Alliance for a Better Utah
@betterutah.bsky.social
Government watchdog | Progressive policy advocates | Occasional connoisseurs of snark | Holding politicians accountable
https://linktr.ee/betterutah
https://linktr.ee/betterutah
Lawmakers are considering a bill that would require data centers in Utah to publicly report their water use.The bill would create a statewide reporting standard so policymakers and the public can better understand the pressures on local water systems.
November 26, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Lawmakers are considering a bill that would require data centers in Utah to publicly report their water use.The bill would create a statewide reporting standard so policymakers and the public can better understand the pressures on local water systems.
This is welcome news for Utah’s information ecosystem. A healthy democracy relies on informed citizens, and removing the paywall means more Utahns will have access to rigorous reporting about their government and communities.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune:
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune:
The Salt Lake Tribune will drop its paywall next year, CEO tells donors at NewsMakers gala
After years of requiring people to pay for online news content, The Tribune announced an upcoming change during its 2025 annual NewsMakers Gala.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 10:11 PM
This is welcome news for Utah’s information ecosystem. A healthy democracy relies on informed citizens, and removing the paywall means more Utahns will have access to rigorous reporting about their government and communities.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune:
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune:
Better mental health care in prisons is not only a moral obligation. It is a public safety necessity. Utah has seen too many instances where untreated conditions lead to self-harm, violence, or long-term instability after release.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/cJQ9h1C
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/cJQ9h1C
‘We can do better’: Utah bill would level up standards for mental health care in prison • Utah News Dispatch
A Utah bill would raise standards for mental health treatment in prison after two recent audits found widespread problems.
utahnewsdispatch.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Better mental health care in prisons is not only a moral obligation. It is a public safety necessity. Utah has seen too many instances where untreated conditions lead to self-harm, violence, or long-term instability after release.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/cJQ9h1C
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/cJQ9h1C
The lake’s problems did not appear overnight, and they will not disappear without structural changes in water allocation, statewide conservation, and land-use planning. Protecting the lake requires courage and long-term commitment, not wishful thinking.
Great Salt Lake is rising again, but it’s going to need a ‘really big’ winter to avoid concerns
The Great Salt Lake appears to have started its annual winter gains early after a rainy October, but it faces an uncertain winter and a long road to recovery ahead.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 5:58 PM
The lake’s problems did not appear overnight, and they will not disappear without structural changes in water allocation, statewide conservation, and land-use planning. Protecting the lake requires courage and long-term commitment, not wishful thinking.
Water stewardship must be a shared responsibility. That means stronger rules, improved technology, and financial support for conservation that is accessible to households, not just big water users.
🔗 KUER:
🔗 KUER:
Utah has county-by-county water goals. Is your county hitting them?
Around half of Utah’s counties have met their 2030 conservation goals. Taking a closer look at who is succeeding and struggling offers a glimpse of why it’s hard to save water in Utah.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Water stewardship must be a shared responsibility. That means stronger rules, improved technology, and financial support for conservation that is accessible to households, not just big water users.
🔗 KUER:
🔗 KUER:
This is a sensible step toward accountability.Transparent reporting is the least we should expect from companies using a public resource as critical and scarce as water. Utahns deserve to know who is using what.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
Thirsty data centers would have to report water use under Utah bill • Utah News Dispatch
Utah data centers would have to report how much water they’re using every year under a bill advancing in the state Legislature.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 4:11 AM
This is a sensible step toward accountability.Transparent reporting is the least we should expect from companies using a public resource as critical and scarce as water. Utahns deserve to know who is using what.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
This is a pattern Utahns have seen before. When powerful interests want to roll back a voter-approved reform, they rarely say so plainly. They muddy the waters and rely on confusion.
🔗 KSL NewsRadio: buff.ly/wxFsGZe
🔗 KSL NewsRadio: buff.ly/wxFsGZe
Prop. 4 proponents calling out methods of signature-gatherers
Signature-gatherers are looking for support to repeal Prop. 4, Utah's congressional maps law. Proponents of Prop 4. are questioning the tactics of the signature-gatherers.
kslnewsradio.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:11 AM
This is a pattern Utahns have seen before. When powerful interests want to roll back a voter-approved reform, they rarely say so plainly. They muddy the waters and rely on confusion.
🔗 KSL NewsRadio: buff.ly/wxFsGZe
🔗 KSL NewsRadio: buff.ly/wxFsGZe
When elected leaders respond to an unfavorable court ruling by attacking the judge’s motives or preparing constitutional changes that weaken the initiative process, it raises serious questions about how power is being used.
🔗 ABC 4: buff.ly/u9B1FUS
🔗 ABC 4: buff.ly/u9B1FUS
www.abc4.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:11 PM
When elected leaders respond to an unfavorable court ruling by attacking the judge’s motives or preparing constitutional changes that weaken the initiative process, it raises serious questions about how power is being used.
