his Presidential loss.
• What was it like working for Romney and guiding policy?
• Named to Utah Valley’s 40 under 40

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Guests: Maura Carabello Exoro Group & John Dougall State Auditor

• CD2 Poll 47% undecided – the poll two weeks old. Completed as ballots arrived at homes on the 15th.
• Voter turnout
• Senator Romney won’t announce until the fall.
• Brad Wilson has an exploratory committee but is acting more like a candidate.
• Republican GOP Debate
• McConnell freezes up, now what?

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Utah GOP will hold Caucus not primary for Presidential Election:
• Utah Primary Debate- no Becky Edwards
• Robert Axson RNC summer meetings vote.
• Freshman lawmaker resigns.
• Utah Farm Bureau president Ron Gibson resigned from the job.
• 4th Trump Indictment in Georgia using RICO or racketeering laws.
• Utah National Guard Commander on administrative leave
• Hawaii Wildfires

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

Biden’s tour of the mountain west

• 1st Biden Creates new national monument near Grand Canyon in Arizona key battleground state (Biden won narrowly 2020)
• Romney, Lee, and Governor Cox, all quickly denounced it.
• Antiquities Act use or misuse
• Grazing rights
• Energy production halted.
• Biden’s arrival in Utah: Governor and 1st lady Cox, Jenny Wilson, Mendenhall greet POTUS.
• Salt Lake VA hosts Biden: PACT Act
• Deer Valley Fundraiser
• FBI shoot and kill Provo man who made threats against Biden and others.

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Guest: Dr. Shereef Elnahal MD MBA US Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Health

President Biden visited Utah’s VA hospital in Salt Lake City on the one-year anniversary of the PACT Act. 

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary of Veteran’s Health joined the President on his trip. 

He sat down with Heidi Hatch to discuss healthcare for Veterans expanded by the PACT Act, mental health care, getting medical care to rural vets and the new 988 +1 suicide line specifically for those who have served our nation.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Liberty Park – crime and homeless camps on the rise
• Salt Lake Municipal election November- Mendenhall outraises Rocky Anderson
• Judge throws out case that would take Celeste Maloy off the ballot.
• 10 DEBATES in 12 days or private campaign events?
• Governor Cox Social Media push “Unmask the dangers of social media.”
• Trump Indictment: Not guilty plea
• Devon Archer testifies before Congress.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Congressional Hearings on Aliens
• Age limits for federal office
• Romney wants everyone out of the Presidential race.
• DeSantis in Utah answered question on new African American Ed Curriculum
• Former President Trump facing new charges.
• Presidential Poll Numbers
• Hunter Biden Plea deal Falls Through

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

Utah CD2 Race: Exclusive, Greg Hughes talks about his run, loss, and convention.

• Greg’s campaign experience
• Celeste Maloy wins in 5th round at convention.
• Lawsuit filed by R Quinn Denning contends Maloy is not qualified.
• Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough get signatures needed.

Presidential Race

• DeSantis in Utah for fundraising and open event at Capitol Friday
• Biden is in political/legal trouble with Hunter Biden Laptop/IRS FBI whistleblower.
• Trump is in political/legal trouble new indictment coming related to January 6th
• 3rd Party? No Labels Formed in 2010, raised $70 million this year for “unity ticket.”

Gov. Cox new campaign for civility “disagreeing better.”

• Utah's governor has officially taken the reins as chair of the National Governors Association, a public policy organization comprised of the nation’s governors.
• As part of his chairmanship, Cox is launching an initiative to try to chip away at one of the country's biggest problems – toxicity in politics.

UDOT approves Gondola Project

• Environmental groups push back

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Guests: Former US Attorney for the State of Utah Brett Tolman and Executive Director of Right on Crime

• School debt forgiveness ruling Friday Am release.
• Affirmative Action SCOTUS decision: 6-3 and 6-2 decision
• LGBTQ website SCOTUS ruling
• Trump Charges
• Hunter Biden Plea deal/Whistle Blower
• 2-tiered Justice system in the US- does it exist- if so how and where do we start fresh and start holding the powerful accountable?
• First Step Act/Criminal Justice reform does it play into any of the current high profile political cases?
• Tolman was appointed by President George Bush in 2006 as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah and held that office for nearly 4 years from 2006-2009.
• He worked with President Trump to pass the First Step Act/Criminal Justice Reform. Tolman is the Executive Director for Right on Crime.

