May 05, 2024(The Independent) - Some battles are worth the fight. For eighteen of my twenty-four years in Washington County, I have been involved in public land issues; specifically the contentious Northern Corridor highway proposed through our Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, most of which is now Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. The highway is in the news again along with renewed interest in transferring public lands to the state. I’ve written about the Northern Corridor recently, but an update is … Continued
May 03, 2024(Axios) - As Utahns anticipate the upcoming gubernatorial election, cost of living and political dysfunction are the top issues on voters’ minds, per a new survey released by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan policy research organization. The big picture: Voters ranked 17 of the most pressing concerns they consider when assessing their choices for governor. Housing affordability and politicians not listening to voters nearly tied for the top two, followed by affording non-housing needs, government overreach and partisan politics. Zoom in: The issues … Continued
May 02, 2024(KPCW) - A new report by the Utah Foundation paints a bleak picture about how Utah residents feel about their home state. Data in the report found the cost of living and government dysfunction were the most important issues for Utah voters in 2024. Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, an economist for Zions Bank, said there is growing political and economic disenfranchisement among Utahns. “People just don’t feel like they have the opportunities that they’ve had in the past,” … Continued
May 02, 2024(KSL) - The study conducted by the Utah Foundation reveals that housing affordability and politicians ignoring voters are the top two concerns among Utahns. Follow the below link to watch the KSL TV news story.
May 02, 2024(Utah News Dispatch) - Legislators in the House Chamber are pictured on the first day of the legislative session at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) In the Utah Foundation’s recent release about what matters most to Utahns, the issues of “politicians (not) listening to voters” and “government overreach” ranked in second and fourth place. This should come as no surprise. Currently, the Utah legislature is painfully out … Continued
May 02, 2024(Kiowa County Press) - TRANSCRIPT Welcome to 2024 Talks, where we’re following our democracy in historic times. Protesting against the idea that their tuition dollars, that our US taxpayer dollars, are being used to fund the ongoing genocide that has now killed over 35,000 Palestinians, half of which are children. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hamoud says the Biden administration has failed to take enough action to slow genocide in Gaza, and that’ll sway voters. Hundreds more pro-Palestinian university students were … Continued
May 02, 2024(KUER) - In this brief interview, Utah Foundation President Shawn Teigen discusses the Utah Priorities Project and current issues facing Utah voters.
May 01, 2024(Public News Service) - More than three in five Utahns believe the state is on the wrong track and their quality of life is worse today than it was five years ago. A new report by the Utah Foundation paints a bleak picture about how Utah residents feel about their home state. Data in the report found the cost of living and government dysfunction were the most important issues for Utah voters in 2024. Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, an economist for … Continued
May 01, 2024(Utah Public Radio) - There’s a new report out from the Utah Foundation finding that Utahns’ top concerns are the cost of living and political dysfunction. Secondary issues included environmental concerns and the education system. More than 60% of Utahns believe that Utah is on the wrong track and that their quality of life is worse now than five years ago. And for the first time housing affordability is the No. 1 concern. The 2024 Utah Priorities Project report, … Continued
May 01, 2024(Utah Policy) - For the first time, most Utah voters believe the state is on the wrong track and that their quality of life is worse now than five years ago. More than 60% of Utahns believe that Utah is on the wrong track and that their quality of life is worse now than five years ago. These and other findings will be released Tuesday in the Utah Foundation’s 2024 Utah Priorities Project report titled: “Priced Out and … Continued
April 30, 2024(ETV News) - Get Healthy Utah, in conjunction with The Utah Foundation, held their most recent event on April 29 at the Southeastern Regional Development Agency (SERDA) building, with Price being their sixth stop thus far. In recent months, the Utah Foundation created the Healthy Communities Roadshow to bring awareness to policy guides to help promote active living and healthy eating across the State of Utah. Alysia Ducuara, Executive Director at Get Healthy Utah, stated “The purpose of … Continued
April 30, 2024(KSL) - SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns are fed up and priced out. That’s the sentiment in a new study of the top issues impacting Utah voters. The study, done by the longtime policy research group Utah Foundation, showed that “housing affordability” and “politicians ignoring voters” are the top two survey responses for the 656 Utahns surveyed. The survey also found that a majority of Utahns – or 3 in 5 – say their quality of life is getting worse … Continued
