Latest news with #SB54
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California Revising Plastic Packaging EPR Regulations
California's government is retooling its extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulatory bill surrounding the recycling of plastic packaging. SB 54, also known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, is now being revamped by California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. An arm of the California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CalRecycle, as it's informally known, released a revised draft of the regulations last week. Now, stakeholders have until June 3 to submit feedback on the proposal. More from Sourcing Journal California Law Enforcement and DAs Take On Retail, Cargo Thieves Will Trump Tariffs Help or Hurt U.S. Garment Workers? Teamsters Ask CA Legislators to Back Bill Requiring Human Operators for Autonomous Delivery Vehicles The EPR bill, which establishes a program to manage packaging and single-use plastic food containers across numerous sectors of California's economy, bestows primary responsibility for the packaging products' end-of-life on their producers. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in 2022, mandating that by 2032, all single-use plastics in the state must be recyclable or compostable, and the overall use of these materials be reduced by 25 percent. By the end of that period, 65 percent of single-use plastic packaging should be recycled, the law states. But the law's facilitators—CalRecycle—failed to meet a March 8 deadline for delivering the regulations tied to the law. Newsom requested that the regulations process for SB 54 be restarted, which is where the process stands today. California officials have said that that the timeline for implementing the law will not be impacted by the delay. SB 54 is not California's first EPR bill—the state has implemented such programs for batteries and mattresses—and its provisions informed much of the text of SB 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act, which mandates that producers of apparel, accessories and home textiles deal with the end-of-life impacts of the products they produce through recycling, reuse and repair. SB 707 was signed into law by the governor last year, and faces a similar regulatory process in the months and years ahead. But many in the business community are skeptical about what the EPR bills will mean for California's businesses, many of which are not accustomed to the burden of these responsibilities or equipped to comply with the new laws. The halting progress in the regulation and rollout of SB 54 could be a harbinger of what's to come for the textile-focused EPR, as both programs focus on sectors with broad impacts and seek to regulate a wide range of products made from different materials. California Retailers Association (CRA) president Rachel Michelin said the trade group is still reviewing the updated draft regulations, but reiterated its 'support and appreciation for Governor Gavin Newsom's consideration of the impact on affordability that these regulations will have on everyday consumers, especially given the ongoing uncertainty with the Trump Administration's tariffs.' She also thanked CalRecycle for its collaboration with retail stakeholders, which will continue through upcoming public hearings. An informal rulemaking workshop will take place on May 27 at California EPA headquarters in Sacramento, followed by a May 30 advisory board meeting and a June 23 workshop on covered materials and reporting guidance. Michelin said the CRA is 'committed to ensure California's landmark Packaging EPR program regulations are successfully implemented, achieving California's ambitious recycling objectives while avoiding undue financial burdens on consumers.' 'CRA members are committed to the environmental goals of SB 54 and appreciate the time taken to craft a collaborative and effective regulatory framework,' she added. 'This demonstrates California's leadership in addressing plastic pollution and advancing sustainable recycling practices.' While several states are seeking to tackle plastic and textile waste, especially in the wake of California's landmark legislative progress, tariffs and economic uncertainty are on the minds of many decision-makers. Some sustainability commitments are falling by the wayside as fiscal pressures mount; last week, PepsiCo last week abandoned its commitment to shareholders for 20 percent of all beverage servings to be delivered in reusable or refillable packaging. It also pulled back on commitments to reduce its use of virgin plastic.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cox says he doesn't plan to call special session to address signature gathering
