Hefty new ‘Beehive Development Agency' bill advances despite government overreach concerns
sets out to create a powerful new state entity called the Beehive Development Agency (BDA), which would work to expedite and coordinate economic development projects, like housing or energy projects, funded through property tax differentials. The agency would have planning, bonding, land use, and taxing authority.
READ NEXT: What could the tariffs on Canada, Mexico mean for Utahns?.
The bill has the backing of some of the state's heavy hitters, like Governor Spencer Cox's office. Sponsor Sen. Kirk Cullimore (R – Draper) said it would be 'a limited tool for the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity' to create and attract big-impact, generational projects, such as nuclear power plants, large manufacturing areas, and coordinate housing projects under a single housing office.
'There's a demand for (development) out there, we would just like to see it more strategically coordinated,' Cullimore told reporters, specifying that the agency would be for projects that benefit the state, not a 'new subdivision and a Walmart,' he said.
An original version of the bill had a provision that local cities and counties would not have a say in any of the development, but a substitute version removed that to allow for local buy-in via a city or county's legislative body. Even still, critics say this agency is an expansive use of state power.
The bill sets up an Economic Opportunity Coordinating Council — comprised of state leaders and city stakeholders — to council the BDA.
'Utah needs to enhance its ability to respond quickly and efficiently to significant economic development opportunities,' Cullimore said to the committee.
While the bill passed the committee, several residents expressed concerns about transferring power from elected officials to a private entity, saying it would be a shadow organization controlled by the governor with little public oversight. Others expressed concerns about having such a broad bill fast-tracked near the end of the session.
'A lot of people have just had it with the legislature. They just feel like you guys up here are not responsive. They don't want statewide control, they want local control. They don't want a new entity with taxing authority. They don't want coordinated efforts, they want freedom from their government,' said Maryann Christensen, the executive director of Utah Legislature Watch.
Sen. John Johnson voted against the bill, citing similar concerns, saying, 'As a legislature, we're losing credibility with the public that thinks we rush into things and we don't listen.'
Johnson continued: 'I have a hard time supporting it because I worry about the perception. We a lot of times lose the battle because we don't communicate effectively what we are trying to do.'
Other lawmakers approved of the bill, but felt there was still work that needed to be done. Sen. Ann Millner (R – Ogden) said it's time to centralize and coordinate development better, and while the bill still 'needs some work,' she said Cullimore showed he was willing to make changes.
'I feel like we need to have the opportunity to keep it moving and get it in the right place because I really do feel like it's important for the future of Utah,' Millner said.
The Utah Rivers Council is one of the groups most ardently opposed to the bill, claiming the bill would 'hijack' local tax revenue and could lead to projects that greatly increase water rates and dry up the Great Salt Lake.
The council, along with the Great Salt Lake Waterkeeper, said the bill could pave the way for previously proposed water projects to move forward, potentially diverting water from the Great Salt Lake.
'The BDA is tasked with and given all the powers to get those projects done by forcing them on local communities since they will be exempt from local land use controls. To add insult to injury, the community can have its current tax collections hijacked to pay for the project,' the press release read.
The bill was circled on the Senate floor Monday, just days before the end of the 2025 Legislative Session. It is unclear at this time if it will have enough time to go through both the Utah Senate and House before Friday.
