State Street: Recent Episodes
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This is the place where Utah politics tastes good. Where the stories are covered in fry sauce and you can boost your civic IQ without all the campaigning, cajoling and cross-talk. This is politics, the Utah way. Hosted by Sonja Hutson and Emily Means.
For the fourth year in a row, lawmakers have taken up legislation that directly impacts transgender Utahns.
If Utah is going to reach the idyllic future the leaders of today are promising it'll take bee work to make the dream work.
The 2025 Utah legislative session (which opens Jan. 21) will have more than a few fresh faces — 22 to be exact. We talk to two of them.
The 45-day marathon draws near! How will Utah's GOP supermajority handle the new majority in D.C.? How about the Trump effect? Will there be another tax cut? We have questions...
America has spoken: Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States. But what happened in Utah? We learned a few things about the future of state politics.
Utah flipping blue isn't on our bingo card this election cycle. But the state is growing and changing quickly and Democratic strategists thinks there's a purple opening.
The big races at the top of the ballot get all the attention, but do you know who your local candidates are? We make our case for why you should be paying attention to races at the local level, too.
Two climate advocates walk into a Utah Senate campaign... It's not a corny joke, it's what's actually happening in 2024. Times have changed.
Amendment A has gone the way of Amendment D. It’s still on your ballot, but no votes for or against it will be counted. That said, understanding A is important because it's likely to rise again...
What is the voter’s place in Utah’s Democracy? It wasn't really an out loud question until the Utah Supreme Court stirred up a hornet's nest over citizen-led ballot initiatives.
This November has what we call "big ballot energy." Beginning Oct. 3, new episodes of State Street will be in your feed every Thursday through the election.
What do the candidates who won in the Utah primary show us about the state of Utah’s Republican Party? Especially as we look to young people and the future?
The primary is coming! We take a deep dive into messaging and examine what “brand” of conservative politics does and doesn’t get through to the Gen Z and Millennial voters in Utah.
Utah is the youngest state in the union but you wouldn't know that by looking at who's voting. It's primary season and we wanted to why the youth seem disengaged.
Even though we’re months away from November, Utahns still need to pay attention to what goes down THIS month.
We’re walking you through the upcoming June 25 primary. Which is kind of the big freaking deal election in Utah, especially if you’re a registered Republican.
Will drawing in more major league sports be the ticket that catapults Utah to the top and fix what Charles Barkley called a "boring ass city?"
After a sprint focused on two big, hot-button bills, week 3 at the Utah Legislature shifted gears for the supermajority's focus on energy policy.
For the last 2 years, Utah has passed laws directly impacting many transgender Utahns' ways of life. This year added a 3rd bill — and a debate over bathrooms.
Week one of the legislative session has come and gone and Utah lawmakers are pedal to the metal. They're moving fast. Like, Usain Bolt in the Olympics FAST.
2024 is an election year and former Speaker Brad Wilson is running for Senate. That means Utah has a new Speaker of the House this session. Say hi to Mike Schultz.
Let the 45 days of madness begin! This season on State Street, we’re not just talking about what happens on Capitol Hill. We’re looking at how the decisions made — and who makes them — affect you.
Although it’s tempting to slap a label on Utah like “red state” or “ultra religious” and call it good, we wanted to take a closer look at these things and get to the heart of what makes Utah, Utah.
Utah's population growth is poppin' but there's one small hiccup. OK, it's a big hiccup. Housing hasn't kept up.
Even though child care can be a challenge, many Utah moms make both parenting and their careers a priority.
The state is far from perfect and the progress has been hard fought. But if you know where to look, you can find vibrant LGBTQ+ communities.
There's been a shift in Latter-day Saint religiosity and perhaps the most noticeable change is among Millennials and Gen Z.
What do you think of when you think of Utah? We posed that question to people on the street in California and got answers that may not surprise you. But are they true?
How much trouble can Utah's lawmakers get into in 45 days? You'd be surprised. They passed 575 bills this year — a NEW record.
Real talk: Utah’s air quality is not great. Especially in the winter. Why so brown, bromine?
There were a few expected topics on the back burner this session. When would a big bill drop? With 2 weeks to go, we got our answer.
The governor said this year should be "the year of the teacher," but there were some strings attached to that by Utah lawmakers.
It was "water week" at the Utah Legislature! Last year, we powered through the lawmaker-declared "year of water." How'd we do this year?
Utah lawmakers moved swiftly this session to ban gender-affirming care for minors — and the governor signed it the next day.
With all the action happening at the Legislature, we're wondering what's going on in Utah's executive branch.
Welcome back! It's time for the 2023 Utah Legislative Session. The BEST 45 days of the year, in our unbiased opinion.
Utah's lawmakers are back to work for 45 days starting on Jan. 17, 2023, and we want you to ride shotgun with us as we keep tabs on all the madness on the hill. Will it be the year of water... or for tax cuts? Let's find out together.
The 2022 midterms are over! Let's talk about all the things that happened after Utahns cast their vote.
Hey, State Streeters! The team is hard at work preparing to bring you the latest and greatest from Election Day so we're taking a quick break with a fun thought exercise about how bringing an NHL team to Utah could focus some much-needed attention on the ailing Great Salt Lake. Big thanks to our pals at City Cast Salt Lake.
All the chatter and attention is usually on the big ticket races (Hello, Mike Lee vs Evan McMullin). But there's a lot happening deeper into your ballot. We talk about it so you don't have to ignore it.
All the chatter and attention is usually on the big ticket races (Hello, Mike Lee vs Evan McMullin). But there's a lot happening deeper into your ballot. We talk about it so you don't have to ignore it.
