[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,73,85,97],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":56,"_72":56},"mediaId",6581455,"mediaKeyId","3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778","parentId",3130690,"title","Judge rules Utah voucher program unconstitutional; program allowed to operate while under review","audioSeconds",306,"startMs",84000,"endMs",390000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778&start=84&end=390","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778/thumbnail_84000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6581455/Judge-rules-Utah-voucher-program-unconstitutional-program-allowed-to-operate-while-under-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6581455-e85ee19e84d7e00c4b036e17f72d2ce3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488718&Signature=JROKldjc9jZDpfCBfBzcrz32g62wjUGMYt7wW8lwdFPfSA7mM6vGJv4w8GygV~Xv8exBU41HV-wid7N3Gh1Dsgbe~Rktdod68JoO2pD9VkTf-eKMAwyYJWkY5YXFE83XxkCcaTliMINjvhWq3vxmxz~zDkkgxfxIsmqMereCBuBQ0lk4D-V5wFd01wtSHVuaWyW1PM7wMohvqqkRThAFGZF99LVmJCNA4FgRt6-XLfAntp8VteMLJi6qXQeHYgm77QjohvqNo1rP6gys2lp~3vfEc6SjpG1vApXnwBXVOoFr-YQ~LEThxekLCUYnUWxD4LTA4pfx8~TYLz~NyXMbHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-26T09:24:55.697Z","article","A Utah district court judge has held that the Utah Fits All Scholarship — commonly characterized by supporters as the \"Utah Fitswell Scholarship\" — runs afoul of the state constitutional requirement that education funded by income-tax revenues be \"free and open to all,\" but the judge allowed the program to continue while the ruling is appealed.

Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, introduced the case on the Hinckley Report on the program and the ruling by Judge Laura Scott.

The ruling was the focus of a panel discussion including Jay Evenson, opinion editor with the Deseret News; Representative Jennifer Dailey-Provost, a Democrat and minority whip in the Utah House; and Senator Mike McKell, a Republican and majority assistant whip in the Utah Senate.

\"I think unequivocally that this program does not create any any kind of equitable situation for students,\" Representative Jennifer Dailey-Provost said on the program, arguing that vouchers create unequal funding for students and that \"to argue that this is creating an equitable playing field or equitable access for all students is a fallacy, and that is unconstitutional.\" She also said many voucher recipients are homeschooled and that voucher awards — which the panel stated are about $8,000 per scholarship — are substantially higher than public per-pupil funding.

Senator Mike McKell, who described himself as concerned by the judge's opinion, said on air, \"I don't agree with her opinion. I don't agree with with her findings in this in this case. I think these are clearly educational expenses.\" McKell added he expects the decision to be appealed and said he predicts the ruling could be overturned.

Panelists noted the program's connection to a teacher-pay provision in the original legislation that established the scholarship. McKell and others on the panel said they expect legislative leaders to prioritize protecting teacher salary increases tied to the package, with McKell saying, \"I don't see anybody on Capitol Hill talking about taking that away or stripping that away.\"

Panelists gave differing takes on the constitutional question and on equity implications. Dailey-Provost argued voters would be \"enraged\" to learn vouchers are roughly $8,000 per student and warned the effect could be to reduce economies of scale for public schools. McKell said he understands the judge's reasoning but disagrees with the legal conclusion.

The Utah Education Association (UEA) filed the lawsuit challenging the scholarship's constitutionality, arguing the program diverts income-tax-funded education dollars to a program that is not \"free and open to all.\" Judge Laura Scott issued the opinion but kept the program operating while litigation continues.

The program's scale was discussed on air: panelists said roughly 20,000 applications had been submitted and that many recipients are homeschooling families. Representatives and senators said the case will likely be appealed and that the legislature can still act on related policy and funding questions while the courts decide.

The judge's opinion and the program's status under appeal mean the scholarship will remain available to applicants during the review process. Lawmakers on the panel emphasized they planned to protect teacher pay increases tied to the original legislation while the legal process proceeds.