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he has no plans to convene a special session to overturn a law governing ballot access in the state after Sen. Mike Lee used his speech at Saturday's Republican convention to plead with the governor to do so. Attacks on the law — which allows candidates to collect signatures to appear on a party's primary ballot in addition to campaigning at the party convention — appeared to escalate Saturday with Lee's remarks and a statement from newly reelected GOP Chairman Rob Axson saying he believes there are votes to repeal it in at least one chamber of the Legislature. But asked if he plans to act on pressure from Lee and others to call lawmakers into a special session on SB54, Cox told simply: 'No.' Some GOP delegates have long hoped to see SB54 rolled back in favor of just the caucus-convention system. Also, a proposal to kick candidates who gathered signatures out of the Republican Party was brought up, but not considered, during the convention last week. After his speech, Lee doubled down on his call for state lawmakers to overturn SB54, writing on X that: 'No state should dictate to political parties the process by which they nominate candidates. Ever. It ends badly for everyone — especially for conservatives.' Axson told reporters after winning reelection as party chairman that he is 'not a fan of the signature path' and wants to build support for overturning SB54 through the Legislature. 'If we build an apparatus that every Utahn and every community feels that there's a value in that, well, they're going to come along with us,' he said. 'They're going to be supportive of what we're trying to do, and the Legislature is going to listen to that. I believe, again, building is far more productive and worthwhile than taking things apart.' He said he believes there are enough votes to repeal SB54 in the House but not in the Senate — though lawmakers in both chambers don't appear to have plans to address the issues this year. Axson urged party members to be civil in pushing to have SB54 overturned, saying 'it can't be a vitriolic conversation.' 'It has to be a conversation that's transparent and upfront and collaborative,' he said. 'If we can show the value of what the Republican Party is doing and trying to do and trying to grow and build additional capacity, we make it a lot easier on these elected officials to take the hard votes of repealing SB54. It's going to take some time. How long or how short that is, I don't know.' While some of the most die-hard supporters of the GOP in Utah want to see party delegates empowered to select who gets to run as a Republican in the general election, the 4,000 or so state delegates are not representative of GOP voters as a whole, and a new report shows they lean slightly more conservative ideologically. A recent poll commissioned by Count My Vote found that only 17% of Utah Republican voters think the state should do away with signature gathering altogether.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion: Lessons from the state GOP convention
The recently concluded Utah Republican Organizing Convention results offer an interesting insight into what may happen in the near future. We offer our perspectives. Current GOP chair Rob Axson prevailed over his opponent, former state representative Phil Lyman 52%-48%. This was more than just a contest to see who would be the next chairman. This election was influenced by external forces and signaled direction for the state's majority party. What does Axson's reelection mean? COWLEY: President Trump and Sen. Mike Lee are the darlings of delegates, and their endorsements tipped the scales in this contest. It wasn't Lee's endorsement of Axson that I found more notable from the convention. It was his urging that the Legislature repeal SB54, which allowed candidates to bypass the convention process. Both Axson and Lyman campaigned on eliminating the signature path, but were split on who has the authority to implement the change. Trump's policies may be popular with delegates, but many MAGA Republicans side-eye the usurpation of the 22nd Amendment regarding a third presidential term. Delegates narrowly voted down a resolution to 'oppose and condemn any measure or action' that would allow the president to serve more than two terms. With one faction of delegates opposing a third Trump term, juxtaposed with another faction donning Trump 2028 hats, the upcoming presidential election will be interesting, to say the least. Delegates' clear penchant for Trump and Lee is the antithesis of their sentiment toward Gov. Spencer Cox. Nobody can blame the governor for not attending this year's convention after the delegates' crass behavior last year. Disagreeing with a politician is one thing, but boos and jeers for our state's highest office holder is unbecoming of our party and Utah as a whole. PIGNANELLI: 'What we have in our power is gratitude. It can be culturally contagious.'— Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review Various conditions can plague successful people and prevent them from enjoying their achievements. Something similar is affecting the local GOP. Republicans control the congressional delegation, over two-thirds of the state Legislature, all the statewide offices, most county governments, etc. Utah is continually honored for a well-managed government and strong economy. Thus, activists should have spent Saturday morning congratulating themselves, thanking voters, and re-electing Axson by acclamation. Instead, they engaged once again in this silly fight over minutia, which blemishes positive messaging to the general public. The closeness of the race defies reason because Axson is a solid chairman. Without strong Democratic opposition to focus their energies, Republican delegates are instead chewing on other party members. Although delegates deferred a decision on the proposed