Tuesday evening, Feb. 25, 2020
NORTHERN UTAH
Inland Port May Encourage Green Projects
More changes to the Utah Inland Port may be coming under legislation passed by a state House committee Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, gives seats on the Inland Port Board to the Salt Lake City mayor’s office and the Magna township and encourages the Port Authority to incentivize development that is eco-friendly. But more than a dozen public commenters said that simply encouraging the authority to incentivize green development doesn’t go far enough. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Warren In Utah
Democratic Presidential Candidate Elizabeth Warren is ramping up her presence in Utah ahead of Super Tuesday next week. This weekend, New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland will kick off canvassing for Warren in Salt Lake City. Haaland, the country’s first Native American congresswoman, is a Warren campaign co-chair and endorsed her last year. — Caroline Ballard
LDS Business College Becomes Ensign College
A number of changes are underway at LDS Business College, including a name change and additional degree options. Starting this fall, the school — which is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — will be known as Ensign College. The college will also offer four-year degrees starting in 2021. Next year, students can work toward Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in business management, communications, and information technology. — Caroline Ballard
STATE
Maternal Mental Health Referral Network Launches
The YWCA Utah and community health partners have launched a new online resource for maternal mental health. The Maternal Mental Health Referral Network is an online directory of Utah healthcare professionals and support groups for women before, during and after pregnancy. The aim is to connect women with resources that can help with everything from family planning to postpartum depression to infertility and pregnancy loss. — Caroline Ballard
Passed In the House: E-Cigarette Regulations and Ban On Minor Prosecutions
The Utah House passed a bill Tuesday — 52-16 — that aims to cut down on teen e-cigarette use. It requires that flavored e-cigarettes only be sold in tobacco specialty stores, which cannot be located within 1,000 feet of a school or allow people under 21 inside. It now heads to the state Senate.
A bill to ban prosecution against kids under 12, except in cases of major crimes, also passed the Utah House Tuesday. Instead of going to jail, the children would go through a diversion program, where they would do things like community service or go to an educational class. Kids who are accused of crimes like attempted murder or sexual assault are not covered under this bill. It now heads to the state Senate. — Sonja Hutson
Wine Clubs
A bill to give Utahns more access to wine passed unanimously in the Senate Business and Labor Committee Tuesday. The bill sponsored by Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, would bring wine clubs to Utah, giving consumers more options to purchase products not sold in state liquor stores. Davis also wants to avoid the current 88% mark-up on wine products purchased through the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. It now moves to the full Senate for a vote. — Grace Osusky
REGION
Hundred Years Of Public Land Leasing
Tuesday marks the 100th anniversary of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. That law promoted the leasing of public lands for drilling and extractive industries. Conservationists say the law should be updated to increase royalty rates on extractive industries, while industry groups say they’ve already paid billions of dollars over the years. The Trump administration has made domestic extraction a priority, while all major Democratic presidential candidates have said they would end fossil fuel extraction on public lands. — Noah Glick, Mountain West News Bureau