As the clock ticks closer to 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Utah state officials are bracing for a looming government shutdown that could have widespread impacts on federal workers and programs across the nation.

State officials have been scrambling to prepare for the shutdown that will take place overnight unless Republicans and Democrats in Congress reach an agreement on a stopgap spending bill before the deadline. While the Utah Office of Tourism says it’s “committed” to keeping Utah’s national parks “protected, open and accessible” during a shutdown — prepared to use state funds if necessary to continue at least some services — it’s urging the federal government to approve federal funds to support park operations.

Meanwhile, the Republican supermajority controlling the Utah Legislature in both the House and Senate issued firmly worded letters to congressional leaders urging the U.S. Senate to “immediately pass a clean short-term funding extension to prevent a government shutdown that would harm hardworking Americans across our states.”

“With the September 30 deadline days away, the Senate must fast-track the clean extension the House passed with bipartisan support,” says the letter signed by Utah House Republicans to both majority and minority U.S. leaders, dated Friday.

“Holding government funding hostage is not a political game — it carries real, immediate consequences in every state,” Utah House Republicans wrote. “A shutdown would withhold pay from troops, first responders, and firefighters, disrupt vital services for seniors and veterans, and cut off food assistance for struggling families. These avoidable disruptions would inflict severe harm on the American people.”

Utah Senate Republicans signed a similarly phrased letter dated Sunday, urging the U.S. Senate to support “a solution on the table that Senate Democrats should support, after all they did vote for this funding extension just six months ago.”

“The clean funding extension provides stability for our military service members, veterans, and their families, as well as the continuity of low-income assistance programs,” Utah Senate Republicans wrote. “Allowing a shutdown would consequently and needlessly disrupt our economies, threaten public safety, and undermine public confidence in our institutions. Our families and communities would feel the pain with immediate effect and confusion.”

They added that a government shutdown is “neither sustainable nor a responsible way to govern and the American people understand that.”

“That is why we are calling on Senate Democrats to fulfill their duties, put their politicking behind, and do what’s best for the country: keep the government open,” the Utah Senate GOP’s letter continues. They added that there is “no path forward” for Democrats’ “nearly $1.5 trillion wish list,” which includes a proposal to extend expiring health insurance subsidies and provisions to roll back Medicaid restrictions in the “big, beautiful” law.

In addition to signing on to the letter, one of Utah’s top Republicans, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, issued a prepared statement urging Congress to “act without delay” to pass the short-term funding extension.

A federal government shutdown is nearing. Here’s a guide for what to expect.

“We strongly urge the U.S. Senate to put the country’s interests above politics and keep the government open,” Adams said. “The American people deserve leadership that prioritizes good governance over partisan gamesmanship.”

How will Utah’s ‘Mighty 5’ national parks be impacted?

The Utah Office of Tourism said in a statement issued Monday that “we are committed to keeping Utah’s parks, monuments and outdoor recreation experiences protected, open and accessible.”

“Our priority is to do right by visitors who have planned trips of a lifetime from all over the world to experience our national parks, as well as by Utahns and communities whose livelihoods depend on a healthy visitor economy,” the statement said.

Utah’s national parks — Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion — generated about $3.1 billion in visitor spending for the state’s economy in 2024.

“If the federal government does not provide an adequate solution, Utah stands ready to offer strategic state support to keep our parks open and accessible to all,” the statement said.

Anna Loughridge, spokesperson for the Utah Office of Tourism, told Utah News Dispatch on Monday morning that some state funding has been set aside to help keep the parks open and fund a limited scope of services in the event of a government shutdown, but she didn’t have a specific number of how much state funding would be available, saying the situation “continues to evolve day by day.”

“Our primary focus is there are federal funds that should be able to support park operations,” she said. “We are committed to being a part of a solution and shaping a Utah that lasts. So ultimately, what we are doing is advocating for federal dollars to fund park operations. If that is not able to happen, then Utah does stand ready to offer strategic support to ensure that parks stay open and accessible.”

It all depends on whether any federal funds do become available, but Loughridge said a government shutdown has the potential to impact park services like visitor centers, shuttles and custodial services.

“So who’s emptying trashes, cleaning bathrooms?” she said. “So many of those things that impact the visitor experience and, of course, are also sometimes a health and safety consideration.”

Asked if there are risks of any national park workers getting furloughed in Utah, Loughridge said “that is a question for the federal government.” She said there are “still a lot of unknowns.”

As of Monday afternoon, the Interior Department was on a list of federal departments that had not yet posted an updated contingency plan on its website to deal with the shutdown, according to States Newsroom’s Washington D.C. bureau.

What about other Utah programs?

Utah’s national parks may be the first to feel widespread impacts if the federal government goes dark, but other state programs that rely on federal funds could also be negatively impacted depending on how long the shutdown lasts.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services — which has a wide range of social programs under its umbrella, including assistance for food, child care, Medicaid, and unemployment assistance — doesn’t expect immediate fallout, however.

