Vote Utah 2012

Should active military members be exempt from paying property taxes while they serve?  Utah voters will answer that question when they head to the polls on Tuesday.

When Democratic Senator Luz Robles began working to get Constitutional Amendment B on the ballot, she says it was about giving back to those in the military who defend the country.

Women's issues have played a large part in the 2012 campaigns, with many "zingers" coming from candidates surrounding these issues. Romney's "Binders full of women" quickly became an Internet sensation. But women are more than political pawns, they are the largest voting bloc in the country and have the potential to sway the election. How will they vote and why? UPR's Storee Powell talks with Professor Tim Chambless of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah to put women voter trends into context.

While seniors don't tend to vote for a party in the majority, they are the voting bloc with the highest voter participation. And with an aging population, the group continues to grow. As voter ID laws pop up across states, many worry that seniors will be disenfranchised. UPR's Storee Powell talks with AARP Utah's Laura Polacheck and Professor Tim Chambless of the Hinkley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah about why they believe the law is meant to suppress voters.

"I am."

"I am."

"We are. And Elder [Jay] Jensen is. And President [James] Faust. And Silvia Allred. Brigham Young."

What do all of these people have in common? First, they're Latter-Day Saints. What is less known is that they're also Democrats.

Crystal Young-Otterstrom, the LDS Democrats Caucus vice chairperson, says the combination is actually more common than you might think.

"We're not that small of a minority, as people might think."

One penny for every ten dollars spent. That’s what Cache County needs from voters in order to continue the Recreation, Arts, Parks, and Zoos tax—better known as the RAPZ tax. The tax, which excludes food purchases, was approved by voters in 2002 and is now up for renewal.

Many officials and beneficiaries have argued for the tax, saying it has been a boon for the local economy. North Logan recreation coordinator Brett Daniels supports RAPZ funding.

The one and only debate between Lieutenant Governor candidates Greg Bell and Vince Rampton took place on Wednesday at Utah State University.  Republican incumbent Bell and Democratic challenger Rampton argued their positions on public lands, the economy, and the budget, among other things.

Perhaps the biggest issue discussed by the candidates was the cost of higher education. Rampton criticizes Governor Gary Herbert for not doing enough to fund state colleges.

Debating constitutional amendment a in the first half of the program today, continuing our Vote Utah series. The amendment proposes the Utah constitution be amended to require a portion of the revenue from all state severance taxes, to be deposited in the state trust fund, beginning in 2016. 

A severance tax is a tax required of all those who extract oil, gas or minerals from land within the state. This amendment would exclude resources taken from Native American tribal land within the state. 

Today on Access Utah is a rebroadcast of Wednesday night's House 2nd Congressional District debate on the Southern Utah University campus, in conjunction with the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service. UPR Southern Utah Correspondent Chris Holmes moderates with Eric Kirby, Director of the Leavitt Center.   

 The candidates include: 

KPCW's Larry Warren moderates a debate between 1st District Republican Congressman Rob Bishop and his Democratic challenger Donna McAleer, who are both running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The debate originally aired during KPCW's Community Voices and UPR's Access Utah.

As a public service to Utah voters, Vote Utah 2012 has compiled a series of three-minute messages from twenty-one candidates for office. Messages include candidates from all four U.S. House districts, the U.S. Senate, and the Governorship. 

To listen to any free speech message, click here.

Here is our broadcast schedule for every free speech message:

10/18