Latest news with #PBSUtah
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cox considers emergency declaration as drought worsens in southern Utah and Lake Powell levels drop
Boats can be seen at anchor at the Wahweap Marina in Lake Powell near Page, Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. With drought conditions worsening in southern Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox says he's working on issuing an emergency declaration. Despite northern Utah seeing average snow this year, counties in the south are exceptionally dry. Cox said he's currently working with local officials on the declaration, which could extend to a handful of counties in the southwestern corner of Utah that have seen a meager snowpack this winter. 'We feel really good about where we are,' Cox said about water conditions on Thursday during his monthly PBS Utah news conference, calling it a 'pretty normal year for most of the state.' 'However, I will say it wasn't a great year for all of the state. And southern Utah, especially southwestern Utah, was well below average and they are seeing some elevated drought conditions there. I would say, yes, there is a very real possibility; in fact, we're working on it right now, of an emergency declaration,' the governor said. Statewide, the snow water equivalent — which is basically the amount of water currently in the snowpack — is at about 78% of normal, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, which tracks the snowpack at sites around the state. Much of northern Utah is between that or higher, with Snowbird's site at 96%, and a site in Big Cottonwood Canyon at 115%. But many NRCS sites in southern Utah are below 50% of the median snow water equivalent, some with just 1%, even 0%. Much of Washington and Iron counties are currently in extreme drought, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources, while swaths of Beaver, Millard, Juab, Tooele, Uintah, Grand and San Juan counties are in severe drought. The rest of the state is either in moderate drought or abnormally dry, except for a sliver of northwestern Box Elder County and the high elevation portions of Salt Lake, Utah, Morgan, Wasatch and Summit counties. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'The Drought Response Committee has been meeting more regularly to address concerns in drought-impacted areas,' said Candice Hasenyager, Utah Division of Water Resources director, in a statement Friday. 'Many state agencies are coordinating their response to drought conditions that will likely intensify heading into summer.' Hasenyager reminded Utahns to hold off on irrigation until 'your landscape needs it.' 'Most of northern Utah can hold off on irrigating until Mother's Day or until temperatures are in the mid-70s for several days,' she said. The state's reservoirs somewhat mirror the snowpack, with northern Utah looking good and southern Utah falling behind. In the north, the larger lakes and reservoirs — Strawberry, Bear Lake, Jordanelle, Flaming Gorge, Utah Lake, Deer Creek, Starvation and Pineview — are all above 75% capacity, with some hovering just below 100%. But south of Price, all but five reservoirs — Huntington, Joes Valley, Otter Creek, Quail Creek and Sand Hollow — are above 75%. Some, like Yuba Reservoir or Panguitch Lake, are below 50%. The outlook is particularly bad for the country's second-largest reservoir, Lake Powell, which is federally controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. As of Friday, the reservoir was at about 32% capacity. According to the Utah Rivers Council, Lake Powell is about 70 feet above the minimum level for the Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydroelectric power. That level will continue to decline into the summer and fall, the council said, pointing to an 'increasingly dire runoff future.' 'The countdown can start on Utah having to cut its portion of Colorado River water,' said Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council. 'Other states in the basin are putting odds on how soon that will happen and it's definitely coming, alongside the shutdown of Glen Canyon hydropower.' During the news conference on Thursday, Cox said he is 'always worried about Lake Powell,' and has been for years, with the Colorado River plagued by drought and decreased flows. 'The good news is that Lake Powell, that water going into Powell does not come from the southwest side of the state,' said Cox, referring to the source of the Colorado River, which is in alpine areas of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. 'The water content in the mountains is a little bit better there.' The governor can declare a state of emergency in response to natural disasters or public health threats. However, after tension brewed between the Legislature and former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert over his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers passed a law in 2021 limiting emergency declarations to 30 days. The Legislature could extend that emergency declaration if lawmakers pass a joint resolution. Cox hinted that lawmakers could convene in May for a special session — so if he issues an emergency declaration this month, he'll have the opportunity to work with legislators to extend the declaration, since it's likely drought conditions will worsen during the spring and summer months. Although he didn't elaborate on what the order will entail, Cox issued executive orders related to drought in 2021 and 2022. Both orders allowed drought-effected communities and agricultural producers access to state and federal emergency resources. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Everybody agrees it's going to cause pain': Utah governor on tariffs, possible recession
