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Can Utah ignore federal laws and regulations? Legal precedent says no, but legislators want to try.

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Can Utah ignore federal laws and regulations? Legal precedent says no, but legislators want to try.


The Utah Senate advanced a bill giving them the authority to declare federal actions unconstitutional.

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, left and redistricting committee chairman Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, right, in the House Building, Room 30, Nov. 8, 2021. Members of the public were against the newly drawn redistricting maps on Monday, the only public hearing for the map proposals.

On Thursday, the Utah Senate advanced a bill to create a process that allows the Legislature to ignore federal laws and regulations if they think those mandates are unconstitutional. However, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that states do not have such authority.

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SB 57 from Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, allows the Legislature to pass a resolution declaring any federal action unconstitutional. State officials and agencies would then be directed to ignore or not comply unless a court determines the action complies with the Constitution. That’s the inverse of the current process where states sue the federal government to block a law or regulation.

“There are times when I believe that the state of Utah has been harmed, and the citizens have been harmed through actions that the federal government has placed on the states,” Sandall said.

States have attempted to nullify federal laws and regulations several times. Those efforts have been rejected by the Supreme Court, which has held individual states do not have the authority to declare federal actions unconstitutional because of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, a lawyer, acknowledged that history and legal precedent do not give Utah the authority to ignore the federal government, but he supports the bill anyway.

“I went to law school, a good law school, and I don’t believe that Utah has the power to override the Supremacy Clause. Under the Supremacy Clause, as I understand it, the federal law trumps Utah” Weiler said. “But there’s nothing that I like better, and there’s nothing Utah likes better than sticking it to the federal government. If that’s the intent of the bill, I guess I’m all in favor of it.”

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We could see lawmakers use this new tool to push back against the federal government sooner rather than later. If Sandall’s bill passes both the House and Senate with a two-thirds majority, it will go into effect when Gov. Spencer Cox signs the legislation. Sandall acknowledged there are already a handful of federal regulations that the Legislature may target as soon as this legislative session.

“I know that in the air quality arena, the ozone level regulation that has been placed on the state of Utah, we can’t find a way or a lever to pull that would make us compliant with that simply because most of the ozone that comes into our state is not created here,” Sandall said. “I would be lying if I told you that I hadn’t thought of a few ideas that need to be vetted.”

Legislators said the process could be impacted and even rendered moot by the Supreme Court later this year. A concept called “Chevron deference,” named after the 1984 Supreme Court case Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, requires federal courts to defer to federal agencies on the interpretation and implementation of laws and regulations on everything from the environment to food and drug safety. The Supreme Court heard arguments earlier this week in a case that could overturn that precedent.

Several Senate Republicans are confident the Court is about to upend that standard, which has stood for 40 years.

“I do think the Chevron [deference] will be struck down in June by our Supreme Court,” Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said. “The problem that the Chevron [deference] created is it basically delegates to powerful federal bureaucrats the ability not only to interpret the law and enforce the law but, in some instances, to make the laws.”

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SB 57 advanced on a straight party-line vote Thursday morning. It faces a final vote in the Senate before it heads to the House.



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Teens airlifted to Utah County hospitals after rollover of at least 50 yards | Gephardt Daily

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Teens airlifted to Utah County hospitals after rollover of at least 50 yards | Gephardt Daily


Photo: Utah County Sheriff

UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.

Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.

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“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.

“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”

Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.

“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”

Two black Polaris RZR side-by-side off-road vehicles wrecked in a brushy area, one shown from the side with exposed roll cage and damaged seating, the other from a similar angle with dented body panels.

Photos: Utah County Sheriff





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Utah Jazz jump to #2 in the lottery, plus full results

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Utah Jazz jump to #2 in the lottery, plus full results


In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.

Here are the final results, which show all the movement.

Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.

For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.

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The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.

Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!



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Provo’s new Boys & Girls clubhouse gives Utah youth more space to learn, grow and belong

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Provo’s new Boys & Girls clubhouse gives Utah youth more space to learn, grow and belong


PROVO — An organization that has been a beacon of hope for Utah children and families just got a big upgrade in Provo.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County on Friday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility, marking the start of a new chapter in providing support for those who need it the most.

The new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse, 131 N. Olympic Blvd., replaces the organization’s former Provo clubhouse, which had been in operation for more than 50 years. Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County leaders said they had outgrown the aging facility and needed a larger, more modern space to support more community members.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the Boys & Girls Club of Utah County’s new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse on Friday. (Photo: Curtis Booker, KSL)

“This new clubhouse is more than a building — it’s a central place where we can coordinate programs, support our staff, and amplify our impact across the region,” said David Bayles, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County, in a statement.

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The organization’s mission was something the late former Utah County Commissioner Tom Sakievich was passionate about. His wife Marji and daughter Emily Sakievich attended Friday’s grand opening ceremony just as if he would’ve wanted to.

“He loved this project, and it meant the world to him,” Emily Sakievich told KSL. “This was actually one of the last places he went before he passed. (He) and my mom stopped by to just see how progress was going; he would be so excited to see this come together.”

The former commissioner died last December at the age of 72. Tom Sakievich resigned from the seat in September 2024 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer.

Emily Sakievich said her father was a big supporter of helping children in the Boys & Girls Clubs feel supported while he was in office.

“He would have all of them come to his office and talk about how government works and how they can be a part of it someday,” she said.

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The new 20,000 square-foot facility expands on resources and programs offered at its previous site for community youth and families experiencing hardships.

The clubhouse will provide safe, engaging, and educational programs in a modernized building fit to serve more than 14,000 Utah children and teens.

A variety of programs including after-school, summer activities and STEM learning will be offered at the new facility. Other resources include internet safety programs, mental health support, nutrition initiatives, and housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness.

“We’ve been able to increase the capacity so much and add preschool and other things; we can even benefit more families — and we can benefit them for a longer period of time, from younger to older, where there are no gaps.” Provo City Council Chair Katrice MacKay told KSL. “So I’m really excited. It’s a fantastic thing for the city and for our residents.”

Leaders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County say the new $6 million Provo clubhouse was designed as a welcoming space where children and teens can explore new interests, build life skills, and receive mentorship from caring staff.

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“The Boys & Girls Clubs have been a cornerstone of youth development in Utah County for decades,” said Janet Frank, board president, in a statement “This new clubhouse strengthens that mission, allowing the organization to extend its reach and impact across the entire region.”

Friday’s event took place while children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs were in school, so another ceremony for kids and their families is planned for the end of the month.

“The Boys & Girls Club is for every kid out there,” Bayles said. “We want to accomplish what every parent wants for their kids — we want them to have a safe place to learn and grow, to be successful in school, to build social skills and to go on and be great members of society.”

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.



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