“With the possibility of a federal government shutdown this week, we don’t anticipate immediate impacts to our SNAP, Medicaid and child care assistance customers in the month of October,” a department spokesperson said. “In the event of an extended government shutdown, funding for these programs will likely be impacted.”

What about the Salt Lake City International Airport?

While airports typically continue to function under government shutdowns, officials warn it could bring longer security lines or other delays.

Transportation Security Administration workers will continue to work — but with delayed pay — during a shutdown. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s updated contingency plan, 61,197 of TSA’s total 64,130 workers would be retained during a shutdown.

Salt Lake City International Airport spokesperson Nancy Volmer told Utah News Dispatch on Monday that airport leaders will “partner closely” with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Aviation Administration, and TSA “to ensure passengers reach their destination safely and efficiently.”

Those workers will continue to work at the Salt Lake City airport in the event of a shutdown, Volmer said. During the last shutdown, the airport “supported these workers, however we could, with a food pantry, for example.”

“We will look forward to supporting these workers again but would also ask that passengers be patient and understanding of the challenges these front line workers are facing,” Volmer said.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred during a “No Kings” protest Saturday night, leaving one person with critical injuries. An estimated 10,000 people were marching at the time.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told media shortly after 10 p.m., about two hours after the incident, that gunshots had been fired as protesters were walking near 151 S. State Street. Police responded immediately, finding one person with life-threatening injuries.

It wasn’t clear whether the first responding officers had heard or seen the shooting, or what alerted them to the incident, Redd said.

Officers received immediate witness information from people in the crowd and pursued the suspected shooter to 200 East and 100 South. It was discovered he too had a gunshot wound, Redd said, and he was treated and taken to a hospital under police observation.

Two more people who Redd said were involved in the incident were also arrested. No details about their possible involvement were provided. Redd said police are not looking for any additional people, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Investigators are working to determine what led up to the shooting, including whether any of the people involved were participating in the march.

“It appears they were involved at some level in the protest, or at least as part of the group that was walking,” Redd said.

A Utah News Dispatch reporter who was on scene saw panicked protesters scatter just before 8 p.m., many of them running and shouting that there were gunshots. Minutes later, a Salt Lake City police officer ran past, saying officers were looking for a male dressed in black with a gun, and asking “where is he?”

About a half a block east of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, near 125 S. State Street, a photojournalist working with the Dispatch saw a crowd of people running after gunshots broke out. Near the north corner of the Federal Building plaza, people were seen taking shelter behind concrete walls and cars.

Further south down State Street, the photojournalist saw a crowd of first responders, including police and volunteers wearing vests, crouching around a man lying on the ground. What appeared to be his hat, lying next to him, was covered in blood.

Near 102 South and 200 East, the photojournalist saw a man on the ground in handcuffs, surrounded by police. Officers then walked the man away before setting him on a curb, where first responders appeared to render him aid for about 15 minutes.

First responders then put the man on a gurney, still handcuffed, before loading him into an ambulance and driving him away.

After the shooting, protesters were emotional. Some cried and hugged each other. An activist was also heard yelling in a loudspeaker: “Don’t let them tell you this was a riot. We only want to be heard. We were nonviolent.”

The demonstration was the last and largest of 11 planned protests across the state Saturday in conjunction with nationwide demonstrations against President Donald Trump, including another Salt Lake City protest that drew thousands more to the University of Utah that morning.

The demonstration that began at Pioneer Park, 350 S. 300 West, had been boisterous but peaceful up until the shooting, with protesters marching up 400 South to State Street and circling around the block at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building to double back. Before they set out, speakers at the park had urged nonviolence, their message met with cheers.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who joined Redd to brief reporters, condemned the shooting while thanking Salt Lake City police for their “swift and professional response to this tragic event.”

“The violence that we’ve seen here today in Salt Lake City and even in other parts of this nation is horrific. And it is not who we are,” she said. “Let me be clear. This act of violence does not define our city.”

Utah’s capital of Salt Lake City is a Democratic stronghold in an otherwise deep red state.

Mendenhall, a Democrat, said the purpose of Saturday’s demonstrations was a “powerful and peaceful expression until this event. And that cannot be overshadowed or silenced by a single act meant to harm.”

“I want to urge everyone in the public to be calm, to give one another grace, and to look out for one another tonight and in the coming days,” she said.

Mendenhall again thanked Salt Lake City police and other first responders including Salt Lake City firefighters for their “heroic actions,” calling them “among the best in this city, and I am so proud of you.” She also thanked protesters who came downtown to “stand peacefully together.”

“Your city sees you,” she told protesters. “Thank you for using your voice. Thank you for your peaceful cooperation with our police department tonight. And please know that your calm response and your support of their efforts likely prevented a more dangerous potential situation. You represent the Salt Lake City that I am proud to call home.”

The mayor added that “we will not walk in fear of one another. Not in this city, and not in this nation.”

“America, we are better than this violence,” she said. “We are stronger than this hate. This moment does not define us.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, issued a statement at about 9 p.m. saying the shooting was “a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square.”

