This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Check out this discussion with lawmakers and SLT senior political reporter Robert Gehrke tonight at the Salt Lake City Main Library:
— Tribune town hall tonight will explore 2015 Utah Legislature, what's next — Salt Lake Tribune
" ... Tribune political reporter Robert Gehrke will discuss the issues with legislative leaders House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper; House Minority Whip Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake City; Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden; and Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City.
"The forum will be broadcast and live-streamed on KCPW 88.3/105.3 FM, kcpw.org."
— Utah Legislature: Historic and all too familiar — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial
— Herbert wisely hits reset button on Healthy Utah debate — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial
"Settling on the means Utah would use to drag itself, kicking and screaming, into the civilized world with vastly increased, if not quite universal, access to health care has indeed proven to be difficult.
"Much of the holdup has been the cruel and illogical belief on the part of some legislators, mostly leaders of the Utah House, that spending more state money to provide less care to fewer people was fiscally or socially responsible.
"The good news is that Gov. Gary Herbert, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, the presiding officers of the Senate and the House and the sponsors of the rival health care bills passed by each body have formed a small, focused and fully up-to-speed panel committed to resolving this issue by the end of July. ..."
— Time for another Utah peace treaty — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial
"The Utah Legislature approved and, Thursday, Gov. Gary Herbert signed, an anti-discrimination and religious freedom law that amounted to a peace treaty between the state's dominant religious organization and the many supporters of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
" ... But all that would turn out to be small potatoes if there could be a similar consensus reached between two other long-time rivals in Utah politics. It would be a great day indeed if a concordance were reached between the political leaders who set the budgets and policies for public schools and the professional educators who are responsible, day in and day out, for actually providing the next generation with a decent education. ..."
— Legislative wrap — anti-discrimination, religious liberty bills overshadow other successes, disappointments — Deseret News Editorial
" ... It's also difficult to remember a session in which lawmakers faced a strong economy — surpluses in ongoing and one-time funds totaled $739 million — and yet were so willing to raise taxes. ..."
— Let the voters decide on medical marijuana — Ogden Standard-Examiner Editorial
" ... Frankly, allowing Utahns to have access to medical marijuana seemed like a no-brainer to us. Remember the risible moment earlier in the legislative session when a witness warned that medical marijuana might lead to stoned rabbits. Nevertheless, the no votes prevailed.
"Some of the senators have expressed interest in re-visiting the issue in the future. We have a better idea: let's let the voters of Utah decide this issue. ..."
— In Our View: The 2015 Legislature — St. George Spectrum Editorial
" ... But the big elephant in the room, the one agenda item that most needed attention, yet failed to pass, was how our state will handle the hundreds of thousands of our citizens who still do not have health insurance. ..."
— Firing squad belongs in our misty past — Logan Herald-Journal Editorial
" ... As we all know, firing squad executions have garnered Utah a lot of attention in the past, most of it a mix of morbid curiosity and abhorrence at the use of a killing method that harkens back to more brutal times.
"One has to wonder if some Utah legislators secretly enjoy that attention, though they have portrayed the practice as both merciful and a needed backup for the state should the acquisition of lethal-injection drugs no longer be an option. ..."