A Utah judge has ruled that Utah's controversial school chioce program violates two sections of the state constitution. This case revolved around the "Utah Fits All Scholarship", which uses public funding to help Utah families pay for private schools and homeschooling programs. Our expert panel discusses the ruling, and what this means for the voucher program moving forward.

Organizers of a referendum effort in Utah are inching closer to qualifying for the ballot. As of Friday, county clerks have certified the minimum number of required signatures in 11 of Utah's 29 senate districts. State law requires referendum backers to collect signatures equaling 8% of registered voters in 15 of the 29 districts.

Plus, Utah's political parties will all hold leadership elections in the coming days and weeks. For the Democrats, former Utah Rep. Brian King wants to become chair. Meanwhile, current Republican Chair Rob Axson is facing a challenge from Phil Lyman, a well-known name in GOP circles. We discuss what changes in party leadership could mean for politics overall in the Beehive State.

Host Jason Perry is joined by Jay Evensen, opinion editor at the Deseret News — Rep. Jennifer Daily-Provost, a Democrat from Salt Lake City and House Minority Whip — and Sen. Mike McKell, a Republican from Spanish Fork and Senate Majority Assistant Whip.

Funding for The Hinckley Report is made possible in part by Merit Medical and by the financial contributions of PBS Utah members. If you would like to support the work we do, please visit https://pbsutah.org/supporthinckley

Organizers of a ballot referendum to overturn HB267 submitted their final batches of signatures this week. State law requires about 140,000 signatures, but supporters more than doubled that total with more than 330,000. Now county clerks across the state will work to verify the signatures and determine if they meet the minimum thresholds in 15 of Utah's 29 senate districts. Groups who are opposed to the proposal also have 45 days to convince signers to remove their signatures from the referendum petition. This all revolves around a bill passed by the legislature earlier this year that bans public employee unions from collective bargaining.

New polling is out about how Utahns feel about the state legislature and Gov. Spencer Cox. Are their views shifting at all? Our expert panel examines the results and explores how recent headlines may be impacting public opinion.

Plus, this week Utah was named the state with the best economic outlook for the 18th year in a row according to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Legislative leaders adn Gov. Cox welcomed the news, but acknowledged the reality that Pres. Donald Trump's tariff agenda could lead to an economic slowdown. We discuss how the state is preparing for that scenario, and how public perception of the economy is faring.

Plus, Utah had some big-name political visitors this week. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) brought their "Fight Oligarchy Tour" to Salt Lake City on Sunday. An estimated 20,000 people came out to hear the pair speak. We examine what the big crows potentially says about politics in the Beehive State, and why two well-known progressives went out of their way to visit a deep red state like Utah.

Host Jason Perry is joined by Holly Richardson, editor of Utah Policy — Daniel Woodruff, reporter with KSL 5 News — and Ben Winslow, reporter with Fox 13 News.

Funding for The Hinckley Report is made possible in part by Merit Medical and by the financial contributions of PBS Utah members. If you would like to support the work we do, please visit https://pbsutah.org/supporthinckley

Three members of Pres. Donald Trump's cabinet visited the Beehive State this week. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and EPA Director Lee Zeldin met with state lawmakers and members of the state's congressional delegation. Our expert panel discusses why the three federal leaders have high praise for Utah.

Kennedy specifically praised a bill recently passed by the Utah legislature that bans fluoride from water systems in the state. The move aligns with Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" initiatives.

Utah leaders are also weighing in on Pres. Trump's latest round of tariffs. The fear is whether or not economic uncertainty over the executive orders will push the country toward a recession. We evaluate how Utah is being impacted, and what Gov. Spencer Cox is doing to shore up the state's economy.

Union organizers in Utah have less than a week to gather signatures in their attempt to get a voter referendum on the state's ballot. The group "Protect Utah Workers" is made up of several labor unions in the state. They want Utah voters to decide whether or not to overturn HB 267 (Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan). That bill passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Cox prohibits public labor unions from collective bargaining.

Host Jason Perry is joined by Robert Spendlove, senior economist with Zions Bank — McKenzie Romero, editor-in-chief of Utah News Dispatch — and Chris Bleak, partner with RRJ Consulting.

Funding for The Hinckley Report is made possible in part by Merit Medical and by the financial contributions of PBS Utah members. If you would like to support the work we do, please visit https://pbsutah.org/supporthinckley

• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:00:53) - Visit from Transportation Secretary Duffy
• (00:04:33) - RFK Jr., MAHA, and the Utah Way
• (00:16:55) - Tariffs and Trade Wars
• (00:20:55) - Public Worker Unions Referendum
• (00:24:28) - Will the Legislature hold a veto override session?
• (00:25:54) - Outro