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Republican Rep. Neil Walter says his bill to require more businesses to electronically verify the work status of their employees is largely about preventing identity theft. Critics of the bill say it could have far-reaching consequences for small businesses and industries like construction and farming that rely heavily on migrant labor.

Economic worries hold up effort to toughen Utah’s E-Verify law

The proposal would require any Utah business with more than five employees to electronically verify whether their workers have legal working status in the United States.

Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore moved to circle HB267 on the Senate floor, Jan. 31, 2025. The hotly contested bill would’ve banned public labor unions from collective bargaining. Cullimore said he wanted to give others time to review a substitute version that would keep collective bargaining.

Utah Senate signals a shift back to a ban on public union collective bargaining

Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore said he’s gotten mixed messages from public unions and their members on his proposal to allow some collective bargaining. Without a consensus, he said they’ll likely press ahead with a full ban.

FILE - Interior Secretary Doug Burgum speaks as his wife Kathryn and President Donald Trump listen, in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 31, 2025.

Trump admin will consider redrawing national monuments as part of energy push

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered federal officials to review and consider redrawing the boundaries of national monuments created under previous presidents to protect unique landscapes and cultural resources. The order is part of President Donald Trump's push to expand U.S. energy production.

High voltage transmission lines near the Intermountain Power Plant in Delta, Utah, Oct. 29, 2021.

Where will nuclear waste go? A quiet effort is underway to bring it to rural Colorado

An intergovernmental council in Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, just over the border from Utah, is exploring the possibility of temporary waste storage as an economic driver for a region that is seeing diminished returns from coal-fired power.

The parking lot is empty at Rancho Markets, Feb. 3, 2025. The business located at 898 E 3300 S closed for the day as a part of a nationwide "Day Without Immigrants" protest.

What the ‘Day Without Immigrants’ protest looked like in parts of Salt Lake City

Businesses across the nation closed their doors Feb. 3 to highlight the role migrants play in the U.S. workforce and economy. Rancho Markets, Prime Auto, La Casa de Tamal and Señor Pollo Mexican Grill were among the Utah businesses who joined the movement.

An educator holds a sign that says “HB267 has Zero Rizz” on the steps of the Utah Capitol, Jan. 31, 2025.

Utah Senate proposal lets public unions keep collective bargaining, with caveats

“Lawmakers heard us, they heard you. And while this fight is not over, it's a testament to what's possible when public workers stand in solidarity,” Utah Education Association President Renée Pinkney said.

The JDC Ranch development in Weber County, pictured Oct. 31, 2024, includes starter homes built through the Utah Homes Investment Program.

Deportations could cut into construction labor, hampering Utah’s housing goals

Gov. Spencer Cox wants to build 35,000 starter homes by 2028. If the workforce is squeezed, it may be harder for developers to control costs.

The Utah State Capitol on the first day of the 2025 Utah legislative session in Salt Lake City, Jan. 21, 2025.

Utah lawmakers are eyeing signature gathering tweaks and runoff elections

Two bills seek to change some of Utah’s election processes. Ballot signature gathering and runoff elections were up for debate in the House Government Operations Committee on Jan. 30.

Attendees of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival hold up "Keep Sundance in Utah" stickers on Main Street in Park City, Jan. 24, 2025.

Stay or go? The local push is on to ‘Keep Sundance in Utah’

The festival could remain in Park City and nearby Salt Lake City or move to other top contenders, Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado, after next year's festival.

Republican Rep. Carl Albrecht’s bill would lay the groundwork for future nuclear development in Utah. By his admission, it’s a “work in progress” and will likely evolve as the session progresses.

Bill establishing ‘how Utah goes nuclear’ gets unanimous committee approval

Lawmakers are full steam ahead on forging a nuclear-powered future, but concerns still exist around safety and taxpayer accountability.

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