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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A panel of Utah lawmakers is recommending the Mormon church's top lobbyist take a job overseeing the Legislature's office that drafts laws, gives legal advice and staffs committees. About a dozen lawmakers unanimously approved John Q. Cannon to take over the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel. The appointment illustrates what's sometimes seen as a thin line between Utah's government and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith to which most lawmakers belong.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says his office won't appeal a decision by a federal judge to allow the son of late U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett to be on the November ballot in the special election to replace Jason Chaffetz in Congress. Cox said in a statement Wednesday that his office will comply with Judge David Nuffer's decision even though they don't agree with it. Nuffer ruled that Jim Bennett and his new party have a right to be on the ballot.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The lawyer for a Utah polygamous sect leader caught after he was on the run for a year says he suffered head injuries in late 1990s accidents and must be evaluated for possible brain damage. She says no decision will be made on whether to argue Lyle Jeffs is unfit to stand trial until experts assess old medical reports and evaluate his mental health. Jeffs' lawyer Kathryn Nester says her client was in a 1997 construction accident and a 1998 car accident. Jeffs faces food stamp fraud charges.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A group from the University of Utah is raising concerns about a $10 million donation from the conservative billionaire Koch brothers. They say in a letter that Koch donations are aimed at supporting academic work in line with their views, so accepting the money could make the university into a vehicle for political goals. University spokesman Chris Nelson says the school doesn't review donors' political beliefs, but the donation agreement contains strict limits to protect the school's autonomy.
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