Take 2 Podcast: Utah GOP fuels repeal push with millions as redistricting fight intensifies

Utah GOP has raised over $4 million to repeal Proposition 4. The money is being donated by 501(c)(4) out of MA   Signatures gathered- Rob Axson Utah GOP Chair reports healthy pace (tens of thousands) and growing momentum. None turned in yet.            Utah GOP filed for a stay, no ruling yet   Sutherland Institute Survey: Utah voters think elected officials, not judges, should choose congressional maps   https://sutherlandinstitute.org/utah-redisticting-survey/   Do voters agree or disagree with the court-driven process produced by proponents of Proposition 4? Sutherland Institute recently commissioned Y2 Analytics to conduct a survey of Utah voters to investigate this question.   By a 63-point margin, Utah voters believe that the policymakers they elect should be making redistricting decisions over judges. A full 71% of Utah voters say that an elected body or elected official at the state or county levels ought to have primary responsibility to decide congressional maps, compared to 8% who say judges should be primarily responsible. A plurality of Utah voters say that a body elected by the people (e.g., the Utah Legislature or county council) should be making redistricting decisions, while 21% of voters say it should be a state-level elected official (e.g., the governor), and 15% say it should be a county-level elected official (e,g., a county mayor).     5 Democratic Candidates in the D1 2025 Race   State Sen. Nate Blouin announced his candidacy Nov. 24- now backed by Bernie Newcomer Luis Villarreal entered the race 1st in Sen. Kathleen Riebe Former congressman Ben McAdams Former state Sen. Derek Kitchen.   REP. VERONA MAUGA looking to pass gun law change in upcoming session after shooting of Afa Ah Loo at No Kings Protest Drafting bill to keep long guns off the streets during protests Manslaughter charges filed this week against the “peace keeper”               Cox proposes $30.7B budget with funding for homeless campus, child tax credits Gov. Spencer Cox proposes a $30.7 billion budget prioritizing literacy, a homeless campus and child tax credits. The budget includes $20 million for reading support and $25 million for a homeless campus in Salt Lake City. Cox's proposal also allocates funds for school safety, technical colleges and outdoor recreation. fund a literacy public awareness campaign and invest tens of millions in "paraprofessionals" to help teachers give an extra hand to young students who are falling behind. That would include $20 million for reading support in elementary schools that fall below the statewide proficiency benchmark of 70% of third graders reading at grade level.   How the Trump administration could make or break Utah Gov. Cox’s budget priorities Trump tax bill leads to projected $300 million decrease in state income tax revenue. Gov. Cox prioritizes $25 million in budget to finish construction of homeless campus. Cox not proposing income tax cuts like the ones he supported for five years in a row. https://governor.utah.gov/press/gov-cox-releases-fy-2027-budget-proposal-focused-on-responsible-fiscal-management-strong-families-and-long-term-prosperity/       Rep. Blake Moore joins Pres. Trump to celebrate Michael and Susan Dell’s $6.25B investment in Trump Accounts   Congressman Blake Moore joined President Trump at the White House to celebrate Michael and Susan Dell’s monumental $6.25 billion investment in Trump Accounts for children. Congressman Moore introduced legislation in the House to establish these investment accounts, which was passed and signed into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4th, 2025.   U.S. pauses immigration applications from 19 countries after two National Guard members shot in DC See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.