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PM News Brief: Precarious Housing Bill, LGBTQ Rights Rankings & Bar-Exam Qualified DACA Recipients

Photo of large apartment building under construction in Salt Lake City.
Brian Albers
/
KUER
Utah is short about 50,000 affordable housing units, experts say, and a bill to allocate $35 million toward building more could be in jeopardy because of the collapse of lawmakers' tax reform plan.

Thursday evening, Jan. 30, 2020

NORTHERN UTAH

ACLU Lawsuit Claims Agents Raided Home Without Warrant

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah filed a lawsuit Wednesday over what it called a violent raid at a Latino family’s home in August 2018. The complaint says state agents attacked the residents and violated their civil rights based on ethnicity and national origin. Read the full story. — Rocio Hernandez

Utah Football Player Suspended After Arrest On Rape Allegations

A University of Utah football player has been arrested for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday. Terrell Perriman, a 20-year-old wide receiver for the team, was booked into Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of rape, kidnapping and enticing a minor by text. According to a probable cause statement, the girl met Perriman at his Salt Lake City apartment last Friday, where she said he trapped her in his room. The Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement that the team is cooperating with authorities and that Perriman has been suspended. — Jon Reed

STATE

Tax Reform Collapse Could Threaten Affordable Housing Bill

Because of the collapse of lawmakers’ tax reform plan, a bill to push $35 million to affordable housing could be in jeopardy. Sen. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi, told a group of advocates that he will “go down fighting and screaming for one penny,” but that there won’t be a lot of extra money in this year’s general fund. Experts say the state has a shortage of around 50,000 affordable units. Anderegg said even if his bill is fully funded, it’s only a small portion — about 10% — of what’s needed to fully address Utah’s housing shortage. — Nicole Nixon

Utah Ranked On LGBTQ Protections

The Human Rights Campaign’s new 2019 State Equality Index lists Utah as “building equality” for members of the LGBTQ community. That’s the second lowest of four categories based on a state’s laws regarding LGBTQ rights. This is the fifth annual index that the Human Rights Campaign has published. It measures how states have moved on LGBTQ protections compared to other states. Utah has been ranked at “building equality” since 2016. — Grace Osusky

DACA Recipients Qualify For Bar Exam

The Utah Supreme Court will now allow DACA recipients — certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children — to practice law in the state. The decision was announced Thursday morning, stemming from an October case where two recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program petitioned the court to allow them to qualify for the bar and the exam. Prior to the ruling, the Utah Bar didn’t admit anyone who couldn’t establish a legal presence in the U.S. The ruling takes effect immediately. — Jon Reed

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