October 25, 2016(KUER) - Weinholtz and Herbert have battled it out over a number of issues during the election cycle including public lands, healthcare and the economy. But Utahns have always ranked K-12 education as one of their top three concerns, according to annual reports form the non-profit research group Utah Foundation. Several polls put Weinholtz behind Herbert by double digits. The Democrat hopes his education proposals can help close the gap between him and a very popular incumbent.
October 23, 2016(The Post-Crescent) - Historically, millennials have not shown up to vote. But that does not mean the generation hasn’t influenced political institutions. The millennial population overtook baby boomers as the largest generation in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In Utah, the millennial generation has been larger since at least 2000, according to the Utah Foundation, a public policy research firm. Salt Lake City is home to the second-highest percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds in the country … Continued
October 23, 2016(The Cap Times (Madison, Wisconsin)) - Historically, millennials have not shown up to vote. But that does not mean the generation hasn’t influenced political institutions. The millennial population overtook baby boomers as the largest generation in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In Utah, the millennial generation has been larger since at least 2000, according to the Utah Foundation, a public policy research firm. Salt Lake City is home to the second-highest percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds in the country … Continued
October 14, 2016(Spectrum) - Air pollution along the Wasatch Front and growing concern over how Utah’s population increases might impact iconic natural spaces like Zion National Park have made air quality a top priority for Utah voters, according to a new election-year survey. Air quality ranked as the second-highest priority among voters surveyed this year by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan think-tank based in Salt Lake City. The issue finished just behind healthcare as voters’ top issue. “Studies show … Continued
October 19, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - According to the Utah Foundation: “elementary and secondary education is the largest of all the major state and local government spending categories.” However, the Utah Foundation has provided additional statistics to more adequately show the discrepancy in education funding: “Utah’s tax burden is at its lowest level in 20 years, about $10 lower per $1,000 of personal income than in 1995, when education funding was at its peak. However, over this same period, public education … Continued
October 12, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - The top issues in the Utah Priorities Project share a very strong concern among Utah voters. If Utah Foundation’s statewide voter survey had been limited to just those residing on the Wasatch Front, air quality would be the top issue. It’s #2 on the top ten list when you include the rest of the state. 68% of the voters surveyed ranked air quality 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale as an issue of high concern. The … Continued
October 12, 2016(KUER) - A new study names air quality as the second-highest priority for Utah voters. More than two-thirds of voters who were polled by the non-partisan Utah Foundation say they are pretty concerned about the issue. The last time the Utah Foundation developed its Utah Priorities list was four years ago, and the environment ranked 7th. But this year the importance of clean air shot up — maybe because the polling was being done after an especially … Continued
October 12, 2016(KUTV) - A new poll suggests that Utah voters are highly concerned about air quality, so much so that many are willing to change the way the commute. The study found that 41 percent of Utahns are willing to change the way they get to work or school to help clean up the air. Twenty-seven percent said they would not. In the research, the non-profit, non-partisan Utah Foundation found that voters living along the Wasatch Front consider … Continued
October 05, 2016(St. George News) - Candidates included Democrat Dorothy Engelman, who is running against Republican incumbent Sen. Don Ipson for Senate District 29, and Democrat Chuck Goode, running against Republican incumbent Rep. Brad Last for House District 71. Other Republican incumbents in attendance included Reps. Lowry Snow of House District 74 and Jon Stanard of House District 62. Rep. Walt Brooks, who is running for House District 75, was also at the forum. Brooks was chosen to fill the position … Continued
October 05, 2016(The Spectrum) - Tuesday’s event was likely the only debate-style forum voters will see this year for local legislative seats, with no others scheduled before the Nov. 8 election. Engelman and Goode have argued they want more time in front of voters with a chance to debate, but local groups that have scheduled events in the past have said they’ve struggled to find dates that will work, especially with the Republican candidates who are already busy with their … Continued
September 28, 2016(Spectrum) - Democrats Charlene Albarran and Dorothy Engelman didn’t have their Republican opponents to debate on Monday, but they did have the ear of an audience that came anyway for a candidate forum hosted by the St. George branch of the American Association of University Women. Albarran, a business owner and philanthropist who is challenging U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart for his seat in Congress, laid out a set of policies she said were based on fairness and … Continued
October 02, 2016(St. George News) - A legislative forum, focusing on issues important to Utah voters, is scheduled Tuesday on the Dixie State University campus. The event is free and open to the public. The forum will feature candidates vying for seats that represent Washington County in the Utah State Legislature. The Dixie State University Institute of Politics and Public Affairs is partnering with the Utah Foundation to host the forum which starts at 7:30 p.m. and is slated to last … Continued
September 28, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - Some 40% of voters in the 2016 Utah Priorities Project survey named teacher quality as their top priority with regard to K-12 education. This beat out “college and career readiness,” “class size,” and “test scores.” A research brief published today by Utah Foundation also shows more than two-thirds of voters (68%) ranked education at 4 or 5 on a five-point scale in their level of concern. This put it at #3 on the Utah Priorities … Continued