“This is an active situation, and we’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability,” Cox said.

About 20 minutes later, Cox in a post on X, said he had just spoken with Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall about the shooting.

“My heart is broken for everyone impacted tonight,” he said. “Thank you to the thousands of protestors who exercised their constitutional rights in the right way tonight. I’m grateful to security, SLCPD, DPS, and medical personnel who jumped into action to protect lives.”

Another one of the state’s top Republicans, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, also issued a statement expressing gratitude for Salt Lake City Police’s “prompt actions in maintaining order, safeguarding our communities and bringing a dangerous situation under control in Salt Lake City. Their dedication helped protect lives and restore order.”

“The freedom to organize and participate in peaceful protests is a cornerstone of our great country,” Adams said. “However, violence, destruction and vandalism are unacceptable.”

This breaking story has been updated as more information becomes available.

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com.

Saying Utahns are “tired of culture war bills that don’t solve the problems they intend to fix,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox will allow a bill aimed at banning many flags — including pride or LGBTQ+ flags — from schools and all government buildings to become law without his signature.

Cox explained his reasoning in a letter to legislative leaders issued with just over an hour to spare before his midnight deadline Thursday to sign or veto bills passed by the 2025 Utah Legislature.

“HB77 has been one of the most divisive bills of the session, and I am deeply disappointed that it did not land in a better place,” wrote Cox, who also explained he agreed with the intent behind the legislation. “My understanding is that there was a deal on a compromise that would have removed problematic portions of the bill while retaining others that would support political neutrality in the classroom. Sadly the sponsors did not move that deal forward.”

Supporters of HB77, sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, argued it was meant to promote “political neutrality” in government spaces. But critics argued a broad ban that extended to all government properties would invite free speech litigation while also leaving some Utahns, especially the LGBTQ+ community, feeling unwelcome and erased.

Now slated to take effect on May 7, HB77 will ban almost all flags from being displayed on or in public buildings, except for flags explicitly allowed in a prescriptive list included in the bill, such as the U.S. flag, the state flag, military flags, Olympic flags, college or university flags, or others. Pride flags or other LGBTQ+ flags — which Utah lawmakers in recent years have repeatedly tried to bar from schools in various ways — would be prohibited.

It’s slated to make Utah the first state in the nation to enact such sweeping flag restrictions in government-owned buildings. The Idaho Legislature recently passed a similar bill, HB41, which Gov. Brad Little signed last week, but that legislation won’t take effect until July 1 and it only applies to schools. Idaho lawmakers are also advancing a separate bill to restrict government entities from displaying certain types of flags.

Utah Legislature bans pride flags from schools, public buildings

Utah’s largest LGBTQ+ rights group, Equality Utah, had negotiated with lawmakers on the bill, which originally focused the flag ban on school classrooms. However, in a House committee last month, Lee changed the legislation to broaden the flag ban to all government property, leading Equality Utah to oppose the bill even though it was prepared to take a “neutral” position on its earlier version.

Cox faced numerous calls to veto HB77 from advocacy groups including Equality Utah and the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, as well as from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, whose city hosts the annual Utah Pride Festival. He could have vetoed the bill — but he indicated in his letter that it would likely just be overridden by the GOP-supermajority Utah Legislature. Instead, he’s urging lawmakers to work to fix it.

“I continue to have serious concerns with this bill,” Cox said. “However, because a veto would be overridden, I have decided to allow the bill to go into law without my signature, and urge lawmakers to consider commonsense solutions that address the bill’s numerous flaws.”

Cox encouraged lawmakers to consider allowing the Utah State Board of Education to “go further in ensuring the political neutrality of our classrooms, while also considering repealing the local government piece of this legislation and allowing elected representatives to answer to their own constituents.”

“If you are willing to pursue this kind of solution, you will have an open door in the executive branch,” Cox wrote.

Cox’s comments on the flag ban came after the bill cast final-hour drama over Utah’s multimillion-dollar bid to entice the Sundance Film Festival to stay, with some saying it could impact Utah’s chances.

Earlier Thursday, festival organizers announced they’d opted to move the event to Colorado to help the festival grow. By the time they’d reached their decision, Cox had not yet acted on HB77, but a veto was looking unlikely.

Sundance is leaving Utah, moving to Colorado

While Cox told reporters last week Sundance organizers had told state leaders “very clearly that political issues have nothing to do with the decision,” others, including Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, worried that HB77 could indeed be “harmful to our effort to retain Sundance.”

In the end, Utah lost its bid. Cox — who earlier Thursday called Sundance’s decision a “mistake” — also included a note in his letter that he’ll be calling a special session to address, among other issues, what the Legislature should instead do with the $3.5 million it had set aside as part of Utah’s bid to keep Sundance.

“Let’s reappropriate that money to efforts in Utah to create a new festival and a world-class film economy right here in our state,” he said.

Cox says he agrees with ‘underlying intent,’ but HB77 has flaws

Cox, in his letter, dove deeper into why he had misgivings with HB77 but said he agreed with the “underlying intent” of the bill.