Gov. Spencer Cox speaks with members of the media during the PBS Utah Governor's Monthly News Conference at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Pool photo by Kristen Murphy/Deseret News) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox — a Republican who has called tariffs a 'huge gamble' but also said that he hopes 'President Trump is right' about them — said state officials are continuing to monitor their impacts on Utah businesses, and that the state's smaller businesses are 'going to be hit the hardest.' Cox also said he's instructed state agencies to prepare for possible budget cuts if a recession hits the U.S. 'We're always planning for the worst. That's part of what we do every year, and we're one of the few states that does that,' Cox told reporters during his monthly PBS Utah news conference on Thursday. 'But look, I look at the data just like everyone else, and the possibility of a recession has gone up significantly. Certainly the trade wars have played a role in that.' Regardless of 'whether you think trade wars are good or bad or will lead to something better, everybody agrees that it's going to cause pain in the short term.' 'And we have to be ready for that,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX During a separate news conference earlier this week, on Tuesday, when he and Republican legislative leaders celebrated Utah's 18th year being ranked No. 1 in the nation for best economic outlook, Cox said he had 'instructed all of my department heads to come up with recession plans, looking at three different levels of cuts … if there is a recession.' Cox said Thursday that state leaders 'will be very cautious in our spending' heading into July 1, when the state's fiscal year starts, and 'we'll adjust accordingly.' For 18th year, Utah ranks No. 1 for best economic outlook. What could threaten its top spot? The Utah Legislature is already expected to convene in a special session in May to tackle issues the governor outlined in a veto letter he issued March 27, to make changes to at least two bills — HB263, a bill dealing with election transparency and HB356, a bill requiring some counties to elect district-based council members. During that special session, he also said he wants the Legislature to repurpose $3.5 million it had set aside as part of Utah's bid to keep the Sundance Film Festival, which opted instead to move to Colorado. It's possible, depending on national developments and impacts to the economy, that state leaders could also consider budget changes during a special session, but that remains to be seen. Pressed on how state leaders will ensure 'equity' among state agencies if there are budget cuts so that some services, like social services, aren't overly impacted, Cox said 'the Legislature ultimately controls the purse,' but he also added 'we would be equitable in those types of cuts.' Cox also said Utah leaders did something similar during the Great Recession. 'We took some across-the-board cuts, but then we let the experts who run those departments figure out how to implement those,' he said. 'Because in recessionary times, there are some places where you would want to increase the budget and others where you would want to decrease it more.' He presented a hypothetical scenario of a 3% cut. 'It doesn't mean you cut 3% from every program, but every department would have to find those 3% cuts in their own ways that make sense and continue to serve the people in the state,' he said. Cox — who went on a trade mission to Canada last week — said he's 'concerned about the small businesses that are going to be impacted by this.' However, he also said he's 'hopeful' that leaders on both sides can 'figure out' solutions. Excluding gold exported to the United Kington for refinement, Canada, Mexico and China are among Utah's top trade partners. Utah exported $1.3 billion and imported $4.9 billion in goods from Mexico in 2023, according to a recent report from the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Canada is the second biggest source of Utah's imports, with $3.1 billion in imports and $1.7 billion in exports that year. China ranks No. 3, with Utah taking in $2.7 million in imports from the country and exporting $1.2 billion. Two industries Cox discussed Thursday as being impacted included manufacturing and housing. On the latter, he said he's 'always concerned about the price of housing and what that means for our state and our country.' He said World Trade Center Utah and the Governor's Office of Economic Development are staying in touch with Utah manufacturing companies and 'helping them find new suppliers and better, cheaper ways to make their product.' Utah GOP leaders defend Trump's tariffs while bracing for economic 'turbulence' 'We've had some incentives in the past and we'll be increasing those to move manufacturing here, which is why we led the nation in manufacturing (job growth) last year,' he said. Most of all, Cox said he hopes national leaders will at some point soon provide more stability and certainty when it comes to tariffs. He said he's 'supportive of getting pieces of this right, and so I'm grateful that we have an administration that's willing to look at this.' 'I'm hopeful for more certainty,' he said. 'Businesses can be resilient. Capital is a coward, for sure, but once you know the rules, business and entrepreneurs will figure out a way to work around whatever those parameters are. It's harder when you don't know what the rules are going forward … so more than anything, we just need to get this nailed down as soon as possible.' On his conversations with Canadian leaders during his trade mission last week, Cox said, 'our Canadian counterparts absolutely agreed that we should be pushing back on China and some of their unfair practices and some of their own tariffs and other issues.' But 'that being said,' Cox said, 'there are still a lot of companies that manufacture out of China, especially smaller companies in Utah who are going to be hit the hardest.' 