Utah
Utah bans LGBTQ+ pride flags, MAGA flags, other unapproved flags in government buildings, schools
Utah became the first state to prohibit LGBTQ+ pride flags from being flown at government buildings and schools in a move that also bans political flags such as those with President Donald Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, announced he was allowing the ban on unsanctioned flag displays to become law without his signature. Although he continues to have serious concerns about the policy, the governor chose not to reject the proposal because the Republican-controlled legislature would likely have overridden his veto.
The ban will go into effect on May 7, when state or local government buildings will be fined $500 a day for displaying any flag other than the American flag, the Utah state flag, military flags or a handful of others approved by lawmakers.
FORMER GOP REP. MIA LOVE DEAD AT 49 AFTER BATTLE WITH CANCER, FAMILY SAYS
Utah became the first state to prohibit LGBTQ+ pride flags from being flown at government buildings and schools. (AP)
Political flags supporting a candidate or party, including MAGA flags, will be prohibited under the law.
The new law could put the state and its largest city, Salt Lake City, at odds. City buildings in the city typically honor Pride Month each June by displaying flags that celebrate its LGBTQ+ population.
Local leaders in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County have illuminated the city and county buildings with rainbow lights each night since the bill was sent to Cox’s desk in protest of the legislation.
LGBT AMERICANS REACH RECORD NUMBER, MORE LIKELY TO BE DEMS, GEN Z: GALLUP POLL
Political flags supporting a candidate or party, including MAGA flags, will be prohibited under the law. (Getty Images)
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office said their attorneys are reviewing the law, but the city does not yet have details on what it will do when the law takes effect.
The bill’s sponsors, Rep. Trevor Lee and Sen. Dan McCay, both of whom are Republicans, said the measure aims to encourage “political neutrality” from teachers and other government employees.
Opponents argue that the law seeks to root out LGBTQ+ expression and remove authority away from cities and towns that do not align politically with the legislature’s GOP majority.
Cox said in a letter to legislative leaders explaining his decision that he agreed with the “underlying intent” of the bill to make classrooms politically neutral but believed it went too far in restricting local governments. The governor also highlighted that the law, since it narrowly focuses on flags, does not ban other political displays such as posters or lighting.
Gov. Spencer Cox said he chose not to reject the proposal because the Republican-controlled legislature would likely have overridden his veto. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“To our LGBTQ community, I know that recent legislation has been difficult,” Cox said.
“Politics can be a bit of a blood sport at times and I know we’ve had our disagreements,” the governor continued. “I want you to know that I love and appreciate you and I am grateful that you are part of our state. I know these words may ring hollow to many of you, but please know that I mean them sincerely.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Utah
‘2.5 minutes of terror’: Passengers sue Delta, alleging crew flew into dangerous weather despite warnings, injuring dozens
Twenty passengers allege the airline ignored repeated weather warnings before the flight hit severe turbulence that sent dozens of people to hospitals
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Delta airplane travels down the runway at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City last March. Passengers on a Delta flight last July are suing the airline over injuries suffered because of violent turbulence.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
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.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
-
Nebraska23 seconds agoExtreme Heat Watches and Heat Advisories issued across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota
-
Nevada3 minutes agoNevada QB Thaddeus Thatcher commits to Oregon State, breaks down his decision
-
New Hampshire8 minutes agoGoing with the flow in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region – The Boston Globe
-
New Jersey15 minutes agoMore than 681,000 New Jersey children to receive Summer EBT benefits – WRNJ Radio
-
New Mexico18 minutes agoNew Mexico AG launches criminal investigation into DEA over allegations agents let fentanyl flood state
-
North Carolina23 minutes agoAMBER Alert issued after 15-year-old New Bern boy abducted at gunpoint, police say
-
North Dakota30 minutes agoColumn: A possible bear season in North Dakota?
-
Ohio33 minutes agoOregon Misses Out On Four-Star Offensive Lineman to Ryan Day, Ohio State