“I deeply believe that our classrooms need to be a place where everyone feels welcome — free from the politics that are fracturing our country,” Cox wrote. “Parents are rightly upset when they bring their kids to publicly funded schools and see culture-war symbols in a place that should be apolitical. In an attempt to make some kids feel more welcome, other kids feel less welcome.”

Cox also said he appreciated that the bill is “neutral on the types of flags in question,” while adding that “I find it strange that no headline reads ‘MAGA flags banned from classrooms.’”

Drama over Utah’s bid to keep Sundance heats up over LGBTQ+ flag ban bill

“I agree with the underlying intent of those legislators who supported this bill in an attempt to bring political neutrality to the classroom,” he said, though he added, “Unfortunately, this bill does not do that.”

He said because it’s aimed at only flags, “there is little preventing countless other displays — posters, signs, drawings, furniture — from entering the classroom.”

“To those legislators who supported this bill, I’m sure it will not fix what you are trying to fix,” Cox said.

He noted that many schools have already enacted their own “political neutrality” policies in classrooms, and he argued “we have a better place” to make regulations: the Utah State Board of Education. While he said the board has already set expectations for political neutrality in teacher code of conduct, “I believe more needs to be done by USBE to provide direction in this regard.”

“I have asked the Board of Education to continue their work to find ways to make our classrooms both more politically neutral and more welcoming to every student to exercise their own individual freedom of expression,” Cox said. “The idea that kids can only feel welcome in a school if a teacher puts up a rainbow flag is just wrong. Let’s do everything possible to make our classrooms one of the last remaining politically neutral places in our state.”

Cox says bill goes ‘too far’

The governor added that the flag ban “goes too far” by extending the ban to local governments.

“While I think it’s wrong for city and county officials to fly divisive flags, I believe that election have consequences and the best way to stop that behavior is to elect people who believe differently,” Cox said. “All this bill does is add more fuel to the fire, and I suspect it will only ratchet up the creative use of political symbolism.”

Ultimately, Cox urged legislators to focus on solutions rather than legislation that deepens divides.

“As tired as Utahns are of politically divisive symbols, I think they are also tired of culture war bills that don’t solve the problems they intend to fix,” he said.

The governor urged lawmakers to work with the LGBTQ+ community, as they have in the past, to find common ground.

“Utah has always had a reputation of trying to find a way to work together and solve issues between sides that have strongly-held, opposing points of view,” Cox said. “There are so many examples of the LGBTQ community and the conservative community coming together to find helpful and hopeful compromise. I hope we can retain this as our model and North Star.”

The governor also shared a message directly to LGBTQ+ Utahns, acknowledging that “recent legislation has been difficult.”

“Politics can be a bit of a blood sport at times and I know we have had our disagreements,” he said. “I want you to know that I love and appreciate you and I am grateful that you are part of our state. I know these words may ring hollow to many of you, but please know that I mean them sincerely.”

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com.

As developments surrounding President Donald Trump’s tariffs threats unfolded Monday, Utah’s Republican leaders defended Trump’s actions as necessary to crack down on the U.S. fentanyl crisis — while also acknowledging potential trade wars could bring higher costs and negative economic impacts.

Trump on Saturday had announced plans to implement tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. But by Monday afternoon, his threats against Mexico and Canada were delayed by at least 30 days after leaders of the two countries agreed to increase border security efforts.

After talking with Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said she had agreed to send 10,000 national guard troops to the U.S. border to help stop the flow of drugs, while the U.S. in turn promised to do more to stop the flow of high-powered weapons into Mexico.

Trump postpones big tariffs against Canada and Mexico for one month

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a post on X Monday afternoon that he had a “good call” with Trump, in which he agreed to implement a $1.3 billion plan at the U.S.-Canadian border to “stop the flow of fentanyl.” Trudeau announced the tariffs would be “paused for at least 30 days while we work together.”

Still, the potential of a trade war looms — and depending on how it all plays out, it could reverberate through Utah’s economy.

Aside from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and China are among Utah’s top trade partners. Utah exported $1.3 billion and imported $4.9 billion in goods from Mexico in 2023, according to a recent report from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Canada is the second biggest source of Utah’s imports, with $3.1 billion in imports and $1.7 billion in exports that year. China ranks No. 3, with Utah taking in $2.7 million in imports from the country and exporting $1.2 billion.

In a media availability with reporters Monday, Senate President Stuart Adams, R- Layton, acknowledged Trump’s newly announced tariffs will indeed impact Utah’s economy.

“It will,” he said, adding that Jonathan Freedman, the president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, is “working through some of the issues. But I think it’ll have an impact, and we’ll see what happens.”

Freedman said in a prepared statement that World Trade Center Utah was working on Monday to deal with the fallout as “we help businesses across the state navigate the complexities of shifting tariffs and trade policies.”

