Take 2

Take 2 Podcast, Friday, April 10, 2026

Heidi Hatch with Maura Carabello of Exoro Group and Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz.

Vice President JD Vance is set to lead ceasefire talks this weekend, as tensions tied to a potential conflict with Iran continue. There are ongoing questions about whether a ceasefire will hold and if the Strait of Hormuz will remain open.

Gas prices in Utah are now higher than the national average, $4.26 compared to $4.16. Lawmakers are also discussing how the state’s gas tax bill works and what it means for drivers.

As the legislative session wraps, the group looks at highlights and lowlights, including early fundraising in Utah’s newly redrawn congressional districts and the latest update on efforts to repeal Proposition 4.

President Donald Trump is requesting $1 billion to restore and protect the Great Salt Lake, bringing renewed attention to the lake’s decline and long-term environmental concerns.

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson is urging the Department of Homeland Security to abandon a proposed detention center in Salt Lake City. In an April 6 letter, she raised concerns about the plan, as questions remain about whether DHS can back out after already purchasing the site.

Utah’s job market continues to grow. Nonfarm payroll employment increased an estimated 0.6% over the past 12 months as of January 2026.

A Utah Valley University commencement decision is drawing more attention. The selection of Sharon McMahon as speaker is facing criticism, with College Republicans speaking out against the choice.

 

Photo Courtesy: Jackson Murphy

Host: Heidi Hatch

Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group & Carolyn Phippen, Political Advisor

CD1: Democrats try new tactic to win House seat in Utah, running as progressives in red state

Open Primary: Who will it favor?

DATA FOR PROGRESS INTERNAL POLL RESULTS dfp_ut01_memo_crosstabs.pdf

Signatures for D1 Blouin and McAdams will both be in the primary

 

CD2: House Speaker Mike Johnson and Jim Jordan Endorse Blake Moore for Reelection–

 

Lisonbee counting on Convention support- calls out Moore for Advertising campaign using House $$

 

Latter-day Saints are the 2nd most Republican religious group in America — but also the only one shifting away

 

Washington County Sheriff steps down after accusations of misconduct

 

President Trump signs an order directing the creation of a national eligible voter list

Lt Governor immediately spoke out against the order

 

Forest Service Headquarters moves to Salt Lake City

 

Trump “You’re Fired”

AG Pam Bondi

DHS Kristis Noem

President Trump is requesting $1 billion to restore Great Salt Lake as part of his annual budget proposal to Congress

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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