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Where do Utah’s children fall when it comes to poverty, insurance?

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Where do Utah’s children fall when it comes to poverty, insurance?


Inventive Studying Academy youngsters hear as Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson reads a ebook to them in Salt Lake Metropolis. Knowledge launched by the U.S. Census Bureau in September revealed new findings in native and federal poverty ranges and uninsured charges of kids. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information)

Estimated learn time: 4-5 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — The state of Utah is usually thought to be family-centered, with the best variety of youngsters per capita. New knowledge launched by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals the place the state has triumphed and fallen brief on behalf of its youngsters.

Youngsters nationwide noticed a lower in youngster poverty charges and a rise in well being protection insurance coverage in 2021, in line with the U.S. Census Bureau. The information revealed that youngster poverty fell to its lowest recorded stage — from 9.7% in 2020 to five.2% in 2021, when calculated by the Supplemental Poverty Measure.

When calculated by the official poverty measure, youngster poverty declined 0.7 proportion factors from 16.0% to fifteen.3%. The official poverty measure is calculated by an individual’s or household’s revenue set to thresholds that may range by the dimensions of the household and ages of its members. The calculation doesn’t embrace in-kind advantages reminiscent of vitamin help, housing and power packages, or regional variations in prices.

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The completely different strategies of calculating poverty can create challenges when evaluating state knowledge.


We’re doing higher than each different state within the nation for kids and that is one thing for all Utahns I believe to be happy with.

–Matthew Weinstein, Voices for Utah Youngsters director


“You get legitimate outcomes nationally however not on the state stage — particularly in a small state like Utah the place we’re about half the dimensions of the typical state. In order that’s the place we do not have good single-year knowledge for what impression did the kid tax credit score growth have in Utah,” mentioned Matthew Weinstein, Voices for Utah Youngsters’s state precedence partnership director.

Current knowledge calculated on a state stage revealed that Utah has the second lowest poverty charge nationally at 8.6% and the bottom within the nation for kids at 8.1%, in line with knowledge gathered within the 2021 American Group Survey. Whole figures positioned 281,763 Utahns, together with 76,102 youngsters, beneath the poverty stage total.

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“These are nonetheless … they’re large numbers but it surely’s one thing we will actually nonetheless really feel excellent about. We’re doing higher than each different state within the nation for kids and that is one thing for all Utahns I believe to be happy with,” Weinstein mentioned.

So what makes Utah completely different on the subject of youngsters?

Utah has the best proportion within the nation of kids rising up in married-couple households, versus single-parent households — with solely 19% of kids residing in a single-parent dwelling, in line with 2019 census knowledge. Single-parent households are vulnerable to poverty when contemplating median family revenue.

The cultural values positioned on marriage and household have supplied a “enormous benefit” when weighing poverty numbers, Weinstein mentioned. Utah ranked eleventh total for median family revenue in 2021, a rating he attributes largely to dual-income households.

“Contemplating that we’re not a high-wage state, our median hourly wages are beneath the nationwide common … that fantastic Beehive work ethic combines with our robust dedication to marriage and household to offer us these great cultural benefits on the subject of poverty and youngster poverty and our total stage of family revenue,” mentioned Weinstein.

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Whereas Utah has triumphed in some ways on behalf of its youngsters — there are nonetheless some strides to be made.

The American Group Survey revealed that 84% % of Utah’s low-income youngsters who certified for Medicaid in 2021 weren’t enrolled — the best charge within the nation of the 36 states to develop Medicaid.

Whereas the variety of these enrolled in Medicaid grew in January 2022, that quantity won’t doubtless final. The rise in enrollment is essentially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the declaration of a public well being emergency. Congress elevated funding for Medicaid and handed legal guidelines to maintain people from dropping Medicaid protection throughout the nationwide well being emergency.

The adjustments additionally had been mirrored nationally with the uninsured charge amongst youngsters lowering 0.6 proportion factors to five.0% between 2020 and 2021, doubtless pushed by the rise in entry to the packages.

Now as President Joe Biden has declared the “pandemic over,” the general public well being emergency is because of expire, leaving Utah youngsters weak.

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“When the (public well being emergency) ends, that is after I assume we are going to we are going to see some actual shifts, and that’s one thing that retains me up at evening — is what would be the impression?” mentioned Jessie Mandle, deputy director and senior well being coverage analyst with Voices for Utah Youngsters.

