Monday morning, May 3, 2021
State
Romney Censure Resolution Fails
Members of Utah’s Republican party shut down a resolution at the state convention Saturday that would have censured Sen. Mitt Romney, R-UT. The move was meant to formally disapprove of Romney’s votes to convict President Donald Trump of impeachment. The resolution also thanked the rest of Utah’s federal delegation for their votes against impeaching Trump. Holly Richardson, a GOP delegate and former state representative, said censuring Romney probably wouldn’t have hurt him if he chooses to run for re-election in 2024, but she said it could’ve turned off party donors and other members who are more middle-of-the-road ideologically. The measure failed by a vote of 798 to 711. Read the full story. — Emily Means
Utah Republicans Elect New Party Chair
Utah delegates elected Carson Jorgensen, a rancher and 2020 congressional primary candidate, as the new chair of the Republican state party Saturday. Throughout the convention, Republican leaders warned that nearby states have been turning blue and Utah could be next. Jorgensen and other speakers told delegates the party needs to bring in new groups of people in order to keep Utah red. He said he wants to specifically focus on people new to the state and young Utahns. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
In-Person Prison Visits Return In June
The Utah Department of Corrections will reinstate in-person visits in June for people incarcerated at the Utah State Prison and the Central Utah Correctional Facility. In-person visits were shut down since last March due to the pandemic, and earlier this year, the corrections department opened up video visiting. Before then, incarcerated people could only communicate with family over the phone. The department plans to continue the video program even when in-person visiting becomes available and when the new state prison opens next year. — Emily Means
State COVID-19 Update
Utah health officials reported 689 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. The weeklong average for new daily cases is 371 — down compared to the week before. Current hospitalizations are also down compared to last week. Officials said two more people have died from the disease — a Utah County man and a Salt Lake County woman both between the ages of 45 and 64. — Sonja Hutson
Central/Southern Utah
Manti Temple Murals To Be Preserved
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Saturday they will preserve murals in the historic Manti Temple. This comes after they said the murals would be removed as part of building renovations, but members of the Church rallied in support of preserving the artwork. The murals were painted by renowned artist Minerva Teichert in 1947. — Lexi Peery
Athlete Dies At St. George Ironman Competition
On Saturday, an Ironman triathlon participant died during the race in St. George. Race officials said on Facebook the incident happened during the swim portion. They said medical staff noticed a “distressed athlete” and rendered aid immediately, but officials gave no other information. The Ironman race returned to southern Utah this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. — Ross Terrell
Region/Nation
Community College Tuition Waiver
President Joe Biden has unveiled a plan to target educational inequality. It includes $109 billion in federal money toward a nation-wide community college tuition waiver. That would be especially impactful in states with the lowest levels of educational attainment like Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico and Wyoming. Many of the Mountain West’s Republic lawmakers have alreadyexpressedcriticism of the plan, which would be paid for with tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans. — Savannah Maher, Mountain West News Bureau