“Right now, we’re seeing turbulence — ongoing negotiations and changes between the federal government and key trade partners like Canada, Mexico, and China,” Freedman said. “As businesses face global economic headwinds, we have the resources and network to help them adapt. Our team is closely monitoring affected industries and regions, working with companies to develop contingency plans, optimize supply chains, explore new markets, and access funding. We’re committed to helping Utah businesses stay resilient and competitive in a rapidly changing global landscape.”

It’s unclear exactly what will come of Trump’s threats, but economic experts have warned if tariffs are imposed, they’ll likely result in higher costs for consumers and hurt businesses.

However, Adams — who often lauds Utah’s strong economic standings and business friendly environment — said he agrees with Trump’s actions.

“Yeah I do,” he told reporters. “Let me tell you why.”

Adams argued the U.S.’s fentanyl crisis has reached a point where drastic measures are necessary.

“It’s time we stopped it,” Adams said.

Fentanyl is the most common drug found in overdose deaths in Utah

The Senate president acknowledged he continually talks about the importance of the economy on Utahns’ quality of life. But he said he agreed that it’s time to crack down on fentanyl coming in from other countries

“I support 1,000% stopping fentanyl. Whatever we have to do to stop it, I’m all in on,” Adams said. “This caused some disruption, but it’s time we quit sweeping it under the rug and say, ‘We’ve got a drug problem.’ We’re either going to fix it, or not. And we need everybody’s help.”

Adams added that he hopes businesses that are impacted by the tariffs “will get on board and say, ‘We’re not going to allow drugs to come into America.’”

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2024 national drug threat assessment, suppliers in China are “still the main source for the precursor chemicals” used by cartels in Mexico to make illicit fentanyl — but India is also “emerging as a major source” for the chemicals.

A 2022 report issued by a federal commission tasked with combating drug trafficking in the U.S. also found that drug traffickers in Mexico produce most counterfeit tablets containing synthetic opioids, “but illegal pill pressing does occur to a lesser extent” in the U.S. and Canada.

Next to Mexico, drugs coming into the U.S. from Canada pale in comparison. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized about 19 kilograms of fentanyl at the northern border, The New York Times reported. That’s compared with nearly 9,600 kilograms intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Pressed on whether the argument that the fentanyl crisis justifies the tariffs applies in the same way to Canada as it does Mexico, Adams said, “those are questions that I don’t know that I have the details to, but I know Canada’s involved. And there must be some reason, and I think from what I understand there’s probably a good reason to do it.”

Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, acknowledged Trump appears to be engaging in some “leveraging,” but she said it’s coming with a cost to Americans.

Escamilla argued tariffs are “not the way to go” because they will “hurt the working class (and) the economy.” She said the U.S. should instead focus on the “root of the problem with addiction,” noting that the nation’s overdose crisis started with prescription opioids.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a first wave of overdose deaths began with increased prescribing of opioids in the ’90s. Nearly 500,000 Americans died from an overdose involving a prescription and illicit opioids from 1999 to 2019. Synthetic opioids, including illicitly manufactured fentanyls, were involved in a majority (64%) of more than an estimated 100,000 American overdose deaths from May 2020 to April 2021.

“Fentanyl is coming and it’s creating an issue, and we need to do everything to stop (it),” Escamilla said, “but it’s not by hurting the economy that it’s going to stop.”

Surge in overdose deaths has moved westward, even as they fall nationally

Escamilla argued that the goal should be “working together” rather than coercion.

“I just think the direct impact on the economy is going to be bad,” she said, adding that Utah already has a housing crisis. “Now, we’re talking about people’s ability to actually access food.”

Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, however, said that “we absolutely should crack down.”

“Tens of thousands of Americans have been impacted every year,” McKell said. “I think it’s long overdue.”

Adams then interjected, saying: “I’m not saying this is the way, but we’ve got to find a way. And we’ll keep trying until we find a way, but this is one way to get people’s attention.

Though he didn’t yet have specifics of how Utah could be impacted, he said “we’ll try to work through it.”

“My hope is whatever the president has done with trade, with tariffs, is temporary,” Adams said. “I think we all hope it’s temporary until we can come to an agreement on how we can handle some of the bigger issues.”

Senate Majority Whip Chris Wilson, R-Logan, who is an owner of an auto dealership, acknowledged he’s “concerned,” but he added, “we’ll see what happens.”

“We get a lot of auto parts from Canada, but I haven’t seen any specifics,” he said. Pressed on whether he supports Trump’s actions, Wilson said, “Yeah, I do.”

“I think that he needs to make this stand. We’ll see what happens, but I support him, and I think we’ll work it out,” he said. “And hopefully the manufacturers have some parts on supply that won’t interrupt manufacturing.”

Adams acknowledged the fallout “will be challenging,” but leaders will be watching to see how it plays out on the national and global stage.

“Let’s see what happens,” he said.

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com.

Utah Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, announced Thursday that she will be resigning from the Utah Legislature before the 2025 general session begins next month.

“Right now my family, particularly my parents, need more of my time,” Birkeland posted on X alongside screenshots of her resignation letter to House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper.

