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sharongf.bsky.social
@sharongf.bsky.social
15K followers 18K following 980 posts
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Passionate about public education and social justice.Teacher Mentor/Coach. 2009 UtahTeacher of the Year
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sharongf.bsky.social
sharongf.bsky.social @sharongf.bsky.social · Nov 11
Freedom of religion is a guaranteed right. Your faith is yours to practice, but the Constitution guarantees that same right to others, not just your God or your faith.
Reposted
benwinslow.bsky.social
JUST IN: Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, announces she will run for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the newly created 1st Congressional District. #utpol #Utah
November 12, 2025 at 4:06 PM
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criterdee.bsky.social
A screenshot courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune @sltrib.com Public Forum page.

Democracy
Hunger

Who are we America? And have you called your reps lately?
#utpol
Screenshot of the public Forum in today’s Salt Lake Tribune. Two essays by two different women from two different Utah cities. The first asks about congressional checks on the executive branch. The second is about food insecurity and the cruelty of the fact it occurs in America.
November 11, 2025 at 2:45 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 7:50 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 7:50 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
Americans have had enough!
November 6, 2025 at 5:40 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
The problem is Utah's gun laws!
liquidjade.bsky.social Liquid Jade @liquidjade.bsky.social · 13d
The problems:
1) Gunman #1 was legally allowed to open carry his AR-15.
2) Gunman #2 was legally allowed to shoot at Gunman #1 under Utah’s Stand Your Ground Law.

Maybe either gunman could be convinced to plead to Reckless Endangerment - 1 year in jail & 2,500 fine.
#utpol
kuer.org KUER @kuer.org · 13d
A lack of movement or answers has pushed Afa Ah Loo’s widow into action. She and her lawyers want charges filed and a full investigation into what went wrong at the No Kings march, so it doesn’t happen again.
November 2, 2025 at 11:29 PM
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utahnewsdispatch.com
"Nothing about this incident, like so many ICE operations, makes me feel safer as an American," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall says about an airport arrest that shook city leaders.#utpol
ICE operations in Utah were relatively quiet — until an airport arrest shook SLC leaders • Utah News Dispatch
Salt Lake City leaders condemned an ICE arrest that happened Wednesday at the international airport's lobby.
utahnewsdispatch.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:51 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
@spencercox.bsky.social
October 31, 2025 at 5:30 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
October 31, 2025 at 5:27 PM
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schotthappens.com
What's the penalty for violating Utah's election ad disclosure laws?

Not much more than a gentle warning.

That's an open invitation for more of the same.
October 30, 2025 at 2:24 PM
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katarinakriz.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 1:43 PM
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criterdee.bsky.social
Called Lee, Curtis. LAM for Kennedy (all R-UT).

re: open enrollment.

Because they’re in Congress, they don’t have to “shop” plans in October because health care is a perk for them.

They can’t relate to losing coverage.

Per Rolling Stone article: Cadillac plans for them, scraps for us.
#utpol
October 27, 2025 at 11:33 PM
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hotskillet.bsky.social
Bless Mumbai House. Park City, SLC and Toole. Please let your neighbors know. Hard times are here. #UTpol
October 28, 2025 at 1:06 AM
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criterdee.bsky.social
Article courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune @sltrib.com

Not Auschwitz, but a potential taxpayer-funded ICE camp in UT, with which to hold detainees is no less repulsive.
#utpol

CNN: Immigration detention center to be built in Utah with expected capacity for 10K
edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dyn...
CNN: Immigration detention center to be built in Utah with expected capacity for 10K - The Salt Lake Tribune
edition.pagesuite.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM
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schotthappens.com
"These videos have become a signature move from Schultz since he became Speaker. They look like personal social media content—they’re posted to his personal accounts first then amplified through official legislative channels—but taxpayers are footing the bill."
October 27, 2025 at 2:34 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
The world sees Trump for who and what he is. MAGA and the GOP are living in another reality.
October 26, 2025 at 2:24 PM
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criterdee.bsky.social
Courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune @sltrib.com

Utah leg. - GOP super majority.
Governor’s mansion - republican
USC - justices nominated/confirmed by Gov/ #utleg

Utah voters - voiceless #utpol

Experts: Legislature’s congressional map a GOP-favoring outlier
edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dyn...
Experts: Legislature’s congressional map a GOP-favoring outlier - The Salt Lake Tribune
edition.pagesuite.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
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jkinneberg.bsky.social
Utah residents- Decline to Sign!