April 30, 2024(KSL) - SALT LAKE CITY — Housing affordability is the number-one issue on the minds of Utah voters, according to a new report. According to this year’s Utah Priorities Project report from the Utah Foundation, more than 60% of Utahns surveyed said their quality of life is worse now compared to the early days of the pandemic, or even during the Great Recession. The Utah Priorities Project, which has been running since 2004, surveys voters about their top concerns. … Continued
April 30, 2024(KSL) - SALT LAKE CITY — More than 60% of Utahns believe the state is on the wrong track and quality of life is worse now than it was five years ago, according to a new survey from the Utah Foundation. The survey is part of the foundation’s Utah Policy Project, which has occurred each gubernatorial election year since 2004. The report released Tuesday shows the results of having voters prioritize and rank 17 issues when considering … Continued
April 30, 2024(Salt Lake Tribune) - Some Utah voters think their state is on the wrong track. That’s according to a new report from the Utah Foundation. Researchers surveyed 656 voter registered Utah voters. Only 42% of respondents thought the state was “headed in the right direction.” That’s a sharp decrease from the past 20 years of survey results. What’s to blame? “I think a lot of it goes back to that top issue of housing affordability, and those big issues of … Continued
April 29, 2024(Salt Lake Tribune) - In a primer on Utah’s housing market, two housing experts described home ownership as a “fading dream for many renter households.” Just 15% of Utah’s renter households can afford a home that costs between $300,000 and $400,000. That’s nearly $94,000 less than the median sales prices for homes statewide a year ago. Median sales prices for single-family homes, town homes, twin homes (similar to but not the same as duplexes) and condos in spring 2023 ranged … Continued
April 09, 2024(Utah Policy) - Weber State University is seeing significant gains in enrollment, retention and completion. New data, measured during the third week of spring semester, shows how university-wide efforts to ensure student success are working. Enrollment: Students want to study at WSU “The numbers show more and more people want to study at Weber,” said Jessica Oyler, vice president of Student Access & Success. This spring, matriculated degree-seeking students at Weber State increased by 2.9% from last year, while … Continued
April 04, 2024(Utah Public Radio) - Access Utah discusses homeownership with our analyst John Salevurakis. https://www.upr.org/show/access-utah/2024-04-04/discussing-home-ownership-with-research-analyst-john-salevurakis-on-thursdays-access-utah
March 28, 2024(Salt Lake Tribune) - Salt Lake City may one day see major league home runs, but the city’s school district feels the state is pitching it a financial curveball. The plan to redevelop and invest in a swath of the Fairpark neighborhood that could include a potential Major League Baseball stadium flows from HB562, a measure state lawmakers passed this year that also aims to issue up to $900 million in bonds toward such a stadium in an attempt to lure a team … Continued
March 22, 2024(KUTV) - KUTV discusses our Priorities Project in their recent podcast. https://kutv.com/news/take-2/take-2-podcast-gov-cox-finishes-signing-vetoes-bills-congress-spending-package
March 20, 2024(Deseret News) - The cost of living in Utah — thanks to expensive housing and inflation — is among the top concerns for the state’s voters this year, according to a new poll released by the Utah Foundation. Another top concern? That lawmakers are turning a deaf ear. Housing affordability was the No. 1 issue Utahns want state policymakers to address, according to the think tank’s policy priority survey which they conduct every gubernatorial election cycle. But politicians … Continued
March 20, 2024(Public News Service) - For generations, homeownership has been synonymous with the American Dream, but a new Utah report shows housing affordability is at historic lows, with millennials seeing the largest decrease in housing affordability during what the report calls “peak household formation years.” Steve Waldrip, senior adviser for housing strategy and innovation for the State of Utah, said while Utah has some of the highest levels of homeownership in the country, wages haven’t increased at the same rate home prices … Continued
March 19, 2024(Utah Policy) - The Utah Foundation is pleased to announce our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Utah Priorities Project with a discussion about what matters most. March 20th 11:45am until 1:30pm The Grand America Hotel The Annual Luncheon will include a conversation with Governor Spencer J. Cox about the state’s policy priorities. We will also hear from three speakers discussing some of the most important policy topics of the year: Carly Maloney is a Viewmont High School teacher and Utah’s 2024 Teacher … Continued
March 19, 2024(Public News Service) - For generations, homeownership has been synonymous with the American Dream, but a new Utah report shows housing affordability is at historic lows, with millennials seeing the largest decrease in housing affordability during what the report calls “peak household formation years.” Steve Waldrip, senior adviser for housing strategy and innovation for the State of Utah, said while Utah has some of the highest levels of homeownership in the country, wages haven’t increased at the same rate home prices … Continued