My priorities are:
My Faith
My Family
My constituents
Right now my family, particularly my parents, need more of my time.#utleg pic.twitter.com/0LJXCxhEgI
— KeraBirk (@KeraBirk) December 26, 2024

Birkeland wrote in her resignation letter that she made the decision with a “heavy heart,” and that her resignation would be effective Jan. 10. That’s 11 days before the 2025 legislative session is scheduled to convene.

“My family and professional commitments have increasingly required my attention away from home, a trend I anticipate will persist for the next year or two,” Birkeland wrote in her letter. “This choice was not made lightly; it has weighed heavily on my mind for some time, partly because I feel that my work here is far from complete.”

“Nevertheless,” she added, “the present circumstances demand that I focus on other significant responsibilities.”

Birkeland did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday, but a spokesperson for Schultz confirmed to Utah News Dispatch the speaker had received her resignation.

“Rep. Birkeland has been a fierce advocate for the people in House District 4 and for the people of Utah. I’m proud to call her a colleague and more importantly, a friend,” Schultz said in a prepared statement. “I wish her nothing but the best and thank her for her years of service in the House.”

Birkeland’s most high-profile and controversial bills included:

A 2024 bill restricting transgender access in bathrooms in publicly-owned buildings.A 2022 bill that initially banned transgender girls from competing in girl’s school sports before a judge blocked that ban. As a fallback in case of litigation, the bill included a provision enacting a commission to determine trangender student athlete eligibility. The commission has been in place since the ruling.

Birkeland’s resignation from her District 4 seat comes after she beat an openly transgender candidate during the November election. Birkeland won with nearly 60% of the vote to Democratic candidate Kris Cambell’s 40%. Campbell ran as a “family man, bridge builder, process guy, math nerd, transgender man of faith, (and) Utahn.”

Back in July, the Montana Grain Growers Association announced it was hiring Birkeland as its new director of policy.

Because Birkeland’s resignation comes after the Nov. 5 election, the Utah Republican Party will call a special election for state delegates from District 4 (which includes Daggett, Duchesne, Morgan, Rich and Summit counties) to choose her replacement until the next election.

Birkeland was first appointed to the District 4 seat in April 2020. She would have served another two years had she kept the post.

In her letter to Schultz, Birkeland said her time in the House “has been immensely fulfilling, bringing joy and passion. Ultimately, though, it is not the title that defines us, but rather the impact we make in uplifting those we serve.”

“My dedication to enhance the quality of life in Utah and every community I touch remains unwavering,” she continued. “Most importantly, the impact I can have within my own family is what matters most.”

Birkeland added that she’s “grateful that my children have seen their mother balance work, public service, faith, and family for many successful years.”

“But, it is OK to prioritize the things that matter most,” she wrote. “That is and always will be my family.”

Birkeland added that she hopes her successor “will continue the critical work of prompting legislation” that District 4 residents “value — focusing on tax relief, government accountability, election integrity, protecting our seniors, addressing unfair-co-pay accumulators, combating human trafficking, and upholding the common sense and values that define Utah.”

Birkeland concluded her letter by thanking Schultz for supporting her — and calling on him to “continue to advocate for women and girls and the rights of parents across our great state.”

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com.

Because the Utah Republican Party holds a closed primary — and many of Republican-controlled Utah’s elections are decided in the primary — each year there tends to be speculation of “party raiding,” or Democrats switching their affiliation to Republican.

But election registration statistics don’t show widespread party raiding — not this year, and not even before the Utah Legislature passed a bill in 2021 to move up party affiliation deadlines in an effort to cut off voters’ ability to switch parties months before the primary.

Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson released updated registration statistics on Thursday, showing how many Utahns changed their party affiliation between Jan. 9 and Aug. 8.

A total of 26,715 Utahns changed their party affiliation. Of those, 13,234 changed to unaffiliated, 5,312 changed to Republican, and 3,456 changed to Democrat.

Along with the registration numbers, Henderson’s post noted the “biggest shift by far was voters switching from a political party to become unaffiliated.”

“Also interesting is the number of voters moving to the Independent American Party (maybe they see ‘Independent’ and don’t realize it’s an actual political party?)” Henderson mused.

Henderson also noted state law prohibits voters from changing their party affiliation during the primary election cycle — referring to a law that was passed in an effort to stave off so-called party raiding.

The law, passed in 2021, initially set a deadline for March 31, but two years later, the 2023 Utah Legislature moved it up in presidential election years to be the day after the candidacy declaration filing period ends. This year, that deadline fell on Jan. 9 — so the registration data Henderson posted fell after the deadline.

While the law restricts voters already registered with a political party from registering with another (for example, a Democrat switching to a Republican), those who are originally unaffiliated can register with a party up until a few weeks before the primary. This year that deadline fell on June 14.

Because the Utah GOP holds a closed primary, only registered Republicans can weigh in on their races, but Democrats (and other parties including Independent American, United Utah, and Utah Forward) allow an open primary so anyone can vote in those primary races, regardless of party affiliation.

