Utah news

• House Speaker Greg Hughes calling on all Utah counties to sue over opioid epidemic

  16-11-2017 23:53
  SALT LAKE CITY — After cheering on Salt Lake County leaders for suing opioid manufacturers, House Speaker Greg Hughes is now taking a trip to southern Utah to urge other counties to join the fight.
  Hughes and Brian Besser, DEA district agent in charge in Utah, are attending the Utah Association of Counties annual conference in St. George to discuss the national opioid epidemic, according to a news release issued Thursday.
  Hughes, specifically, will be focused on informing county leaders ab
  
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• Man charged with 14 felonies in University of Utah killing

  16-11-2017 23:15
  SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of shooting and killing a University of Utah student near Red Butte Garden was charged with 14 felonies on Thursday, including aggravated murder.
  Austin "AJ" Boutain, 24, is charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies. In addition, Boutain faces two counts of possession of a firearm by a restricted person and three counts of theft by receiving stole
  
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• Couple in U. student death plotted to kidnap and kill, police say

  16-11-2017 22:40
  
  A man accused of shooting and killing a University of Utah student near Red Butte Garden was charged with 14 felonies on Thursday, including aggravated murder.
  
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• Christmastime is here! Utah-inspired candy windows to be unveiled at Macy’s

  16-11-2017 22:31
  
  This year's Holiday Candy Windows feature ornaments designed by six local artists to reflect what inspires them most about Utah. The windows will be unveiled at the City Creek Center Macy's Thursday evening.
  
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• S.L. to celebrate completion of Jordan River Trail with 5K Saturday

  16-11-2017 22:26
  SALT LAKE CITY — The public is invited to celebrate the opening of the Jordan River Trail Bridge and the completion of the 45-mile Jordan River Trail with a 5K run and dedication Saturday at the Fisher Mansion, 1205 W. 200 South.
  The 5K will start at 9 a.m. at 17th South River Park, 1150 W. 1700 South, and will finish near the mansion. The winner of the race will cut the ribbon to officially open the $6 million bridge, which spans three freight rail tracks and curves past two large electri
  
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• Study: 64% of sex assault victims at BYU didn't report sexual misconduct cases

  16-11-2017 22:01
  
  A new report regarding BYU students who were sexually assaulted shows nearly two-thirds of the victims did not report the incident to the school or an ecclesiastical leader, according to a new report released Thursday.
  
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• Kohl’s donates $300K to Primary Children’s to help address mental health

  16-11-2017 21:50
  SALT LAKE CITY — Kohl's is teaming up with local caregivers to address the mental health needs of young people with a $300,000 donation to the Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children's Hospital.
  "We're incredibly grateful for this commitment from Kohl's," Katy Welkie, Primary Children's CEO, said in a statement Thursday. "Kohl's generous gift to Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children's will allow us to help many more kids and young people each year, including those who are exper
  
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• S.L. honored for 100 years of canyon weather observations

  16-11-2017 21:45
  SALT LAKE CITY — The National Weather Service has presented the city's Department of Public Utilities with its Honored Institution Award for providing more than 100 years of daily weather observations at the Big Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant.
  According to the weather service, the century of documentation has been essential in tracking long-term weather and climate trends. The plant operations team collects the data at the Cottonwood Weir (weather station) as part of the service's Cooper
  
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• Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment donates 1,200 coats to local students

  16-11-2017 21:21
  SALT LAKE CITY — Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment will donate more than 1,200 winter coats to students at 19 local elementary, middle and high schools as part of the NBA Cares Season of Giving.
  Now in its fifth year, Coats for Kids is hosted on behalf of the organization's sports and entertainment units and corporate partners in conjunction with the United Way of Salt Lake. More than 5,000 winter coats have been donated to those in need since the program's inception.
  This year's
  
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• Police seek public's help in locating missing, endangered 17-year-old girl

  16-11-2017 20:52
  
  Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a 17-year-old girl they say was last seen Wednesday afternoon who they consider endangered.
  
