Utah lawmakers pitch berms and Band-aids as political will to save The Great Salt Lake evaporates.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: Dust to Dust
Patience is not a personal characteristic of Utah lawmakers. They are all about quick fixes and if that can't be done, blame someone else—or Mother Nature. The Great Salt Lake is a case in point. Three years ago, lawmakers had their panties in a bunch over the shrinking lake, but their solutions were focused around good will and voluntary actions. How did that work? It didn't. Sure, there are models of conservation. The LDS church started water-wise landscaping around its temples. But the state would have to cut consumption in half to make a difference, and it won't. While there's talk about alfalfa's thirst, there is nothing about beef and dairy cattle. Dr. Brian Moench of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment said the state ignores the "massive diversion of inlets to the lake." And House Speaker Mike Schultz's solution? Some kind of berm while the lake beds dry up for a while. "The legislative and executive appetite to get water to the lake has absolutely evaporated," said the BYU scientist who warned the lake would dry up in five years. And some lawmakers still believe it's just a matter of the weather.
Miss: What Study?
While Utah's shape-shifting governor once expressed love and concern for transgender youth, that concern couldn't stand the test of right-wing messaging. Legislators passed a law in 2023 that banned gender-affirming care for trans youth. It was supposed to be temporary while they waited for the findings of a study—one they initiated. The report noted that trans mortality risks are mostly due to suicide, HIV/AIDS and non-natural causes. Then came one of the president's multitudinous executive orders for a nationwide restriction on gender-affirming care. The jury's out on that—literally. But Utah decisionmakers bow to His Majesty while ignoring the facts, and their most recent study. The bill's sponsors say the science isn't there—maybe because they're not looking at it.
Hit: Check it Out
Just as Utah banned its 18th book—laughably because of "porn"—Salt Lake City has opened a long-needed library in the Ballpark area. The new Library Lab is an experiment of sorts. Housed in a former duplex, it has no regular operating hours and will be the city's first "24/7 library." A locker will allow patrons to pick up books they've placed on hold. The Library Lab is intended to serve as a precursor to a more traditional branch, but even a small nod to the need is good news for the long-neglected Ballpark neighborhood. "Ever since the Bees left the stadium, we've been kinda like watching, trying to pay attention to what's going on, what's coming," Hillary Kirkland, who owns a business in the neighborhood, told Fox 13 Utah. Besides books, the facility will be able to host community gatherings and other events.
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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