resolution to the party constitution revoking membership of candidates seeking nomination through signatures, it's still a major issue for the party's activists. Where is this issue heading into the next legislative session and beyond? COWLEY: Let's examine why delegates support only one path to party nomination. Some believe delegates are more engaged and better informed for candidate vetting. As a former delegate, I can fully endorse that statement. Others say the convention is harder to manipulate and produces more conservative candidates. Since the passage of SB54, I haven't observed Republican candidates becoming less conservative, and both processes yield creative campaign tactics - caucus stacking and coordinated, paid signature gathering. Convention-only arguments seem to be rooted in protectionism while signature gathering favors wealthy candidates. Neither path is without its shortcomings. As candidates, legislators conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Signature gathering is costly, but it's an insurance policy. Convention-only can be expensive without any guarantee of making it to the Primary. As policymakers, legislators are divided on the best approach for candidate selection. PIGNANELLI: Delegates comprise less than 1% of Republican voters. But they want control over the nominating process restored. Because they are more engaged than the average citizen, their activism cannot be dismissed. But on the other side of the conundrum is the fact that, should the Legislature eliminate the signature gathering process, many events would be triggered. A referendum, an initiative, and a restricting of resources to the party will likely occur should delegates regain control of the nominating process. What's likely to happen? The existing passive-aggressive strategy will continue. Many elected Republican officials will grumble about the signature gathering process, praise legislation that reverses it, but ensure the bill fades away in the last days of the session. This will keep the peace. Such is practical politics. Congressional deliberations surrounding the recent tax bill imply a split between MAGA and mainstream Republicans. Is this happening in Utah? COWLEY: Congressional holdouts are conservative hardliners. They like the 'big beautiful budget bill' but feel it doesn't go far enough to reduce the deficit. Moody's downgrading of the U.S. credit rating fuels these concerns. Comparable budget hawks also serve in Utah's Legislature, but because of our constitutionally mandated balanced budget, similar dynamics don't arise. PIGNANELLI: The Utah delegation has perfected the ability of throwing red meat to the activists but working behind the scenes to ensure a working relationship with the president, his team and their colleagues. Similar dynamics occur in the Legislature, in which local MAGA lawmakers receive attention but the necessary work (budgets, appropriations, infrastructure, economic features, etc.) are always a priority. Republican Renae Cowley is a political consultant, lobbyist, social media influencer, and professional rodeo athlete. Email: capitolcowgirl@ Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist, and political adviser who served as a Democrat in the Utah State Legislature. Email: frankp@
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
CalRecycle drafts revised plastic recycling rules that are more friendly to industry.
State waste officials have taken another stab at rules implementing a landmark plastic waste law, more than two months after Gov. Gavin Newsom torpedoed their initial proposal. CalRecycle, the state agency that oversees waste management, recently proposed a new set of draft regulations to implement SB 54, the 2022 law designed to reduce California's single-use plastic waste. The law was designed to shift the financial onus of waste reduction from the state's people, towns and cities to the companies and corporations that make the polluting products. It was also intended to reduce the amount of single use plastics that end up in California's waste stream. The draft regulations proposed last week largely mirror the ones introduced earlier this year, which set the rules, guidelines and parameters of the program — but with some minor and major tweaks. The new ones clarify producer obligations and reporting timelines, said organizations representing packaging and plastics companies, such as the Circular Action Alliance and the California Chamber of Commerce. But they also include a broad set of exemptions for a wide variety of single-use plastics — including any product that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has jurisdiction over, which includes all packaging related to produce, meat, dairy products, dog food, toothpaste, condoms, shampoo and cereal boxes, among other products. The rules also leave open the possibility of using chemical or alternative recycling as a method for dealing with plastics that can't be recycled via mechanical means, said people representing environmental, recycling and waste hauling companies and organizations. California's Attorney General, Rob Bonta, filed a suit against ExxonMobil last year that, in part, accuses the oil giant of deceptive claims regarding chemical recycling, which the company disputes. Critics say the introduction of these exemptions