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• Rep. Mia Love calls Sen. Al Franken's alleged sexual misconduct 'sickening'

  16-11-2017 20:51
  SALT LAKE CITY — As the only woman in the Utah congressional delegation and a mother of two daughters and a son, Rep. Mia Love says it's important for her to speak out against sexual harassment.
  "It has to stop," she said. "You're going to see me be a little bit more vocal about these things because I think it's something we need to make sure people say is unacceptable."
  Love's comments came Thursday amid Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden's allegation that Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., k
  
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• Actor Tom Sizemore denies touching girl on Utah movie set in 2003

  16-11-2017 19:57
  SALT LAKE CITY — Actor Tom Sizemore says allegations that he sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl on the set of a movie filmed in Utah 14 years ago are "false."
  In a statement released Thursday on Sizemore's Twitter account, the actor says the claims against him are "so disturbing that I feel compelled to go against my legal team's advice and speak out."
  Sizemore says he has "battled substance abuse and related demons for years."
  "However, I don't deserve this. I never, nor would I ever,
  
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• A.M. notes: BYU study on sexual assault, Zimbabwe leader on the way out, American Family Survey results

  16-11-2017 19:45
  Here’s a look at the news for Nov. 16.Special report reveals family trends in the age of TrumpMost Americans say the biggest problems facing families are economic, but President Donald Trump voters disagree, saying cultural issues are more important, according to a new special report from the Deseret News.The third annual American Family Survey, done by the Deseret News and the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at BYU, found that 62 percent of adults believe economic issues a
  
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• Four Utah ski resorts among best in the U.S., new list says

  16-11-2017 19:37
  Four Utah ski resorts ranked among the best ski and snowboard resorts in the United States in a new report from TurnKey, a vacation rental management company.Snowbird ranked at No. 3 on the list, just ahead of fourth-ranked Park City Mountain Resort.Snowbasin in Huntsville ranked at No. 17, while Deer Valley placed at No. 24 on the list.Mammoth Mountain California topped the entire list, followed closely by Big Sky Resort in Montana.Montana, California and Utah had the most top ski resorts, repr
  
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• Following controversy, lawmakers propose law to require warrant before blood draw

  16-11-2017 19:00
  
  Utah lawmakers have a message for police who approach a medical center to obtain blood from a patient: Get a warrant.
  
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• First up on lawmakers' 2018 plate? Passage of revised education code

  16-11-2017 18:49
  SALT LAKE CITY — Ceremonial niceties aside, one of the items of business to be addressed on the first day of 2018 legislative session will be consideration — and likely passage — of four pieces of legislation totaling nearly 1,200 pages that cleans up the state public education code.
  Drafts of the four bills, which range in length from 237 to 375 pages each, won unanimous approval of the Utah Legislature's Education Interim Committee Wednesday despite one lawmaker admitting he
  
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• Man shot during apparent home invasion in Taylorsville

  16-11-2017 18:33
  TAYLORSVILLE — One man was shot during an apparent home invasion in Taylorsville early Thursday, police say.
  Officers were first notified of the incident when a 21-year-old man showed up at the St. Mark's Taylorsville Emergency Center about 3:30 a.m. with a gunshot wound to his leg, said Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke.
  The man's friends drove him to the clinic. An ambulance then took the man to Intermountain Medical Center in fair condition, Lohrke said.
  Investigators learned the man had
  
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• At Utah's Capitol: Supreme Court justice confirmed, tool to aid in prescribing opioids unveiled

  16-11-2017 18:32
  
  State leaders and lawmakers tackled several issues this week, including confirmation of a new Utah Supreme Court justice and unveiling a new tool to help doctors prescribing opioids.
  
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• Provo man charged in Rock Canyon sexual assault

  16-11-2017 18:19
  PROVO — Criminal charges were filed Thursday against a Provo man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint in a restroom at the Rock Canyon trailhead.
  Wayne Ray Leas Jr., 34, is charged in 4th District Court with aggravated robbery and aggravated sexual assault, first-degree felonies.
  On Nov. 7, Leas followed a 21-year-old woman into the restroom at the trailhead in Rock Canyon Park, confronted her with a knife and demanded her cash, according to charging documents. Police descr
  
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• Either charges or possible extension Thursday in case of man accused of killing U. student

  16-11-2017 17:26
  
  Prosecutors face a deadline Thursday to file charges against accused University of Utah shooter, Austin Boutain, or seek another extension.
  
