Take 2

Host: Heidi Hatch
Guests: Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz; Maura Carabello, Exoro Group

Tax Cuts & Budget Cuts
Utah lawmakers advanced SB60, the proposed cut would reduce tax rates from 4.5% to 4.45%
Opponents argue that the reduction could be better allocated amid a projected $300 million revenue loss

Utah Majority
Family-focused legislation
The House Majority Caucus has made cost-of-living and strong families a priority for this session

Utah Gas Prices
Currently, Utah has a $0.385 tax rate per gallon for motor fuel sold at gas pumps in the state, but has an exemption for fuel exported out of state.
A draft bill is still in the works that would reassess the state’s gas tax structure

Refineries produce up to 220,000 barrels a day, but about 75,000 of those are shipped out of state to meet demand elsewhere in the West, pushing our prices higher here at home.

As of late January 2026, Utah's average gas prices for regular unleaded are around $2.68 per gallon

Idaho Legislature is fighting Mad over Utah Legislations
Idaho House speaker calls Utah House Speaker's plan “Bull manure”, and Speaker Schultz had some choice words in return https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/HJM012.pdf

Sentencing Commission
The Speaker is sponsoring HB 274 to reconfigure the sentencing commission.

HB274, sponsored by House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, would change the makeup of the Utah Sentencing Commission by removing all defense lawyers from the commission and replacing them with more members from law enforcement. The Bar said it “strongly” opposes the bill because it “politicizes” the commission by restructuring it in a way that “favors law enforcement and partisan viewpoints.” https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0274.html

Utah won a $30 million bid for US Magnesium’s land, water rights, and mining agreements on Tuesday as part of a wider strategy to refill the shrinking Great Salt Lake
Utah purchased US Magnesium’s land, water rights, and mining agreements for $30 million to help

US Magnesium filed for bankruptcy in 2025, halting magnesium production.

Gov. Spencer Cox and Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Ferry say the move is critical for long-term lake health and air quality

Where is Utah’s Appeal to the Supreme Court on Redistricting?
Signature-gathering status: Will they need a miracle to get to the magic number by Feb. 14?

When it comes to redistricting, most Utah voters do not believe the state legislature should be solely responsible for the district boundaries because it favors the party in power
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Host: Heidi Hatch
Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; Nic Dunn, Sutherland Institute

Governor Spencer Cox — State of the State

Polling: Deseret News / Hinckley Institute
One-third of Utah voters say affordable housing should be the Legislature’s top priority.
Housing ranked twice as high as any other issue across all partisan and age groups.
Utah Legislature's approval rating sits at 47% overall

Possible ICE Detention Center in Salt Lake County
West-side Salt Lake City warehouse rumored as potential site
Local city and county leaders appeared caught off guard, despite ICE’s two-year search for detention space statewide

Legislative Session Updates
Utah Senate votes to expand the Utah Supreme Court from five to seven justices
Sen. Nate Blouin’s ICE opt-out bill declared dead on arrival, killed in committee
Bills to watch heading into Friday’s legislative deadline

BLM Approves Updated Northern Corridor Highway Plan
Federal approval clears the way after years of debate and environmental review

Senator Mike Lee's Social Media Post Makes Headlines
Reaction and political fallout discussed

Prop. 4 Repeal Effort
Scott Presler returns to Utah for a second weekend of signature gathering to repeal Proposition 4

Coming Up Next Week
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz joins Take 2 Podcast

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Take 2 Podcast 1/19/26
Host: Heidi Hatch
Guests: State Sen. Jen Plumb, MD, State Rep. Ryan Wilcox
MLK Day of Service highlights as the Utah legislative session begins
Lawmakers kick off the session with a blood drive
Minnesota facing growing tension amid an ICE surge
Sen. Nate Blouin introduces a bill to block ICE from entering churches and hospitals and to ban agents from wearing masks
Utah ICE detention center has been in planning for nearly two years, dating back to the Biden administration
Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” and tightening budgets loom over legislative sessions across the West, reporting from Brigham Tomco
Utah State School Board asked to cut $300 million, about 5% of its budget
Bill filed to expand Utah Supreme Court justices from five to seven
U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on state bans of transgender athletes in girls’ sports
Conservative organizer Scott Presler in Utah gathering signatures to repeal Proposition 4
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Take 2 Podcast — Friday, Jan. 9, 2026
Host: Heidi Hatch
Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group; John Dougall, Former State Auditor

Happy New Year and America’s 250th anniversary year.

