Thursday morning, May 20, 2021
State
Lawmakers Pass Resolutions To Ban Critical Race Theory
The Utah House and Senate both passed non-binding resolutions Wednesday that urge the state’s school board to ban teaching certain principles lawmakers say could be a part of critical race theory. It is an academic framework for understanding how racism creates and sustains the many disparities that exist in the country today and is not currently part of the curriculum in Utah’s public schools. The resolutions say the Legislature opposes curricula that teach that one race is inherently superior or inferior to another race, among other things, which advocates say is not part of CRT. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Legislature Supports Second Amendment Sanctuaries
The Utah Legislature passed a resolution Wednesday in support of the state exploring Second Amendment sanctuary status. Lawmakers also reaffirmed their support for the right to keep and bear arms.This comes as at least 10 counties across the state have declared themselves as sanctuaries. Sen. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi, supported the resolution and said his constituents are worried about potential gun restrictions at the federal level. The Senate passed the non-binding resolution in a party-line vote. — Lexi Peery
BLM Issues Fire Prevention Order
The Bureau of Land Management issued a statewide Fire Prevention Order that bans the use or discharge of explosive materials or targets. Fireworks and steel component ammunition are also banned. The BLM says it's trying to prevent the risk of wildfire ignition during this extreme drought year. The agency noted that in 2020, human-caused fires accounted for 73% of the blazes in Utah. Those who violate the prevention order can be fined, receive a prison term and be billed for the cost of fire suppression. — Pamela McCall
Northern Utah
Bees Baseball Opens To Full Capacity
Smith's Ballpark will be open to full capacity Thursday, May 27 when the Salt Lake Bees start a six-game homestand against Texas’ Round Rock Express. All ticketing is done digitally and games and season tickets go on sale May 26. The ballpark is also cash-free. Fans are encouraged to wear face masks at the ballpark, but they aren't required any more. The upcoming homestand includes Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, May 29 and a day game on Memorial Day. — Pamela McCall
Region/Nation
Utah Delegation Split On Jan. 6 Commission
The U.S. House voted Wednesday to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nation’s capitol. Utah’s four Republican representatives were split. Rep. Burgess Owens and Rep. Chris Stewart both voted with the majority of their party against the commission. Rep. Blake Moore and Rep. John Curtis joined 33 other Republicans who voted in favor of the investigation. In a statement, Curtis said the bill is imperfect but that he supports a bi-partisan effort to understand what led to the event and why security wasn’t stronger. The bill now heads to the Senate where it will need 10 GOP members to vote with Democrats to pass. — Elaine Clark
Masks Are Still A Good Idea
The CDC announced that fully-vaccinated individuals can move freely around most indoor and outdoor spaces without wearing a mask. Some communities in the Mountain West still require masks, others do not. Moving forward, some public health officials recommend all vaccinated people be prepared to continue wearing masks. That could be even more important down the road if more COVID-19 variants pop up.
— Stephanie Serrano, Mountain West News Bureau