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• BYU doing poor job educating students about sexual assault, survey finds

  16-11-2017 16:43
  PROVO — A majority of students said BYU is doing a poor job of educating students about sexual assault and said that they don't know what to do when they experience unwanted sexual conduct, according to a highly anticipated campus survey released Thursday by school administrators.
  Overall, students reported they are happy with the university and their fellow students, and 97 percent of students said the school is trying hard to make sure all students are safe. But 57 percent disagreed with
  
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• Family concerned about potential relocation of gravesites as cemetery buyer eyes development

  16-11-2017 15:19
  
  It wasn’t what Danielle Espinoza expected to hear when she paid an unexpected visit to her grandfather’s gravesite on a plot of land just off Hill Field Road in Layton.
  
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• Utah County Commission votes to sue drug companies, joining movement

  16-11-2017 14:56
  
  Utah County is joining a growing movement to sue prescription drug companies amid a national opioid-drug epidemic.
  
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• Man shot during home invasion in Taylorsville, police say

  16-11-2017 14:16
  
  One man was shot during an apparent home invasion in Taylorsville early Thursday morning.
  
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• Tips and tricks for stress-free holiday air travel

  16-11-2017 08:14
  If you are one of the 98 million Americans who travel for the holidays, you've probably experienced waiting in a seemingly never-ending line filled with stressed-out adults and loud children to get through airport security.
  Holiday travel is often viewed as a necessary evil for spending time with loved ones at Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, some preparation can go a long way in making the whole experience easier.
  Here is a list of tips for each step of navigating air travel during the holi
  
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• BYU doing poor job educating students about sexual assault, survey says

  16-11-2017 08:04
  PROVO — A majority of students said BYU is doing a poor job of educating students about sexual assault and said that they don't know what to do when they experience unwanted sexual conduct, according to a highly anticipated campus survey released Thursday by school administrators.
  Overall, students reported they are happy with the university and their fellow students, and 97 percent of students said the school is trying hard to make sure all students are safe. But 57 percent disagreed with
  
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• Lawmakers strengthen Utah's prescription drug database

  16-11-2017 06:51
  
  On Wednesday, state lawmakers looked at a beefed-up version of the drug database that hopes to keep opioids out of the hands of abusers.
  
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• KSL Investigates: Drunk drivers ignoring court orders, little enforcement

  16-11-2017 06:43
  
  If you're caught driving drunk, you pay the consequences. Get a citation, pay some fines and maybe even go to jail. But the KSL Investigators discovered there's one more step that thousands of drunk drivers are ignoring.
  
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• Case dropped for Utah sheriff accused of pointing gun at deputy

  16-11-2017 06:12
  
  A judge has tossed a case against a southern Utah sheriff accused of pointing an unloaded rifle at his deputy and pulling the trigger and then firing the officer in retaliation for reporting the incident.
  
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• Davis High band gets marching orders before heading to Big Apple

  16-11-2017 05:10
  
  Camille Jepsen and other members of the Davis High School marching band have their final rehearsal at the Kaysville school Wednesday for their performance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
  
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• Utah lawmakers call for audit of downtown shelter, other service providers for homeless

  16-11-2017 04:52
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker said he's received reports of "major problems" and "appalling" conditions at the Road Home, leading a panel of legislators to call for an audit of the downtown shelter and other service providers for the homeless.
  After legislative auditors presented findings Wednesday of a recent audit of state spending on initiatives to combat homelessness, Sen. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi, said he's heard concerns about the shelter.
  The Road Home manages the nearly 1,100-bed d
  
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• 'Very deadly’: Sandy woman loses daughter to compressed air addiction

  16-11-2017 04:02
  
  A sandy woman lost her daughter to an addiction to a common household product. Inhalant abuse is something 22.9 million Americans have experimented with at some point.
  