🔗 ABC 4: buff.ly/u9B1FUS
🔗 ABC 4: buff.ly/u9B1FUS
The field is crowded and ever-shifting, but this is what representative democracy is supposed to look like. Whether voters are focused on housing affordability, wages, reproductive freedom, or public lands protection, they now have a genuine choice.
🔗 Axios:
🔗 Axios:
Derek Kitchen joins race for Utah's redrawn 1st District
The former state senator rose to prominence after a landmark LGBTQ+ rights win.
buff.ly
November 24, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The field is crowded and ever-shifting, but this is what representative democracy is supposed to look like. Whether voters are focused on housing affordability, wages, reproductive freedom, or public lands protection, they now have a genuine choice.
🔗 Axios:
🔗 Axios:
Public lands define Utah’s identity and economy. Shifting control without robust safeguards introduces real risks, from reduced conservation to expanded industrialization.
🔗 Deseret News: buff.ly/nTMesI1
🔗 Deseret News: buff.ly/nTMesI1
Why Mike Lee wants more local control over public lands in Utah and the West
Several senators including Mike Lee of Utah warned the federal government’s role in managing public lands is “rigid and slow."
www.deseret.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Public lands define Utah’s identity and economy. Shifting control without robust safeguards introduces real risks, from reduced conservation to expanded industrialization.
🔗 Deseret News: buff.ly/nTMesI1
🔗 Deseret News: buff.ly/nTMesI1
Utah already underfunds critical health systems. Planning ahead is not just good budgeting; it is an ethical obligation. A system that collapses when families most need help is not a system designed with care.
Economists warn Utah's Medicaid-specific funds are insufficient if there’s a recession • Utah News Dispatch
Utah may not be ready to cover Medicaid expenses in case of a future recession, economists told lawmakers.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Utah already underfunds critical health systems. Planning ahead is not just good budgeting; it is an ethical obligation. A system that collapses when families most need help is not a system designed with care.
While the Forward Party’s long-term influence remains unclear, its growth in Utah signals frustration with the state’s winner-takes-all political culture. It could also create new coalition opportunities for democracy-reform advocates.
buff.ly/w94ajqU
buff.ly/w94ajqU
11Chooses | Utah Senate District 11 Selection by Forward Party
A first-of-its-kind open process for choosing a Utah Senate replacement. Transparent, inclusive, focused on election reform and powered by the people of District 11.
11chooses.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:11 PM
While the Forward Party’s long-term influence remains unclear, its growth in Utah signals frustration with the state’s winner-takes-all political culture. It could also create new coalition opportunities for democracy-reform advocates.
buff.ly/w94ajqU
buff.ly/w94ajqU
The deeper story is that Utah Democrats support ideas rooted in fairness: affordable housing, strong social safety nets, and public infrastructure. When voters say “socialism,” many simply mean a government that actually shows up for families.
New poll: Majority of Utah Democrats have favorable view of socialism
Will Utah elect a democratic socialist in the new 1st Congressional District?
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The deeper story is that Utah Democrats support ideas rooted in fairness: affordable housing, strong social safety nets, and public infrastructure. When voters say “socialism,” many simply mean a government that actually shows up for families.
Nielsen joins the court at a time when judicial independence is increasingly under political pressure in Utah and nationwide.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/kIjR7qH
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/kIjR7qH
Utah Supreme Court’s new justice says he’ll do his ‘utmost to ensure a legacy of trust’
Judge John J. Nielsen will be the next justice of the Utah Supreme Court, joining at a time of intense friction between the judiciary and the state’s GOP leadership.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Nielsen joins the court at a time when judicial independence is increasingly under political pressure in Utah and nationwide.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/kIjR7qH
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/kIjR7qH
The signal for policymakers is clear. Utah needs sustained investment in the foundations of a functioning state. The choices made now on water, health, housing, education, and cybersecurity will determine whether Utah can keep up with rapid growth.
Here are the top 10 biggest issues facing Utah right now
A new report prepared by the Utah State Legislature's Auditor General identified what he believes are the top 10 biggest issues facing the state right now.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 4:11 AM
The signal for policymakers is clear. Utah needs sustained investment in the foundations of a functioning state. The choices made now on water, health, housing, education, and cybersecurity will determine whether Utah can keep up with rapid growth.
Oversight problems that stretch across decades show how easy it is for vulnerable students to fall through the cracks when systems lack clarity and accountability.
🔗 FOX 13: buff.ly/x1dWvQF
🔗 FOX 13: buff.ly/x1dWvQF
Parents, students relieved as audit preserves funding for Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
A legislative audit of Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind recommended some changes to the school's governance and management, but no major funding cuts.
www.fox13now.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Oversight problems that stretch across decades show how easy it is for vulnerable students to fall through the cracks when systems lack clarity and accountability.
