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A bizarre story about a Utah State Representative
Something very strange is happening with Rep. Travis Seegmiller, R-St. George.
According to a report in the Cedar City News, residents in a rural community near St. George have accused the Republican lawmaker of shooting a deer in a residential area, then dragging the carcass off private property to his car.
Residents who confronted Seegmiller during the alleged incident on August 13 said when they confronted the man, he identified himself as Seegmiller and told them he was unemployed. He allegedly told them he needed the deer meat to feed his family.
Seegmiller’s legislative profile says he’s the Managing Director of the Executive Leadership Institute and an Associate Professor of Law at Dixie State University. However, his conflict of interest form filed on January 8 of 2021, lists Dixie State as his former employer. Seegmiller’s Facebook page says he left his job at Dixie State University in August of 2020.
Seegmiller did not respond to calls or text messages seeking comment.
Seegmiller joined the Utah Legislature in February of 2018. He was appointed replace former Rep. Jon Stanard who resigned abruptly following a report in a British tabloid that he met a Salt Lake City call girl twice for sex while staying in a publicly funded hotel room during interim meetings.
Here’s what you need to know for Thursday morning
💉 President Joe Biden will announce a new six-step plan to combat the surge in COVID-19 due to the delta variant. The plan will reportedly include a push for more vaccine mandates and testing programs. [NYT]
The Los Angeles school district is set to be the largest in the nation to mandate vaccines for students 12 and over. [NYT]
💉 Sen. Kirk Cullimore is proposing legislation to make businesses that mandate vaccines liable for any side effects. [Tribune]
😷 Salt Lake City Superintendent Timothy Gadson says the only way for him to enforce a mandatory mask-wearing order is to call the police, and he won’t go that far. [Tribune]
The Tooele County Council overturned a school mask mandate put in place by county health officials. [Tribune]
⚖️ Utah County Attorney David Leavitt said Wednesday he would never again seek the death penalty in a criminal case. [Tribune]
🚨 Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning the U.S. could default on its debt sometime in October unless Congress moves to raise the debt ceiling. [NYT]
✈️ The Taliban has given permission for 200 people, including Americans, to leave the country. [CNN]
🚨 A memo from the Capitol Police warns of the potential for violence during a right-wing rally in Washington, D.C. on January 18. Police have asked for temporary fencing to be put up around the Capitol complex again before the rally. [CNN]
🏛 The House will vote on an abortion rights bill once members return from vacation. [CNBC]
🏛 Senate President Stuart Adams said Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell “doesn’t really understand” what happened with the Legislature’s push to ban critical race theory. [Tribune]
👀 The Treasury Department says the richest Americans are responsible for $163 billion in unpaid taxes every year. [The Hill]
☀️ The Biden administration wants 45% of the nation’s electricity to come from solar power by 2050. [AP]
💵 A new study shows the expansion of the social safety net during the pandemic helped prevent widespread hunger. [WaPo]
📈 The number of job openings in the U.S. hit a record high in July. There are 10.9 million open positions, an increase of nearly 750,000 from June. [Reuters]
🤔 Without any evidence, former President Donald Trump is already claiming the California recall election is rigged. [SF Gate]
👀 Trump issued a bizarre statement on Wednesday bemoaning the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond. He also suggested Lee would have won in Afghanistan. [Twitter]
More Thursday Utah headlines
Utah
Short of the losses for a FEMA disaster, Hanksville turns to GoFundMe for flood relief. [Tribune]
West Nile Virus infects at least 11 Utahns and one person dies. [Tribune]
Former Walmart exec scouting Utah for location of $400 billion smart city. [Fox 13]
COVID-19
As Utah reports 1,500 new COVID-19 cases, hospitals brace for a post-Labor Day surge. [Tribune]
Some Utahns are waiting hours in line for a COVID-19 test. Now the state is planning more sites. [Deseret News]
Environment
Salt Lake City urges caution after finding mercury may be in Fairmont Park’s pond. [Tribune]
Developers say they have $6 billion lined up to ‘fix’ Utah Lake. [Tribune]
Ozone pollution, China and the controversy that dogs state regulators. [Deseret News]
On the opinion pages
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