and the opening for polluting recycling technologies will undermine and kneecap a law that just three years ago Newsom's office described as 'nation-leading' and 'the most significant overhaul of the state's plastic and packaging policy in history.' The 'gaping hole that the new exemptions have blown' into the bill make it unworkable, practically unfundable, and antithetical to its original purpose of reducing plastic waste, said Heidi Sanborn, director of the National Stewardship Action Council. Last March, after nearly three years of negotiations among various corporate, environmental, waste, recycling and health stakeholders, CalRecycle drafted a set of finalized regulations designed to implement the single-use plastic producer responsibility program under SB 54. But as the deadline for implementation approached, industries that would be affected by the regulations including plastic producers and packaging companies — represented by the California Chamber of Commerce and the Circular Action Alliance — began lobbying the governor, complaining the regulations were poorly developed and might ultimately increase costs for California taxpayers. Newsom allowed the regulations to expire and told CalRecycle it needed to start the process over. Daniel Villaseñor, a spokesman for the governor, said Newsom was concerned about the program's potential costs for small businesses and families, which a state analysis estimated could run an extra $300 per year per household. He said the new draft regulations 'are a step in the right direction' and they ensure 'California's bold recycling law can achieve its goal of cutting plastic pollution,' said Villaseñor in a statement. John Myers, a spokesman for the California Chamber of Commerce, whose members include the American Chemistry Council, Western Plastics Assn. and the Flexible Packaging Assn., said the chamber was still reviewing the changes. CalRecycle is holding a workshop next Tuesday to discuss the draft regulations. Once CalRecycle decides to finalize the regulations, which experts say could happen at any time, it moves into a 45 day official rule making period during which time the regulations are reviewed by the Office of Administrative Law. If it's considered legally sound and the governor is happy, it becomes official. The law, which was authored by Sen. Ben Allen (D- Santa Monica) and signed by Newsom in 2022, requires that by 2032, 100% of single-use packaging and plastic foodware produced or sold in the state must be recyclable or compostable, that 65% of it can be recycled, and that the total volume is reduced by 25%. The law was written to address the mounting issue of plastic pollution in the environment and the growing number of studies showing the ubiquity of microplastic pollution in the human body — such as in the brain, blood, heart tissue, testicles, lungs and various other organs. According to one state analysis, 2.9 million tons of single-use plastic and 171.4 billion single-use plastic components were sold, offered for sale, or distributed during 2023 in California. Most of these single-use plastic packaging products cannot be recycled, and as they break-down in the environment — never fully-decomposing — they contribute to the growing burden of microplastics in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that nourishes our crops. The law falls into a category of extended producer responsibility laws that now regulate the handling of paint, carpeting, batteries and textiles in California — requiring producers to see their products throughout their entire life cycle, taking financial responsibility for their products' end of life. Theoretically such programs, which have been adopted in other states, including Washington, Oregon and Colorado, spur technological innovation and potentially create circular economies — where products are designed to be reused, recycled or composted. Sanborn said the new exemptions not only potentially turn the law 'into a joke,' but will also dry up the program's funding and instead put the financial burden on the consumer and the few packaging and single-use plastic manufacturers that aren't included in the exemptions. 'If you want to bring the cost down, you've got to have a fair and level playing field where all the businesses are paying in and running the program. The more exemptions you give, the less funding there is, and the less fair it is,' she said. In addition, because of the way residential and commercial packaging waste is collected, 'it's all going to get thrown away together, so now you have less funding' to deal with the same amount of waste, but for which only a small number of companies will be accountable for sorting out their material and making sure it gets disposed of properly. Others were equally miffed, including Allen, the bill's author, who said in a statement that while there are some improvements in the new regulations, there are 'several provisions that appear to conflict with law,' including the widespread exemptions and the allowance of polluting recycling technologies. 