Whereas Mandle considers offering insurance coverage for each youngster statewide as “the correct factor to do for our children” it’s also cost-effective, she argued.

“With out that primary basis of medical insurance, they are surely already at a drawback. We’re already creating extra obstacles for youths to have the ability to thrive,” mentioned Mandle. “Medical health insurance is so vital for youths and to have the ability to not solely be serving to within the brief time period but in addition for his or her long-term well being and in addition to their precise tutorial success and even their financial outcomes later in life.

“Our state and native governments are spending virtually $9 million yearly in pediatric uncompensated care and that’s greater than it could value than the invoice to cowl all children,” she mentioned. “It is so vital that we meet this second. I actually simply, that is my hope is that our state leaders will see that.”

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Ashley Fredde covers human companies and and ladies’s points for KSL.com. She additionally enjoys reporting on arts, tradition and leisure information. She’s a graduate of the College of Arizona.

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Power agency warns of federal backlash, urges Cox to veto Utah coal plant bill

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Power agency warns of federal backlash, urges Cox to veto Utah coal plant bill


The Intermountain Power Agency has urged Gov. Spencer Cox to veto a recently adopted energy bill, warning the measure could have widespread repercussions for Utah.

SB161, approved during the final week of the 2024 Legislature, could force IPA to sell a coal-fired power plant, which is set to be shut down, to the state to keep it operating.

Cox has until Thursday to take final action on the legislation. His office said Monday he is “still reviewing” the legislation but would not comment further. SB161 fell three votes short of a veto-proof majority in the Utah House and two votes short in the state Senate.

The GOP-controlled Legislature worries the state may not be able to meet the growing population’s electricity needs without coal-fired power plants.

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At the same time, IPA is working to shutter its coal-fired power plant in Millard County next summer and switch to a natural gas-powered facility as part of a transition to more environmentally friendly plants.

Under SB161, IPA must apply to the state for a new permit by July 1, 2024, to keep the coal plant operating. But IPA has an agreement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency to cease operation of the coal plant by July 1, 2025.

On March 8, IPA Chair Nick Tatton sent a letter to Cox asking him to veto SB161 and spelling out the potential consequences if he does not. In that letter, obtained through an open records request, Tatton warned that applying for a permit to continue operating the Millard County plant would break the existing agreement with the EPA

“By committing to submit an application for an Alternative Permit by July 1, 2024,” Tatton wrote, “IPA would risk EPA action to effectively shut down the existing coal-fired facilities by mid-November 2024.”

Ash accord

Burning coal for power produces ash that is stored in large ponds. In 2015, the EPA issued new rules for storing coal ash, and those facilities could be closed until they met the new regulations.

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In 2018, the EPA triggered the closure of IPA’s ash impoundment units with a mandate that they be brought into compliance by 2021. Because IPA was in the process of closing its coal plants, the EPA agreed to a longer timeline. Tatton noted that SB161 forces IPA to break that deal, which could lead the feds to order a shutdown of those ash storage facilities.

“The risk is real. EPA has taken similar action with respect to coal-fired generating facilities in other states, issuing orders for those facilities to cease operating their impoundments within 135 days,” Tatton wrote. “The only way for IPA to comply with such a mandate would be to cease burning coal — and producing electricity — altogether.”

Tatton warned that Utah will face other risks if Cox signs the bill. It could imperil construction of IPA’s gas-powered plant, dubbed IPA Renewed, for which the organization has issued more than $2 billion in bonds and expects to spend billions more.

Attempting to keep the coal plant open beyond July 1, 2025, might also impact Rocky Mountain Power. The state has submitted its plan for reducing regional haze to the EPA for review. That plan, which is still under evaluation by the federal agency, did not require RMP to install pricey pollution controls on its Hunter and Huntington coal-fired plants because IPA was set to close its coal units.

“Requiring even one of those units to continue operating,” Tatton stated, “will almost certainly require other Utah industrial sites to install costly pollution controls.”

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IPA and others raised these concerns with lawmakers during the 2024 session to no avail.

Air quality concerns

On Feb. 28, the same day lawmakers gave final approval to SB161, Tatton and other municipal leaders wrote to Cox, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, EPA Region 8 Administrator KC Becker and Utah Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director Kim Shelley.

