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Utah Voices: Utahns share what makes their state weird

Share your perspective with The Salt Lake Tribune.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Cookies at Chip in Salt Lake City.

Utah is weird, Gov. Spencer Cox told lawmakers in his fourth State of the State address. He joked about fry sauce and the Bear Lake monster, and he said he wants the Beehive State to stay that way.

We asked our Top Stories newsletter subscribers and our social followers what makes Utah weird. The answers below came from those subscribers and followers.

Let us know what you think here or in the form below, and subscribe to Top Stories to share your insight.

  • “The huge amount of soda and sweet shops (cookies, cakes).” — MH, Brigham City
  • “Bad: Lack of separation between government and religious influence (liquor laws, no lottery, no gambling). Religious culture of judgment and comparison. People stare way more here than any other place. Good: We LOVE our sports teams. We are friendlier to each other than other places. Everyone knows where everything is.” — Jake, South Jordan
  • “You can own an assault rifle, silencer or high capacity magazine, but you can’t get a beer before 11:30 a.m.” — Ernie, Eden
  • “It feels weird to see the Legislature, elected by the citizens, pursue with vigor legislation that undermines freedoms for the most marginalized in our community.” — Andrea, Salt Lake City
  • “The LDS church doesn’t pay taxes but has an enormous political impact.” — Christina, Park City
  • The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.

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