Utah News

Thanks to a class of fourth graders from Monroe Elementary in Sevier County, Utah is changing it's state tree. Last September, the students gave a presentation to Gov. Gary Herbert about changing the state tree from the blue spruce to the aspen.

Bill sponsor Sen. Ralph Okerlund (R-Sen. District 24) said Senate Bill 41, which would change the state tree, passed unanimously in the Utah Senate earlier this week.

Utah State Sen. Steve Urquhart (R-Washington County) said his anti-discrimination bill, SB100, appears to be dead this week as party leaders in the senate decided to avoid legislation that may impact the federal gay marriage court case.

Urquhart pushed for GOP leaders to allow the bill to have a hearing.

He also called for supporters to leave notes about the bill on the Utah Senate doors. Since then, supporters left about 450 notes urging legislators to hear the bill.

One gun bill has been scrapped and others are still on the table in this session of the legislature. Cache Valley Rep. Ed Redd's house bill 202 would have limited the ability of those who have been civilly committed to the custody of a mental health institution to get a gun. 

"You know somebody can't just diagnose, a physician can't just diagnose a person as being mentally ill and take away their rights to possess a weapon. Civil commitment is a process," Redd said.

He now says the bill is no longer necessary.

The clean air community had high hopes for SB 164, which did not pass out of the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment committee on Tuesday. Jennifer Pemberton has more on the bill’s short life.

America’s last remaining uranium mill, located in Blanding, has been violating federal safety standards, a regional environmental group has charged in federal court.

The Grand Canyon Trust, which has long opposed uranium mining near the Grand Canyon, has filed its intent to sue in Utah Federal District Court. At issue is whether the White Mesa uranium mill is operating outside of the law and contaminating the area with high radiation and dust levels. Taylor McKinnon is the energy program director of the Trust.

"Agencies aren’t enforcing, and citizens need to. That’s what’s happening here. Utah isn’t doing its job, so we’re going to do that job.”

McKinnon says monitoring has established that federal standards for radon emissions have repeatedly been violated.

“We think these are pretty clear numerical violations. There’s not a lot of wiggle room. Based on monthly reports, those emissions have now exceeded the standard two years running,” he said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is launching its first national anti-smoking campaign on Tuesday called “The Real Cost.” The movement is targeted at teens who are at risk of smoking. 

Mitch Zeller, director for Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA, said the ads are designed to build awareness and change teens' attitudes toward smoking. He said he wants to show teens the health risks of smoking by showing images of lost teeth, gum disease and premature wrinkling. 

Jena is one of hundreds of volunteers working mornings, evenings and weekends to help Utahns file their taxes- for free. The catch? You need to have made less than $52,000 in 2013.

"Back in 1969, the congress mandated to the Internal Revenue service that they assist the general public with tax filing, due to the complexity of the tax code. So out of that came the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program," said IRS Spokesman Bill Brunson.

The VITA program is almost entirely run by volunteers, and sites are usually located at community and neighborhood centers, such as libraries and schools.

At Utah State University, the Beta Alpha Psi honor society will spend their Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings from Feb. 4 to April 1 helping the public with their taxes. Just like other volunteers around the state, they've spent weeks preparing, learning, and testing to be able to file taxes.

Beta Alpha Psi Faculty Advisor Bonnie Villarreal said the students receive training, just as all VITA volunteers would.

"The IRS provides training materials to us, and tests that have to be passed for someone to work in the VITA clinic. They have to get an 80 percent, and they only get two tries at it," Villarreal said. "Every volunteer gets trained in the standards of conduct that the IRS expects, and there are different levels and topics of tax law they can be trained in depending on what they want to be able to do."

USU President Stan Albrecht spoke at the infrastructure and general government appropriations subcommittee on Feb. 3. Albrecht laid down a roadmap for two new building projects at USU extension campuses.

The first is for a 50,000 square foot academic building at USU’s Brigham City campus. Albrecht says the cost of the facility is about $15 million, and he is asking the Legislature for $7 million in new funds to go toward the project.

Two Utah lawmakers generated outrage on Monday after jokingly commenting about changing genders on Twitter. Monday morning State Rep. Jacob Anderegg posted to the social media site said he was "strongly considering a gender identifying change" so that he could use the women’s restroom because the men’s was occupied.

"Switching your gender identity? Just can’t keep up with you. You’re a new man! Erm…woman," said State Sen. Wayne Neiderhauser via Twitter in response to Anderegg's comment.

Utah County Deputy Greg Sherwood remains in the hospital after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the head Thursday. However, authorities are optimistic about his condition as Sherwood was updated from critical to serious condition early this week.

"He’s showing signs of improvement," said Utah County Sherriff’s Office spokesman Sergeant Spencer Cannon. "We’re cautiously optimistic that he will continue to improve and eventually be able to be released and hopefully return to full active service with the sheriff’s office."