Take 2

Take 2 Podcast March 27

Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

Rep Ryan Wilcox Utah Legislature

 

Repeal Prop 4 dies in Senate District 15 with signature removals

 

Trump signs emergency order to pay TSA agents as Congress struggles to reach funding deal

 

SLC Mayor Mendenhall: No water for ICE facility

 

Governor Cox vetoes:

HB462: Gov. Spencer Cox vetoes bill providing internet service on Utah’s rural school buses

 

HB164:  Would have required health care providers to tell patients how to file complaints with the state Division of Professional Licensing

 

School bell-to-bell cell phone ban

 

All prop bets are off in Utah under new law

 

Curtis, Schiff introduce bipartisan legislation to ban sports prediction market contracts

 

Wilcox bills:

HB0044S07 Criminal Use of Cryptocurrency Amendments

HB0072S02 Coercion Amendments Creates the criminal offense of aiding or encouraging suicide (moving the current language regarding aiding suicide from the criminal offense of manslaughter).

Host: Heidi Hatch

Maura Carabello Exoro Group

John Dougall Former State Auditor

 

Utah Caucus night

 

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz endorses Karianne Lisonbee against incumbent Congressman Blake Moore

 

Prop 4 Repeal Update – Senator Riebe District within striking distance for Better Boundaries 102 signatures beyond requirement

 

ICE warehouse SLC spurs protests and condemnation from SLC and County Mayor’s Utah Democrats

SLC Mayor Mendenhall says they won’t run utilities and can’t to the warehouse, demands meeting with DHS

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he was not given any notice that the Department of Homeland Security was purchasing a warehouse in Salt Lake City

Cox said he supports having an ICE detention center in Utah: He said such a center is necessary in the West, as several states, he argued, lack space to hold migrant detainees.

Cox said he’d discussed establishing a detention center in the state with President Joe Biden’s administration prior to Trump taking office again.

 

 

February Polling on ICE Detention in Utah

 

 

Cesar Chavez: An investigation by The New York Times found extensive evidence that the United Farm Workers co-founder groomed and sexually abused girls

Utah Legislature named scholarships after Chavez

SLC named 500 South after the Labor leader –

 

Gov. Cox signs 72 bills in the 2026 General Legislative Session

 

Governor Cox new book

 

Random House has announced a book deal with Spencer Cox, offering what the Utah governor calls a guide to lowering political tensions in the U.S.

 

The book, titled Off Ramp, focuses on depolarization and aims to help Americans navigate disagreements in everyday life, from the dinner table to social media and politics.

Host: Heidi Hatch
Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group • Rob Axson, Utah GOP Chair
 
Utah Legislative Session
 
Sen. Adams kills bill passed seconds after midnight
 
Last-minute signature removal law passed
 
Utahns for Representative Government gets signatures to put repeal of Prop 4 on the ballot
 
The petition to repeal Utah Proposition 4 ended up with nearly 166,000 verified signatures.
 
Signature removal deadline: April 23
 
Utah Congressional Races Shaping up
 
Utah CD1
 
Race shifting to the left.
 
A public town hall was held for the eight Democratic candidates running for Congress in Utah’s 1st District. Ben McAdams did not participate.
 
Utah CD2
 
Blake Moore, the 5th-ranked House Republican, is facing a primary challenge.
 
Karianne Lisonbee is serving her fourth term representing District 14. Before her election to the legislature, she served on the Syracuse City Council.
 
Utah CD3
Celeste Maloy, who won a hard-fought battle in the caucus convention, will face a challenger in Phil Lyman, who previously announced he would run for governor.
 
Utah CD4
Mike Kennedy has filed to run for re-election and already has two Republican primary challengers in the race.
 
Key Political Dates

Caucus Night: Tuesday, March 17

Utah Conventions: April 25

 
National Issues
 
What Americans think about the war in Iran, and whether it could affect the midterms.
 
Partial government shutdown continues nearly a month in, with Utah TSA workers going without pay.
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Take 2 Podcast – Friday 2/27

Host Heidi Hatch

Guests: Maura Carabello, John Dougall

 
State of the Union Hit or miss

Senator Mike Lee’s SAVE America Act received a standing ovation.

Congressman Blake Moore recognized in the third row (no name) for naming Trump accounts.

Some Democrats held an alternate event outside in animal costumes.