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Guests: Maura Carabello - Exoro Group, Rep & Candice Pierucci - Utah House member

• SCOTUS decisions, still no decision on student loans
• Utah GOP Debates wrap up, 5 candidates will collect signatures/Convention Saturday
• Bibles are Back in Davis County Schools
• Bears Ears land swap: Backed by Tribes
• U.S. House votes to send Articles of Impeachment against President Biden to the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, 219-208.
• Hunter Biden plea deal: 2 tier Justice or good for him pleading and taking ownership.

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Guests: Maura Carabello - Exoro Group & Mike Schultz - House Majority Leader

• CD2 Race is set: 22 candidates compared to 26 when Chafetz resigned.
• Special Session Committee hearing discussed book bans from the Bible to pornography.
• Brian Redd new Executive Director Depart Corrections- can he fix probation and parole?
• 52% of Utahns disapprove of a 2023 law that would require all abortions to be performed in hospitals, a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics shows.
• Supreme Court preserves law that aims to keep Native American children with tribal families.

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Guests: Maura Carabello - Exoro Group & John Dougall - Utah State Auditor

INDICTMENT: Former President Donald Trump – 1st American President criminally indicted by the Department of Justice.

Congressman Chris Stewart Sets Sept. 15 as resignation date

Gov. Cox sets up special election guidelines.

Congressional District 2 filings: How many people seek signatures.

Special Session: Will decided when voters will have to be registered as Republicans.

Road Rage On The Rise: Is there something that can or should be done legislatively?

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Black Alabama Voters

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Guests: Maura Carabello - Exoro Group & Mike Schultz - Majority Leader Utah House

• Governor Pride Month Declaration: A little shorter than in years past.
• Congressman Chris Stewart Resigns (No date set)
• New Utah Law passed in 2020 for replacement Election.
• Possible Candidates
• Debt Ceiling Vote
• Senate Voted to undo Biden student Loan Relief: Biden says he will veto.
• Amy Fowler SLC Council Resigns
• Davis Schools remove Bible from Elementary and Jr, High Libraries: Vulgarity and Violence

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Guests: Maura Carabello - Exoro Group & Greg Hughes - Former Utah House Speaker

• PRIDE Merchandise pulled at Target
• Trent Staggs running for US Senate
• DeSantis officially in
• CNN PRESIDENTIAL POLL
• Colorado River Deal
• Great Salt Lake National Park

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Maura - Carabello Exoro Group, Ken Carabello - Maura’s Brother, #1 Take 2 Fan in Colorado & Greg Hughes - Former Utah House Speaker

• Gov. Cox apologizes for calling Congress imbeciles.
• Title 42 expired – the Pandemic Era rule started in March 2020 ended last week.
• DeSantis set to announce/Disney deal dead.
• When will Mitt Romney announce Senate run?
• Durham report fuels further House GOP skepticism over FBI surveillance
• Biden in Japan for G7
• Debt Ceiling:
• Utah Legislative Interim session

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Guests: Maura Carabello Exoro Group & Utah State Senator Todd Weiler

Great Salt Lake Commissioner named this week?

Gov. Cox Executive Order: Requiring water conservation at State facilities.

Interim Session Issues:

• Water conservation
• Noncompete restrictions
• State labor laws for minors
• Review of ESG
• Education bill impacts
• State Prison Staffing
• Film incentives for rural Utah should continue.
• Homeless Issues
• Drag Shows
• Salt Lake City councilwoman steps away from public duties following DUI arrest.

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

• 0:00 - Porn Hub locks out Utah Users
• 18:00 - Utah Judge rules statewide abortion trigger law on hold until court hears case
• 24:00 - Salt Lake City Budget: City says crime is down. Is it?
• 29:30 - A new report by US News and World Report, which ranks utah as the nation’s number one state overall. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings
• 34:00 - Crime and corrections
• 37:00 - Debt Limit: House Democrats take step toward forcing vote on debt ceiling hike.
• 41:00 - Biden sending 1,500 troops to US Southern Border ahead of expected migrant surge. Currently there are 2,500 troops on the border.
• 48:00 - May 11th International travelers will not need a COVID-19 vaccine to enter the country.

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Guests: Maura Carabello & John Dougall

• 50 million gallons of water diverted to Great Salt Lake
• Draper landslide and homes collapse: Who is at fault?
• Utah GOP Convention:
• Biden officially in the 2024 Race: 2020 2.0
• Biden Questions and answers typed pre-planned.
• Former VP Mike Pence at the Herbert Center to Speak Friday
• Tucker Carlson/Don Lemon out: Should we care?