'I think there is some positives in the bill that need to be refined and we probably need to keep it moving through the process so we can at least have a discussion,' Senate President Adams said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Legislative committees advance CA redistricting legislation
(The Center Square) — Legislators, taxpayers and others debated passionately Tuesday for several hours as Democratic-led election committees in the California Assembly and Senate advanced congressional redistricting legislation. The bills making up the Election Rigging Response Act received support from the Democratic majorities in the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee and the Assembly Elections Committee. Ultimately they're expected to land on the floors of the Assembly and Senate on Thursday. They're backed by the Democratic supermajorities in both houses, as well as by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. With their passage certain, the legislation will mean voters on a Nov. 4 special election will decide whether to revise boundaries for congressional districts in response to redistricting in Republican-led states such as Texas. But the Republican minority in the Legislature scored what they called an early victory Monday night by delaying Thursday's floor votes. "The bill was stalled until after 7 p.m., meaning the earliest it can be legally voted on is Thursday evening. That leaves only hours before the special election deadline for passage and Newsom's signature," Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-San Diego, posted on X. Democrats and Republicans agree democracy is at stake and that California has a gold standard with its independent, nonpartisan Citizens Redistricting Commission. Republican lawmakers argued the will of voters, who approved a constitutional amendment creating the commission, was being disregarded. But Democratic legislators stressed voters can see the proposed map, which is posted at They also noted that unlike people in Texas, Californian voters will have the final say on whether congressional districts are changed and that the independent commission can resume its work after the 2030 census. "We are not asking California to rubber stamp maps behind closed doors," Assembly Elections Committee Chair Gail Pellerin, a Democrat, told the committee. "As a former election official, I would never stand for that. This is about defending democracy itself, making sure checks and balances our kids learned in government class are alive and well after the 2026 election." Other Democrats on the committee voiced their support. 'Who should have the control of the vast power of the federal government?' asked Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura. 'Our founding fathers agreed hundreds of years ago on a special form of democracy, designed to protect our democracy from power grabs.' If people in power try to change the rules to seize power undemocratically, then democracy advocates must also change their rules in response, Bennett argued. But Assemblymember David J. Tangipa, R-Clovis, who sits on the committee with Bennett, told the committee that Republicans weren't given enough time to review the legislation in advance of Tuesday's hearing. He also noted the proposed congressional map changed at 8 p.m. Monday. Pellerin countered that she understood the map was posted at 8 a.m. Monday. Pellerin and Tangipa clashed during the hearing as the latter asked extensive questions of Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, who spoke on behalf of one of the three bills making up the Election Rigging Response Act. Pellerin said she was trying to keep the meeting moving, and Tangipa stressed the importance of his questions on topics such as funding. A large number of residents throughout California, union representatives and representatives of organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the California Teachers Association, spoke in favor of redistricting at the Assembly committee meeting. But what appeared to be an even bigger number of taxpayers from throughout the state, as well as representatives of Republican organizations, spoke against the legislation. Comments on the two sides echoed those made by the Democratic and Republican legislators. The Assembly committee rejected a motion by its ranking Republican, Vice Chair Alexandra Macedo of Tulare, that the committee recess until its members could read all 16,000 comments that voters have made in a portal on the Assembly website. "Democratic power bosses want to take the power away from the people," Macedo said. She called the Election Rigging Response Act a coordinated effort to tear down the independent commission and gerrymander districts for political gain at a time California faces severe budget shortfalls. The Assembly Republican Caucus has said the Nov. 4 election will cost voters more than $235 million. Democrats have countered the Trump administration has cost the state much more than that by cutting or withholding funding.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump ready to ‘crush' Russian economy if Putin avoids talks with Zelenskyy
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that he believes President Donald Trump is prepared to 'crush' Russia's economy with a new wave of sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming weeks. Graham, who spoke with Trump on Tuesday morning, has pushed the president for months to support his sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill that would impose steep tariffs on countries that are fueling Russia's invasion of Ukraine by buying its oil, gas, uranium, and other exports. The legislation has the backing of 85 senators, but Trump has yet to endorse it. Republican leaders have said they won't move without him. 'If we don't have this thing moving in the right direction by the time we get back, then I think that plan B needs to kick in,' Graham said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. The Senate, now away from Washington for the August recess, is scheduled to return in September. Graham's call with Trump came less than 24 hours after high-stakes meetings at the White House with Zelenskyy and several European leaders. Trump and the leaders emerged from those talks sounding optimistic, with the expectation being that a Putin and Zelenskyy sit-down will happen soon. Still, Trump's comments to Graham, one of his top congressional allies, mark the latest sign that pressure is building — not just on Putin, but on Trump as well. 