'If the purpose of the law is to reduce single-use plastic ad plastic pollution,' said Anja Braden from the Ocean Conservancy, these new regulations aren't going to do it — they are 'inconsistent with the law and fully undermine its purpose and goal.' She also said the exemptions preclude technological innovation, dampening incentives for companies to explore new recyclable and compostable packaging materials. Nick Lapis with Californians Against Waste, said his organization was 'really disappointed to see the administration caving to industry on some core parts of this program,' and also noted his read suggests many of the changes don't comply with the law. Next Tuesday, the public will have an opportunity to express their concerns at a rulemaking workshop in Sacramento. However, Sanborn fears there will be little time or appetite from the agency or the governor's office to make substantial changes to the new regulations. 'They're basically already cooked,' said Sanborn, noting CalRecycle had already accepted public comments during previous rounds and iterations. 'California should be the leader at holding the bar up in this space,' she said. 'I'm afraid this has dropped the bar very low.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Republican Party sticks with ‘bridge builder' Rob Axson as chair; Lyman loses
Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson, running for reelection, speaks with delegates during the party's organizing convention at Utah Valley University on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) The Utah GOP's state delegates have charted the next chapter for the state's dominant political party — sticking with an incumbent who characterized himself as a 'bridge builder' rather than a burner. With nearly 67% turnout during their organizing convention at Utah Valley University in Orem on Saturday, 2,645 Utah Republican Party state delegates voted to reelect Rob Axson as their party chair, handing another loss to his challenger and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman. Axson won with about 54% (1,430 votes), to Lyman's nearly 46% (1,215 votes), according to the party's election results. The vote settled what many delegates considered a toss-up contest — but Axson won with a healthy majority. Though Lyman and his 'Make Utah Great Again' campaign was given a warm reception with loud cheers from passionate supporters, Axson was a formidable incumbent, buoyed by an endorsement from President Donald Trump about a week before the convention. To Axson, his victory showed delegates 'want to see more' of what he's started in the Utah Republican Party. 'They want to see additional momentum. They want to see growth,' Axson told reporters after his win. 'They've seen what I've delivered over the last two years … and that is now the new foundation. Let's build from there.' Axson — who championed his fundraising record as chair of the party since 2023 and framed himself as a 'bridge builder' rather than a burner — was also endorsed by other Utah Republican Party heavyweights, including Sen. Mike Lee and other Utahns in Congress, as well as high-ranking state leaders including House Speaker Mike Schultz, and former party chair Carson Jorgensen. Axson or Lyman? Utah Republican delegates to elect their next leader Lyman, on the other hand, campaigned against the 'establishment,' continuing a barrage of unsubstantiated claims that he peddled during his unsuccessful bid last year against Gov. Spencer Cox that there's 'corruption' and election fraud in Utah government. In the end, though, delegates signaled they liked the track Axson has put the party on over the last two years, while they rejected Lyman's pitch for a more combative — perhaps even unlawful — future GOP. While challenging Axson for party chair, Lyman painted himself as a leader who would position the Utah GOP to more aggressively assert its capability to select Republican nominees rather than follow SB54, a 2014 state law that allows a dual path to the primary through both the caucus and convention process and through signature gathering. Though Axson also agreed Utah Republicans should continue fighting SB54, he disagreed with taking Lyman's approach, which Axson argued would amount to breaking the law. Instead, Axson said the party should focus on working with the Utah Legislature to change the law. During his speech, Axson told delegates that SB54 'still undermines the principles of our party.' However, he also said 'the law is the law, and claiming otherwise is not a strategy for success, no matter how loudly you do so.' 'We must repeal SB54, but we cannot unless we are united,' he said. 'We can't beat SB54 if we spend all our time beating one another.' Without naming Lyman during his speech, Axson said there's a 'clear difference between me and others: I am not willing to break the law, especially to break the law in a way that will jeopardize our Republican candidates and force them to get signatures instead of leaning into the delegate process that we all believe in.' Axson also touted the endorsement from Trump, along with support from members of Utah's congressional delegation and others. 'Ultimately if we want to be successful beyond the next 20 years, if we hope to bring the next generation into the Republican Party, we must build,' he said. Lyman, during his speech, didn't specifically address SB54 or specifics about his vision as party leader, but he focused on his philosophical stance for a government that 'belongs to the people.' 