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WATCH: Utah Dem lawmakers walk out during vote on critical race theory ban

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As the Utah state legislature geared up to vote on a ban on critical race theory in schools, it faced protests from Democratic House members and senators. Ultimately, despite protests, both chambers passed the resolution Wednesday to ban critical race theory.

Leading up to the vote, Sen. Kathleen Riebe (D-08) made an amendment to the Senate resolution to include a ban of QAnon conspiracies in schools. In the resolution, she called the group “a discredited, far-right conspiracy theory” that contributed “to the failed insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” So, she wrote in an attempt to ban it alongside critical race theory. However, in the end, she didn’t sponsor her own amendment, making it look like a rhetorical statement rather than a serious attempt.

Then, Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost (D-24) made a similar amendment in the House resolution. But she took it a step further, attempting to also ban “the big lie” that “the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate due to baseless claims of voter fraud.” In her attempt she proposed to ban all discussion of the instances of voter fraud from public schools’ curriculum.

In a comment to SaraACarter.com, Dailey-Provost explained that, like Riebe, it wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. “I definitely wanted to make a point about how strongly I felt about the inappropriate nature in which [the resolution banning critical race theory was] created and put forward, as well as to make a point,” she said.

But she knew that her amendment was a moot point. “The amendment never would have stood a chance in the House if it had been moved and voted upon,” she said.

“In the end I did not have to decide whether to propose my amendment because my colleagues and I all left the House floor at the beginning of the discussion to protest the content and process that was at hand,” Dailey-Provost said. The walkout was captured on tape.

So, without any Democrats in the room, the resolution passed. The resolution also passed in the senate, with only six votes against.

There has been no evidence of critical race theory or QAnon conspiracies being taught in Utah schools. Instead, Senate President Stuart Adams told local reporters that they are listening to their constituents. “It’s really important to my constituents that everyone be treated equally, that no one because of the color of their skin be treated differently,” Adams said.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism

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The Looming National Debt Crisis: The Uncomfortable Truth No One Wants to Discuss

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As Republican candidates gather for a debate, the skeleton in the closet remains the ballooning national debt, a subject that’s largely been relegated to the shadows of political discourse.

While the candidates may briefly touch upon the issue and offer surface-level solutions, the uncomfortable truth is that addressing the national debt’s growing burden would require difficult, unpopular choices. Candidates find themselves in a precarious position, tasked with both solving the problem and securing votes, all within the constraints of a 90-second debate response.

Since surpassing the $33 trillion debt threshold, the United States has been accruing over $800 million in new debt every hour, adding more than $2 billion daily in interest payments. The most recent debt ceiling bill has suspended any cap on this debt until January 2025, casting a long shadow over the nation’s future freedom and prosperity.

Democrats have occasionally pointed to the “Trump Tax Cuts” as a driver of the deficit. However, the tax cuts did stimulate economic growth and resulted in record-high Treasury revenues, albeit without corresponding spending cuts.

One feasible solution begins with fixing the federal budget process, though it is by no means an easy task. Nonetheless, it would substantially rein in Congress’s control over the spending pie chart. A recent Heritage study revealed that only 10 percent of the $7.5 trillion in COVID-related spending actually went to healthcare. The remaining 90 percent, charged as overhead and other expenses, underscores the need for significant reform.

According to reports from Fox News, while the discretionary budget, including debt interest payments and defense spending, constitutes less than 25 percent of overall expenditures and continues to shrink, the true driver of federal deficits lies in mandatory, programmatic spending. These are expenditures Congress does not address annually but continues unabated.

Furthermore, they encompass popular transfer programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, student loans, and healthcare initiatives like Obamacare, among countless others. Altering these programs involves a political third rail, a risk few presidential candidates are willing to take.

Mandatory, programmatic expenditures are perpetual and don’t undergo annual scrutiny or adjustment. There is virtually no constituency for tackling these fundamental issues, despite their role as the primary drivers of the nation’s fiscal challenges.

Many citizens believe that trimming discretionary spending, such as congressional salaries or foreign aid, or rooting out “waste, fraud, and abuse,” can resolve the debt problem. While these are valid concerns, the real target for reform should be mandatory, programmatic spending to ensure the sustainability of essential programs.

The Republican candidates vying for the nomination face a daunting question: Who among them possesses the courage and leadership to make the unpopular decisions necessary to restore fiscal responsibility to the nation’s future?

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats seem unlikely to embrace responsible spending as part of their agenda, leaving the issue largely unaddressed in their political DNA.

In a political landscape dominated by divisive issues and partisan debates, the national debt looms as the silent crisis that few are willing to confront.

The path to fiscal responsibility requires acknowledging the harsh reality that popular programs must also be on the table for reform. Only then can America hope to secure a stable financial future for its citizens.

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