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Guests: Maura Carabello & John Dougall

UTAH STATE OF EMERGENCY FLOODING: On Tuesday, Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency.

This year, the Legislature appropriated $5 million for flooding emergencies and mitigation but those funds have already been depleted.

NEW ROMNEY POLL: Dan Jones

ROMNEY GIVES BIDEN AN “F” on border security:

DeSantis HEADLINING UTAH GOP CONVENTION SATURDAY

GOP LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS

UTAH 16TH YEAR TOP SPOT RICH STATE POOR STATE REPORT

Fox News Dominion Settlement

ALPINE SCHOOLS 5TH GRADE CLASS CANCELS UNDERGROUND RAILROAD REENACTMENT

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MLB baseball in Utah

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

PART 1 Take 2:

• National Guard member arrest in leaked classified Documents.
• Flooding
• White House proposes Colorado River Rights cuts.
• Mayor Mendenhall running for re-election.
• Rocky V Mendenhall
• House Speaker Brad Wilson exploring Senate run
• Senator Mitt Romney files paperwork to run for re-election.
• Legislative Interim meeting’s Agenda

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

• Record Snow- Flooding risk rising
• New polling numbers for Senator Mitt Romney
• Former President Donald Trump Indicted on 34 Felony counts- pleads not guilty.
• Utah’s GOP convention: Governor Ron DeSantis Headlining the event.
• Utah GOP denies Doctor and Dem from Air Quality Board

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• LDS Church donates 5,700 water shares to Great Salt Lake
• Cox officially signs abortion bill- who will provide services?
• Governor Cox says he will run for 2nd term
• GOP party chair will not run for a second term
• SVB Bank Failure- FDIC to insure past $250k
• Zions Bank stocks slide
• Did Utah’s Governor promise to step in and cover payroll with taxpayer dollars if the FDIC did not?

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Utah 2023 Legislative session wrap up
• Governor Cox says he will sign a bill requiring most abortions to take place in a hospital.
• The State Flag Fight is not over yet
• Student Dress Codes
• Was this Legislative session more partisan?
• UEA calling on the Governor to Veto HB 427
• Tax Cuts
• Daylight Saving on Sunday- Spring ahead!

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Guest: Daniel Woodruff

KUTV political reporter, Daniel Woodruff takes us behind the scenes of Utah’s 45 day legislative session. 

What you didn't see on TV, the stories behind the bills and how reporters make sure that you hear about the new laws affecting you and your family.

Next week join Heidi Hatch with Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello as they talk about the bills passed in the final hours of the 2023 session.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

LEGISLATIVE SESSION, IT’S LAST WEEK AND BREAKING RECORDS: 1,377 bill requests, and 894 bills drafted.

• Snowpocalypse 2023
• New Great Salt Lake Bill:
• HB537 Kera Birkeland bill would make voters request a mail-in ballot.
• Diversity or the lack thereof
• HB477 Full Day Kindergarten Amendments: would expand access statewide
• HB550 introduced, compared to Florida’s “Don’t say Gay bill”
• Magic Mushroom bill crashes and burns
• First Time Home Buyer Cash
• Food Tax advances
• NATIONAL POLITICS
• Biden visits Ukraine
• Romney on running: Will not make an announcement until Spring or Summer

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

UTAH’S INFLUENCE ON NATIONAL POLITICAL NEWS

• Senator Mike Lee and Senator Mitt Romney making headlines for different reasons
• Chinese Spy Balloon down.
• VP Pence Subpoena
• State of the Union: Governor Cox joined Senator Mike Lee as his guest, fight over social security

HALFWAY MARK OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• Food Tax: Voters will likely make the final call on this.
• Conversion Therapy Bill passes with support of LGTQ allies Equality Utah
• Signature-gathering candidates could be eliminated at convention if new bill passes HB 393 Has been introduced but no hearing set.
• Proposal to give Utah tenants more notice of rent increases fails in House committee
• Bill to tighten law on overserving set for Friday morning hearing HB 247

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Sen. Mike Lee yanked from powerful Commerce Committee

Mike Lee on Lt. Alkonis Jailed in Japan

Sex offenders and private parks

Governor Cox pushes free UTA fares 2.0

Cell phone ban in schools fails

SB 152 Social Media Companies required to check age of users: Parents would have to give up personal Government ID info

Utah Corrections officer hospitalized after assault at new prison: Are there security lapses taxpayers should be concerned about?