'There are lots of companies that are just going to be hurt, there's not much we can do about it other than trying to help them,' he said. Pressed on Canada leaders' message to him about tariffs, Cox said 'their message is exactly what you would expect and what you've heard from the premiers there and from the Prime Minister.' 'You know, they felt really disheartened, I guess would be one way to say it,' he said. 'Some used the word, kind of, betrayed, that they're our closest ally and friend. … And yet, there was also a recognition by many of them that they needed to make some changes in Canada as well, which I think is helpful.' Cox added that Canada 'has had very high tariffs on several of their products,' including dairy and lumber, and also has 'trade barriers' between its own provinces. He said they also recognized 'they needed to invest more in their security and defense as well.' 'So it was interesting to hear this, this recognition that they did need to make some changes, and were willing to do that,' he said. 'But yeah, obviously they were very hurt. We're their overwhelmingly large trading partner, and they're going to try to diversify more of their trade with other places, but we want to continue that partnership.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cox asks for clarity from Trump administration on revoked student visas
Gov. Spencer Cox speaks with members of the media during the PBS Utah Governor's Monthly News Conference at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Pool photo by Kristen Murphy/Deseret News) After dozens of international students had their visas revoked in Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox asked the Trump administration for more information on the criteria officials are using to select the students who seem to have to suddenly leave the country, some without finishing their programs. Since many of the students and universities didn't receive notices on their status change, Cox also asked the federal government for a 'little bit of a heads up when these things are happening,' he said during his monthly news conference broadcast by PBS Utah. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'We'd like to understand better what the criteria are for those changes. Certainly, we know that there were some that had criminal backgrounds that we were not aware of, that the universities were not aware of,' Cox said. '(With) others, that does not appear to be the case, and so we would very much like to figure that out.' Officers from all public universities in Utah reported over 50 cases of students that had their visas revoked or their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records terminated. Many didn't release much information to protect the students' privacy. But, the University of Utah, host of 20 of the impacted students, specified that approximately half of the affected students are from China, a spokesperson said in an email. The other half are from several countries including India and some Middle Eastern countries. Dozens of international University of Utah students had visas revoked At Brigham Young University, a private Utah institution, a student from Japan had his visa revoked, potentially for a fishing licensing violation that happened years ago and was dismissed, according to the Deseret News. The wave of visa revocations has instilled confusion on campuses throughout the country. At the University of Utah 'a few university students' changes in status have not been connected to a clear, specific interaction with law enforcement,' leaders of the institution said in a statement. And none were flagged for participating in protests, a spokesperson said. There are many unanswered questions still about these cases, but in the meantime, Cox said he hopes the country can keep on attracting talent from abroad, referring to past comments from President Donald Trump on his interest to bring bright minds to American institutions. 'We know how important those visas are and how important immigrants are to building our economy,' Cox said. For the time being the Trump administration hasn't gotten back to the governor, but, Cox said, there are ongoing conversations on how to keep attracting international students while checking their backgrounds. 'It's important that we vet those who come, that we make sure we understand their backgrounds, that they don't pose any threats, that they're supportive of our country and the work that's being done here,' Cox said. 'And then it's important that we get them and we keep them.' When asked on whether there's a constitutional crisis with the Trump administration ignoring orders to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man deported to a prison in El Salvador, even though he was shielded from deportation in 2019, Cox said that this is an interesting constitutional struggle. 'The problem with this is there's just no nuance in the discussions. It's like, either you hate the Constitution, or you want terrorists living in America, it seems like those are the two choices,' Cox said. But, there may be a third option, he added. One in which Abrego Garcia returns to get through the process to get deported again. 'It really does matter that we hold to these constitutional norms, but pushing the boundaries of those norms is the prerogative, and was intended (…) It's not the worst thing to challenge those norms, see where the lines are and then work within those lines,' he said.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah Gov. Cox vetoes bill to reroute property tax revenue for schools into state general fund
