New Tax Strategies
Who knew it only takes a colon to get out of paying taxes? Apparently, it takes sovereign citizens who have spent a huge amount of time and energy studying syntax—or should they call it "sin tax?" The Salt Lake Tribune brought up those questions after watching who the Davis County GOP put in a state leadership position. It was Teena Horlacher, or rather :Teena-Porter: Horlacher©, as she writes it. The colons and hyphens keep you from paying taxes, allegedly, and the copyright symbol is "common law copyright notice," whatever that is. Horlacher told the Tribune she's not one of those sovereign citizens, but the Davis County Conservatives she leads have been deflecting criticism over what other GOP officials called racist comments aimed at a Clearfield councilman. It shouldn't be surprising as the movement has gained ground in the party since the 1990s. Republicans can just accept them or call them out. It's their choice.
At What Cost
After Earth Day, how appropriate is it to decimate stands of 100-year-old trees? Rancher Steve Ault decided to take on the establishment—even though it may be too late—over a project to "tie together two vast trail networks in Utah and Heber valleys," according to The Salt Lake Tribune. UDOT and the Mountainland Association of Governments are paving a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail, some of which crosses Ault's property. "The real tragedy is the destruction of that stretch we call the 'National Treasure.'" Apparently, most of the trees have been cut down. Ault's lawyer calls it sleight of hand. With no trees, there is no impact on nesting birds. Whether Ault wins the fight or not, he has at least called out yet another destruction of natural habitat.
Lawyers Tricks
No one can say the Legislature doesn't know what it's doing. In fact, it already pulled a fast one on the public as Planned Parenthood Utah prepared to argue against the impending trigger law outlawing abortion in the state. The courts had granted an injunction in the case and arguments were pending for May 10. But good ol' boy Sen. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, managed to pass a dense and convoluted joint resolution on how court injunctions are granted. Basically, injunctions would not be granted unless there was "substantial likelihood" that they'd succeed. In other words, you have to know you'll win before you argue. The Utah Bar objected, but no one cares what lawyers think about the law. Now the court has halted proceedings and is asking for new briefs about the injunction by May 8. You know this resolution was about the abortion injunction, although Kennedy and his buddies said it wasn't. Apparently, it was about injunctions we can't even imagine.