After the primary, voters can change their party affiliation without restrictions (that is, until roughly six months before the next primary). So the party affiliation changes included in Henderson’s election data all likely occurred after the June 25 primary had come and gone.

“Mass party raiding did not occur in 2024,” Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, posted on X in reaction to the registration data.

Does Utah’s anti ‘party raiding’ law make a difference?

It’s possible the law prevented some Utahns from changing their party affiliation leading up to this year’s primary — but it’s also worth noting that the data didn’t show widespread party raiding in 2020, either, the last comparable presidential election year before Utah enacted the law.

Using records from Utah’s statewide voter registration database, the Electoral Innovation Lab at Princeton University conducted an analysis in 2020. That analysis found Republican registrations grew by 97,382 or 14.3% between January and June of 2020, driven by a decrease of unaffiliated voters of 60,878. Democratic registrations increased most of the year, but decreased slightly in the three weeks leading up to the primary by 7,796.

“Democratic registrations into the GOP could not account for this Republican surge,” analysts wrote.

In an effort to find evidence about “voters’ true intentions, we examined re-registrations after the primary,” the analysis said. “After the primary, 2,509 people who voted that day later re-registered as Democrats, 1,495 re-registered as unaffiliated, and 305 re-registered with a third party. This means a maximum of 4,309 voters (2,509+1,495+305) potentially went back to a non-Republican affiliation after the primary, with at most 2,509 of them being Democrats (0.2% of all registered Utah voters).”

“The contention that Democratic voters tried to ‘game’ the system by switching parties to vote in the 2020 Republican primary is not supported by the data from the Utah Election Board,” the Electoral Innovation Lab analysis reported. “Any pre-primary growth in the Republican party was driven by newly registered Republicans and formerly unaffiliated voters, not by party-switching Democrats. Therefore, the data suggest that the principal driver of new Republican registrations was interest in competitive political races.”

Pointing to that 2020 analysis, the Electoral Innovation Lab argued against the 2021 bill, which ultimately passed with support from Utah’s GOP-supermajority Legislature.

Interestingly, the 2020 figure of 2,509 voters who switched back to Republican affiliation is strikingly close to the 2,654 voters who registered as Republicans but switched to Democrats this year.

Utah’s total 2024 voter registration statistics

Utah, which has an estimated population of more than 3.4 million (which includes children not of voting age), has a total of more than 1.9 registered voters. Of those, about 1.7 million of them are classified as active, according to updated voter registration statistics posted on the state’s election website.

About 261,741 of those voters are deemed inactive because they haven’t voted in two regular elections and have not responded to a notice from their county clerk.

Utah’s total active voter registration grew from about 1.68 million in January of this year by about 35,078 voters, according to historical voter registration records.

It’s likely Utah will see even more voters register between now and the Nov. 5 election. In 2020, about 230,000 active voters were added to Utah’s voter rolls between January and Nov. 3, according to state records.

It remains to be seen whether this year’s presidential race, however, will drum up the same amount of voter registrations as 2020.

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com. Follow Utah News Dispatch on Facebook and X.

Though they’re all vying to replace him, retiring Sen. Mitt Romney was not mentioned once during an hour-long debate Monday between four Utah Republicans competing against each other in Utah’s primary election.

The farewell of Romney — the only Republican senator to vote twice to impeach Trump — leaves a test for Republican Utahns: Will they choose a candidate who leaves room for moderates, or are they more interested in someone who wholeheartedly aligns himself with former President Donald Trump?

Voters will answer that question on June 25. Among a field of four Republicans who appeared in Monday’s debate hosted by the Utah Debate Commission at PBS Utah’s studios in Salt Lake City, the starkest differences surfaced when candidates were posed questions around Trump and whether they would accept the results of the 2024 elections “across the board.”

The question about whether they’d accept this year’s elections was posed as a yes or no question by the debate’s moderator, Glen Mills — former ABC4 anchor and chief political correspondent who is currently working as director of communications and government relations for the Utah Department of Corrections — but all four candidates qualified their responses.

Their answers:

Businessman Jason Walton: “That’s a loaded question, but yeah of course, I’m going to accept it, and I look forward to serving with President Trump.”

Former House Speaker Brad Wilson: “No, not if we see there’s proven fraud and we know there’s fraud, I won’t accept the results. But I have confidence in our elections in the state of Utah, we’ve got great elections officers.” Rep. John Curtis: “I have to remind people elections are a state issue, not a federal issue. Constitutional responsibility is to accept the results the states send you, and yes I will accept (them).” Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs: “It really is something that we have to take a look at. I mean, we saw so many evidences of fraud in this last election. We saw Big Tech get together and censor free speech with respect to Hunter Biden’s laptop.”

In states across the U.S., no evidence supports Trump’s continued claims of widespread voter fraud that influenced the 2020 election.

