HB477 Put On Hold; Lawmakers Say Goal is Privacy, Not Secrecy

Privatizing Public Records: Media, legislature differ on what constitutes a record.

POSTED // Mar 7,2011 - Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland, is a legislator who does not like Big Brother snooping into the private lives of citizens—or Big Media, for that matter ...

HB232 Would Legalize Syringe-Exchange Programs for Drug Users

Sticking points: Proponents say program would reduce HIV and other diseases.

POSTED // Mar 2,2011 - The Utah House of Representatives voted unanimously in favor of a bill that aims to allow clean-needle-exchange programs ...

SB314 Heavy on Enforcement, Light on Licenses

Stiff drink: Bill would also change format of City Weekly Beer Festival.

POSTED // Mar 1,2011 - In 2009, Utahns raised a glass to freedom and to the downfall of outmoded private-club memberships. Two legislative sessions later, Utah liquor licenses are becoming as rare as a gray hair on Gary Herbert’s head ...

Trials of Conscience

POSTED // Feb 23,2011 - Nineteen years before Tim DeChristopher made bids on 22,000 acres of southern Utah land, three Utah activists stepped over a wire fence at Magna’s Hercules production site ...

Primary Children's Drops Cat Intubation After PETA Complaints

Declawed: The hospital will now use simulators, which some say are not as effective for training.

POSTED // Feb 22,2011 - On Feb. 9, Primary Children’s Medical Center canceled a scheduled training for flight nurses involving intubation of cats—used as proxies for infant children ...

High Times

Experts endorsing prohibition admit they're lagging behind designer-drug developers—and it may get worse.

POSTED // Feb 16,2011 - Banning new designer drugs is harder than it looks. With almost unanimous approval in both chambers, the Utah Legislature last week approved bans on spice, a marijuana alternative ...

SB150 Could Let Hospitals Off the Hook for Hiring Bad Docs

Negative cred: The bill seeks to reverse a 2010 Utah Supreme Court decision.

POSTED // Feb 16,2011 - Sen. Stuart Adams is presenting SB 150 to essentially reverse the Utah Supreme Court decision by codifying that Utah hospitals can’t be sued for credentialing a bad doctor.

Government-Free Marriage

A new group says taking government out of the equation could solve everything.

POSTED // Feb 9,2011 - While conservatives rally behind the sanctity of marriage and LGBT advocates rally against a denial of equality ...

Proposed bill would create more restaurant liquor licenses; leaves bars and clubs in the cold

Licensed for Nil: state Sen. Valentine wants drinkers to eat.

POSTED // Feb 9,2011 - The shortage of state liquor licenses will get attention in the Legislature this year...

Out of Commission

Senate bill would short-leash professional commissions as a cost-saving measure.

POSTED // Feb 2,2011 - State lawmakers, faced with revenue shortfalls, are looking to cut costs wherever they can ...