HOV Lane bill

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They discussed Classified documents now found in former President Trump’s home, President Biden, and former Vice President Mike Pence. They addressed the debt ceiling, how to roll back spending, negotiations on the release of Lt. Ridge Alkonis and the Senator’s top priorities.

DEBT CEILING

“We've got to raise the death ceiling because it's coming, it's coming at us.”

Senator Mike Lee told 2 News Heidi Hatch “The question is not about whether to raise it. It is about what conditions to attach to it.”

President Biden is hosting Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House Wednesday for a one on meeting. The White reiterated that there will be no negotiations on the debt ceiling.

Lee said that cannot happen. “This doesn't reflect modern realities.” The reality he says is an approaching thirty-two trillion in debt and baseline federal spending that went from “$4 trillion, a year as recently as 2019, to an average of about $6 trillion a year right now, these things aren't sustainable.”

Lee sees the goal as getting back to spending at or below 2019 levels.

When asked what conditions would be reasonable?

Lee said, Senate Republicans have adopted a position, as a conference that anytime they are asked to raise the debt ceiling- “the debt ceiling increase ought to be accompanied by spending cuts, equal to or greater than the value of the debt limit increase or alternatively structural spending reforms.”

The Senator noted- The House of Representatives is going to be in the principal driver's seat here. He plans on meeting with his counterparts in the house representatives to find common ground.

Senator Lee can is often a reliable no vote on massive spending bills- but if there is to be change- he will need more Senators to do the same.

Lee told 2News Heidi Hatch, he is never “the only no vote on these things,” and “there are a growing number of senators and representatives who, who are seeing the devastating consequences of this.”

Are Republicans part of the burgeoning debt problem?

Lee quickly answered yes. “There's no question that the accumulated debt is a problem of bipartisan creation. If you look back 20 years ago or a national debt was under $5 trillion. It then doubled over the next seven or eight years under a Republican president and under a Democratic president.” It doubled again over the next eight years between a Republican and a Democratic president.

“So, yeah, we've contributed to it.”

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS TRUMP, BIDEN, PENCE

Some of the classified documents found – date back to President Biden's time as a Senator. When asked if there is concern there are other Senators with classified documents at home:

“As to senators, it is highly, highly unusual that in a US Senator would have classified documents in his or her personal possession ever. I mean with very, very rare, very unusual exceptions. When we as senators review classified material, which we do all the time, we do it only in the confines of a secured facility known as a SCIF, that documents do not leave, that we don't walk out with them. It would be a felony if we did so.”

“As to the broader issue of documents in the possession of President Trump, president Biden, vice President Pence, former Vice President Biden, we're trying to get answers on this.” Lee said that Senators have asked for classified briefings so they can understand what these documents are in “order to understand the full ramifications.” Lee said it is imperative that they know what kind of documents they are dealing with and how they came into possession of them.

LT RIDGE ALKONIS

Sen. Mike Lee has been working to free Lt. Ridge Alkonis from a Japanese prison where a judge sentenced him to a 3-year term, after an accident where he hit and killed two people. Military doctors believe the Lt. suffered from altitude sickness, passing out while driving.

Lee said that in just the last few days he has had follow up conversations with the US Ambassador to Japan, Ambassador Ram Emanuel. “Emmanuel and I have been working on this together closely for many, many months.”

Emmanuel helped the Senator visit Alkonis in prison as he worked to negotiate his release.

“There have been ongoing conversations, including conversations between President Biden and, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his recent visit to the United States.

Lee said there are ongoing efforts to secure his return to the United States, as part of a prisoner transfer agreement. “I remain hopeful and optimistic that we're going to get there and we're going to get there within the next month or two.”

CONGRESSIONAL PRIORITES

1. Rein in Federal spending
2. Rein in federal regulations with legislative reform.
3. Competition including Google's power to dominate online advertising.

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They discussed classified documents now found in former President Trump’s home, President Biden, and former Vice President Mike Pence. They addressed the debt ceiling, how to roll back spending and the Senator’s top priorities.

DEBT CEILING NEGOTIATIONS

“Well, there is an expression that has been used around Washington for a long time, and that is never take a hostage, you are not prepared to shoot. And the reality is we should not take the debt ceiling as a hostage because we are certainly not willing to shoot it," Romney said.

Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican Utah Senator, said the debt ceiling must be raised but said it should not be done without conditions.

“It would be unacceptable for us to say, we are going to stop all payments, not just interest on the debt, but social security payments, Medicare, Medicaid payments, veterans’ benefits, we are going to stop all of that. That is simply unacceptable. Nevertheless, raising the debt ceiling has, in the past, been used as an opportunity for us to find ways to reduce spending, and that is something we badly need to do.”