How the appeals process will resolve the constitutional question remains unclear; the hearing panelists urged attention from lawmakers and said further appellate review is likely.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","What's next for Utah's school choice scholarship program? [April 25, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","A Utah district court judge has held that the Utah Fits All Scholarship — commonly described as a voucher program — likely violates the state constitution\u0000but left the program operating while the ruling is appealed.","taxTitle","taxId",0,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":74,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":75,"_41":76,"_43":77,"_45":78,"_47":79,"_49":80,"_51":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":83,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":84,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":56,"_72":56},6581449,"Organizers submit hundreds of thousands of signatures to force union referendum; verification process underway",233,508000,741000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778&start=508&end=741","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778/thumbnail_508000.jpg","/articles/6581449/Organizers-submit-hundreds-of-thousands-of-signatures-to-force-union-referendum-verification-process-underway","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6581449-4f33ac5daf3036c5b4880630afbba5c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488718&Signature=ncww62ktDaIvmTDjKjLgtjc9TbDvjODd7EXAUJP8Rt2~Uk2BvO2SDgqrGw2FOIaWDWkmTNL5p27P5CkpQq6f43NXyDJNjslOGVw1kZNHDzcdGuIMoj7O7wA8pL4vcI903JqhC387lZiflIcMWB5XLhMmw3pgIisNM2NQ5SXna8JO1BDxJAlbEn6M80650ROdY~exSefpBrS7m66Odr6CDWXh9iXkvhjYMGAZ2H9k0i1OMZeEltJ4VIf8RzHyL03DoQr7YPjCOoQCoKw0HIXEfAbmo3ZPWZCoWRlTyt5pnxLxVoGQ~odoCvKFwnmnSEbb1gCdww1PRccNTL2-sWZ5DA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Supporters of a referendum to challenge recent legislation limiting public-employee collective bargaining reported gathering well over the required number of signatures to qualify for ballot verification, and the signature-verification process is now proceeding in the state.

On the Hinckley Report, Senator Mike McKell congratulated petition circulators and said he observed signature gathering in at least one location. \"I think the estimate I heard is the signature amount is actually even higher, closer to 340,000 signatures,\" McKell said. \"I think they're going to be successful in the end,\" he added, while noting the referendum process is a constitutional check on the legislature.

Representative Jennifer Dailey-Provost, who said she personally gathered signatures and is a union member, described the collection as intensive and said the required pre-signature disclaimers and signature-removal notices resulted in more informed signers. \"It made people signing these, signature packets more engaged, more informed about the process,\" she said.

Panelists outlined the procedural requirements: the referendum process requires verified signatures distributed across senate districts; as of the broadcast panelists said signatures had been verified in multiple senate districts (panelists stated sufficient signatures in 11 of 29 senate districts at the time of the show). Senator McKell and others said it would be difficult to prevent the measure from appearing on the ballot given the size of the petition totals, but they cautioned that the verification process and possible legal or legislative responses could affect the final outcome.

Polling cited on the program showed divided public opinion. A Hinckley Institute/Deseret News poll mentioned on air found 38 percent of respondents opposed the bill, 34 percent supported it and the rest were undecided; panelists said on-air that polling and ballot outcomes can diverge, and that some people sign petitions in public settings but vote differently in private.

Panelists discussed the political implications. Senator McKell said the referendum process is a constitutional check and praised the signature gatherers; Representative Dailey-Provost said she expects organized efforts to try to remove names from petitions but that petition signers were largely informed. Panelists also discussed how the referendum could factor into future campaigns and turnout dynamics.

The panel did not report a formal outcome of the verification process; state election officials will publicly verify signatures and determine whether statutory or constitutional thresholds have been met before the measure can be placed on the ballot.

","Organizers seeking to put a public-employee collective-bargaining referendum on the ballot reported more than 320,000 signatures gathered; state officials must verify district-by-district thresholds before the measure can appear before voters.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":56,"_72":56},6581440,"State party leadership races and a potential third-party merger draw attention ahead of redistricting",361,939000,1300000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778&start=939&end=1300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778/thumbnail_939000.jpg","/articles/6581440/State-party-leadership-races-and-a-potential-third-party-merger-draw-attention-ahead-of-redistricting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6581440-4a580eceedd3feaac416f5c3193cd40f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488718&Signature=M1ZRUo0kTXoWAVLNx5NVxtNRwd-x8uX-PnqLr5Qo8ja5GntWwal8DG1XgytmKWu6gM6B6y8L2E~YIm3R38qlvZ6IGoIzxiQsUo~FswMFiuXb6446EtOJz936oyM3o4m6LHSLIL2Wl2boroMnJdoP44~waF3Dox2CgvdRIV0HhIHb4-p7mOtHE9L4kFCOO69LpoEX7ioZGMP-1VObeLx4SXaO3DCQDHPS2Iq4G8hyfalQvC~ExfILUOMCwWj1wZjI5qlNeZyjzzxsOQE1P1hDOVGlpiNHBF~w-DFF767iQrcG7ZWYewybyYTXULKWLr8dJxIQ8LWOyP4Lg3xTU5Kvzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hinckley Report panel reviewed leadership contests in Utah's major parties and a potential merger of two third-party groups ahead of future redistricting and election cycles.