Democratic leadership had Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger deliver the rebuttal, focusing on affordability.

 
Proposition 4 Signature Verification

Utah GOP has surpassed the statewide number needed to repeal Prop 4: 157,898 verified signatures.

Congressman Blake Moore urges voters to let the process play out and stop attempting to remove signatures:

“As a former co-chair of Better Boundaries, I encourage them and all parties to stop trying to undo the petition to reconsider Proposition 4 by attempting to remove signatures.”
Federal District Court and Utah Supreme Court dismiss redistricting lawsuits; GOP options limited unless they appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
 
Utah Legislature Updates

Bills Introduced: 1,019

S.B. 308 – Judicial District Amendments: Will not move forward this session. Sen. Todd Weiler cited feedback from the Utah State Bar and legal community.

HB88 – Immigrant Services Funding: Debate halted by Rep. Karen Peterson; bill sponsor Rep. Trevor Lee framed as protecting taxpayer money.

Prediction Markets: Legislature advances ban on proposition betting; Attorney General warns online betting blurs legal lines.

HB 423 – DUI and Hit-and-Run Amendments: Passed House committee and floor unanimously; Senate committee passed unanimously; now headed to full Senate vote. Closes gap where fleeing after seriously injuring/killing someone is only a third-degree felony.

Secretary of State Proposal: House committee advances plan to amend Utah Constitution so Utahns elect a secretary of state in 2028 instead of the Lt. Governor overseeing elections.

 
Federal Election News

U.S. Department of Justice sued Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey for failing to provide full voter rolls. Nationwide total now 29 states + D.C.

AG Pam Bondi: “Accurate, well-maintained voter rolls are a requisite for the election integrity that the American people deserve.”

Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson:

“Neither state nor federal law entitles the Department of Justice to collect private information on law-abiding American citizens… we will always follow the Constitution and the law.”
Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King:
“This lawsuit is a blatant overreach and a threat to both Utah voters and our election process… it’s about control and interfering with the midterm election.”

Congressional Votes & SAVE Act
Four Republican senators, including Sen. John Curtis, opposed ending the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act. Curtis warned he wouldn’t support tabling Democratic amendments if it meant “changing the Senate’s rules.”
 
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Sen. Mike Lee seeks to roll back Biden-era regulations, potentially expanding land use for grazing, mining, and other development.

GAO opinion supports congressional review of the BLM plan; Rep. Celeste Maloy requested the review last year.

Congress would have 60 legislative days to reject the rule; a simple majority vote would revert management to 2020 Trump-era rules.

Supporters frame it as Congress reclaiming lawmaking authority from agencies rather than a state land control issue.

No podcast next Friday, but join us March 12th with Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson after the state verification process ends for the Prop 4 repeal effort

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Host: Heidi Hatch
Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group & John Dougall, Former State Auditor
Judge’s Ruling in Redistricting cases
 
Federal District Court
Utah Supreme Court
 
UFRG and Utah GOP surpass expectations, turn in 200K + signatures
 
Current verified signatures 117,114
 
HB 575, Fuel Tax and Supply Amendments, Rep. Cal Roberts, R-Salt Lake
 
New Gas Tax bill reduces rate by 6 cents a gallon, a 15.8% savings – well below below original 20 Cents a gallon
 
Presser expected Monday: State Leaders to Announce Major Oil and Gas Supply, Water, and Refining Agreements
 
HB 587, Income Tax Amendments, Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Salt Lake
 
The bill reduces both the corporate and individual income tax rates from 4.5% to 4.45%.
 
Immigration HB 88, Public Assistance Amendments, Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Davis
 
Would prohibit undocumented immigrants from accessing state- and local-funded programs: nonemergency medical health care, local- or state-administered health care or health insurance, housing assistance, food assistance, cash benefits, tuition assistance.
 
The bill also allows the public to sue state employees who intentionally ignore the law's requirement to present proof of lawful status to access certain services.
 
HB 294, Employer Verification Amendments, Rep Tiara Auxier, R-Morgan
 
Would require companies with 100 or more workers to use E-Verify (or similar programs) when hiring employees.
 
Current law applies to companies with 150 or more workers.
 
US conducts first air transport of nuclear microreactor in bid to show technology's viability
 
Arrived at Hill Air Force Base via three Air Force C-17s, then transported to Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County.
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