'I wish that I lived in 1765 back in Boston,' Lyman said, adding that if he did, 'I would have been a member of the Sons of Liberty,' referring to a secretive and sometimes violent political organization in the 13 American Colonies that worked to fight taxation by the British government. 'I would have been there in 1770 when the Boston Massacre occurred, I would have been there in 1773 when the (Boston) Tea Party took place,' Lyman said. 'Because those people were pushing back against the government that did not have their interests at heart. That's what we're about.' Lyman said the Sons of Liberty were 'called all kinds of horrible names too, including bridge burners, but they actually burned bridges to impede the direction of their enemy.' Lyman also issued a call to action to unite Utah Republicans, regardless of the outcome of the race for GOP chair. 'From this point, we will be united,' he said. 'I will stand behind Rob Axson. He's a friend of mine. I love Donald Trump, he's my president. I've supported him. I appreciate Sen. Lee. … I recognize their efforts, I support them.' But Lyman concluded his speech by telling delegates 'this is a time for you.' 'This is your party. The Republican Party is yours. And today you will decide what direction this party takes,' he said, to loud cheers. On full display throughout the convention was Republican delegates' continued hatred of SB54. Utah lawmakers passed the law more than 10 years ago as a compromise to ward off a looming ballot initiative to do away with the caucus and convention system altogether in favor of signature gathering. But ever since, Utah Republican Party caucus system loyalists have despised the law, even though it's survived multiple court challenges that almost drove the Utah GOP to bankruptcy. It's become one of the largest wedges dividing Utah Republicans, and Republicans' strategy to continue fighting it was at the heart of the contest between Axson and Lyman. But if there was an early indication that most delegates weren't in favor of taking a scorched earth approach to challenge SB54 further, one of the first votes they took Saturday morning was to strip from the agenda a proposed amendment to the party's constitution that would temporarily revoke a Republican candidate's party membership if they gain access to the ballot through signature gathering rather than through the caucus and convention system. State law specifies two types of political parties: registered parties and qualified political parties. Candidates of registered parties must use signature gathering to access the ballot, while candidates of qualified parties (a designation the Utah GOP currently functions under), can either gather signatures or be nominated at convention. Utah law does not have a designation that lets parties only allow ballot access through nomination. If the state GOP's proposed amendment to strip a candidate's party membership for using a legal pathway to the ballot had passed, it would have violated state law and possibly could have led to yet another court challenge. The amendment's sponsor, Arnold Gaunt, motioned to remove it from the agenda, saying 'there's a better path for responding to the problem.' Axson told reporters that he's 'not a fan' of SB54 and the signature gathering path, but he focused his message on 'not lawsuits, not division, not purity tests. It's building something that can't be ignored.' 'If we build an apparatus that every Utahn and every community feels that there's a value in that, well they're going to come along with us,' Axson said. 'They're going to be supportive of what we're trying to do, and the Legislature is going to listen to that.' Axson said his preference would be for the Legislature to repeal SB54. Pressed on whether that's a real possibility, he told reporters 'the votes are there in the House' while they're 'not there yet in the Senate.' 'But it can't be a vitriolic conversation. It's not threats. It has to be a conversation that's transparent and up front and collaborative,' Axson said. 'If we can show the value of what the Republican Party is doing … and trying to grow and build additional capacity, we make it a lot easier on these elected officials to take the hard votes of repealing SB54.' However, Axson acknowledged 'it's going to take some time.' 'How long or how short that is, I don't know,' Axson said. 'But I do know we have in our ability the opportunity to build a strong party, and that will be a benefit in repealing SB54 or solving other complex issues.' The morning of the convention, Axson's predecessor, former Utah GOP Chair Carson Jorgensen, was chatting up delegates wearing an Axson button on his shirt. He said Axson is the right leader for the party, lauding him as a proven organizer and fundraiser who helped bring the party out of bankruptcy after multiple failed legal challenges of SB54. Jorgensen said Axson will take the right approach by focusing on working with lawmakers to strengthen the caucus-convention system rather than more lawsuits. Are delegates in touch with Utah voters? Survey reveals where they 'align and diverge' 'I like Phil personally as a friend, I think he's a nice guy,' Jorgensen said. 'But here's the thing. There are three ways we're going to navigate SB54, and only three. One is the lawsuit route. We've tried it. It doesn't work. Phil is 0 for 5 on lawsuits. The party can't afford another lawsuit.' Jorgensen said the next option is a 'legislative fix,' which requires a 'relationship with the Legislature.' 