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox conducts a news conference broadcast by PBS Utah in Salt Lake City on March 20, 2025. (Pool photo by Rick Egan \ The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued his first veto for the 2025 Utah Legislature on Monday, saying it was a matter of 'public trust,' accounting problems, legal issues and sending the wrong message to educators that led him to wield his pen. Cox vetoed SB37 — a rather wonky but important bill that would have fundamentally changed how the state handles property tax revenue that's used for schools. Currently, about $842 million collected from local minimum basic rate property taxes goes directly to school districts to bolster education funding. However, with SB37, sponsor Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, wanted to change that in order to create more budget flexibility and to 'equalize' funding across school districts. Under his bill, the property tax revenue would instead be diverted into the state's general fund. After receiving the money, the Utah State Board of Education would then have 35 days to transfer an equal amount into local school district accounts. The bill would allow the board to use income tax dollars — which are required under the Utah Constitution to be reserved for education expenses — to replace those property tax dollars in the state's general fund (which can be used for other priorities) before money would be sent back to school districts. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX While opponents, including various educator groups, worried it could jeopardize future education funding, Fillmore argued on the Senate floor it wasn't 'a clever way' for state leaders to 'steal money from public education.' 'The bill requires that whatever money is collected, the exact same amount of money in the exact same time frame with the exact same funding flexibility is distributed to school districts as soon as it's collected,' Fillmore said. But the Utah State Board of Education opposed the bill. The day before lawmakers' 45-day session ended, the board passed a resolution urging Cox to veto it. One board member, Sarah Reale, described the bill as 'really fishy' and 'money laundering,' The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Cox, in his veto letter issued Monday, expressed concerns that the bill would not only send the wrong message to educators about lawmakers' commitment to public education, but also create 'accounting and legal challenges.' 'When it comes to trust, nothing is more critical or sacred than the way we handle taxpayer dollars,' Cox wrote, adding that he decided to veto SB37 after he received veto requests from the Utah State Auditor's Office, the State Board of Education, the Utah School Boards Association, and the Utah School Superintendents Association. 'Right now, Utahns are correctly told by their government that their local property tax dollars are going to fund their local schools. That arrangement is spelled out specifically in our annual property tax notices, and it's a promise we've honored for decades,' Cox said. 'SB37 represents a clear departure from this practice by moving those dollars into the state's general fund, with income tax revenues replacing them before they go back out to districts.' Cox added that 'at a minimum,' SB37's accounting would create 'a perception problem as we lose the direct connection between taxpayers and their neighborhood schools.' 'But the change is more than just a perception problem,' Cox continued, adding that it could open the door to legal questions and accounting problems. 'Moving restricted property tax funding into the general fund creates significant technical and legal questions,' he wrote. 'For one, it's not entirely clear whether these property tax dollars, once they land in the general fund, still carry the restrictions that have always protected them for education use. Without that clarity, future legislatures could easily redirect those funds to other priorities and away from Utah schoolchildren. I oppose that change.' Then, Cox added, 'there's the accounting side of things.' 'SB 37 sets up a complicated system where school districts have to track these dollars as both incoming and outgoing revenue, while the state does the same,' the governor wrote. 'This 'grossing up' makes financial statements look inflated, which creates confusion not just for taxpayers, but also for bondholders and auditors who rely on clean, straightforward reports.' Cox wrote that State Auditor Tina Cannon requested a veto of SB37 in the interest of keeping the process 'simple, clear, and transparent.' 'I worry that this bill puts that at risk,' Cox wrote. But that's not the only reason why he decided to veto the bill. 'Even if I were to ignore these legal and accounting issues, I also worry that this bill sends the wrong message to our schools and teachers about the value we place on our education funding,' Cox wrote. He highlighted that the Utah Legislature has provided a record $2.6 billion in education funding over the past four years, and that lawmakers should be 'commended for your leadership on this critical issue that is so important to our fellow Utahns.' 'I would never want to do anything that would undermine our shared commitment to education funding,' he wrote. Cox said he appreciated the work that went into SB37. 'But for all these reasons — public trust; accounting and legal challenges; protection of education funding; and the message to our educators — I'm vetoing the bill,' he wrote. 'I'm confident that, working together, we can find a better path forward,' he said. Through a Senate spokesperson, Fillmore did not immediately return a request for comment about Cox vetoing his bill. The bill passed with healthy — but not veto-proof — vote margins in the Republican-controlled House and Senate. In the House, it passed on a 41-27 vote, while the Senate approved it 20-8. It's possible — but not certain — that lawmakers could convene a veto override session. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, issued a statement Monday night expressing disappointment in Cox's veto. 