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How Utah lawmakers want to spend their $30 billion ‘sox and underwear’ budget this year

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How Utah lawmakers want to spend their  billion ‘sox and underwear’ budget this year


Republican legislative leaders unveiled their “socks and underwear” budget Friday, allocating about $30 billion in taxpayer money and adding millions of dollars to school voucher programs, career training for high school students, raises for state employees and tax cuts for a fifth year in a row.

The full budget won’t be decided until the final minutes of Utah’s annual lawmaking effort, which ends at midnight on March 7 — meaning lawmakers, lobbyists and Utahns looking for funds for their programs still have a week to make their final requests and pleas to lawmakers.

“By maintaining fiscal discipline while making critical investments, we are ensuring Utah’s long-term prosperity,” Senate Executive Appropriations Committee Chair Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, said in a statement Friday. “This budget keeps our state on a path of sustainable growth, economic opportunity and a high quality of life for all Utahns.”

Republican leaders have tried to downplay budget expectations this year after announcing that revenue numbers came in $112 million lower than forecast a few months earlier, leaving them less money to spend on new projects and programs.

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That number, however, did not include about $230 million that they had set aside last year for tax cuts or $104 million tucked away to give raises to state employees and teachers.

Friday morning, Gov. Spencer Cox and legislative leaders announced that teachers would get a $1,400 pay raise and support staff would get a one-time $1,000 bonus.

And tax cuts are still on the table, but have been scaled back.

Thursday night the House passed a bill that would reduce the income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.5% — cutting about $97 million in state revenue. It also would expand the child tax credit to parents with a child up to five years old and extend a tax break to companies that provide child care.

One of Cox’s main requests, a tax break for senior citizens’ Social Security income, is still being hashed out.

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House Speaker Mike Schultz said Thursday that the tax package would include an income tax reduction — the fifth consecutive year for such cuts — an extension of the child tax credit and some break on how much Social Security income is eligible for taxation.

“We want to give families a tax cut, every citizen a tax cut and we want to continue to work on Social Security,” Schultz said.

Schultz said he expected the House will end up not taxing Social Security income for households making up to $90,000, and maybe slightly more.

According to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy done for Voices For Utah Children, a child advocacy group, the general income tax cut would mean $1,929 in annual savings for the state’s top 1% of earners and $35 a year for a household earning between $63,100 and $103,200.

If it is approved, the last five years of tax cuts will have saved the top 1% of households $17,361 a year and those middle income households $313 a year.

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Corporations have received the same tax breaks, 94.5% of which go to out-of-state corporations, while 5.5% of the reduction went to Utah businesses, according to the ITEP report.

Senate President Stuart Adams, in a statement Friday, said, “This budget reflects Utah’s values — responsibility, innovation and forward-thinking investments.”

Some highlights of the Legislature’s budget recommendations include:

• $65 million to expand a system of “catalyst centers” — modeled after a career-training program in Davis School District where students can take courses in health care programs, marketing and other fields — to school districts statewide. It was a project proposed by Schultz and one of two bills he ran this session.

• $40 million for school vouchers, half of what was requested by Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore. The appropriation would add vouchers for an additional 5,000 students. Cullimore had asked for $80 million.

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• $3.5 million for the governor’s “Operation Gigawatt,” a push to double Utah’s energy production in 10 years. Cox had asked for $20.4 million to incentivize nuclear power in Utah and $4.3 million for geothermal. The Legislature has budgeted $1.75 million in each category.

• $5 million for schools impacted by having a high number of students for whom English is a second language.

• $25 million for school safety improvements.

• $36.5 million for Convergence Hall, a tech hub at The Point development in Draper.

• An additional $20 million for a first-time homebuyer grant program, championed by Adams, that gives downpayment loans to Utahns buying their first homes.

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• $5.5 million so the University of Utah can accept 10 medical students in a satellite program at Utah Tech University.

• $600,000 for a newly revamped Utah Debate Committee, collaborating with multiple Utah universities.

• $2 million to combat quagga and zebra mussels under an invasive aquatic species program plus an additional $2 million each for decontamination tanks at Deer Creek Reservoir and Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell.

This story is developing and may be updated.



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Utah Royals FC Returns Home to Host Racing Louisville FC Chasing Eight Match Unbeaten Streak | Utah Royals

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Utah Royals FC Returns Home to Host Racing Louisville FC Chasing Eight Match Unbeaten Streak |  Utah Royals


HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, May 14, 2026) — Utah Royals FC (5-2-2, 17 pts) returns to the Beehive State this weekend to host Racing Louisville FC (2-1-5, 7 pts) for the first meeting between the two clubs during the 2026 campaign on Sunday, May 17, at America First Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT.

Utah enters Sunday’s contest following a hard-fought 0-0 road draw against Bay FC at PayPal Park, earning another clean sheet while continuing the club’s streak of never allowing Bay FC to score at home against Utah Royals FC. The point on the road marked Utah’s 11th away point of the 2026 campaign, equaling the club’s combined road-point total from both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

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The Royals were tested throughout the opening half, with one of Bay FC’s best opportunities coming in the 40th minute when Racheal Kundananji broke forward on a dangerous run through the middle of the pitch before entering the penalty area. Midfielder Narumi came up with a crucial defensive stop, diving in front of the attempt and deflecting the shot away with her leg to preserve the scoreless draw. The sequence highlighted Utah’s defensive commitment, with multiple Royals players sprinting back to disrupt the Bay FC attack and protect the clean sheet heading into halftime.

