I’m a Democrat because of my faith, not despite it. Now, we may disagree at times, but the fundamentals of common sense, good government, freedom, and democracy, we share.
I’m asking you to join me—for the better.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
How many times will we have to point out that Governor Cox only stands on principle when it is politically convenient? The Governor condemns election fraud and denial – except when it comes to Trump. His endorsement of the former president directly contradicts his stance on
You deserve a governor who won’t leave you wondering if today’s the day he’ll have the political courage to do what’s right, or if he’ll continue pandering to outside pressure, special interests, donors, and extremists in his party.
If you’re looking for something different,
One thing the SCOTUS majority has made crystal clear in the last two terms is that standing is a pick-and-choose requirement for them.They will ignore a plaintiff’s lack of standing if doing so allows them to reach a merits conclusion they like.
#scotus
In the debate in the Senate on SJR 3 to wipe out SL County’s mask mandate, Sen. McCay’s position is quite simple: masks have no effect in stopping or slowing the spread of COVID.
Hmmm. I don’t think any public health expert agrees with that. I think I know who I trust.
#utpol
Every Utahn needs to hear this. Particularly every person living in CD 4. And even more specifically, every individual who foolishly voted for
@BurgessOwens
rather than a remarkable public servant,
@BenMcAdamsUT
. Burgess Owens will continue to embarrass Utah for 23 months.
#utpol
This is 🔥 🔥 🔥. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (
@RepJeffries
) drags Utah’s new Trump-supporting Black Republican (
@BurgessOwens
) for coming in on his first day and lecturing Democrats about patriotism when Owens voted to overturn the November election even after the Capitol insurrection.
Please read this.
I was in NYC for four days last week. Most folks I saw were wearing masks, inside and out. At both sit down restaurants I went to I was required to show proof of vaccination and ID. And business was brisk! Streets were crowded! UT can do so much better.
#utpol
"I did not feel safe while in Utah, because people in Utah don’t seem to care. Their politics, or whatever, are more important than public safety," opinion writer Blake Harper writes.
Today’s vote is a blatant power grab by the legislature. It kicks the will of the people to the curb. The Legislature has turned itself into its own judge and jury—they want to make and break the laws as they please, with no regard for the wishes of Utahns. This isn’t
The news that Donald Trump used a veterans’ memorial event as a campaign photo-op, violating the clear rules of Arlington National Cemetery, comes as no real surprise. Trump has consistently disrespected and mocked those who serve in the military. What was disappointing was to
From NPR’s
@QuilLawrence
: Arlington National Cemetery officials say Trump campaign staff verbally abused and pushed aside cemetery official who objected to filming and photography at gravesites
More below and to follow on NPR
Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be free from having someone else's religion practiced on us. -John Irving
Of note: The top House Dem — Minority Leader Angela Romero — is away for the DNC. So is Dem gubernatorial candidate and Rep. Brian King.
Romero is a national delegate for the Utah Democratic Party, which asked to join the redistricting lawsuit against the Legislature on Friday.
There have been some excellent things showing up on the internet in the last few days on the topic of abortion. Of course it depends on your point of view. Many people think one of those things is Justice Alito's draft opinion. I prefer this comment from several years ago: 🧵
Tomorrow the legislature will convene under the guise of an 'emergency'—a convenient excuse to override the will of the people. This is a fear-based power grab by a supermajority. It’s ironic that while we’re told to “disagree better,” the supermajority, with the support of
I'm Brian King and I am running to be the next Governor of Utah. For the Better.
Ready to join the movement? Head to this link: to show your support.
#KingforUtah
#ForTheBetter
Look, we all know in our heart of hearts that Kevin McCarthy is not the right person to be Speaker. And, honestly, we know who is the right guy for the job.
It’s the only Cy Young Award pitcher, 5-star General, and Pulitzer Prize winner to serve in Congress: George Santos.
@neal_katyal
@SDMarie
I’ve argued before Judge Tashima and Judge Fletcher in separate cases before the Ninth Curcuit. They are smart, fair, and honorable jurists. They can sort through the fundamental indecency of our immigration practices
I have kept my mouth shut about the Cottonwood Heights melee for a couple of days now. But it needs to be thoroughly investigated. It appears the CH police deliberatedly or incompetently provoked an unnecessary confrontation with the protestors. Let’s get to the bottom of it.
Two days ago the Republican National Committee met in Salt Lake City for its winter meeting. It formally censured Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the two GOP members of the House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol, for serving on that committee. 1/
I know we passed a bill or two in the last legislative session aimed as shutting down drag shows. But we need to get a lot smarter about this kind of legislation. The only thing that will stop a bad guy in a dress is a good guy in a dress.