Ballots are in the mail and the biggest choice Utahns face is whether they'll stand by Sen. Mike Lee or shake things up in the Senate with independent Evan McMullin.
Ballots are in the mail and the biggest choice Utahns face is whether they'll stand by Sen. Mike Lee or shake things up in the Senate with independent Evan McMullin.
Like much of the rest of the country, people are worried about housing and inflation. That Great Salty Lake is also on Utahns’ list.
Like much of the rest of the country, people are worried about housing and inflation. That Great Salty Lake is also on Utahns’ list.
State Street is back for a new season, and this time it’s all about midterms. But first! We’ve got two new hosts ready to take the wheel.
State Street is back for a new season, and this time it’s all about midterms. But first! We’ve got two new hosts ready to take the wheel.
What are the most important takeaways from this year’s legislative session? The State Street team discusses the top things you need to know.
Who holds the cards when it comes to government power in Utah? Salt Lake Tribune Columnist Robert Gehrke has some thoughts.
The housing market in Utah? Brutal. This week we find out what kind of money is on the table to help solve the problem.
Should Utah have capital punishment? The debate divides the state’s Republicans and asks: what is justice?
The Great Salt Lake is in retreat and lawmakers and conservationists are looking at what can be done to save it.
Who should be in charge of what gets taught in schools? The Utah Legislature tackles Critical Race Theory.
Grab a cold soda and circle Jan. 18 on your calendar because the Utah legislature — AND State Street — are back!
Being a legislator is kind of like dining at a restaurant. You have a big menu of all of the dishes — or bills — you can choose from. You pick one you like and debate with others whether you should order it or move to the next option. But who gets to choose what goes on the menu in the first place? That’s where the Rules Committee comes in. We take a look at what’s going on in the kitchen — and why it matters.
You don’t have to run for office and you don’t have to become a political journalist to have a place in Utah politics. There’s room for ALL KINDS of involvement, but it can be hard to know what’s effective and what’s just noise. So, Sonja and Emily will walk us through how to go from informed to engaged in Utah politics.
Becoming a politician in Utah takes more than just waking up one day and deciding you want to run for office. Surprising? Probably not. But for those bold few who DO wake up with a bee in their bonnet, the path is a lot easier if you a) have a lot of free time and b) have a lot of money. That leaves out a pretty big chunk of the population.
45 days. That’s not a lot of time to write, debate and pass hundreds of bills. And just like one notorious maiden at the ball, once the clock strikes midnight the party is over. So, how does the magic happen?
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a Republican supermajority in the Utah Legislature! Wait … what does that really mean?
You hear it over and over again from politicians here — “that’s the Utah way.” What they mean is that politics in this state are nice and civil, and everyone has a seat at the table. But … is that really true?
It’s hard to understand where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. So, we asked longtime journalist Doug Fabrizio to guide us through the past 30 years of Utah politics.
Every legislative session a few bills pop up that generate a lot of buzz, but never quite make it to the finish line. For the last few years, that has been the case with proposed legislation to toughen the state's penalties for hate crimes. So what invisible forces propel some bills while squashing others? Some critics say it's the Mormon Church, whose membership includes almost 90 percent of the Utah Legislature. Others say their influence is overstated. And then there's Steve Urquhart, a former Republican state senator from St. George, who observed this phenomenon firsthand.
That's a wrap! The Legislature passed 534 bills this session, just one bill shy of their record during the 2017 session, and left hundreds more behind. Here are the highlights, plus a conversation with Gov. Gary Herbert.
We are live in Cedar City this week for a special recap of the 2018 legislative session. Joining Julia and Nicole on stage are three Utah lawmakers from the region: Rep. Walt Brooks of St. George, Rep. John Westwood of Cedar City and Sen. Don Ipson of St. George. What laws will have the biggest effect on southern Utah and how did the legislature tackle some of the critical issues facing it? This show was taped at Southern Utah University in partnership with the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service.
Nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes, and legislators are tackling both in Week 5 of the session. This week we talk with reporter Whittney Evans about some surprise backers of a new death penalty repeal effort. We also look at the state's big budget surplus and try to divine what lawmakers might do with all that extra scratch. The Utah Legislature's bluest member Sen. Jim Dabakis announces he's done after this session, joining several other incumbents on their way out the door, like Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, our featured guest on 'Better Know a Lawmaker.'
Now, this is the story all about how Week 6 of the Legislature got flipped-turned upside down? Utah's beatboxing lawmakers are gearing up for their final spurt to the finish line with several big items still left on Republican leaders' to-do list. Notably, two proposals to add work requirements to Medicaid, the federal low-income health care program, are racing through the chambers as we speak. One lawmaker is also getting support for a last-minute bill to establish a "red flag" law to confiscate guns from people who pose a credible threat to public safety. The Legislature is also doing some Arnold Schwarzenegger-level flexing of power over a number of entities, including cities, the executive branch and — albeit unsuccessfully — the press.
Welcome back to another session of the Utah Legislature … and another season of 45 Days!
This week three major bills — tax reform, conversion therapy, and 4.8 percent beer — were killed in some form or another. We talk with Katie McKellar from the Deseret News about lawmakers’ efforts to address homelessness and affordable housing, and we’ve noticed a new buzzword popping up in Utah politics recently.
That’s a wrap, folks! The 2021 General Session has come to a close, which means this season of 45 Days ends here as well. We introduced you to a lot of bills and issues over the past several weeks, so this week we’re rounding up which of those headed to the governor’s desk and which ones are dust in the wind. Plus, we’ll break down what all those new laws will mean for Utahns.