🔗 FOX 13: buff.ly/x1dWvQF
🔗 FOX 13: buff.ly/x1dWvQF
Utahns believe in accountability and redemption. You cannot have either when the system ignores people in crisis. Fixing this requires investment, oversight, and leadership that is willing to acknowledge harm and correct course.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
Audit: ‘Inmates are often abandoned’ by mental health care system in the Utah State Prison • Utah News Dispatch
Two new legislative audits paint a picture of inadequate and flawed mental health care in the Utah prison in Salt Lake City.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Utahns believe in accountability and redemption. You cannot have either when the system ignores people in crisis. Fixing this requires investment, oversight, and leadership that is willing to acknowledge harm and correct course.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
🔗 Utah News Dispatch:
Planning for millions more people means planning for affordable housing, transit people can actually use, and water policies that protect future generations. Without that long-term thinking, families get priced out and communities lose stability.
Utah’s 2065 projections see 2M more people, and a birth rate that keeps falling
The latest 40-year projections show growth slowing slightly, but still outpacing national numbers by a factor of three.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Planning for millions more people means planning for affordable housing, transit people can actually use, and water policies that protect future generations. Without that long-term thinking, families get priced out and communities lose stability.
Utah families depend on a school system that treats every child with dignity, whether they are disabled, LGBTQ, learning English, or growing up in a low-income household. Federal protections have long served as a backstop when states fall short.
buff.ly/iXjui0t
buff.ly/iXjui0t
Trump’s dismantling of Education Department could strip students’ civil rights protections, Utah advocates warn
Utah education groups are sounding the alarm: Trump’s new plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education could put students’ civil rights at risk. Here’s what it means for at-risk kids across the…
www.sltrib.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Utah families depend on a school system that treats every child with dignity, whether they are disabled, LGBTQ, learning English, or growing up in a low-income household. Federal protections have long served as a backstop when states fall short.
buff.ly/iXjui0t
buff.ly/iXjui0t
Transparency is essential for public trust, especially in cases involving systemic abuses of power. Utah’s delegation made the right call by supporting the release.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/LNrYRyV
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/LNrYRyV
With Trump’s blessing, Utah’s congressional delegates vote to release the Epstein files
Following President Donald Trump's guidance, Utah’s all-GOP U.S. House delegation voted to release the Epstein files. The Senate also voted for transparency.
www.sltrib.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Transparency is essential for public trust, especially in cases involving systemic abuses of power. Utah’s delegation made the right call by supporting the release.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/LNrYRyV
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/LNrYRyV
Utahns believe in neighborliness, stewardship, and fairness. A mega shelter acting more as a prison that concentrates poverty in one area violates all three.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/aJF63f4
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/aJF63f4
Homelessness advocates, environmentalists rally against homeless ‘mega shelter’ • Utah News Dispatch
Advocates, faith leaders and environmental groups oppose state leaders’ proposal for a homeless “campus” in northwest Salt Lake City.
utahnewsdispatch.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Utahns believe in neighborliness, stewardship, and fairness. A mega shelter acting more as a prison that concentrates poverty in one area violates all three.
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/aJF63f4
🔗 Utah News Dispatch: buff.ly/aJF63f4
The governor’s decision to stand with lawmakers who pushed through gerrymandered maps has consequences. Utahns value fairness and accountability, and when leaders brush aside public input, people notice.
🔗 Deseret News:
🔗 Deseret News:
Utah Gov. Cox popularity dips among Democrats amid redistricting battle
The dip in Democratic support reflects a trend for the Republican governor extending back over a year. An expert weighs in on why that might be
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 1:11 AM
The governor’s decision to stand with lawmakers who pushed through gerrymandered maps has consequences. Utahns value fairness and accountability, and when leaders brush aside public input, people notice.
🔗 Deseret News:
🔗 Deseret News:
Public school buildings are community assets and should stay in community hands. Prioritizing charter acquisition before districts can repurpose buildings or open them for local use shifts power away from local voters.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/2kCJZWw
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/2kCJZWw
Utah charter schools would get first dibs on buying closed district schools under this proposal
The proposal is already intensifying community efforts to keep schools open and pitting district parents against prospective charter buyers.
www.sltrib.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Public school buildings are community assets and should stay in community hands. Prioritizing charter acquisition before districts can repurpose buildings or open them for local use shifts power away from local voters.
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/2kCJZWw
🔗 The Salt Lake Tribune: buff.ly/2kCJZWw
Utah’s move aligns with national efforts to weaken corporate climate accountability. Climate impacts already cost Utahns real money through drought, wildfire, and water scarcity. Opposing transparency does not protect businesses; it shields polluters.
Utah joins Iowa AG in brief against California climate reporting laws • Utah News Dispatch
Attorneys general from 25 states are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a stay on California emissions reporting laws.
buff.ly
November 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Utah’s move aligns with national efforts to weaken corporate climate accountability. Climate impacts already cost Utahns real money through drought, wildfire, and water scarcity. Opposing transparency does not protect businesses; it shields polluters.