Tonight I’ll be speaking on the LDS for Harris National Organizing Call! I look forward to connecting with members of the LDS community from across the country and showing my support for the Harris/Waltz presidential ticket. Head to this link: to RSVP
This is a long way from the letter and the spirit of the Utah Compact. That was first developed in 2010 and reaffirmed in 2019. Immigration is a difficult issue. But latching on to the cold-blooded and inhumane Texas approach does not all, at all, with Utah values. 1/
The border is a disaster that continues to spiral out of control, both in terms of people and deadly fentanyl traffic. This is not a partisan issue. This is a national security issue. This is a common sense issue. This is an American issue.
Utah thanks Texas and Gov. Abbott for
The Congressional map recommended by the Legislative Redistricting Committee, surgically cutting Salt Lake County into four separate districts solely to maximize the likelihood of Republicans winning elections, is not something I will support.
#utpol
1/
My faith is a large part of my life. I am a Democrat because of my faith.
Not only through my study of scripture but from studying my own family history, I’ve come to believe that it is Christlike to challenge the status quo. My great-great-grandfather, Hyrum Smith, was killed
Pitiful that we have so many Republican leaders in this state chomping at the bit to make all abortions illegal as soon as possible but oppose a simple mask mandate that will save lives right now. Those leaders are botching our response to this public health crisis.
#VoteThemOut
This is remarkable and very revealing. Endorsements are a demonstration of shared values. Either that or fear of what will happen if the endorsement is withheld. So let's first review the values of Donald Trump and see how they stack up to Utah values. 1/
It is evident that President Trump is the right nominee for our party. I look forward to working in the Senate with President Trump to unite our party, secure a stronger future for America, and continue the fight for conservative leadership.
Together we can reclaim the
I keep seeing comments from political and religious leaders praying for national unity. Who are they kidding? SCOTUS just gave states authority to control women’s bodies in the most invasive ways. Their most basic reproductive freedom and privacy is under attack.
#utpol
#1
In the House floor debate right now on SJR 3 to overturn Salt Lake and Summit County mask mandates. I hear some supporters of the bill saying that reversing all mask mandates is what being "conservative" requires. And people wonder why political conservatism has a bad name.
Natalie Cline will wear censure as a badge of honor. Her actions in attacking children are so numerous and persistent that impeachment is our only meaningful response. Anything less enables her continued malfeasance in public office.
#utpol
BREAKING: House resolution to condemn, censure Natalie Cline has just gone public
#utpol
#utleg
Looks like GOP caucuses have decided against impeachment
#utpol
#utleg
Today, I’m proud to announce my running mate:
@RebekahCummings
.
She’s a mom, public servant, librarian, and defender against book banning and censorship.
Together, Rebekah and I are building a coalition of pragmatists, not purists—those who want the government to get back to
We believe that the government has no place dictating the most personal, private decisions in our lives. This decision by the Utah Supreme Court is a step in the right direction for women’s reproductive rights in our state. We look forward to defending this cause as the case goes
They all get thrown under the bus for the unborn.”
This, from Methodist Pastor David Barnhart, is a succinct and insightful comment about so much of the fervor generated by the "pro-life" political movement on abortion.
“Trump’s not good enough for me. But I still want him to win. Because he’s good enough for the rest of you, Utah.”
This is not the Governor we need. This is not the Governor we deserve. We can have so much more. Vote
@KingForUtah
—for the better.
This evening
@Lawrence
referred to the actions of 17 state AGs, including
@SeanReyesUT
, as "seditious abuse of the legal process." And he's completely right. Sean Reyes knows
@JoeBiden
won this election. But he chooses to betray his oath of office and undermines the U.S.
#utpol
On this I agree completely with
@GovCox
and
@LGHendersonUtah
. And to be clear, this type of behavior is unacceptable regardless of one's gender identity. Natalie Cline needs to resign. If she won't resign, we need to take action to impeach her.
Today is the final day of my last legislative session as a Utah State Representative. Serving my constituents has been incredibly rewarding. Thank you for trusting me to make changes in our state, for the better.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
"The unborn are a convenient group of people to advocate for. They never make demands of you; they are morally uncomplicated, unlike the incarcerated, addicted, or the chronically poor; they don't resent your condescension or complain that you are not politically correct;
@SpencerJCox
Unbecoming, my friend. No one believes that domestic oil/gas production increases can be achieved in a time frame that will ease the burden of short term high prices. And aren’t efforts to further isolate Putin worth it? This tweet of yours is nothing short of political sniping.
Tonight we saw about ten minutes of debate to pass a seriously gerrymandered Congressional map out of the House of Representatives that Utahns will have to live with for the next ten years.