'Vetoes are part of the legislative process. However, I respectfully disagree with the decision to veto SB37, which establishes a framework to provide a more fair funding structure, ensuring that every school district is treated equally in terms of state funding,' Adams said. 'The bill does not cut education funding; rather, it stabilizes the funding system, ultimately providing better support for all of Utah's students.' In response to a question from Utah News Dispatch about whether legislative leaders are considering a veto override question, Adams did not rule it out as a possibility, but did not definitively say what lawmakers will do. 'In the next couple of weeks, we will have discussions with lawmakers and then decide how to proceed,' Adams said. 'We remain committed to ensuring that Utah's education system remains well-funded, well-managed and prepared for the future. We look forward to engaging in further discussions with the governor and all stakeholders as we continue to build on Utah's legacy of educational excellence. I appreciate the governor's commitment to working together to ensure Utah's continued success for generations to come.' The Utah Education Association, which is Utah's largest teacher union, applauded Cox's veto in a prepared statement issued Monday evening. 'This bill would have redirected public education funds away from Utah's public schools and weakened local control,' the UEA said. 'Utah must preserve education funds for their intended purpose: supporting the success of Utah's public school students.' Read the governor's veto letter below: SB37 Veto Letter 03242025 SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trans troops, tariffs, DOGE layoffs, housing: Utah governor weighs in on Trump's moves
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox conducts a news conference broadcast by PBS Utah in Salt Lake City on March 20, 2025. (Pool photo by Rick Egan \ The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox weighed in on a wide range of federal issues on Thursday during his monthly PBS Utah news conference. Cox, a Republican, fielded multiple questions from reporters on the impacts of a variety of recent moves from President Donald Trump's administration and how they impact Utah — from tariffs, to the Department of Government Efficiency's layoffs of tens of thousands of federal workers, to Trump's policy to bar transgender military members, to the Trump administration's recent announcement to use federal land for housing. Here's a breakdown of Cox's responses. You can also watch the entire news conference here: In January, Trump signed an executive order to ban openly transgender people from the military. On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked that ban from taking effect and ordered Trump's Department of Defense to revert to military policy that was in place before he issued that executive order. Last week, however, the Utah National Guard began encouraging transgender service members to consider voluntary separation from the force as part of implementing 'Phase 1' guidance related to Trump's order, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Asked about Trump's order and the judge's ruling Thursday, Cox told reporters 'we'll be watching this very closely,' adding that Utah has 'a very, very small number' of military members who are transgender. 'And we care about them,' he said. 'We care about everyone in this state. I'm grateful for anyone who's willing to put on a uniform to defend our country.' The governor added that what ultimately comes of Trump's order will be a decision that will ultimately be made in court. 'As that decision is made, if the court rules in favor of President Trump's policy, then we'll do everything possible to help them transition to other work,' he said. 'We've got a system set up to do that. We want to do this as compassionately as possible and help those people who may need to find another job if that order goes through.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Cox did not answer when he was pressed on whether he supports Trump's position. In 2017, Cox's predecessor, former Gov. Gary Herbert, spoke out against Trump's first move to bar transgender people from the military. 'I'm not going to defend President Trump on this issue,' Herbert said at the time, the Tribune reported. 'People ought to be treated fairly with equality — and that includes the gay community, the LGBTQ community.' In an opinion piece published in the Washington Examiner, a conservative outlet, this week, Cox wrote it's 'encouraging' to see Trump and newly confirmed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon 'reducing the role of the Department of Education and returning power where it belongs: to states and local communities.' On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order directing McMahon to dismantle the U.S. Education Department. Earlier Thursday, Cox expanded on his stance that overseeing education 'is not what the federal government was intended to do.' 'I believe, under the Constitution, this is the purview of state government,' he said. Trump signs order directing Education secretary to shut down her own department Cox said 'just the reporting requirements alone' by the Department of Education creates an 'overwhelming regulatory burden' on educators. 'The other piece of this that benefits all of us is the amount of money,' Cox added. 'If you look at the amount of money that is spent on the Department of Education, and then how much of that money actually gets to students, there's a multibillion-dollar delta there.' Cox also acknowledged potential downsides, however, including that it could result in a reduction of funding that is sent to the states. He said he's advocating for an approach to prevent that. 'We can do two things,' he said. 'We can actually get more money to the states and save the federal government money, which we need to do … just by eliminating that and block granting those funds to the states,' he said. 