PM News Brief: U.S.A Beef, Infrastructure Bill Slit Vote & Masks In Salt Lake County Schools – KUER 90.1
Published August 10, 2021 at 8:37 PM MDT
Tuesday evening, Aug. 10, 2021
State
Utah’s Senators Split In Infrastructure Bill Vote
Utah’s two senators were split in their support of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that cleared the U.S. Senate Tuesday. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-UT, voted for the legislation saying it provides a “once-in-a-generation investment in the country’s physical infrastructure without raising taxes.” However, Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT, voted against the bipartisan bill. He criticized the Senate’s passage calling the legislation irresponsible saying it drastically expands federal power. The Senate passed the bill 69-30. — Ross Terrell
Northern Utah
Salt Lake County Officials Recommend Masks For Young Kids In Schools
Salt Lake County health director Angela Dunn said Tuesday she will ask for a mask mandate for kids in school who are younger than 12. However, under Utah’s pandemic endgame law, the county council can override the decision. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said she supports Dunn’s mandate request and hopes it stands. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall also sent a letter to the county asking them to back the mandate. Kids 12 and up are eligible for the Covid vaccine in Utah. So far, 47% of all Utahns have been fully vaccinated. — Ross Terrell
The Latest Framework Work For “The Point”
State officials behind a major development project on the border between Salt Lake and Utah counties have settled on a broad framework for how the site will shape out. It’s essentially a 600-acre miniature city made up of seven distinct commercial and residential neighborhoods, a research center, parks and even a K-8 school. The goal is to transform what is now the site of the Utah State Prison into a modern gathering place known as “The Point” and connect it seamlessly with the surrounding valley through public transit, bike paths and walking trails. Read the full story. — Jon Reed
Region/Nation
Changes Coming For Beef To Be Considered Made In The U.S.A.?
Wyoming and Montana lawmakers are supporting federal legislation to change the requirements that a beef product must meet to use a “Made in the U.S.A.” label. Right now, as long as beef is processed stateside, it can be labeled as a product of the U.S. That means the animal can be born or raised in another country, and still sport the label. Proposed legislation would change that by tightening restrictions. To carry the USA label, the product would need to be born, raised, and processed in the country. While many in the industry support the bill, past efforts to change labeling rules have divided the agriculture community. — Maggie Mullen, Mountain West News Bureau
American Bar Association Supports Native Boarding School Investigations
The American Bar Association is throwing its weight behind efforts to uncover the troubled legacy of native boarding schools. The bar association adopted the resolution Monday at its annual meeting. It supports the U.S. Interior Department in its investigation of federal schools that sought to assimilate Indigenous youth into white society. It calls for the Biden administration and Congress to fully fund the initiative and provide subpoena power to the Interior Department. Native advocates are hoping that investigation will include schools in Utah. One of the largest boarding schools in the world was located in Brigham City. — Associated Press & Caroline Ballard