#utpol
1/
Just had a terrible experience. I was fine giving blood and urine at the Salt Lake Clinic. But you know what wasn't fine? They made me put on a mask before I allowed in the building. I feel imposed on, violated, and oppressed.*
*the foregoing was written in sarcasm font.
I can't think of a more clear and unambiguous way of one of our two major political parties declaring that they do not support and uphold our Constitution.
Why is Utah the worst in the nation at getting Medicaid eligible children enrolled? This is unacceptable. We need to do more to provide children access to healthcare. As your governor, I will make this a priority. No child, regardless of their parent's income, should be
.
@nhannahjones
frames this so well. She says, “we have so much more empathy for powerful people who commit crimes out of greed than for poor people who commit crimes out of desperation.”
Does anyone doubt this is a reality in this world of ours?
It’s hard to take seriously calls from
@GovCox
to “disagree better” when he says nothing about the leader of his own party promoting pictures of the President hog-tied and gagged in the back of a pickup truck. We deserve so much better than silence in the face of such vicious
I appreciate
@MittRomney
’s willingness to vote for Judge Brown Jackson’s nomination to
#SCOTUS
. Those who won’t support such a highly qualified nominee might as well show their colors and just admit they will never vote for anyone nominated by a Democratic President.
I’m thrilled by the Utah Supreme Court’s ruling this morning, which upholds the principles laid out in our state constitution: that all political power resides inherently in the people.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
It's important that Utahns know this: every legislative Democrat, EVERY ONE, has called on Governor Herbert to make masks mandatory in the way that our public health and medical leaders have requested.
#TimeForChange
#utpol
We had 4,532 new Covid-19 cases and 31 deaths last week. On pace for 5,800 cases this week.
Hospitalizations are at a record. ICUs are ~3/4 full. Doctors and nurses are fried. Their patients suffer in isolation.
And the politicians won’t help.
#utpol
"I do think that President Trump is going to win the general election, and I will work very closely with him — I look forward to working closely with him." So said Governor Cox just a few days ago.
Do Utahns really want a Governor who looks forward to "working closely" with
“Voters Are Unaware of Trump ‘Dictator’ Threats.” But when “presented with evidence straight from Trump’s own mouth, they see an authoritarian second term as very plausible”
Good
@GregTSargent
analysis of
@geoffgarin
poll shows room to grow Trump negatives
This is what happens when you pander to your fringe: you make up facts or adopt made up facts from zealots. Unlike the Governor, I don’t believe including people from a wide range of life experiences in positions of responsibility is a bad thing. In fact, it’s a worthy ideal. 1/
UPDATED: Utah schools reject Gov. Cox’s claim that they require employees to sign ‘diversity statements’
@SchottHappens
and I dug into examples that Cox's office provided (and searched college websites). But they don't align with what the guv first said.
I feel inspired after this weekend of festivities. It was amazing to see the support for our LGBTQ+ community. Thank you to everyone who marched with us in the Utah Pride Parade and stopped by our booth at the festival. We need to work to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ Utahns
It is not OK that the Utah state DMV officials turned over data to ICE to help set up a surveillance system. I’ll be joining with legislative colleagues to get answers about how this happened. I’m sure our concerns will be bipartisan.
#utpol
In at least 3 states that offer driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have combed through license databases using facial recognition technology
“If you have one party controlling both the executive and the legislative branches for 40 years ... you’re going to not have the best results in terms of policies and priorities and a vision that takes into account all the perspectives and all the diversity of the state of Utah”
Finally, we must oppose the effort of any group or individual to terminate or interfere with an investigation that allows our country to get to the bottom of the 1/6 attack on our country and Constitution. I ask all Utahns to join me in raising their voices. 11/11
In Utah, everyone deserves a seat at the table. I’m dedicated to making government more transparent and responsive so that every Utahn’s voice is heard and valued.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
They are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to claim you love Jesus, but actually dislike people who breathe. Prisoners? Immigrants? The sick? The poor? Widows? Orphans? All the groups that are specifically mentioned in the Bible?
This is the front page of today’s
@sltrib
. I do not join with the Speaker and President on this point. Senator Mayne and I spoke to
@GovHerbert
for over a half hour yesterday and encouraged him to require masks in public places when social distancing is not possible.
#utpol
To every Utahn who turned out to vote for Nikki Haley or who voted for Donald Trump with anxiety or skepticism: Consider this a formal invitation to join us in this movement. You will be welcomed with open arms.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
I want to thank President Biden for his decades of service to our country. His decision today to step out of this race is an act of public good over personal interest.
