KCPW's 2008 Legislative Coverage

CHIP Enrollment Opens Permanently Next Week

Posted Apr 30, 2008 02:00 PM by Eric Ray

In the past, funding shortages have meant placing a cap on the amount of children allowed to enroll in the state's health insurance program for children - or CHIP. However, starting Monday that will no longer be an issue.

Read More | Post a comment

Utah Sex Offenders to be More Closely Watched

Posted Apr 29, 2008 01:45 PM by Eric Ray

Beginning Monday, sex offenders will be under a more high-powered public microscope as changes to Utah's Sex Offender Registry go into effect.

AG's Office Has Yet to Confirm

Posted Apr 08, 2008 02:34 PM by Jeff Robinson

The Utah Attorney General's office has settled a lawsuit with two people who were told they could not hold up posters outside the House chambers toward the end of this year's legislative session, according to a Salt Lake City-based attorney representing the two.

Read More | Post a comment

Candidate Filing Deadline Ends

Incumbents Facing Challengers Across the State

Posted Mar 18, 2008 01:01 AM by Jeff Robinson

Utah Republican and Democratic Party officials can now take a breather, after the 10-day period for candidates to file for state, county and federal offices came to a close last night. Utah Republican Party Chairman Stan Lockhart expects Utahns' values to continue to align with the majority party, while Utah Democratic Party chairman Wayne Holland says change is on the way. KCPW's Jeff Robinson spoke with them both along with some of the candidates to get their take on who has the best to offer the people of Utah this coming November.

Audio | Read More | 1 Comment

Groups on Both Sides Oppose Controversial Immigration Bill

Say Task Force is Needed

Posted Mar 14, 2008 11:19 AM by Jeff Robinson

(KCPW News) People on both sides of the political aisle aren't happy with the Governor's decision to approve a controversial anti-illegal immigration bill. Senate Bill 81 will require contractors that work with government agencies to verify the immigration status of their employees. Paul Mero, president of the conservative think-tank The Sutherland Institute, calls that ridiculous.

Posted Mar 12, 2008 11:46 AM by Eric Ray

Lawmaker attempts to stop Utah Education Association members from making voluntary contributions to the union's Political Action Committee through payroll deductions may have spurred fundraising for the teachers union.

Read More | Post a comment

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Midday Metro starts after the 10 a.m. news

Posted Mar 11, 2008 07:20 PM by Lara Jones

A $1,700 salary bump; $10 million to pay for teacher-directed classroom supplies; performance pay programs - are teachers satisfied with their treatment at the hands of state lawmakers this year? Midday Metro goes one-on-one with Kim Campbell, president of the Utah Education Association, which represents 18,000 members in 40 schools districts.

Homebuilders are seeing their workloads drop off in the face of the sub-prime crisis and talk of recession. However, greenbuilders are reporting a steady pace in many areas of the country. Midday Metro finds out if the trend holds true in Utah with Aaron Needham of Needham Homes and Development and Randy Moore, president of the Utah Home Builders Association. Plus Richard Jaffa, Jaffa Group, and Sarah Weinberg, Build Green Utah.

Plus what's really in your drinking water? A recent story by the Associated Press says it's your neighbors prescription drugs. Learn more with Jeff Salt, Great Salt Lakekeeper, and Bill Moellmer, environmental scientist, Division of Water Quality, and head of Utah's triennial water standards review committee.

Join the conversation. Call 355-TALK or email midday@kcpw.org during the show to participate.

Audio | Post a comment

Speaker of the House Reflects on Legislative Session and Prepares for Campaign

Posted Mar 11, 2008 12:40 PM by Eric Ray

Following a 45-day legislative session in which Utah lawmakers tackled high profile issues like immigration, health system reform, and teacher compensation, many would expect them to take a breather. However with 2008 being an election year, most public servants hoping for reelection can't afford that luxury.

That certainly goes for Republican Greg Curtis, Speaker of Utah's House of Representatives, who once again faces a challenge from Democrat Jay Seegmiller. Curtis defeated Seegmiller by just 20 votes in 2006 for Salt Lake County's District 49 seat.

KCPW's Eric Ray spoke with Curtis about the challenges of the 2008 session and plans for his re-election campaign.

Audio | Read More | Post a comment

Legislature Increases Motion Picture Incentive Fund

Posted Mar 11, 2008 12:15 PM by Eric Ray

Utah lawmakers have decided to up the ante in their efforts to bring major movie productions to the state.

Read More | Post a comment

Division of Air Quality Gets Boost From Lawmakers

Posted Mar 11, 2008 11:07 AM by Eric Ray

The Environmental Protection Agency enacted more stringent air quality standards for particulate pollution in late 2006. Those standards have put the squeeze on Utah's Division of Air Quality, which received an extra $2 million per year from the legislature this session to help tackle the problem.

Read More | Post a comment

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Midday Metro starts after the 10 a.m. news

Posted Mar 10, 2008 03:35 PM by Lara Jones

Laissez faire capitalism and social norms, governmental regulation and criminal prohibition all play into America's drug habit. Midday Metro talks with law professor and co-director of the Utah Criminal Justice Center Erik Luna about this week's two-day conference on Drugs: Addiction, Therapy, and Crime at the University of Utah.

Several bills approved by lawmakers had the support of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think-tank based in Salt Lake. President Paul Mero talks about the important gains for parental rights, limited government, and public access to information that came out of this year's legislative session.

Deep Vein Thrombosis - or DVT - affects up to 2 million Americans each year. While the disease is preventable, approximately 600,000 people are hospitalized each year with DVT and its primary complication, pulmonary embolism. Learn how to prevent this life-threatening condition with Dr. Robert Pendleton, director of the University Health Care's Thrombosis Services, and Melanie Bloom, whose husband, David, died of DVT while covering the war in Iraq for NBC.

Join the conversation. Call 355-TALK or email midday@kcpw.org during the show to participate.

Audio | Read More | Post a comment

Advocates Applaud Lawmaker's Health Care Baby Steps

Posted Mar 10, 2008 01:00 AM by Eric Ray

Despite much talk about taking action to reform Utah's health care system, lawmakers did little more than form a task force to study the possibility of change. That said, some healthcare advocates say it's not a negative to take baby steps early in the process.

Read More | Post a comment