If you see petition gatherers about redistricting or Prop 4, say NO. #NoGerrymandering

Tell your friends and family: Don't sign any petitions about redistricting or congressional maps. Utah Legislators & GOP are trying to overturn the will of the people.

#UtPol
REDISTRICTING TIMELINE 2017 Signature Gathering A bipartisan grassroots group formed to create an independent redistricting commission. Volunteers began collecting signatures statewide to put the issue on the ballot. VOTE 2018 You Voted 512,000+ Utahns passed Proposition 4, creating an independent redistricting commission and banning partisan gerrymandering. The promise: fair maps where voters pick politicians, not the other way around. 2020• Politicians Repealed It Legislature passed SB 200, gutting Prop 4 and turning the independent commission into an "advisory" body they could ignore. They drew maps anyway, cracking Salt Lake County four ways. •2024 Supreme Court Said No The Court ruled that when voters enact government reforms through a ballot initiative, those reforms are constitutionally protected. It sent the case back to the district court to determine whether the repeal of Proposition 4 meets that test. August 25 2025 Third District Court's Ruling Current congressional maps are void because they violate Prop 4. The Legislature must draw new maps by November 10. October 6 2025 Legislature Grudgingly Complies Under protest, they pass Map C the least competitive option for Democrats. The GOP had endorsed it just two weeks earlier. October 15 2025₽ The Petitions The same GOP now wants to REPEAL the map they just endorsed AND repeal Prop 4 entirely, using two different petition tactics. Now we await the court's decision to choose a map. It's Nina from Vote Save America, I know it's been a while since you've heard from us. I'm reaching out because Utah Republicans are trying to take away your voting power. There's a lot of messy details, but here's the gist: 1. In 2018, voters passed Prop 4 to stop politicians from rigging maps. Great! 2. Then, the legislature completely overrode Prop 4. Not great! 3. After years of litigation, the courts sided in favor of Prop 4 and mandated that the Legislature draw new "fair" maps. Whew, ok. Still following? There's more. 4. Last month, the Legislature proposed that new map. It still has your current four red congressional districts, but two of them are more competitive - a little more purple-y, if you will. We're still waiting to see if the judge approves the new maps. 5. Last week, the Utah Republican Party filed two petitions to overturn both Proposition 4 and the new congressional map that was just passed by the majority of Republican state legislators. In short: good news, bad news, good news again, more good news, then very, very bad news. Now, the GOP has until November 15 to collect: • Nearly 70,500 signatures statewide for the petition that asks the Legislature to repeal Prop 4 • Nearly 150,000 signatures statewide for the referendum to ask voters to block the new map The GOP needs YOUR signature to succeed. Without enough of your signatures, their power grab fails. What you can DO: • Decline to sign- If you see petition gatherers about redistricting or Prop 4, say NO. • Tell your friends and family: Don't sign any petitions about redistricting or congressional maps. They're trying to overturn the will of the people. If you're confused, that's....so fair. Here's a helpful graphic our friends at Elevate Utah made to explain
October 24, 2025 at 4:05 PM
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crazyus.com
The GOP CONTROLLED HOUSE, who controls the power of the purse, continues to push a false narrative that the DEMs are the reason people are losing SNAP! Nope, the GOP is cruelly using Americans as pawns so they can win! #GOPShutdown #utpol

PS: cool ballroom🤦‍♀️

www.npr.org/2025/10/24/n...
'Uncharted territory': Ongoing shutdown threatens food aid for 42 million people
SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids, and those with disabilities.
www.npr.org
October 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
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criterdee.bsky.social
I’m not 100% sure, but I’d bet a million bucks your congress members don’t have to fu** around with the open enrollment period, as we peons do.

New illness? Cancer diagnosis? Reauthorization? Deductibles? Copays? Job change?

I doubt they care that this is what we face each plan year.
#utpol
October 24, 2025 at 7:46 PM
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schotthappens.com
Oh, shit!

James Comey just filed a motion to dismiss the government's case against him.

He claims that the U.S. attorney who brought the case was illegally appointed to her post, so the indictment is not legitimate.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
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schotthappens.com
Quick civics lesson:

2018: Utah voters pass anti-gerrymandering law.
2020: GOP legislature: lol, no.
2024 and 2025: Courts: You can't do that.
2025: Utah GOP: Fine, we'll do it ourselves.