September 28, 2016(Deseret News) - Another recent survey published by Utah Foundation, a public policy research group, found that 40 percent of Utah voters named teacher quality as their top education priority, beating out college and career readiness, class size and test scores. Forty-one percent of the respondents also said they would pay higher taxes to support public education; 32 percent said they would not. The more conservative the voter, the less willing they are to increase taxes for education, … Continued
September 28, 2016(The Spectrum) - The Dixie State event, scheduled for 7:30-8:30 p.m. at DSU’s Holland Centennial Commons building, is slated to be co-hosted by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan think-tank based in Salt Lake City that published a series of reports on political issues facing the state. Henrie Walton, director of the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs, said the forum would be formatted similarly to a debate, with candidates given set time limits to give answers and offer … Continued
September 27, 2016(Spectrum) - But transportation officials in local governments have struggled to keep up with the growing demands within their own jurisdictions, with ongoing maintenance and demand for new infrastructure outpacing funding in 82 percent of cities and 95 percent of counties across the state, according to the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan think-tank based in Salt Lake City. Most state funding for Utah roads are pooled together from user fees like gas taxes, registration fees and permits, then … Continued
September 26, 2016(Salt Lake Tribune) - Consider the report that came out last year from the Utah Foundation. It seems that Utahns can show a little envy back to Colorado when it comes to education, particularly early childhood education.Consider the report that came out last year from the Utah Foundation. It seems that Utahns can show a little envy back to Colorado when it comes to education, particularly early childhood education. Utah Foundation found that while both Utah and Colorado are … Continued
September 25, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - Steve Kroes, president, Utah Foundation. I think this debate will be more influential than they’ve been in past elections. With high unfavorable ratings for both candidates, both have the unique challenge of making themselves more likable to a huge audience (it’s expected to break records). And yet, they both want to tell America why the other one is a threat to America; so, how do you find the right balance of engaging in criticism and … Continued
September 15, 2016(KTVX) - Taxes and government spending are weighing heavy on the minds of Utah voters. Both have a direct impact on most of us every day. That’s why voters will be considering these issues as they make their decisions on Election Day. “When asked if they would support lowering both taxes and spending 47% of Utah voters did agree with that statement,” said Utah Foundation Research Analyst, Christopher Collard. Taxes and government spending come in at number … Continued
September 14, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - More than twice as many voters (47% to 20%) agree with the statement, “Utah should reduce taxes and reduce spending.” That question was part of the statewide Utah Priorities Project, conducted in this gubernatorial election year by the non-partisan Utah Foundation. State taxes and government spending came in 4th on the top ten list of voter concerns. Taxes and spending have consistently been among the major concerns of Utah votes since the Utah Priorities Project was … Continued
September 15, 2016(Deseret News) - In the face of all the objections, Facebook fled to the Land of Enchantment. But don’t cry. Instead, consider these two lessons: The first is that people in Utah want taxes kept as low as possible. A recently released survey by the Utah Foundation showed the tax burden has been dropping here, but that doesn’t matter. People still want to pay less. The foundation reported that, of those who responded to its Utah Priorities Project … Continued
September 11, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - This week’s question: Who’s most responsible for the rise of Trump – the indifferent political elites, or the uninformed masses? Steve Kroes, president, Utah Foundation. I think a number of forces are combining to create interest in a strongman character like Trump. If it wasn’t him, someone else would rise to fill the role. In his new book, liberal columnist E.J. Dionne blames Republicans for 50 years of unachievable promises, starting with Goldwater. He claims … Continued
September 11, 2016(Deseret News) - Here’s another part of the story: According to the Utah Office of Fiscal Analyst, nearly one-third of Utah’s households pay zero state income tax because their incomes fall below the threshold or because they receive enough deductions and exemptions to put them below the threshold. That is important because in Utah, all income tax monies are devoted to public education. Every exemption and deduction represents education funding that might have been. Additionally, nearly half of … Continued
September 05, 2016(KRCL RadioActive) - On the RadioActive Report: -Chris Collard from the Utah Foundation on a new study on jobs and the economy in Utah The minimum wage, featuring: -Dr. Richard Haskell, assistant professor of finance at Westminster College -Natalie Gochnour, chief economist at the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, associate dean at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business and director at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. -Interviews with Deb Henry and Surya Bastakoti
September 02, 2016(Utah Public Radio) - Despite Utah’s emergence from the recent recession as one of the strongest economies in the nation, many people remain worried over wages and the state’s cost of living. A Utah Foundation survey found that Utahns were divided over whether to support a raise in the minimum wage to over $10 an hour. 41 percent of residents surveyed were in favor of the wage while another 41 percent were opposed. Utah ranks 31st in the nation … Continued
