Latest news with #Hafen
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
So what's University of Utah President Taylor Randall doing at the BYU Creamery?
Friday's lunchtime crowd at Brigham Young University's iconic Creamery did a few double-takes when they spotted an unlikely guest sporting a Ute crimson red polo and enjoying a cone. University of Utah President Taylor Randall took a quick break from a busy, three-day Southern Utah tour to indulge in his favorite BYU Creamery flavor: In-Shanely Chocolate — named, aptly, for his friend/rival/counterpart, BYU President C. Shane Reese. But there was nothing cloak-and-dagger about Randall's lunch-hour reconnaissance deep inside Utah County. Call it 'Ice Cream Diplomacy.' The University of Utah leader and several members of his team were on campus Friday at the invitation of BYU leadership to enjoy burgers and sample the sugary Creamery goods. But it also offered leaders from the two Utah schools — one private, one public — a few moments to fortify friendships and academic cooperation at a volatile moment for higher education. 'We have a lot of collaborations that go on between our two institutions — both formal and informal,' Randall told the Deseret News. The two schools' respective claims, he added, are actually quite similar. 'There's probably more research collaborations going on between these two schools than you would even imagine, right at the professorial level.' It's essential that those collaborations are accessible and maintained. Both the University of Utah and BYU, Randall added, are entrusted with educating students in Utah. 'We share common concerns about how to increase individuals coming into the overall higher education system. So it's good to talk through what each other is seeing.' Additionally, the two higher education institutions are working to solve basic societal problems. 'With BYU opening up a new medical school, and us expanding our medical school, one of our shared objectives is to solve access to healthcare issues in the Intermountain West — but also in the state of Utah, which ranks very, very low.' Much of the University of Utah leadership's three-day Southern Utah tour focused on meeting with fellow educators and health care professionals to seek ways of improving medical care in rural communities. BYU Administration Vice President and CFO Steve Hafen said he and his blue-clad associates were eager to host Randall and his team at a popular campus hang-out. 'It's an opportunity to sit down in a casual environment and get to know them a little bit better,' said Hafen. 'There's so much that they experience that we can relate that to — and so that collaboration and discussion is great.' Hafen added his school continues to seek opportunities to strengthen relationships with Utah's flagship public university. 'The University of Utah is an outstanding educational institution with good leadership, and we want to learn from them. And I think they want to learn from us.' 'They're public. We're private. But there are a lot of synergies and a lot of things that we can collaborate on.' Randall will return to the BYU campus on Oct. 18 to watch the Utes play the Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. And Hafen assured that the University of Utah leader will have his choice of Creamery flavors on that fast-approaching football Saturday. 'We'll leave the ice cream open all day long.' Randall and his team Friday also toured the U.S. Army Reserves headquarters building project that's well underway at Camp Williams in Bluffdale. Last August, the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve announced a historic land transfer and relocation agreement. Using more than $100 million appropriated by the Utah Legislature, the University of Utah is building a headquarters for the Army Reserve at Camp Williams, clearing the way for the military to vacate the remaining 50.9 acres it occupies just east of the university campus. Following the relocation of the Army Reserve, the historic Fort Douglas property will be transferred to the University of Utah for future campus development. The Utah Legislature appropriated a total of $117 million for a land purchase and to relocate the Utah Army National Guard 76th Operational Response Command's personnel and operations to Camp Williams. Officials said Utah is the only state to fund such a military relocation. The state of Utah will reportedly own the building and will lease it to the Army Reserve. Construction of the facility started in April of last year Fort Douglas and the University of Utah have a shared history spanning more than 150 years. According to a university press release, at one point, the fort stretched over 10,500 acres, from 900 South to 6th Avenue, and from 1300 East to the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Presently, the university surrounds the remaining 50 acres of fort property. The new two-story, 215,000-square-foot Army Readiness Building at Camp Williams — which includes administrative offices, storage and a separate vehicle maintenance shop — is slated to open and begin operating in 2026. The 50-acre Douglas Armed Forces Reserve Center at Fort Douglas has been constrained by outdated infrastructure, according to a university release. The new site, contiguous to Camp Williams, will offer a modern, secure location with room for future expansion. It will support all current and future Army Reserve operations, providing a more efficient and accessible training environment. The university had reportedly been working on the exchange for 14 years, annually submitting the proposal to the respective university presidents over that time as an institutional goal. Following Friday's tour, Randall said the building projects' design and progress exceeds his 'wildest expectations.' 'It's exciting that two organizations could find and plot an exciting, joint future together,' he said. 'I give particular credit to state leaders for their vision in crafting a really unique interchange of property and buildings so that both of these great institutions could move forward.' Even while touring the Camp Williams building project, Randall was considering the future of the Fort Douglas property on the university campus. 'We will start early-scenario planning over the next year of how we'll use that property,' he said. 'We already know the broad uses. Some of it will be for healthcare. The other piece will be for actually expanding our 'College Town Magic' to create a remarkable place for students to thrive.'