The letter warned that the legislation could spur a legal dispute, costing taxpayers “substantial amounts of money.” It also said proponents, including sponsoring Sen. Derrin Owens, R-Fountain Green, have falsely asserted the bill does not impact federal law, specifically the regional haze plan

The Feb. 28 letter raised the prospect that Utah’s DEQ was allowing itself to be steamrolled by state lawmakers.

“When faced with the prospect of EPA involvement in this issue, DEQ has urged EPA and state legislators not to become involved because DEQ has been purportedly attempting to resolve the bill’s issues,” the letter said. “However, through asking direct questions to DEQ leadership about its efforts to oppose SB161, IPA’s representatives learned that DEQ is not effectively engaged to keep SB161 from passing or to request amendments to SB161 to address our legal and practical concerns. Today’s actions by the Utah House of Representatives underscore the fact that DEQ does not have the situation under control.”

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The EPA responded March 7, explaining that state laws cannot create an exception to federal regulations and that enacting the legislation could lead to federal intervention to enforce those regulations. Keeping either or both of the IPA plants operating would require revising the state’s regional haze proposal. If the EPA rejects the updated proposal, it could implement its own air quality plan that the state would be required to implement.

Owens provided The Salt Lake Tribune with a copy of a response to the EPA letter penned by Michael Nasi, a partner with the Texas-based Jackson Walker law firm. The outside firm conducted a feasibility study, which is the basis for SB161, for keeping the IPA facilities running.

(According to the state’s financial transparency website, Utah has paid Jackson Walker nearly $400,000 so far this year.)

Nasi’s response letter criticized IPA for soliciting federal intervention and accuses it of colluding with the EPA.

“The solicitation of EPA’s letter,” Nasi wrote, “is an extremely questionable legal tactic, given how it functionally invites a federal agency (that has recently demonstrated a hostility toward both the rule of law and the state of Utah’s sovereignty) to prematurely and unnecessarily weigh in on issues that are, at this time, squarely within exclusive authority of the state of Utah.”

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The response letter also asserts that any threat of intervention by the EPA is premature and would be an unwelcome federal overreach.

That could set up another showdown between the state and the federal government because of other legislation passed this year. SB57 creates a process for the state to ignore federal laws and regulations. Lawmakers repeatedly cited onerous federal environmental regulations as the need for the bill. Legislative lawyers warned that the measure could conflict with the Constitution’s supremacy clause, which says federal law takes precedence over state law.



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Utah plays UC Irvine in NIT matchup

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Utah plays UC Irvine in NIT matchup


UC Irvine Anteaters (24-9, 17-4 Big West) at Utah Utes (19-14, 10-12 Pac-12)

Salt Lake City; Tuesday, 11 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Utah and UC Irvine meet in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Utes are 10-12 against Pac-12 opponents and 9-2 in non-conference play. Utah is 3-1 in games decided by less than 4 points.

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The Anteaters’ record in Big West play is 17-4. UC Irvine is second in the Big West scoring 38.4 points per game in the paint led by Bent Leuchten averaging 6.5.

Utah averages 78.1 points, 10.3 more per game than the 67.8 UC Irvine gives up. UC Irvine scores 5.1 more points per game (77.7) than Utah gives up (72.6).

TOP PERFORMERS: Branden Carlson is scoring 17.1 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Utes. Deivon Smith is averaging 13.6 points and 6.8 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Justin Hohn is shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Anteaters, while averaging 12.7 points. Andre Henry is averaging 11.6 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Utes: 4-6, averaging 75.2 points, 37.5 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 5.3 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.5 points per game.

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Anteaters: 7-3, averaging 81.3 points, 37.6 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 5.9 steals and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.8 points.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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Utah County Commission chair calls for resignation of Tom Sakievich over ability to work

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Utah County Commission chair calls for resignation of Tom Sakievich over ability to work


PROVO —  One of Utah County’s three commissioners has been battling a tumor causing him to miss a series of recent commission meetings and other county work.

Tom Sakievich announced the health issue back on Jan. 3 in a Facebook post.

Emails obtained by KSL TV reveal it was even before that when the health issues started, landing him in the hospital in early December.

And the other commissioners now say that three months later, they have been left in the dark about his diagnosis and when Sakievich might return.

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Commissioners Amelia Powers Gardiner and Brandon Gordon said county business is being left undone and Gordon, who chairs the commission, is calling for Sakievich to step down.

“Resignation is an option that’s been used in in other counties. And there’s nothing wrong with that that,” Gordon said.