Utah continued to remain organized defensively throughout the second half, limiting Bay FC’s opportunities and securing its fifth clean sheet of the 2026 season. The result extended the Royals’ unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches while also leaving Bay FC winless against Utah through five all-time meetings between the clubs.

With the result, Utah extended its unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches, continuing the Royals’ impressive run of form heading into Sunday’s home match against Racing Louisville FC.

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Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets and his squad now look to build on an impressive seven-match unbeaten streak, alongside multiple consecutive clean sheets against Chicago Stars FC, Seattle Reign FC, Angel City FC, Houston Dash, and most recently Bay FC. The result against Bay extended Utah’s strong run of form as the Royals continue to establish themselves as one of the league’s toughest defensive sides. Utah now returns home looking to carry that momentum into America First Field in front of its home crowd while aiming to extend both its unbeaten streak and defensive success.

Now in his second full season at the helm, Head Coach Coenraets continues molding a balanced squad built on defensive discipline, midfield control, and attacking creativity. Sunday’s contest presents another opportunity for Utah to extend its unbeaten streak to eight consecutive matches while collecting crucial points at home in front of the club’s supporters at America First Field.

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Racing Louisville FC enters the matchup with a 2-1-5 record, most recently earning a 3-1 home victory over Portland Thorns FC after suffering back-to-back defeats. Led by Head Coach Bev Yanez, Racing Louisville FC will look to build on its return to winning form and secure all three points on the road at America First Field.

Sunday’s contest marks the tenth match of the 2026 NWSL regular season for the Royals and the ninth for Racing Louisville FC, with both sides aiming to secure valuable early-season points and strengthen their position in the league standings.

WATCH LIVE on Victory+ with Josh Eastern and McCall Zerboni :: Utah Royals FC vs Racing Louisville | America First Field | 6:00 p.m. MT

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WATCH LIVE on Victory+ with Kelley O’Hara and Ali Riley :: Utah Royals FC vs Racing Louisville | America First Field | 6:00 p.m. MT

LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 5:30 p.m. MT

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Following Sunday’s match, Utah Royals FC will remain in the Beehive State to host inaugural side Denver Summit FC on Saturday, May 23, at America First Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. MT, with tickets available for purchase here.





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‘It means building hope’: USU brings independence to refugee group through chicken coop project

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‘It means building hope’: USU brings independence to refugee group through chicken coop project


SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Refugee communities in Utah are being supplied with farm-fresh eggs and poultry thanks to a collaborative effort between Utah State University and Utah Refugee Goats.

According to Utah Refugee Goats (URG), their goat and poultry farm supplies refugee communities with reliable, affordable and culturally familiar sources of meat. Thanks to Utah State University (USU) agriculture students, it’s getting some ‘egg’stra attention.

Over the last 10 weeks, Brad Borges, a Ph.D candidate for career and technical education, has been taking a hands-on approach with his students to construct a new chicken coop with the support of a mobile construction lab and a $20,000 grant.

According to URG President Abdikadir Hussein, the coop is equipped with fully enclosed roofs and will increase their flock by 40%, meaning faster growth for the Salt Lake City-based farm. As a refugee, though, Hussein said it means even more.

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“It means resiliency. It means independence. It means building hope. Hopelessness is something that is killing the most refugees inside,” he expressed. “I came as a refugee, and hope is the last everything that ever came to mind.”

“We feel like even the birds are happy, like they want to get into there,” he added.

From the student perspective, being able to build a project that will be used to generate money for refugee groups was incredibly engaging and inspirational, according to Borges. The sentiment is shared by Joseph Okoh, extension assistant professor of small acreage livestock.

“It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” Okoh said. One, we are getting the coop for the refugee group, these students are going to learn from the construction of the coop, and not only that, everybody is going to be happy to be part of this community to be able to develop a better coop for better production.”

To learn more about issues facing refugees in Utah and how to support them, visit Utah Refugee Goats’ website.

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Via 313 is launching a brand new pizza in Utah

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Via 313 is launching a brand new pizza in Utah


Via 313 is launching a brand new pizza in Utah and it’s four flavors in one!

The DLX 313 is a large, four-flavor pizza is double cut into 16 slices, making it perfect for groups, sharing or first-timers looking to taste it all.

It includes:

  1. The Detroiter with smoked pepperoni under the cheese and natural casing pepperoni on top
  2. The Ambassador Bridge loaded with pepperoni, sausage, fresh garlic, oregano and house-made ricotta
  3. The Cadillac featuring prosciutto, gorgonzola, parmesan, fig preserves and balsamic glaze
  4. The Bobo Brazil brings the heat with hot calabrese, sausage, red pepper flakes and Mike’s Hot Honey

Alongside the DLX 313, Via 313 is also featuring a full summer LTO lineup through Aug. 2, including the new Elote Pizza, Meat & Cheese Boards, Banana Pudding and seasonal cocktails.

You can learn more at via313.com or by visiting them at 6163 S. State Street in Murray.

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