'Trump believes that if Putin doesn't do his part, that he's going to have to crush his economy. Because you've got to mean what you say,' Graham told reporters in South Carolina on Tuesday. As Congress prepares to return to session in early September, the next few weeks could become a defining test of whether lawmakers and international allies are prepared to act on their own if Trump doesn't follow through. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the lead Democrat pushing the bill with Graham, says there is a 'lot of reason for skepticism and doubt' after the meetings with Trump, especially because Putin has not made any direct promises. He said the Russian leader has an incentive to play 'rope-a-dope' with Trump. 'The only way to bring Putin to the table is to show strength,' Blumenthal told the AP this week. 'What Putin understands is force and pressure.' Still, Republicans have shown little willingness to override Trump in his second term. They abruptly halted work on the sanctions bill before the August recess after Trump said the legislation may not be needed. Asked Tuesday in a phone interview whether the sanctions bill should be brought up even without Trump's support, Graham said, 'the best way to do it is with him.' 'There will come a point where if it's clear that Putin is not going to entertain peace, that President Trump will have to back up what he said he would do,' Graham said. 'And the best way to do it is have congressional blessing.' The legislation would impose tariffs of up to 500% on countries such as China and India, which together account for roughly 70% of Russia's energy trade. The framework has the support of many European leaders. Many of those same European leaders left the White House on Monday with a more hopeful tone. Zelenskyy called the meeting with Trump 'an important step toward ending this war.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that his expectations 'were not just met, they were exceeded.' Still, little concrete progress was visible on the main obstacles to peace. That deadlock likely favors Putin, whose forces continue to make steady, if slow, progress on the ground in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters after talks at the White House that Trump believes a deal with Putin is possible. But he said sanctions remain on the table if the process fails. ___ Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard contributed to this report from Florence, South Carolina.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ferguson rejects U.S. attorney general's threat over Washington immigration law
Governor Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that Washington state will not be intimidated by threats of criminal prosecution from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi over the state's immigration policies. Speaking at the Capitol alongside lawmakers, cabinet officials and community leaders, Ferguson said Washington will not divert state resources from public safety to enforce federal immigration directives. Ferguson received Bondi's letter late last week. It cited unspecified 'sanctuary policies and practices' in Washington and claimed they violate federal law. Bondi also warned that state officials who 'obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts … may be subject to criminal charges.' Washington GOP responded Tuesday, saying Ferguson should 'follow the Constitution.' 'The current governor's response to Attorney General Pam Bondi's letter of August 13 demanding that he end his unlawful 'sanctuary state' policies is disappointing but entirely predictable,' WAGOP Chairman and State Rep. Jim Walsh said. 'Bob Ferguson puts essential functions of state government at risk in order to perpetuate a foolish political fight with the federal government.' In his response, Ferguson denounced the threat as inappropriate and politically motivated. 'You seem to believe that cavalierly citing criminal statutes and personally threatening me, a democratically elected governor, will result in compromising the values of my state. Never,' Ferguson wrote. Lawmakers at the Capitol rallied behind Ferguson and the state's 2019 Keep Washington Working Act, which limits state and local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities in most situations. Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, who sponsored the law, said it ensures law enforcement focuses on crime rather than immigration. 'This administration's total disregard of due process shows us all they care about is instilling fear and hurting law-abiding Washingtonians,' Wellman said. Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, who sponsored the companion bill, argued that the act makes Washington safer by strengthening trust between immigrant communities and local police. She noted that immigrants make significant contributions to the state's economy across industries such as agriculture, healthcare, technology and hospitality. 'Pam Bondi wants fear. Washington state wants fairness,' Ortiz-Self said. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said Washington's stance is longstanding. 'Washingtonians have a long history of welcoming ALL people to our state,' Pedersen said. 'That will not change.' Other lawmakers echoed that message. Rep. Julio Cortes, D-Everett, said the law reflects the values of fairness and dignity. 'We will continue protecting all our residents because we value fairness, hard work, and the dignity of every person who calls Washington home,' he said. Support also came from advocacy groups. Malou Chávez, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, called the law 'an important protection for our communities.' She urged Washington leaders to continue defending immigrant residents against federal overreach. Ferguson has frequently clashed with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement, including legal challenges during Trump's first term. Solve the daily Crossword
