Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee is rolling back his plan to sell off federal land for housing, Leia Larsen reported this week.
The draft legislation, which he attached to President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” would have sold off more than 3 million acres “for housing” in 11 Western states and sparked criticism from all types of Utahns.
“Who will lose if this bill passes? Utahns,” Bill Hiatt wrote in a letter to the editor. “Farmers whose families will lose their grazing leases. Hunters and fishers with deep family traditions in these mountains. Trail runners like me who, when dark times hit me in my life, found healing, peace and solace right in my backyard on Mount Baldy. Families.”
“Left, right and everyone in the middle: Can we agree public lands for sale are an absolutely horrible idea?” one Instagram follower commented, garnering more than 100 likes in response. “Please let’s just agree on 1 thing.”
“We don’t have a land problem, we have a development problem,” one commenter wrote on The Tribune’s story. “[...] Figure out other solutions. Raise min. wage so houses become more affordable. Limit the square footage of monster mansions, so land resources aren’t tied up in thousands of square feet for a single family (often their third and fourth homes). First time home owner benefits, etc.”
Now, Lee says, Forest Service lands and a significant chunk of the Bureau of Land Management acreage he formerly offered up are off the table under the revised provision. Instead, he plans to only include lands within five miles of population centers.
“The bill doesn’t need reviving, it needs to be abolished,” a Facebook follower wrote. “This was always about his donors and investments in real estate, never about his constituents, and he has now proven that.”
“Selling off public land within 5 miles of population centers is almost worse than the original bill,” one Instagram commenter wrote. “Those are the most accessible and therefore the most heavily used trails.”
Follow us on social media to join the conversation — and to see what comes next for the bill.
Utah Voices
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Pride flags at the Pride Parade, on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
The following excerpts come from op-eds recently published in The Tribune.
Utah’s Pride Festival becomes ‘a feedback loop of mediocrity’
“It’s time to admit that the current stewards of pride have lost the plot,” writes Collin Washburn, who has attended the Utah Pride festival for nearly 20 years. “If this movement is going to matter again, it can’t just be another city-sponsored party with food trucks and a merch tent. It needs to challenge, to educate, and yes — to provoke. Maybe it’s time we looked back to those who paved the way. Not out of nostalgia, but for guidance.” Read more.
Utah doctors brace for a significant and ‘preventable’ respiratory season
“Pediatricians also may have to brace for yet another significant respiratory season that could have been prevented. But we will be fine; we do our jobs everyday with commitment and dedication to our patients and families,” writes Dr. Meera Nagarajan. “However, the next time I care for a family that is finally ready to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to their child, I am not sure if they will have reliable access to it, increasing the risk of a serious infection among our most vulnerable.” Read more.
Combatting measles misinformation
“We live in a time in which wellness influencers with uncertain backgrounds are often seen as health authorities. Artificial intelligence is asked biased questions and gives biased answers. We have unlimited access to information — but limited tools to judge its credibility,” write medical student Sarah Atwill Petelinsek and pediatrician David Chaulk. “In this tangled environment, the responsibility falls on us as individuals to approach information with care. Here are a few strategies that can help you navigate the noise.” Read more.
How Utah treats victims of sexual assault
“Let me be clear: Due process is essential. But so is humanity,” writes Brianna Wilson. “And what Jane Doe — and so many of us — have received from society and the justice system is not humanity. It’s abandonment. This case is about more than one woman’s story. It’s about a culture that constantly questions victims and protects abusers. It’s about a system in which survivors are told to stay quiet — even despite medical evidence and trauma — because ‘you’ll never win.’” Read more.
Share Your Perspective
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kathy Gardner joins the crowd gathered on the steps of the Utah Capitol during a rally, organized by Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, in support of protecting public lands on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.
What do Utah’s public lands mean to you? How should they be managed? Share your perspective.
From Bagley’s Desk
Land Rush | Pat Bagley
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.