Host Heidi Hatch welcomes guests Maura Carabello, from the Exoro Group, and Greg Hughes, a former Speaker of the House in Utah.

Summer is over and it’s time for back to school and it feels like Groundhog Day as the delta variant of COVID-19 has brought back concerns about widespread coronavirus. This week the indoor mask mandate for Salt Lake County children 11 and under, while in school, was vetoed with a 6-3 vote along party lines from the Salt Lake County Council.

Did the Utah Legislature pass the buck by forcing county councils to make the decisions are are local decisions best? House Democrats supported the mandate ahead of the vote and what is the school year going to look like?

COVID-19 breakthrough cases are rising in Utah, accounting for 18% of all cases July 6 through Aug. 6 and 112 fully vaccinated Utahns were hospitalized since the beginning of August. What’s next? Meanwhile booster vaccines were approved for the immunocompromised.

Primary elections are over with ranked choice for 23 cities this fall. We talk about any surprises.

In Washington D.C., the bi-partisan infrastructure passed so what will Democrats do next?

While Sen. Mike Lee voted no, Sen. Mitt Romney helped broker the deal and voted for it. Democrats have released a $3.5 trillion budge resolution that would invest in paid leave, child care, pre pre-kindergarten, free community college, green energy and expansion of Medicare, along with a long list of programs.

In other news, new census numbers are out and its crush time for redistricting.