I am excited to see our country come together to nominate a candidate and to continue the commonsense, good
This op-ed, , from a physician who helps patients struggle through the gut-wrenching decision of abortion, and in response to comments over the pulpit from the General Conference of
@Ch_JesusChrist
last weekend, resonates with me. It's personal to me. 1/
This is neither transparent nor accountable,
@GovHerbert
. Utahns are entitled to specific information about how this happened, who was involved, and what laws were broken. "Move along, nothing to see here" is not an adequate response to this mess.
#utpol
The State of Utah has received a full refund on the $800,000 purchase of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine. We have determined that all involved acted proactively, preemptively and prudently during an emergency in an effort to save lives, and everyone acted in good faith.
This weekend was General Conference and Ann and I were able to attend! My faith is important to me and I am incredibly proud of being a Latter-day Saint AND a Democrat. These two values of mine go hand in hand and have made me who I am today.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
The $200 million tax cut Utah lawmakers rammed through is paid for out of revenue that would have gone to public and higher education.
Instead of a modest tax cut, that money could have boosted per-student funding next year another 5%
#utpol
#utleg
It is difficult to take this party seriously when it completely defends an unworthy leader at the expense of facts and reason. Trump’s own words and acts make clear he is corrupt and will tear up and throw away the Constitution if given the chance. Today’s GOP is a cult.
#utpol
A resolution passed by the Utah Republican Party's Central Committee on Saturday calls on Utah’s members of Congress to condemn the “continuous political persecution” of former President Donald Trump.
The Primary may be done, but this race is far from over. I look forward to challenging Governor Cox and pushing boundaries to win this election- for the better.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
That’s a wrap on day one of the Democratic National Convention! As your candidate for governor, I'm dedicated to championing our values this week and beyond. Together, we’re not just part of the conversation but driving it forward.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
This is what a Governor complicit with an extreme, culture war obsessed legislature gets you: chaos, dysfunction, and targeting of vulnerable people. This is not the effective or sensible leadership Utahns deserve. We can do so much better.
#KingForUtah
#ForTheBetter
#utpol
Just a reminder on this Labor Day: the Project 2025 playbook would essentially ban unions for public service workers (p. 82), let bosses avoid overtime pay (p. 592), make it easier for private companies to decertify unions (p. 603), and allow states to opt out of federal labor
Some have raised their voices. I was glad to hear
@MittRomney
's comment that "shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol." I join him in condemning a political party that opposes the search for the truth about 1/6. 5/
We get into trouble whenever we try to evaluate a person only by their ethnicity, race, gender, religion, or other categories rather than seeing people as individuals with their own character and personality. Ted Lasso and Walt Whitman were right: “be curious, not judgmental.”
Hey, Utah Democrats, take a look at what other red and purple states are doing: Democrats are competing across the board. Our candidate filing period is coming right up. It opens on January 2nd and closes on January 8th.
You can’t win if you don’t run.
#utpol
🚨 🚨
BREAKING: Ohio Dems Step Up, Running All Over
A 🧵
Last week, I shared the phenomenal news that in North Carolina, Texas, Arkansas and Arizona, leaders, activists and candidates are all acting on the “run everywhere” mantra.
1/
The Olympics are coming back to Utah in 2034. Between now and then, let’s transform our transportation infrastructure to be smarter and more sustainable. I’m committed to investing in public transit and green alternatives for a cleaner, more connected Utah.
#KingForUtah
The doors were locked.
The teachers were armed.
TN expanded firearm access.
The police arrived in minutes.
Covenant school had everything that MAGA GOP assured us prevents & stops mass shootings. And 3 babies & 3 adults were murdered in seconds.😳
IT’S—THE—GUNS
#GunReformNow
When I am not at the capitol, I am an attorney practicing law here in Salt Lake City. My practice centers on plaintiffs who were improperly denied health, life, or disability insurance. My job means a lot to me, but the opportunity to be your governor means so much more.
unlike widows, they don't ask you to question patriarchy; unlike orphans, they don't need money, education, or childcare; unlike aliens, they don't bring all that racial, cultural, and religious baggage that you dislike;
they allow you to feel good about yourself without any work at creating or maintaining relationships; and when they are born, you can forget about them, because they cease to be unborn.
I appreciated this book by
@designmom
because it helped me think about the dynamics of the abortion debate in a different light.
@repastoddard
and I gave this not as a joke but to encourage substantive discussions between policy-makers in our legislature.
#utpol
#utleg
1/
If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other. -Ulysses S. Grant
I posted yesterday about how many lost federal jobs will be caused by House Republicans shutting down the government. In response a few folks have said, "why are you blaming only Republicans? Both sides need to come together to fix this!" Nope. This is a House GOP problem: 1/