Associated Press
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
A bipartisan mail ballot bill in Nevada? It's not as crazy as it sounds.
Anything is possible in the Nevada Legislature — including a bipartisan bill on the politicized issue of mail ballots. The top Democrat and Republican in the Assembly are joining forces on a bill that would require all sample ballots to be sent to voters before mail ballots are distributed. An amendment also would provide a clearer timeline for when mail ballots must be sent to voters. Assembly Minority Leader Gregory Hafen (R-Pahrump) is the lead sponsor of AB148, and on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) joined as a sponsor. The bill was heard Tuesday in the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections, where it was supported by the Nevada Republican Party and progressive groups such as Silver State Voices and All Voting is Local. Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat, also supports the bill. Mail ballots are among the most politically fraught topics in the Legislature, as Republicans have long opposed universal mail ballots and the counting of certain mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day but received after. Democrats, meanwhile, have led efforts to protect existing mail ballot laws largely adopted during the COVID pandemic. 'This may be the only mail-in ballot bill that we agree on,' Yeager said in an interview before the bill hearing. 'But we'll take the win for the day and see what else comes up.' Under AB148, all mail ballots must be distributed to voters living in Nevada between the fourth and fifth Monday before an election. Existing law requires that mail ballots be distributed to in-state residents no later than 20 days before an election, but in practice, county election officials send mail ballots out over a wider time range before an election. 'There is nothing in statute that would prevent them from sending (mail ballots) in July after the primary's over,' Hafen told reporters Tuesday. 'To me, that would be concerning.' The bill would also set an earlier deadline for local election officials to send out sample ballots. Nevada law requires that sample ballots be sent before the start of early voting, which is the third Saturday before a general election. But under AB148, sample ballots must be sent out by the last day that mail ballots can be sent, which would be five days earlier than the current sample ballot requirement. The bill sponsors said they will also look into changing the timeline to send ballots to out-of-state voters. In the 2024 general election, some Nevadans reported not receiving their sample ballots at all. Hafen said some of his constituents were confused after receiving their sample ballots after their mail ballots last year. 'They thought their mail ballot was their sample ballot,' Hafen said. 'We've got to streamline the process.' Bipartisan agreement may be difficult to find on other election law changes. Republican lawmakers have introduced bills rolling back several mail voting provisions, although they have little chance of passing in a Democrat-controlled Legislature. Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, has also supported stopping mail ballot counting after Election Day, and he said during his State of the State address this year that he would be willing to take the issue to voters if the proposal — as expected — fails to win over the Democratic majority in the Legislature. But it's a different story for AB148. 'Surprise, surprise, I'm here supporting something,' said Lynn Chapman, vice president of Nevada Families for Freedom, a conservative group that is a frequent critic of mail ballot laws. 'It's important to have a sample ballot come out first.' Hafen said that the bill has the support of groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, that typically do not support his election-related proposals. 'It's no-brainer, common sense,' Hafen said.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill count swells to 484 as Nevada Legislature hits Day 2; Voter ID a Republican goal
CARSON CITY (KLAS) — Packed binders. Busy halls. Lobbyists, lawmakers and journalists roaming amongst each other. This is when the routine of the state government sets in. On Day 2 of the Nevada Legislature in Carson City, lawmakers are setting the table for the months ahead. It's a busy agenda, but what could actually get done? Already, there are 484 bills submitted this session, with many more expected. There's still a long way to go before the session ends in June. Politics Now anchor John Langeler brings us this update on what lawmakers hope to accomplish this session. Education, criminal justice, economic diversity, human diversity — it will all be discussed in the Nevada Legislature building over the course of the 120-day session. First, it's a matter of knowing what you're working with. Republican Assemblyman Gregory Hafen II is the Minority Floor leader. He says the $337 million deficit in Gov. Joe Lombardo's $12.7 billion budget is all squared away. But he adds there's a little less money floating around this session. 'If somebody was proposing a bill that would have a large fiscal note, it's going to be a very difficult task. Knowing that our budget is flat,' Hafen said. Nevada prisons director points to 4-mile fence, better staffing; inmate food issues persist One of his top priorities is bringing voter ID laws to Nevada. It failed in 2023. 'They laughed at me in the hallways and thought it was a joke. It's not a joke … 73% of the Nevada population wants voter ID,' Hafen said. 'They want to feel that their vote and only their vote is being counted.' Voter ID raises concerns with Democratic Assemblywoman Cecelia González. She leads the Latino caucus. 'Voter IDs could potentially have unintended consequences of people who may not be able to obtain their drivers licenses, but still have the lawful right to vote,' González said. On Monday, the caucus proposed several items to mitigate the impacts of President Donald Trump's illegal immigration policies. 'When it comes to the very thin line between state and federal law, there are things we can do and there are things we can't do. I think that's a lot of our community's frustrations,' González said Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