'I can tell you that that is very popular on the right and the left when it comes to the governors in this country.' After Trump put tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China and spurred what's now shaping up to be a full-on trade war, Cox has expressed concerns about how it could impact Utah's economy. 'Excluding gold exported to the UK for refinement, Canada and Mexico are Utah's two largest trading partners for imports and exports,' Cox tweeted earlier this month. ' Looks like we are about to find out if everything I learned in my poli-sci/economics classes was wrong.' He also said he's 'assembled a team of experts to monitor the effects of these tariffs on Utahns and report findings — good or bad — as they become available.' On Thursday, Cox walked a fine line between not disparaging Trump, but also calling the move 'a huge gamble.' 'Look, I hope that President Trump is right when it comes to tariffs,' Cox said. 'I really do. I hope this works. I think it's a huge gamble.' White House announces tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico, China He added that everything he's previously learned about economics is that 'tariffs are bad. … So yeah, I'm concerned.' However, Cox said he's also trying to keep an open mind, adding that most countries these days now have tariffs, and 'it's hard to debate the argument that if tariffs are so bad, why do all these countries have tariffs?' 'So look, I'm open to new information. I'm open to learning. I'm curious,' Cox said. 'I'm hopeful that this will lead to something better for our country. And we're going to find out. … Markets are going to do what markets do, and we'll see if it's a little short-term harm for a long-term gain, or if this potentially sends us into a recession. I certainly hope not.' Trump's newly created Department of Government Efficiency has been aggressively cutting federal spending, which has resulted in tens of thousands of federal workers losing their jobs. Asked how he feels about DOGE and its federal layoffs, Cox told reporters Thursday that he has 'long said that the federal government is spending way too much money and that we have to do something.' 'So I love the idea of DOGE,' he said, 'I think it's really important. I'm grateful that finally someone is taking this seriously, understanding that we can't keep spending like this.' However, Cox acknowledged, without naming specifics, 'where it's been a little clumsy, where it's been done the wrong way.' 'My concern there,' he said, 'is if done poorly, the backlash will be so severe that it will end. And we need it to continue.' Two new federal lawsuits challenge Trump, Musk and DOGE on constitutional grounds Cox added that he's 'hopeful that they'll learn lessons from the places where they've made mistakes.' 'But it's going to be hard. Cutting is hard. People losing their jobs are hard,' he said. 'I hope we can do that with a level of compassion and understanding.' The governor added that his administration has been working with the state Department of Workforce Services to help any former federal employees looking for work. 'For anybody that's losing their jobs, we're on it. We've got resources available. We want them,' Cox said. 'You can come to the Department of Workforce Services, they will help you. We will try to get you another job so you can provide for your family. That's the way we should do it. … We should do it in a compassionate way that recognizes these are real people.' Earlier this week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner announced a partnership to 'identify and open under utilized federal lands for affordable housing.' Turner said HUD will work with the Department of Interior to 'implement tailored housing programs with guidance from states and localities.' Cox — who has an ambitious goal to help the state build 35,000 new starter homes by 2028 — applauded it as a 'great move.' 'It's something we've been advocating for a long time,' Cox said. 'We desperately need more housing all across the country, especially in the West (and) the Mountain West.' Utah governor doubles down on goal to build 35K homes in 5 years The federal government owns nearly 65% of Utah's total land area, or 35 million acres out of a total of 54.3 million acres, according to a recently published report from the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Cox also pointed to a recent social media post by Arthur Gailes, senior manager of housing supply initiatives for the American Enterprise Institute's Housing Center, that said if the federal government 'sold just 0.1% of its land, it would be enough to easily build 3 million homes.' 'We're not talking about building houses under Delicate Arch,' Cox said, referring to the state's iconic landmark in Arches National Park. 'This is land within the boundaries of existing cities and towns throughout the country.' Cox also pointed to Utah Sen. Mike Lee's proposed HOUSES Act, which seeks to allow parcels of federal land to be purchased by a state or local government at a reduced price if it's used for housing, subject to a density requirement, and protects against development of second homes. Cox also pointed to Clark County, in Nevada, where a similar proposal was enacted after former Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat, passed a bill that allowed the Bureau of Land Management in that county to let housing be built on its land. 'It's incredible what they've been able to do,' he said. 'People wonder why housing prices are lower in Las Vegas, it's because of this bill that he passed. But it only applied to Clark County. So it's frustrating that we haven't been able to do the same things here. I would love to be able to do that here, and we might just get that opportunity.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