President Joe Biden has said he will not negotiate, but Romney believes House Republicans have an opportunity to negotiate and find ways to cut spending.

“The White House needs to negotiate to say, okay, we need to work together to restrain spending and see if we can't get closer to a balanced budget.”

Romney wants to get back to the old way of doing business where there is a process to approving spending that does not come at the last minute when there is no time to negotiate.

He said, “It's been more than 10 years since we've actually had a normal appropriations process that allows us to have those kinds of votes.”

“As we look at the coming year budget, we need to have a process which allows us to look at each aspect of federal spending, one by one, have amendment votes for either reducing or expanding spending at a particular area.”

I asked Senator Romney if he has any specific ideas on how to reign in spending.

He pointed to the Trust Act- Bipartisan, bicameral legislation he hopes will rescue endangered federal trust funds that could run out some time in the next 11 years.

TRUST ACT

Senator Romney said most people focus on the budget passed each year. The most recent passed in December. The $1.7 trillion dollar omnibus.

The Trust Act would focus on the other two thirds of the budget that does not get a vote.

“That's the non-discretionary, the mandatory, the entitlement. And that is an area where the deficit has been large and has been adding to our debt.”

His Trust Act “is designed to create rescue committees to save Social security, Medicare and Medicaid, and the Highway Trust Fund from becoming bankrupt, which they're scheduled to do over the next few years.”

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS TRUMP, BIDEN, PENCE

Some of the classified Documents connected to President Biden are connected to his time as a Senator. When asked if there could be other Senators with Classified documents in their homes- Romney said, “it is very unlikely that you will find any senators current or past that have classified documents in their possession. Uh, in part because we do not have access to them. It is the executive branch where this problem is.”

He went on to say that he does not believe the documents found so far were kept in for sinister reasons.

“I do not think any one of the people that you're talking about … took them with ill intent or with a design to hurt national security. But I do believe that sloppiness looks bad.” That sloppiness he added, “whether it is on the current president, past president, or past vice president. It is just wrong. And it puts our nation, uh, in an embarrassing light.”

PRIORITIES

#1 Save Social security, Medicare, Medicaid, save our military, and get to a balanced budget.

#2 Immigration “It really affects our state in a major way.”

#3 Military “With Hill Air Force Base, with the Dugway Proving Grounds, it's important for us to have, the support needed to keep our military the strongest in the world such that no one would think of threatening us.”

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

Recap of the week that was on Utah’s Capitol Hill

Social Media and Kids:

CONGRESS: This week Congressman Chris Stewart presented a bill that would make social media use illegal for kids under the age of 16.

UTAH: Governor Cox announces plan to sue social media companies claiming they harm children.

The future of Utah’s GOP: New poll O.H. Predictive Insights

Next week Election laws on the docket

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

Utah’s snow gauge at 200%

Governor’s State of the State focus on children

First week of the Utah Legislature and they are moving fast

Next week – week 2 of the Utah Legislative session, proposed social media ban for kids under the age of 16 and a look at the debt ceiling.

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Guest: Maura Carabello

State Snowpack at 191 % - flooding in Draper after valley rains

Salt Lake County creating emergency bus service for Cottonwood Canyons – emergency band aid permanent fix still needed

US House has a new speaker: Blake Moore elected to serve on House Ways and Means but he’s also no longer on the armed services committee.

Biden offices have now reportedly found 3 batches of Classified documents- Garland opened and investigation

Gov. Spencer Cox said he wants to see Utah’s sales tax on food eliminated

Domestic violence Friday funerals for family of 8 killed in Murder suicide, Cox wants the legislature to put 50 million aside for domestic violence resources

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

NEW YEAR NEW PROBLEMS TO SOLVE

• Delta commits long term to SLCI Airport
• 13 votes and no US House Speaker
• Utah Legislative Business: 3 elections just days before the session begins
• Legislative priorities

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Guest: Maura Carabello 

• School Vouchers tied to teacher pay increase in upcoming Legislative Session
• Tech Layoffs Continue weeks out from the holidays: Governor’s office of Economic Opportunity says they will step in and help.
• Park City Utah company offering the stocking stuffers that are also NFT and give you a chance to meet the former President.
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• Government shutdown in DC? An annual holiday tradition

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

• Gov. Cox releases proposed Budget
• 
  
• Rocky Anderson is running for Mayor again
• 
  
• Congress votes to codify same sex and interracial marriage- where did Utah’s delegation fall?
• 
  
• Senator Mitt Romney 2024: The latest poll and is he running?
• Democrats win in Georgia: Historically, bad year for Republicans, great year for Dems.
• 
  
• Utah Legislative session shaping up behind the scenes.
• 
  
• Elon Musk: Is he killing twitter or creating a fair and balanced platform?