'Sorry, but Phil has burned every — every — bridge he had with any legislator,' Jorgensen said. The last option, he said, is the party opts to hold its own primary. 'What does that take? Money,' Jorgensen said. 'If the party's going to hold their own primary, they've got to fund it. We figure between $1.5 and $3 million to run it. Rob has shown he can raise that kind of money.' So Axson has 'two of the three that need to happen, and Phil doesn't have any,' Jorgensen concluded. 'That's why I support Rob.' Jorgensen also issued a call to Utah Republicans to set their differences aside and coalesce behind the new chair. 'Everybody needs to get back on the same page. This has been a pretty toxic election,' he said, adding that someone recently called him an 'establishment RHINO hack.' To that, he said, 'you obviously don't know me and you're on the wrong side of things, because you don't find anybody more conservative than I am.' Utah's SB54 still stands despite 10 years of angst. Will lawmakers change it? Another Axson supporter seen mingling with delegates was House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, who was also acting as a delegate Saturday. He told Utah News Dispatch that he'd be voting for Axson for party chair 'because we need somebody to bring all sides together.' 'That's what we do in the Legislature,' Schultz said. 'We have to work to find common ground.' Why not Lyman? Schultz declined to comment, focusing his remarks instead on his support of Axson. Trump's endorsement of Axson, Schultz said, indicates Trump 'has noticed something different about Utah.' 'He has embraced Utah and sees Utah as being able to help push the agenda that he's pushing on a nationwide level,' Schultz said. 'I think that's why you saw President Trump chime in and say, what you're doing in Utah is working, stick with it.' Schultz added that Utah Republicans need to realize 'if we split up our party, we lose.' 'If the party gets split, it's the best thing that can happen for Democrats in the state of Utah,' he said. 'So finding ways to keep the party together keeps Utah Republican, it keeps Utah conservative. That's what President Trump sees and that's why I'm supporting Rob Axson.' Pressed on efforts to repeal SB54, Schultz told Utah News Dispatch he and lawmakers are open to working with the Utah Republican Party to find a path forward that's focused on strengthening the caucus and convention system — but he also warned that completely undoing SB54 could have negative consequences. 'Count My Vote has been very open and saying that they will run a ballot initiative that does away with the caucus convention altogether,' he said. 'I think that would be very harmful to the grassroots of our party.' Schultz added: 'I love the caucus convention system because it does keep money out of politics. So I would like to look for ways to make the caucus and convention system stronger and get their people involved in the caucus and convention system.' 'That is a good pathway forward,' he said, but he didn't offer any specifics of what that could look like in legislative action. 'I truly don't know,' he said, 'but I think we need to understand the consequences of (undoing SB54). We look at the polling, and it's not even close. If it goes to ballot initiative, we lose the caucus and convention system. And I think that would be horrible. I would rather find ways to make the caucus and convention system stronger.' Wearing a maroon MUGA hat in support of Lyman, Tiffany Mendenhall, of Ivins, said she was all in favor of Lyman for chair. Signature audit finds 'some errors' — but Cox still ultimately qualified for primary 'Lyman has our best interest at heart,' she said, adding that she didn't like the outcome of the governor's race last year and the direction the Utah GOP has been heading. 'Phil is very well aware of what's going on with all the crookedness and all of that stuff. He intends to get us back to more traditional voting methods so that there's no fraud.' Though Utah's election was certified and Cox legally qualified as a Republican candidate before he went on to win the election, Mendenhall said she believed the governor's race was 'absolutely stolen,' arguing he 'didn't have the signatures.' While signature gathering audits did find 'some errors' and that based on statistical error rates Cox could have initially fallen short of the 28,000-signature requirement, auditors also reported that had clerks told him he hadn't qualified (which they didn't), he would have had 28 days more days to submit enough signatures. Ultimately, the audits concluded Cox followed the law and qualified for the primary. Mendenhall, however, stood firm on the false claim that Lyman has repeatedly pushed throughout both his gubernatorial and Utah GOP chair campaigns — that Cox was an illegitimate candidate and 'stole' the election. 'You can't tell us that it wasn't. And so how can we feel that we have a fair election when our governor in charge is a cheat?' Mendenhall said. She argued Axson hasn't done enough to challenge what happened during the governor's race. 'He hasn't stood up to take care of this. This shouldn't have happened.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
