Miss: Final Scenes
Now that the Legislature has wrapped up, citizens are processing the damage with just one word—embarrassing. The damage done to Utah, once a model of good sense, is incalculable. Where to start? Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill that will ultimately end vote-by-mail, not because there was anything wrong with it. Instead, it was a nod to conspiracy theorists. "Lots of people wrongly believe that we have mass fraud in our elections, and it's just not true, but we need to restore trust to them as well," he said. Next up, Utah banned Pride flags from government offices and schools. That was one alleged reason behind the Sundance Film Festival fleeing the state. After all, Sen. Dan McCay, a "premier" theater critic, thinks it promotes porn and alternative lifestyles, so Cox should consult with McCay before starting a new festival. Former NPR reporter Howard Berkes summed it up like this: "Not a surprise given the sharper right turns of the Utah governor and Legislature, who have made it harder for citizens to vote-by-mail, harder for citizens and journalists to hold them accountable, easy to ban books, and easy to demonize those who don't fit their definition of who deserves basic human rights." And let's not forget banning fluoride.
Miss: Vox Populi
Republicans are being told to avoid in-person town halls, because no one likes to get yelled at. Utah's Rep. Celeste Maloy must have felt that pain recently, although she stuck with it. President Donald Trump has blamed paid protesters for demonstrations, but that belies the public angst over widespread firings and threats to government services—not to mention the "price of eggs." People are mad. The Salt Lake Tribune quoted demonstrators who said it's their only option. Sen. John Curtis wrote an editorial calling for new models and, of course, tele-town halls. While he talks about meetings being hijacked, he also says he'll meet with constituents one-on-one. This is a show-me moment for the freshman senator, who says he will stand up to Trump when he's wrong. Those loud voices haven't yet seen it.
Hit: Moore Problems
Maybe Congressman Blake Moore is the best we can hope for. No, he wasn't willing to chance an in-person town hall—but he did express some "frustration" at DOGE's indiscriminate methods. It must be hard when 70% of Americans think the government is bloated by waste and fraud, and yet the DOGE solution is to burn it all down. Moore tries to walk a fine line, as the Financial Times notes, because he represents not only a highly Trumpist area, but also a highly federal workforce—including the IRS and Hill Air Force Base. Moore has the unenviable job as co-chair of DOGE, a non-agency run by a billionaire with a chainsaw. It's nice that he's sympathetic. He has a chance to be more.