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

$3.3 billion in Utah state surplus: Should taxpayers get a break or should we use the money in underfunded areas?

Former President Donald Trump is officially in the race for the White House

Democratic Party retains power in the Senate, Republicans cross 218 for control of the House.

Nancy Pelosi calls it a career, steps away from House Leadership

What will change in Congress with newly divided power?

Republicans already saying they will investigate the origins of COVID, Fauci and Biden’s son Hunter and his business dealings with China.

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

Utah Midterm Results Deep Dive

Evan McMullin finishes 14% behind Lee while votes are still being tabulated- his backers still call it a win- but is it?

What does McMullin's loss mean for future independent runs and how does it compare to Democrats in Utah Senate races?

Constitutional Amendment A dies with 64% against.

In Salt Lake County the big winners were democrats.

The red wave that never happened- Who or what is to blame?

The balance of power yet to be decided.

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

Ballot problems

Latest Senate Polls favor Sen. Mike Lee

Voter turnout

Constitutional Amendment an issue where Maura and Greg Agree:

Do voters know enough to vote? Does the Legislature need more spending capability?

Races to Watch

Balance of Power

Elon Musk is now in charge of Twitter

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Walker is running for Congress as a third-party candidate with an eye to problem solving through tech. She is working on an app that would allow constituents the ability to give direct feedback to their congressional candidate.

She sat down with Heidi Hatch on October 31st to discuss Immigration issues she believes can be solved in large part through technology, Inflation and what sets her apart from Congress Burgess Owens.

The midterm election is November 8th.

For voting and registration information: https://vote.utah.gov/

Learn more about Darlene McDonald running on the Democratic ticket and where she stands on issues important to Utahns.

You can learn more about Congressman Burgess Owens time in Congress: https://owens.house.gov/

For more on Owen’s reelection campaign.

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The Senator sat down with Heidi Hatch on Oct. 18 following the televised Senate debate to discuss endorsements, gas prices, inflation, President Joe Biden’s student debt cancelation, attack ads that accuse him of taking money from special interests, immigration, solving the energy crisis and what it will take for Congress to tackle some of these issues in a meaningful way.

The midterm election is November 8.

For voting and registration information: https://vote.utah.gov/

To learn more about Sen. Mike Lee and where he stands on issues important to Utahns.

All candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorded here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast.

You can learn more about independent candidate for US Senate, Evan McMullin.

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The Congressman sat down with Heidi Hatch on October 17 to discuss gas prices, inflation, President Joe Biden’s student debt cancelation, immigration, solving the energy crisis and what it will take for Congress to tackle some of these issues in a meaningful way.

The midterm election is November 8.

For voting and registration information: https://vote.utah.gov/

Learn more about Nick Mitchell the Democratic candidate in the race and where he stands on issues important to Utahns.

All candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorded here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast.

You can learn more about Congressman Chris Stewart’s time in Congress serving Utah’s 1st District:

Campaign information: https://www.stewartforutah.com/

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The former presidential candidate sat down with Heidi Hatch on October 11 to discuss his recent lawsuit, gas prices, inflation, President Joe Biden’s student debt cancelation, his own campaign debt, immigration, his vow not to caucus with either party, immigration and how he thinks he can represent Utah in Congress as an independent voice.

The midterm election is November 8.

For voting and registration information: https://vote.utah.gov/

Learn more about Evan McMullin and Independent candidate in the race and where he stands on issues important to Utahns.

All candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorded here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast. Senator Mike Lee will sit down with Heidi Hatch October 18th as ballots start to arrive in Utah mailboxes.

You can learn more about Senator Mike Lee’s time in Congress.

Campaign information.

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Guest: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

MARIJUANA: President Biden will pardon all federal offenses of simple possession of marijuana. The move is a first step toward decriminalization. He encouraged Governors to do the same.

Should Gov. Cox do the same - will he and can he?