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• State Senate confirms newest Utah Supreme Court justice, Paige Petersen

  16-11-2017 03:24
  SALT LAKE CITY — Third District Court Judge Paige Petersen became the newest member of the Utah Supreme Court Wednesday with her unanimous confirmation by the state Senate.
  "It's a bit of a scary process," a smiling Petersen told the Senate in a speech following the vote, as a large group of family members, including her 96-year-old grandmother and seven nieces and nephews, looked on.
  "I am just so humbled today," she said, to join the high court. "That's not even the end of it. I am going
  
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• Former Lt. Gov. Greg Bell named next chairman of UTA board

  16-11-2017 03:15
  SALT LAKE CITY — Former Lt. Gov. Greg Bell was named the new chairman of the Utah Transit Authority board of trustees Wednesday, a position he'll assume next month.
  Bell, who stepped down as Gov. Gary Herbert's lieutenant governor in 2013, is the president and CEO of the Utah Hospital Association. He will take over the post from the board's current chairman, Robert McKinley.
  Trustees on Wednesday approved Bell's nomination, made by the board's executive committee earlier this month. He joi
  
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• State unveils patient information tool to assist doctors prescribing opioids

  16-11-2017 03:07
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing on Wednesday showcased a new online patient dashboard that health providers can use to monitor opioid use before making prescription decisions.
  The feature, set to go live Thursday, tracks a metric called "morphine milligram equivalents" that represents a patient's current level of opioid use; the number of prescribers the patient has visited for opioids within the last six months; and the number of pharmacies th
  
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• Crews working to extract an unlikely flood contributor: Leaves

  16-11-2017 03:00
  
  It's lovely to see leaves falling down this time of year. But all of those leaves falling in the streets could cause problems.
  
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• Man faces 5 felonies in 3 cases filed over 2 weeks

  16-11-2017 02:28
  
  A man who has accumulated five felony charges from three separate cases filed within a two-week period was scheduled to make an appearance in court Wednesday.
  
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• Photos: Davis High band gets marching orders before heading to Big Apple

  16-11-2017 02:13
  Camille Jepsen and other members of the Davis High School marching band have their final rehearsal at the Kaysville school Wednesday for their performance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Following the rehearsal, members of the band loaded their equipment on a semitrailer bound for the Big Apple. On Monday, the 309 band members and another 400 staff and family members will fly to New York City. On Thanksgiving Day, the band will rehearse in Herald Square at 4:30 a.m. before marching in the
  
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• 3 Utah businesses team up for annual coat drive

  16-11-2017 02:11
  OGDEN — Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle and Red Hanger are teaming up for the sixth annual Warm Bodies, Warm Souls coat drive Monday, Nov. 20, through Friday, Dec. 15.
  The public is encouraged to collect new or gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves, socks and blankets, and drop them off at any of Bank of Utah's 15 locations, Arctic Circle's 35 restaurants or Red Hanger's 21 locations in Utah.
  To encourage participation, Arctic Circle is offering a coupon for a free double cheeseburger to th
  
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• Ex-Gov. Mike Leavitt tells Utah House GOP to stop fighting Count My Vote initiative

  16-11-2017 02:08
  SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt delivered a clear message Wednesday to Utah House Republicans about the state's controversial process for nominating candidates for elected office — stop fighting about it.
  "I told them SB54 has been a divisive issue. That it's time to unite, it's time to let the people speak. It's the only way we'll have a chance to, in fact, unite and move forward," he told reporters after speaking to the GOP caucus behind closed doors.
  The thrice-elec
  
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• BLM headquarters may move to Utah, representatives say

  16-11-2017 02:00
  
  Headquarters for the Bureau of Land Management may move from the nation’s capital to Utah or Colorado, according to Rob Bishop, Utah congressman and head of the House’s Natural Resources Committee.
  
