Friday evening, December 6, 2019
STATE
Santa And The Grinch v. Tax Reform
In a rare show of bipartisanship, Santa and the Grinch came together to oppose a special session for tax reform next week. Republican lawmakers have been pushing for a special session before the end of the year to pass a bill that would cut the income tax by around 0.3% while imposing sales taxes on new things like gasoline, Netflix and parking fees. They also want to raise the grocery tax and create new tax credits aimed at low- and middle-income Utahns. Legislative leaders are pushing Gov. Herbert to call a special session next Thursday. Read the full story —Nicole Nixon
Comparing Utah’s Air
Utah has a bad reputation when it comes to air quality. The Wasatch Front ranks 8th in the country in the American Lung Association’s list of top 25 most polluted cities. But when compared globally, the U.S. has some of the cleanest air in the world. That’s not to say Utah is in the clear though. Read the full story — Jon Reed
SOUTHERN UTAH
New Agency, New Public Comment Period On Lake Powell Pipeline
The Department of the Interior announced in October that the Bureau of Reclamation would take over as the lead agency overseeing the environmental compliance of the Lake Powell Pipeline. The bureau is now in the early stages of preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the project and began seeking public comment earlier this week. — David Fuchs