How the Utah GOP plans to kill Prop. 4.

Story at the link:

www.utahpoliticalwatch.news/the-utah-gop...
Utah GOP launches scheme to kill voter-approved redistricting reform
Get up to speed before you head out the door.
www.utahpoliticalwatch.news
October 15, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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benwinslow.bsky.social
A coalition of groups that work to feed people in need in Utah are asking Gov. Cox to delay changes to SNAP that are being imposed by the Trump administration. Here's their letter to the governor... #utpol #Utah
Dear Governor Cox, We, the undersigned organizations, are reaching out today to ask that you exercise your recent leadership position as Chair at the Western Governors’ Association and request that the Western Governors’ Association write a letter to request a delay of the implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provisions from HR 1. HR1 made sweeping changes to SNAP, burdening states with costs while reducing their ability to tailor the administration of the program to their states’ needs. The consequences of two changes in particular seriously threaten state budgets: ● benefits cost share for states based on their SNAP Payment error rate. These abruptly imposed costs will strain every state's budget. Even with the implementation date pushed until 2027, the cost-share requirement states will face in the first year of implementation is based on each state’s payment error rate in 2025 or 2026. This means how much a state may be required to pay in the future is being determined right now. States need more time to thoughtfully improve payment accuracy, plan for these increased costs, and await guidance from USDA on what happens if states do not fully fund their benefit portion of the program. The shift of program costs to states jeopardizes what for decades has been our best response to hunger and food insecurity — a meaningful program with stability and integrity. This puts millions of low-income Americans at risk for greater food insecurity. ● increased state cost share for administrative costs from a 50/50 percent split to a 75/25 percent split, in cutting the federal match for administrative costs in half. This change will be implemented on October 1, 2026, giving states little time to prepare and making it even harder to address the underlying causes of payment errors. It is unclear what the consequences will be for states that are unable to secure this additional funding. To date, the USDA has remained silent on this issue. Unexpect… they understand not only the importance of maintaining a program with integrity, but also a program that accurately serves its recipients. USDA must be open to investing in systems that increase accuracy without increasing the complexity of the program for applicants. But that takes time and support from USDA. The lack of clear guidance from the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making it difficult for states to implement these changes with integrity and effectiveness. Released memos lack specific guidance, linked here: Overall Implementation: SNAP Provisions of the OBBB Information Memorandum Specific Provisions Section 10101 – Re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan SNAP FY 2026 Cost-of-Living-Adjustments (COLA) Memo Section 10102 – SNAP Work Requirements ABAWD Exceptions Implementation Memorandum ABAWD ABAWD Waivers Implementation Memorandum Sections 10103 and 10104 – SNAP Eligibility Instructions for FY 2026 Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) Values Treatment of Energy Assistance Payments Section 10105 – SNAP Matching Funds Requirements (No memo has been issued) Section 10106 – SNAP Administrative Cost Sharing (No memo has been issued) Section 10107: Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program SNAP-Ed Question and Answer Memo Section 10108: Alien SNAP Eligibility (No memo has been issued) Not only does the policy as it stands present a tremendous burden to the state as a whole, but it also disproportionately hurts those who will struggle to find new bearings: families already caring for children or senior relatives, disabled people, and those immigrants and refugees to whom Utah has proudly offered itself as a home. We would like to schedule a meeting with you or a senior staff member to discuss this further. Warm Regards, Glenn Bailey Crossroads Urban Center Dominique Bryd Comunidades Unidas Ginette Bott Utah Food Bank Tom Hogan Community Action Services and Food Bank Gina Cornia Utahns Agai…
October 15, 2025 at 8:42 PM
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fakegovernorcox.bsky.social
Hey friends, just a quick note to remind you that not all Republicans are racist just because most racists are Republican. #utpol
politico.com Politico @politico.com · Oct 14
EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of leaked messages show leaders of Young Republican groups joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape in a private Telegram chat.

Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇
‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat
Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.
www.politico.com
October 14, 2025 at 11:38 PM
sharongf.bsky.social
When you understand that Republicans voted for and defend a felon, a serial sexual assaulter, and a pedophile, you know they have no moral authority to speak on virtually anything. It's indefensible.
October 13, 2025 at 10:07 PM