Latest news with #KathleenRiebe
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watered-down version of Utah's big alcohol bill revived
SALT LAKE CITY () — After initially failing in the Senate over concerns about cities controlling how close alcohol could be sold to parks and churches, a of a bill changing Utah's alcohol laws is advancing in the Utah legislature. The fifth substitute to S.B. 328 is headed for a House vote but will now only allow a planned new development at the Point of the Mountain, which sits on state-owned land, to decide its proximity rules. PREVIOUS STORY: Major alcohol bill fails to advance in Utah legislature 'This is kind of a unique situation where we've got 600 acres of land that we're developing … it has a large — an 18-acre park that traverses the entire section,' said Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R- South Jordan) during Wednesday afternoon's Senate debate. 'Just to make sure that it is going to be a prime spot for recreating and dining, we wanted to make sure there are restaurants able to be located there.' Senator Kathleen Riebe (D – Cottonwood Heights), voted against the measure and argued that there were other areas in the state where restaurants or hotels were struggling with proximity laws. 'I think that if this is good economic business sense for that community, I think it would make good economic business sense for every community,' she said. Bill banning pride flags from schools passes Utah Senate, returns to House The latest version also takes out a so-called 'sin tax,' which would have added revenues to create inmate education programs. However, it still allows for a 'straw test,' where mixologists or bartenders can still taste a drink by placing their finger over a straw. The bill also allows for grocery pickup of alcohol with strict ID and camera requirements. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Big and Little Cottonwood canyons become state parks?
A state senator wants to work with the federal government on land trades and facility acquisitions to create two new state parks — one for Big Cottonwood Canyon and another for Little Cottonwood Canyon. SB236 by Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Salt Lake City, authorizes the state Division of State Parks to receive donations of land and facilities; engage in transfers, exchanges or purchases of land in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon; and enter into agreements with the U.S. Forest Service to manage and use land within those areas as state parks as part of the Utah State Park system. The bill is in the Senate and has not had a hearing, having barely been introduced, but there is early support. 'That's a bill I hadn't heard of, but that would be exciting to do. I think we may see that eye to eye. We're actually asking the federal government to actually give us the unappropriated land so we can do exactly that in the state. We've got a lawsuit that the Supreme Court didn't take up,' said Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton. 'So we think we can control our lands better than the federal government. A lot of that area would be probably federally owned. So this is something we may be really aligned on. This is the first I've heard of the bill, but I think I'm pretty excited about it,' he added. Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, whose district includes part of the canyons, was also enthusiastic. 'I wasn't aware of the bill up to this point. But if we want to put it under state control and and designate it as a state park so that we can better address some of the solutions and some of the issues that we're dealing with in those canyons, that could be an interesting discussion,' he said. The canyons are highly popular due to their close proximity to Wasatch Front residents. The cottonwoods, along with Millcreek Canyon, received roughly 3.2 million visitors per year in an area spanning about 80,000 acres. By comparison, Arches National Park — one of Utah's beloved national parks — receives about 1.8 million visitors per year, according to a visitor use study from last year. Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, was a bit more cautious. 'In any of these negotiations, the devil is always in the details. The overall concept looks really good but we'll see how it negotiates out.' One lawmaker questioned if the state parks proposal is a way to circumvent a 2023 decision by the Utah Department of Transportation to pursue building a gondola to ease the canyon's notorious traffic congestion. The gondola is expected to reduce motorized use of the canyon by 30%. The plan calls for tolling and increased bus service in its first phase, as well as a mobility hub with 1,500 parking stalls by Big Cottonwood Canyon. New snow sheds are included in a second phase to address avalanche safety before a possible gondola is built. The 8-mile gondola line would offer service to Snowbird and Alta from a base with 2,500 parking spaces at the mouth of the canyon. Cox has said the state should not be the only entity bearing the costs of the gondola. It is unclear what impact, if any, Riebe's bill would have on that process. Contributing: Brigham Tomco
