State Street

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! 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.

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!

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.

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.

This week, we’re zooming out a bit to look at what it’s been like to legislate during a session shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. We talked with lawmakers, lobbyists and journalists about what they miss the most (and why it’s the cafeteria’s tater tots) and what changes they hope might stick around.

Education is always touted as a top priority, if not THE top priority, during Utah’s legislative session. This year is no exception, so we brought in KUER’s education reporter Jon Reed to give us a quick lesson on how lawmakers are funding and regulating schools, teachers and students.

Every year, hundreds of bills are filed for Utah lawmakers to consider during the legislative session. But, not all those bills were written by Utah lawmakers or their staff. Some of them weren’t even written in Utah. This week, hosts Sonja Hutson and Emily Means walk us through how a model bill becomes a Utah bill.

Finding an affordable rental unit in Utah isn’t easy, and lawmakers know it. So, in an attempt to create more affordable housing, some want to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. But city officials like Park City Mayor Andy Bearman say the one-size-fits-all approach will do more harm than good.