Pioneer Park Coalition urges new strategies for reversing growing homelessness and crime in Salt Lake City; Thomas: “We can no longer remain silent”

The PCC listed four immediate steps it intends to take to help accomplish these goals. They include:

1. Promote the creation of a sanctioned camp and eliminate illegal camping.
2. Promote a “Housing Plus” Demonstration Project that reflects the key elements of the PPC plan.
3. Sponsor a research study to identify the flow of clients through the system and provide information about gaps in service.
4. Encourage facility owners and operators to be accountable for drug use and illegal activity in and adjacent to their facilities.

Pioneer Park Coalition

Evan McMullin Sues PAC KUTV and other local stations for running an attack Ad.

The Super PAC Club for Growth aired an altered interview McMullin did with CNN

McMullin was heard saying "the Republican base is racist”

His direct quote on CNN "there is an element of the Republican base that is racist, and our leaders are afraid to stand up to them, because if they do, if they do so, they'll be criticized, and they'll potentially lose votes, and so they don't do it. The full clip in question is here.

Sen. Mike Lee and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson co-write Op-Ed about accepting election results: “It’s our ability to peacefully accept election results that makes America exceptional”

Opinion: It's our ability to peacefully accept election results that makes America exceptional.

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The Congressman sat down with Heidi Hatch on Oct. 6 to discuss Gas prices, Inflation, President Biden’s student debt cancelation, immigration, solving the energy crisis and what it will take for Congress to tackle some of these issues in a meaningful way.

The midterm election is November 8.

For voting and registration information: https://vote.utah.gov/

To learn more about Rick Jones the Democratic candidate in the race and where he stands on issues important to Utahns:

https://www.electrickjones.com/

All major party candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorded here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast.

You can learn more about Congressman Blake Moore’s time in Congress serving Utah’s 1st District.

Campaign information can be found here.

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Guests: Maura Carabello & Greg Hughes

Hurricane Ian: More than 2 million in Florida without power, death toll 12 but will likely be much higher. South Carolina in the path Friday. Damages in the 10’s of billions.

Goud Maragani, the GOP nominee for Salt Lake County Clerk used social media to accuse Democrats of "cheating" and stealing the 2020 election.

SLTRIB

Using phones while driving would be banned in Utah under renewed proposal

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss (D-Holladay) told KUTV 2News she will likely run a bill that last failed in 2021, believing passing it would deter people from doing things that contribute to distracted driving crashes.

Senate race ads

New Lee Ad from Club for Growth Action uses Evan McMullin saying "the Republican base is racist”

McMullin posted a clip from CNN where he says "But there is an element of the Republican base that is racist, and our leaders are afraid to stand up to them, because if they do, if they do so, they'll be criticized, and they'll potentially lose votes, and so they don't do it. The full clip in question is here.

UTA cutting service to ski resorts

Is there politics involved in trying to get people on board with the Gondola?

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Jones is a student of history and currently a piano teacher. He heard Congressman Blake Moore was running uncontested the day before candidate filings were due. He immediately got to work, paid the filing fee and is working to bring civility back to politics.

He sat down with Heidi Hatch on September 29th to discuss Gas prices, Inflation, President Biden’s student debt cancelation and why he can make a difference in Congress.

The midterm election is November 8th.

For voting and registration information visit here.

To learn more about Jones and where he stands on issues important to Utahns visit his website.

All candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorded here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast.

You can learn more about Congressman Blake Moore time in Congress serving Utah’s 1st District.

Campaign information can be found at electmoore.com

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Wright believes the economy; abortion rights and the environment are the top issues Utahns want Congress to act on.

He sat down with Heidi Hatch on Sept. 26 to discuss gas prices, Utah’s rural economies that depend on fossil fuels, inflation, President Joe Biden’s student debt cancelation and why he can make a difference in Congress.

The midterm election is Nov. 8th 

For voting and registration information visit vote.utah.gov.

To learn more about Wright and where he stands on issues important to Utahns, you can visit Wright's website.

All candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorded here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast.

Learn more about Congressman John Curtis time in Congress serving Utah’s 3rd District.

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

NEW SENATE POLL: Hinckley Des News

• Lee, McMullin react to new poll showing them separated by only 2 points

US SURPASSES RECORD SOUTHERN BORDER CROSSING: 2 million and counting

• VP Harris says the border is secure
• Gov. DeSantis ships migrants to Martha’s Vineyard

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke canceled from Utah Sheriffs Association meeting

• Utah NAACP chair asked for his removal.
• Clark is controversial: spoke at a QAnon conference, supported the Proud Boys and called Black Lives Matter a hate group. For the record he is Black.

Legislative meetings: Highlights and lowlights?