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• Second man charged in Salt Lake shooting

  16-11-2017 01:48
  
  A second man has been charged in connection with an incident earlier this month in which police say two men fired more than two dozen times at a vehicle, striking the passenger.
  
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• Utah lawmaker calls lingering questions about $12M grant to U. 'darned frustrating'

  16-11-2017 01:39
  SALT LAKE CITY — A state legislative leader expressed frustration Wednesday over lingering questions about a $12 million gift to the University of Utah by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a billionaire physician.
  Shortly after the university received first payments of the gift in 2014 to be used to further understanding of the genetic basis of 25 different conditions, Soon-Shiong asked that his company, NantHealth, be the sole provider of the gene sequencing for the Heritage 1K project.
  A legislat
  
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• Op-ed: Salt Lake City can band together to solve another kind of traffic problem

  16-11-2017 01:30
  As the Crossroads of the West, Utah is host to many diverse industries, and unfortunately, one of them is human trafficking. Most people do not realize that millions of men, women and children are currently enslaved in human trafficking around the world—even here in Utah. Where we excel as a state in economic health, mobility and employment, we struggle to address this industry of slavery in our midst and the desperate need to provide long-term care to survivors who exit trafficking.Estima
  
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• Disney On Ice pros skate with Utah foster kids

  16-11-2017 01:27
  BOUNTIFUL — Adalyn Valdez stood at the edge of the ice rink with tears in her eyes, too scared to step forward.
  Disney On Ice professional skater Gene Holmes noticed her and, smiling, crouched beside her and took her hands.
  For the next half hour, he gently taught the 4-year-old how to stand on her skates, keep her balance and glide forward. When Adalyn left the rink with the last of the skaters, she was all smiles.
  She was one of several kids with the Utah Foster Care Foundation who recei
  
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• Utah County votes to sue drug companies, joining movement

  16-11-2017 01:26
  PROVO — Utah County is joining a growing movement to sue prescription drug companies amid a national opioid-drug epidemic.
  The Utah County Commission decided Tuesday take legal action before Dec. 31, Daily Herald reports. The resolution says drug companies marketed opioid drugs in the 1990s and early 2000s despite the risks of addiction.
  Salt Lake County announced plans to file a similar lawsuit in a news conference with House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper. Hughes wrote a letter supporting
  
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• Proposed Utah law would require police to get warrant before blood draw

  16-11-2017 01:21
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers have a message for police who approach a medical center to obtain blood from a patient: Get a warrant.
  More than a message, the mandate would be clarified in a law Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City, unveiled Wednesday. It comes in the wake of the highly controversial arrest of nurse Alex Wubbels at University Hospital in July.
  "What happened at the University of Utah that day was unacceptable. A lot of things went wrong. A lot of things could have been don
  
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• BLM to conduct prescribed burn near Scipio Thursday

  16-11-2017 00:56
  SCIPIO, Millard County — The Bureau of Land Management will conduct a prescribed burn on public lands in Millard County Thursday. The burn is expected to last one day, with an additional day of monitoring and clean up.
  The burn will be held on 336 acres 8 miles south of Scipio.
  Smoke may be visible from adjacent highways or in local communities. While roads will remain open, smoke may reduce visibility along roads and trails near the burn area. Fire crews will monitor the prescribed burn a
  
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• Wanted polygamist free after 15 years on the lam in Mexico

  16-11-2017 00:44
  
  A polygamist who fled to Mexico about 15 years ago with this wives and kids while facing child molestation charges in Arizona is now free after the charges were dropped months ago.
  
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• Utah lawmakers reject anti-harassment training for lobbyists

  16-11-2017 00:30
  SALT LAKE CITY — A panel of Utah lawmakers rejected a proposal Wednesday that would have required lobbyists to undergo annual anti-harassment training in order to be licensed to lobby at the state Capitol.
  The proposal, which could still be considered and passed during the upcoming Legislative session, came as waves of sexual harassment allegations have surfaced in governments and businesses around the country.
  Utah already requires lawmakers and staff to undergo training about harassment
  
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