This is your daily news rundown for Tuesday, June 16. In this edition:
- An expanded Washington County program pays residents for being water-wise
- Utah County's new deputy elections clerk is facing backlash for sexist comments about voting
- A Utah Senate committee advanced nominees for the expanded Utah Supreme Court
Washington County residents can get paid for planting water-wise trees
Washington County residents can get paid for planting trees with a new “Treebate” program.
The county’s Water Conservancy District already has a water-efficient landscaping program. It pays property owners up to $3 for each square foot of grass they replace with water-efficient landscaping.
Now, property owners will get an extra $100 for each tree planted during that replacement process.
The conservancy district said trees are one of the smartest water-wise investments because they provide shade while requiring far less water than a lawn.
You can find a list of approved tree species and other info about the program on the Washington County Water Conservancy District’s website.
Utah County’s new deputy elections clerk doesn’t believe in universal voting rights
Over 80 women leaders throughout the state decried the appointment of Utah County’s new deputy elections clerk for sexist comments.
Kai Schwemmer is a 23-year-old student at Brigham Young University and political director for College Republicans of America.
He has said online that he doesn’t believe in universal voting rights, including that there should be family voting instead of having married women vote independently.
Schwemmer has also been criticized for associating with white nationalist Nick Fuentes and for making racist and antisemitic remarks as a teenager. He has said those views don't reflect his current ones.
In an open letter, women with leadership roles in politics, business, and their communities said that elected officials should be held to a standard of fairness and equality that Schwemmer’s public remarks don’t meet.
The letter also said those statements said public confidence in Utah County’s leadership and administration would be compromised until these concerns were addressed.
Nominees for Utah's expanded Supreme Court are closer to confirmation
A Utah Senate committee approved Gov. Spencer Cox’s first two picks for the newly-expanded Utah Supreme Court on Monday.
Lawmakers significantly questioned appointee Jay Jorgensen, who is an attorney for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Concerns included whether he would recuse himself from cases with the church, bias against LGBTQ people, and whether he qualified for residency.
Jorgensen and Cox’s other pick, attorney Stephen Dent, are expected to be confirmed by the full Utah State Senate on Wednesday.
