This is your daily news rundown for Monday, April 13. In this edition:
- Three of Utah's richest families donated a total of $30 million to support Great Salt Lake
- Sen. Kathleen Riebe is dropping out of the crowded District 1 race
These prominent Utah families donated $30 million to Great Salt Lake
Representatives from three of Utah’s richest families are each donating $10 million to support Great Salt Lake.
The Miller, Maggelet, and Marriott families pledged a total of $30 million to Great Salt Lake Rising, which raises private funding for the lake and was created by Josh Romney, businessman and son of former Utah Senator Mitt Romney.
With more than 80% of the lake’s declines tied to human use, that money can go to projects like purchasing water rights or getting agriculture producers to switch to water-smart technologies.
Currently, Great Salt Lake sits at 4,191.33 feet, putting it over 6 feet below the minimum healthy level with over half of its lakebed exposed.
Kathleen Riebe is dropping out of a still-crowded District 1 race
Sen. Kathleen Riebe has dropped out of the crowded race for Utah’s new Democrat-leaning 1st Congressional district, choosing instead to endorse frontrunner Ben McAdams.
Riebe said she made the decision because she didn’t have the finances to fundraise constantly, saying “big money rules the day.”
In endorsing Ben McAdams, the last Democrat to hold a Congressional seat in Utah before he was unseated in 2020, Riebe is supporting the candidate with the biggest fundraising lead.
She said McAdams was the obvious choice because no one else had the bandwidth, but that he wasn’t her ideal choice, noting she would like him to be more assertive on reproductive rights.
Even with Riebe’s departure, there’s still a crowded selection of Democratic candidates going on the primary ballot, including Sen. Nate Blouin and Salt Lake City Councilmember Eva Lopez Chavez.
