Everything But Guns
Utah's ideological umbrella is obvious—the Second Amendment and any business interests that bring money to the state are really all that matter. While we play at caring about kids and families, the decisions made at the highest levels defy logic. Utah tries to protect kids by eliminating the critical thinking process and closing off the pathways to a broader world. Utah protects kids in well-to-do families, while squeezing out public money for others. But as The Salt Lake Tribune reported, "that impulse to ban dangerous things for children did not transfer to firearms during the 2023 session. Firearms surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents." Instead, the Legislature banned transgender care for the very few kids it would impact and then delighted in the national attention they got for social media restrictions on minors—something that will surely draw lawsuits. Not only did they not address gun violence, they passed several bills that will likely encourage it. It took a personal tragedy experienced by the lieutenant governor to get a "lethality assessment" in domestic violence cases. An editor's letter in The Week said this: "The worship of weapons. Sacrificing children so that anyone can own an AR-15."
Land Grabs
Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson calls it "legislative cronyism." She's not wrong—the question is about that "local control" thing and how the Legislature overrides it to help developers, like Dakota Pacific Real Estate. Senate bill 84 superseded local land-use authority in a way that could "allow Dakota Pacific to build a high-density, mixed-use development without county approval—despite the existing development code and strong community opposition," the Park Record writes. The county has been working for years with owners of a tech center at Kimball Junction, but the Legislature thinks it knows best what their needs are. The county calls that unconstitutional and is suing, although the law could go into effect in May.
Chipping Away
A question often asked is whether our democracy can survive if most Republicans think the government is illegitimate. A Washington Post writer tried to answer that, and the result was not hopeful. "The foundations of American civic culture have been gradually weakening for decades," Pippa Norris wrote. A Deseret News op-ed noted that less than one-third of Americans born after 1980 think democracy is vital. It's true that the Legislature approved more spending for civics education in the state, and that is a positive trend. But there is increasing pushback about diversity and equity education, as well as a focus on "values" rather than the nuts and bolts of the American system. This is why the Federalist Society's precepts are ingrained in Utah civics. It's leftists, they say, who encourage political advocacy. The message is to just be nice.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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