This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

Like the gravitational waves still rippling through the Universe ever since the Big Bang, Utah journalists are still figuring out what the recently closed session of the Utah Legislature did.

Utah spends another $12 million on futile fight — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

"Manfully puffing themselves up to their most impressive size, the rebels of the Utah Legislature have dropped another $12 million of other people's money in their utterly hopeless quest to defeat, stare down or just outlast the government of the United States of America.

"And their chances of success are no better than those gathered for brandy and cigars at Twelve Oaks on the eve of the Civil War. ..."

Utah sends $500K more to unexplained wolf delisting efforts — Brian Maffly | The Salt Lake Tribune

" ... Two hours before the final gavel dropped, Spanish Fork Republican Rep. Mike McKell rose to defend giving activists $500,000 to pressure federal officials to return wolf management to the states. ..."

Utah's Medicaid procrastination — Ogden Standard-Examiner Editorial

" ... It's unfortunate that the Utah House failed to pass Healthy Utah, which was presented after long negotiations between Governor Herbert's administration and the federal government. But it's not surprising. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that too many members of Legislature regard anything even remotely related to the Affordable Care Act as poison. As mentioned, most Utah House members are so hostile to the Obama administration that they support a more costly measure that covers less instead of Healthy Utah. ..."

" ... One reason to be upbeat, he said, is that House Republicans already have moved further on the issue than most Utahns realize. He said most members started the legislative session inclined not to do anything on Medicaid expansion, believing federal officials might provide better waivers if they waited another year. ..."

In Our View: Gas tax — St. George Spectrum Editorial

" ... While we are loathe to see taxes raised, the fact of the matter is that this issue should have been foreseen in 1997 and the gas tax then should have had some mechanism that would have allowed it to adjust for inflation.

"This new tax is really just a rectification of that oversight. ..."