Utah lawmakers request audit of AG’s office in connection to Tim Ballard
Over two dozen Utah state lawmakers requested an audit of the Utah Attorney General’s office to look into his relationship with Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard.
Ballard currently faces two lawsuits from a total of seven plaintiffs accusing him of manipulation and sexual assault under the guise of preventing human trafficking.
Earlier this month, an amended lawsuit accused Attorney General Sean Reyes of working with Operation Underground Railroad to forestall fraud accusations against Ballard and intimidating those who made complaints.
The request was issued on Monday and approved by the Legislative Audit Subcommittee on Tuesday. The audit will also evaluate travel policies, office culture, efficiency and administrative decision-making.
The Utah Attorney Generals’ Office issued this statement following the audit’s approval:
“We welcome working with legislative auditors to get them the information they seek. We are confident they will see what we already know: the Office of the Utah Attorney General’s Office does great work. We are proud of our personnel, leadership, and the cases we file to protect the people of Utah.”
Mike Schultz chosen as new Utah House Speaker
Rep. Mike Schultz (R-Hooper) has been chosen as the new Utah House Speaker following the resignation of Speaker Brad Wilson.
Speaker-elect Schultz said he intends to focus on policies concerning growth such as water, infrastructure and energy. He also said he wants to keep a good relationship with House Democrats.
House Republicans also chose Rep. Jefferson Moss (R-Saratoga Springs) as Majority Leader, Rep. Karianne Lisonbee (R-Clearfield) as Majority Whip and Rep. Casey Snyder (R-Paradise) as Assistant Majority Whip in their meeting.
The caucus will vote on confirming Schultz as Speaker in a vote Wednesday evening.
U of U Health employees unionize over concerns with wages, staffing
University of Utah Health employees announced they have unionized following concerns with wages, benefits and staffing.
Utah Health Workers United is an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America and includes nurses, medical residents and assistants, pharmacists, EMTs and others in the University of Utah Health system.
The union said in a statement that workers want fair and transparent wages and improved staffing. They claim high cost of living has diminished employee recruitment efforts and that the university has kept as few workers as possible per shift to decrease labor costs, which impacts things on the patients’ side too.
University officials said late Tuesday that University of Utah Health is “prohibited from recognizing organizations for the purpose of collective bargaining,” but are committed to transparency and collaboration.