Staggs repeated Republican claims that Twitter cooperated with government officials and the news media to suppress a news article on the laptop’s contents. Last year, three former Twitter executives testified that they mistakenly believed the article contained hacked material and reversed their decision to limit its circulation within 24 hours, Reuters reported.

The debate included many other Republican talking points, including closing the nation’s southern border, and fighting back against runaway federal spending and Washington, D.C. style politics wrapped up in massive omnibus bills.

Candidates’ differences largely surfaced when it came to Trump.

Curtis, who is vacating his position representing Utah’s 3rd Congressional District to run for U.S. Senate, sought to frame himself as a pragmatic and experienced member of Congress who listens to moderates but also knows how to get along with Trump should he be elected again.

Staggs, however, has made it clear he is all in on Trump, styling himself as a disruptor who will “stand up to the establishment.” After Trump endorsed Staggs, he won the Utah Republican Party’s convention nomination with nearly 70% of the vote to Curtis’ 30% after several rounds of voting that eliminated other candidates. Curtis, Wilson and Walton, however, gathered enough signatures to qualify for the primary.

Wilson during Monday’s debate also sought to depict himself as a Trump supporter — but also someone who will fight to bring the “Utah way” to Washington, D.C., arguing his time leading the Utah House’s Republican supermajority showed he can bring moderate and hardline conservatives together.

Walton, who according to his campaign site owns 35 businesses in 19 states (including three in Utah), also compared himself to Trump as a businessman to challenge “career politicians” in D.C., tamp down on federal spending and “get things done.”

Curtis, who is considered a front-runner in the race (a recent Deseret News poll shows he has a sizeable lead, though a third of likely Utah Republican voters are still undecided), fielded most of the attacks — mostly for big money flowing to his campaign from political action committees and special interests.

Curtis fought back, arguing he can’t control who donates to his campaign.

Staggs’ last-minute attack on Curtis

Throughout the hour, the debate stayed civil — though the most heated exchange occurred in the last minute of the debate when Staggs took one last shot at Curtis during his closing statement.

“You know, on March 4, 2020, Abbott Laboratories was awarded a federal grant. On that same day, John Curtis purchased stock in that company. This is the problem in Congress. At a time when somebody should be looking out for their constituents, they end up looking out for their own profit,” Staggs said, pledging to ban “the trading of individual stocks for members of Congress and their families.”

Staggs was the last candidate to give a closing argument right before the broadcast was scheduled to end, but Curtis urged the moderator to let him interject.

“You have to let me respond to that,” Curtis said. “That is such a low shot. You wait until I had no response (time). You throw something out I can’t respond to. You’ve accused me of a felony here tonight. You better have very good evidence, and I’d like to challenge you to produce that evidence that somehow I’ve committed a felony. And if that’s how you’re going to work in the Senate, the people of Utah would be very disappointed.”

On that note, the broadcast ended. After the debate, Curtis and Staggs did not shake hands, and Curtis could be heard saying “cheap shot” as he walked past Staggs.

After the debate when pressed by reporters about his accusation against Curtis, Staggs said, “I did not accuse him of a felony.”

“This is the problem, that it’s allowed in Congress to go ahead and trade stocks in that way,” Staggs said. Pressed on whether he was accusing Curtis of insider trading, Staggs again said, “I was not accusing him of a felony.”

“What I said is that on the same day that the company was … given a grant, that he traded stock on that same day,” Staggs said. “So I think that’s a problem. I think it’s problematic that members of Congress are allowed to do this, and you see time and time again that many people make quite literally millions of dollars every year on trading stock.”

Again pressed on whether he was accusing Curtis of insider trading or not, Staggs said, “What I said is what I said. On the same day that a company was given a grant, he traded stock. And that to me is larger than just this one particular congressperson.”

Curtis didn’t contest that he purchased the stock. According to a 2020 filing, he reported an Abbott Laboratories transaction between $1,001 and $15,000. In response to reporters’ questions, Curtis acknowledged the issue can highlight a need for reforming how members of Congress deal with financial portfolios.

“I think I’ve seen firsthand the problems. I was a business person coming into Congress with resources and assets, and never really thought through what that means,” Curtis said. “Most candidates don’t see that when they run. I tried for a very long time to isolate myself from criticism … and none of those things have worked.”

So Curtis said he’s tried to “divest” himself” to avoid conflicts.

However, Curtis also said reforming Congress members’ financial restrictions is easier said than done.

“I think the hard thing to do is to define exactly where that line is,” he said, adding the issue could range from stocks to exchange-traded funds to even interest rates. “This is why Congress actually has not successfully passed a law even though it’s come up a number of times.”

Monday marked the first of several days of debates for Utah’s high-profile primary races. Earlier Monday, Republican candidates faced each other in debates for the state’s 1st and 2nd and congressional districts.

Tuesday evening, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and his Republican challenger Phil Lyman will square off in a debate at 6 p.m., and Wednesday night will feature five GOP candidates competing in the contest for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District.

For a full schedule of debates, visit the Utah Debate Commission’s website.

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com. Follow Utah News Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.