Joel Ferry Replacement Sworn in: A Brigham City councilman is the newest member of the Utah House of Representatives, filling the seat recently vacated by the new head of the Department of Natural Resources.

Tom Peterson was sworn in Wednesday after defeating three other Republican candidates in a special election the day before. Peterson replaces Joel Ferry, who stepped down last month after being tapped by the governor earlier in the summer to lead the DNR. Peterson will have to step down from his council job, he works as a building official for the State.

New book coming out: Titan of the Senate

TITAN OF THE SENATE is the dramatic story of a conservative champion who shaped modern America—by leading a Golden Age of Bipartisanship and passing more legislation than any other Senator in the post-Vietnam era. Senator Orrin Hatch co-wrote the most sweeping civil rights bill since the 1960s, launched a health insurance program for 25,000,000 uninsured children, co-created the generic drug industry, and championed the greatest HIV/AIDS legislation in American history, while sponsoring or co-sponsoring over 750 pieces of legislation. Based on interviews with Hatch and many of his Senate colleagues plus over 10,000 pages of research from the U.S. Senate Historian's files, this is also the story of a leader who envisions a New Golden Age of Bipartisanship for the future of American politics.

WILLIAM DOYLE is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and TV producer based in New York City

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Mitchell is running for Congress on the issues of truth, transparency, and facts.

In our interview he admitted – he’s not an expert on every issue but is ready to listen and learn.

He sat down with Heidi Hatch on Sept. 21 to discuss inflation, immigration issues, President Joe Biden’s student debt cancelation (his answers may surprise you), the economy and what sets him apart from Congressman Chris Stewart.

The midterm election is Nov. 8. 

For voting and registration information visit here.

To learn more about Mitchell and where he stands on issues important to Utahns: https://www.nickmitchellforcongress.com/

All candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorded here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast.

You can learn more about Congressman Chris Stewart time in Congress.

Campaign information: https://burgess4utah.com/

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McDonald is running for Congress because she’s “tired of seeing endless distractions while our country faces serious and very real problems that are being ignored.”

She sat down with Heidi Hatch on September 20th to discuss Immigration issues, President Biden’s student debt cancelation, Inflation, the economy and what sets her apart from Congress Burgess Owens.

The midterm election is November 8th. 

For voting and registration information visit https://vote.utah.gov/

Learn more about McDonald and where she stands on issues important to Utahns.

https://twitter.com/VoteDarlene

All candidates are offered the same opportunity for an interview, they will be posted as they are recorder here on KUTV.com and on the Take 2 Podcast.

You can learn more about Congressman Burgess Owens time in Congress at Burgess' website.

Campaign information: https://burgess4utah.com/

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Rapping Grandma enters the race, in case you missed it, in the District 12 Senate Race 

Court rules in favor of Texas law allowing lawsuits against social media companies

Watch for interviews from Utah’s Congressional Candidates here on Take 2 leading up to the Nov. 8th election

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Guests: Greg Hughes & Maura Carabello

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch, dead at 96

Evan McMullin held a rally and released internal polling: Can internal polling be trusted, and if so, should Lee be worried?

Impact Research: Among likely voters in Utah, McMullin receives 47% of the vote while Lee gets 46%, and just 7% of the vote remains undecided

Utah Democrats file a federal lawsuit: Dems want to force Joel Ferry off the ballot in House District 1.

Aimee Winder Newton defends new appointment:

The Tribune Editorial Board also claims Cox gave “two jobs to one woman.” With all due respect, the people in Salt Lake County District 3 gave me one of those jobs, not the governor. Many elected officials in the state work for government while serving in elected office.

New Utah Flag options: Dan McCay tweeted the finalists, saying, “They are rich with meaning and share a strong connection to Utah.”

What do everyday Utahns think?

BYU finds no evidence of racist slur used at home volleyball match against Duke

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Host: Heidi Hatch

Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group & John Dougall, State Auditor

President Biden holds prime time speech:  Calls “MAGA Republicans” an “extremist threat to America’s future.”

           Networks did not carry the speech

           Will it help or hurt the political divide

RNC reacts to speech with 10 minute video of “Democrats denying election results”

Congressional Debates set

UDOT Favors Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola.

SLC and County Mayors say no thanks – 45-day comment period

Aimee Winder Newton named senior advisor Office of families

Salt Lake City alive and well post-pandemic?

Newly released cell phone data shows visits to downtown Salt Lake City are up for businesses and landmarks.

155% of levels a year prior to the pandemic.

Does this reflect a real life comeback?

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