This is your daily news rundown for Thursday, Jan. 15. In this edition:
- A plan to rezone 80 acres near Great Salt Lake failed to get an important recommendation
- This Utah lawmaker wants to limit where ICE operations can happen in Utah
SLC planning commission won’t recommend a rezoning plan for 80 acres near Great Salt Lake
The Salt Lake City Planning Commission gave an unfavorable recommendation on Wednesday for a plan that would rezone 80 acres of land near Great Salt Lake.
The Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation wanted to turn the current agricultural and wetlands area into light industrial space, arguing it would provide community benefits.
City planners have approved the zoning change with conditions, including space for small businesses and charitable organizations.
Conservationists and some residents, however, opposed the plan, saying it would harm wetlands and wildlife habitats, as well as bring increased traffic to the area.
The planning commission voted unanimously to recommend against moving forward with the plan, but the final decision will come from the Salt Lake City Council.
This Utah lawmaker wants to limit ICE operations in Utah
With increased immigration enforcement across the country — as well as increased protests against that enforcement — one Utah lawmaker is proposing a bill to place limits on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in Utah.
Senate Bill 136, sponsored by Democratic State Sen. Nate Blouin, would prohibit federal law enforcement from entering non-public government-operated sensitive spaces, such as health care centers, or from using facial coverings.
It would also prohibit state and local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE operations around sensitive areas like churches, hospitals, libraries, and courthouses.
The bill comes after nationwide protests over an ICE officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis last week. It’s unlikely to pass in the Republican-led legislative session, which begins on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