Commissioner Brandon Gordon said county business is being left undone and Gordon, who chairs the commission, is calling for Sakievich to step down. (KSL TV)

“We are getting almost daily complaints from community organizations, internal departments, citizens, other governmental entities that say that they can’t get a hold of that office,” said Powers Gardiner.

“Part of it is that there’s just no communication. The other part of that is we have, you know, financial approvals that are happening. And if he’s not well enough to call into a meeting via Zoom, but we have financial approvals happening, I question who’s making those approvals,” Powers Gardiner said.

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Sakievich did not return KSL’s calls for an interview.

Sakievich’s policy advisor, Lisa Shephard, did agree to a Zoom interview.

She said she has been filling in for Sakievich in meetings, whether on Zoom or in person when she’s known about them. But she denied that she’s covering for his ability to work.

“He has communicated mostly through me, but his phone has been available, and he has been able to have conversations,” she said. “There could have been an in-person meeting at any point to come do a check on him, see how he’s doing. And that didn’t happen,” she said.

She also accuses the two commissioners of playing politics with his health. Sakievich is not running for reelection, because of his tumor, his post said.

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“To me, it seems like we’re trying to use Commissioner Sakievich’s health condition as a political weapon,” she said.

“There are candidates vying for [his seat] right now. I think the commissioners all have their chosen people. And, you know, it appears that some people want Commissioner Sakievich to resign so they can get somebody else in that seat,” Shephard said.

County business stalled

In December, Sakievich missed two of three meetings. The one he did make was via Zoom. In January, he was in person for three meetings and attended one via zoom. In February, he missed two of four meetings, and so far in March he has missed one meeting but attended another one via Zoom. He has not been at a commission meeting in person since Jan. 17.

“It’s interesting that a man who’s facing this fight of his life is still dedicated to the people of Utah County and making sure that he is prepared for all the meetings, even the meetings that he didn’t attend. He was prepared to attend those. And so those were last minute calls, whether he could be on those or not,” Shephard said.

Powers Gardiner and Gordon said it’s not just the commission meetings, but that Sakievich hasn’t attended important county business like the boards and councils he sits on, and that they weren’t sure if they were going to be able to canvass the Democratic primary in their county.

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Tom Sakievich, policy advisor, Lisa Shephard said, ““It’s interesting that a man who’s facing this fight of his life is still dedicated to the people of Utah County and making sure that he is prepared for all the meetings, even the meetings that he didn’t attend.” (KSL TV)

They also say he missed the county’s State of the County. Further, he manages a portfolio of county contracts and serves as the chair of Wasatch Behavioral Health.

“We only have funding for our public defenders through June. And so we’re trying to negotiate a contract right now. And I’ve actually had to step in and start doing that negotiation,” Powers Gardiner said. “Another example is our attorney’s office needs another civil attorney and they’ve been unable to get a hold of anybody in his office to make that case to him,” Powers Gardiner said.

Recently, in a county commission meeting, Powers Gardiner and Gordon disagreed on an issue, which then couldn’t move forward because there was no tie breaking vote.

“We ended up just waiting to see if he would be in the meeting the next week and he was, fortunately able to vote to break that tie.” Gordon said.

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But it was the day prior to that meeting that Gordon sent an email to Sakievich, Powers Gardiner, Ezra Nair (Utah County’s county administrator) titled, “Urgent meeting Request Regarding Commissioner Sakievich’s Work Plans.”

“While we wish well for Commissioner Sakievich and hope for the best with his prognosis, his prolonged absences from his Commission office has left significant duties unfulfilled, despite our additional efforts,” Gordon wrote.

March 22 deadline

It then outlined a list of assignments that the county needed answers on by March 22, and a call for his resignation if he couldn’t provide them.

“If you are unable to immediately return to work and fulfill the duties of your office, it would be appropriate and honorable to submit your resignation so that another person could be selected to finish your term and perform the substantial and important work required of a Utah County Commissioner,” Gordon wrote.

The commissioners both said that they empathize with what he’s going through, and they are trying to balance his health with the needs of their county.

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“I want people to remember the three great years that he served and not remember that his will last year was spent having cancer treatments and not being in meetings and and not being able to sign documents,” Gordon said.

As for when Sakievich might return, Shephard said she was hopeful in the “next few weeks.”

“The treatments that he’s had, he’s not been sick. So that’s been a good part,” Shephard said. “But the radiation did make him very tired.”



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