Jay Evenson and the panel discussed Democratic state-party candidates including former Representative Brian King, who panelists said has substantial name recognition within the party. On the Republican side, the program named Rob Axon (incumbent party chair) and Phil Lyman as contenders; panelists said the Republican race could be closer than expected given convention-level support for Lyman.

\"If I had to handicap it today, a lot of these delegates are the same. These are the same delegates that voted for Phil Lyman, 68 percent in the convention,\" one panelist said, arguing the race could be competitive.

Panelists also discussed two smaller-party developments: the reported merger talks between the Utah United Party and the Forward Party and the potential candidacy of Michelle Quist as the merged group's leader. Panelists said third parties face structural challenges and must win races to become consequential.

Representative Jennifer Dailey-Provost and Senator Mike McKell framed the leadership discussions as consequential for party strategy and candidate recruitment ahead of redistricting, which panelists said will be a central task for incoming party chairs.

The segment did not report formal votes; panelists assessed organizational strength and the difficulty third parties have in translating polling or announcements into election wins.

","Panelists discussed intra-party leadership contests for Utah's major parties, an expected close Republican chair race, and a proposed merger between Utah United and the Forward Party with Michelle Quist positioned as a potential leader. They said third parties must win races to remain relevant.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":56,"_72":56},6581445,"Panel warns of repeated changes to national monuments; panelists urge a stable process",151,1424000,1575000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778&start=1424&end=1575","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3130690-e0367f6a483bc4e2fc274131aa3ea778/thumbnail_1424000.jpg","/articles/6581445/Panel-warns-of-repeated-changes-to-national-monuments-panelists-urge-a-stable-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6581445-ec22f1970fc0962eef65c6d0a74c0e41/orig.mp4?Expires=1770488718&Signature=VldKGi5b4nwmf-yvVe4drBT9yvSUPl-UyZX8IWoIU4tBEj~uWw5zNOrPPKqideNEUaluxU85SObG1sqLL0-uAV5u6Bu0n929i7uZYHi3vPKMR9rfpReE30e02Ua2cDI~MjDmcVQRbWIJuyi1j2TcxsdgFun-QyddH8wYnZR48Ns29uEd9H1LJH7QtFxn8RDRBh6RRvm~3CdhSrbVQs526amZGRDKbEjhV9OEdWy0e2nFskVu99xLZA57l7-FgTjqainC6a6SwB~G-80xFzPYeW6nHbqADPRi~ubJOZyg2WxGMkKHkr3aBzsC0Kg~bpae6kUlrBPRfXk1AIqj7j5QoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Trump administration's reported consideration of shrinking some national monuments, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, prompted a panel discussion on the Hinckley Report about the Antiquities Act and the instability of repeatedly changing monument boundaries.

Jay Evenson briefed viewers on the history: presidents have used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect archeological and natural sites without immediate congressional approval; recent administrations have expanded or reduced monuments, producing what Evenson called a \"yo-yo\" of policy.

\"All this to me says we need to change the way we do this, and this goes back to the antiquities act of 1906,\" Evenson said. He explained the act's original purpose was to prevent theft of artifacts and to protect ancient sites.

Senator Mike McKell said the changes have economic and state interests and argued the issue needs a consistent national approach. \"We need consistency, not not only for local communities, state, but but industry,\" McKell said. He also framed some monument debates as national-security and resource issues, saying the U.S. cannot rely on foreign suppliers for some resources.

Panelists noted prior instances: the monuments were reduced under one administration and expanded under another; proposed future changes may spur congressional proposals to require faster congressional ratification or limits on unilateral presidential resizing.

The discussion did not report formal federal action during the broadcast; rather, panelists said they expect renewed debate and possible congressional responses to limit swings in monument policy.

","Panelists discussed possible federal reductions of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante and said the Antiquities Act of 1906 allows presidents to create monuments quickly. They argued Congress should consider legislative changes so monument designations are not repeatedly expanded and contracted.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Judge rules Utah voucher program unconstitutional; program allowed to operate while under review

Organizers submit hundreds of thousands of signatures to force union referendum; verification process underway

State party leadership races and a potential third-party merger draw attention ahead of redistricting

Panel warns of repeated changes to national monuments; panelists urge a stable process