8 people shot, 2 killed outside LDS church in Salt Lake City neighborhood

Nationwide protests after fatal ICE agent shooting in Minneapolis

Newly elected municipal leaders sworn in

Utah Political Updates

Filing deadlines and races
The filing deadline has come and gone.
Rob Bishop is running for a seat after Utah Rep. Matthew Gwynn announced he will not seek re-election.
Former Provo Mayor Kaufusi is running for county commission.
GOP Rep. Trevor Lee faces a challenge from Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson in House District 16.
Three Republican candidates have filed to challenge Utah Senate President Stuart Adams in Senate District 7.
Sen. Dan McCay announced his re-election bid while Rep. Doug Fiefia filed to challenge him.
Sen. Nate Blouin is running for Congress. Four Democrats have filed: Richard T. Whitney, Silvia Caten, Evan Done and Taylor J. Paden, with Colin Smith also in the mix.
County clerk challenge in Utah County: incumbent Aaron Davidson vs. newcomer Corey Astille.

Legal & Legislative
The Utah Legislature filed a notice to appeal Utah’s redistricting case with the Utah Supreme Court, seeking to keep the old maps in place.
Congressional filing deadline is March. Another Democrat joined the congressional race, bringing the total to 10 listed on Ballotpedia, with Liban Mohamed as number 10.
A state school board member announced she won’t seek re-election, citing what she called a “corrupt” system.
GOP priorities for the legislative session include a bill to ban cell phone use in schools from bell to bell.

National & International
ICE fatal shooting in Minnesota has led to nationwide protests, including in Salt Lake City.
Nicolas Maduro captured (mention/source not verified in these notes — check if needed).
Iran protests and internet shutdown.
Trump administration weighing payments to Greenlanders to encourage closer ties with the U.S.
Trump said his global power was limited only by his ‘own morality.’

New York Times interview: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/briefing/trump-interview-oval-office-apple-ceo.html?smid=url-share
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HOST: Heidi Hatch
GUESTS: Maura Carabello Exoro Group, Rep Ryan Wilcox
Prop 4 is moving closer to the ballot as organizers report tens of thousands of signatures submitted to county clerks, even as another major policy fight begins to take shape. A newly filed effort to challenge Salt Lake County’s tax increase is now racing against a tight signature-gathering deadline, adding urgency to an already crowded political landscape. At the same time, unresolved court questions surrounding Prop 4 are keeping key decisions in limbo.

Did you catch the Variety White House Expose?
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1?srsltid=AfmBOopKq4pM-ka2qo47Cc-_KgQd8ZemDcDLj8JIfkSPGgD6Yg2yglP7

Salt Lake County Tax Referendum
Goud Maragani and others applied for the referendum on Monday, which if approved by clerk's office, gives them a chance to put the increase on next year's ballot.
They would need to get about 45,000 handwritten signatures in 45 days. They are using volunteers.

Prop 4 Signature Gathering

Rob Axson Utah GOP Chair reports an estimated 75k valid signatures gathered – first signatures turned in a week ago to county clerks.

Few Hundred paid gatherers- majority local Utah hires

Latest on Prop 4 Case appeal

In new court filings, the legislature is asking Third District Judge Dianna Gibson to issue a final judgment in the case so they can appeal it to the Utah Supreme Court, which the plaintiffs and Gibson say she can’t do yet because of unresolved claims.

3 Governors Take the Stage together

3 Utah governors say the country ‘desperately needs more of Utah’ ... in the White House?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/3-utah-governors-country-desperately-030000599.html

Bridger Bolinder

A leader in Utah’s House Republican caucus says he will not seek reelection next year, citing other commitments and responsibilities that require his attention.
House Majority Assistant Whip Bridger Bolinder, R-Grantsville, announced the decision this week. Bolinder was elected by his House colleagues to a leadership role over the summer, becoming one of the newest GOP leaders on Capitol Hill.
“Serving in the Utah House of Representatives has truly been the honor of a lifetime,” Bolinder said in a post on Instagram. “Representing the people of Tooele, Juab and Millard counties has meant more to me than I can put into words.”

Political and Religious Violence

Brown University Shooting/MIT Professor Shooting – person of interest found dead Salem New Hampshire
2 Students killed, 9 critically injured
MIT professor shot and killed at home
Bondi Beach Shooting
On Dec. 14, a mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach killed 15 people, including a child, and injured dozens. Australian authorities said two gunmen linked to the Islamic State opened fire on a crowd of about 1,000 people, with police killing one suspect and arresting the other, who was critically injured. Police later removed two homemade bombs from a car connected to the attackers.

Trump Gave himself a year in review in primetime address.
Border closed
Peaced Deal Gaza/Israel
Economy is awesome (Many would debate this)

Utah Year in Review Charlie Kirk shooting and Utah Congressional Maps biggest stories of the year

New Year New Documentary: Melania

Exclusively in theaters Jan 30
https://x.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/2001266577077837917?s=20
“Hi, Mr. President, congratulations,” Melania Trump says on the phone, speaking from a golden bathroom in the first trailer for “Melania,” Amazon MGM Studio‘s upcoming documentary about the First Lady.
“Did you watch it?” Donald Trump asks on the other end of the call.
“I did not, I will see it on the news,” she replies.

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