Tuesday morning, Jan. 21, 2020
Northern Utah
Tax Referendum Deadline
The deadline for tax reform referendum submission petitions is Tuesday at 5 p.m. Tax referendum organizers and volunteers said they plan to submit signed packets early Tuesday at the Salt Lake County Building. During a special session in December, legislators passed a tax reform bill that raises food and fuel taxes and referendum organizers say it takes hundreds of millions away from education. The legislature requires referendum backers to gather nearly 116,000 signatures, divided proportionally among at least 15 of Utah’s 29 counties. The petitions will then have to be verified by county authorities. — Bob Nelson
Grantsville Shooting Update
A boy accused of killing four members of a Utah family surrendered peacefully following the Friday night slayings but has since refused to speak with detectives trying to piece together a motive. Grantsville police released the names of the victims Monday. They said the boy was related to them but haven't offered more than that about the relationship. — Associated Press
Southern Utah
San Juan Commission In Navajo Mountain
The San Juan County Commission is holding meeting in Navajo Mountain on Tuesday. It’s only the second time in recent memory the commission has held a meeting on the Navajo Nation. The first was in Monument Valley last July. Holding regular meetings outside of Monticello is one of the most tangible changes enacted by the county’s first Navajo-majority commission, which passed a resolution to hold every third commission meeting away from the county seat last spring. At the time, County attorney Kendall Laws said only special meetings can be held outside of Monticello. But the commission made plans to hold four meetings on the Navajo Nation and one in Spanish Valley this year, and passed an ordinance to that effect at its last meeting. Kate Groetzinger, Blanding
State
Addressing Climate Change
In early January, Utah researchers unveiled their plan to help the state fight climate change. They called it the Utah Roadmap, and provided suggestions for how to make the greatest impacts at the least cost. And while the roadmap is a clear message that the environmental threat is growing — especially in a politically conservative state like Utah — some say it doesn’t go far enough to address the seismic shifts needed to avert the most serious impacts of climate change. Read the full story — Jon Reed